From Burnout to Empowerment: Actionable Steps for Mental Wellness

Mental health affects everyone, and taking small steps to manage stress, anxiety, and burnout can make a significant difference in our overall wellbeing.

• Burnout happens gradually through emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and lack of accomplishment
• Setting boundaries and taking short breaks can help reclaim energy and reset your nervous system
• Post-pandemic anxiety is completely normal as we adjust to new social dynamics and routines
• Mindful breathing is a powerful tool for managing anxiety, focusing on the sensation of air moving in and out
• Telehealth therapy has made mental health support more accessible, especially in Texas which ranks last in provider access
• Therapy should feel safe and supportive – it's okay to ask questions and find the right therapist for your specific needs
• Small daily habits like five-minute mindfulness practices can significantly reduce stress
• Mental health maintenance is preventative, similar to regular dental check-ups before problems arise
• When searching for a therapist, use specific terms related to your needs (trauma, depression, burnout)

If this episode resonated with you, please share it with someone who might need it. Remember you are worthy of support.

Chapters

• 0:00 Welcome and Mental Health Introduction
• 1:57 Understanding and Managing Burnout
• 4:42 Post-Pandemic Anxiety and Breathing Techniques
• 6:59 Getting Started with Therapy
• 8:32 Stress Management in Daily Life
• 9:50 Finding the Right Therapist for You
• 13:17 Closing Thoughts and Encouragement

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Hey there and welcome to the Talibonis Hub podcast. I'm Marni Hamilton, a counselor here in Texas and your host, and today we're going to get real about mental health what's on your mind, what you're searching for and how we can take actionable steps together to navigate this journey. Whether you're in Dallas, houston or anywhere else in Texas, this episode is all about meeting you where you're at, but it's also can apply to people outside of Texas. So first let me ask you have you been feeling overwhelmed, disconnected or maybe even burnt out lately? So you're not alone, and there's just so much research out there, so much data that lets us know like we've. We've been going through some challenging years. So many of us, myself included, are grappling with stress, anxiety and a bit of that post pandemic burnout still, and I want to talk about how to turn those feelings into actionable steps for improvement. Here's what I've been hearing a lot from clients and what I see trending in the mental health space. People are searching for things like how to cope with burnout, what are signs of anxiety, and therapy near me for depression. So today I'm going to give you first just the realization that if you've been searching that, if you've been feeling that you're not alone. There's. It's very much trending in our space and I see it a lot with clients and I'd like to give you some practical tips and suggestions. Again, this is not a replacement for your own individual therapy, just want to give you some insight as to so you can feel like this episode can help manage whatever's on your plate right now and get you feeling a little bit more in control and stepping out from a place of fear and overwhelm into a space of empowerment. So let's dive in with the common search term that's been rising lately, which is burnout recovery. If you haven't already, please check out my latest episode with Kavita. She talks about being a high power exec and the road to recovering from burnout and into a space of health and wellness, even transforming her career.

Speaker 1: 2:26

If you're like many individuals in the US right now, you might feel like you've been running on empty for far too long. The pandemic changed so much about how we work Like even me doing this right now this never was on my radar before the pandemic how we interact and even how we see ourselves. If you've been feeling drained, if you feel unmotivated or if you just feel like everything's piling up, you're definitely not alone. Burnout doesn't happen overnight. So tip one is recognizing and managing burnout overnight. So tip one is recognizing and managing burnout. It's a gradual buildup of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and a lack of a sense of accomplishment.

Speaker 1: 3:14

You might find yourself Googling things like how to reduce stress at work or how to recover from feeling burnt out, but one of the things I've that one of the first things that I recommend is simply recognizing the signs. Like that is step one. Have you been feeling exhausted, no matter how much rest you get? Are you losing interest in activities that used to excite you? These are signs of burnout. So here's what you can do today Set a boundary.

Speaker 1: 3:44

It could be something as simple as I'm going to say no to one thing this week, and ideally not no to a healthy thing, right. But it could be something like take a short break, walk around the block, take five minutes to go outside and just breathe, listen to the trees like rustling in the wind, watch some birds, um, or just sit in silence for a minute. If you can find a minute, maybe just sit in silence. Small changes like these can really help reclaim your some of your energy and it's helpful for the central nervous system. Think about all the times that we purposefully reset or update software on our computers, on our phones, but like? How often are we intentional about checking in with ourselves and giving us the opportunity to have a boost?

Speaker 1: 4:39

Tip two mental health and post-pandemic anxiety. Another term I'm seeing a lot of people search for is post-pandemic anxiety. Many people are dealing with anxiety not just from the global health crisis and from so much going on in our world, but also from the adjustments we've all had to make. So, whether it's getting back into a busy routine or adjusting to new social dynamics, these things can feel overwhelming, and the truth is it's it's completely normal to feel that way. So if you're searching anxiety therapist near me or how to deal with social anxiety, know that there's nothing wrong with reaching out for support.

Speaker 1: 5:14

One simple tip to manage anxiety is focusing on your breath. I love breath work. Tip to manage anxiety is focusing on your breath. I love breath work. Granted, this is not going to change, like systemic changes in laws and justice that need to happen. So there's a lot of anxiety right now because of real issues social justice issues, systemic laws that need to change. But one thing that you can control is your breath, and that is one way that you can serve to nourish yourself. I'm not saying it's going to take care of all anxiety and I'm not saying that your anxiety may not be warranted, but this is why finding an individual therapist who specializes in this can be really helpful, and also because they can teach you breath work because actually, you don't want to do certain types of breath work If you have things like asthma or other um respiratory um conditions. So, that being said, even being mindful, like just paying attention to your breath and taking a moment to just notice your inhales, notice our exhales, because we do it so automatically without noticing and noticing the temperature, like I love noticing the coolness of the air as I breathe in and the subtle notice of the temperature, the subtle temperature change. I like to notice that when I exhale, and you can also take a look at your, your breath um, how your chest rises and falls, maybe your stomach. You can pay attention to how your hands feel on whatever uh furniture or on your body. The texture um breath work is incredible. Tip three therapy and getting started with help. So now let's talk about getting started with therapy.

Speaker 1: 7:03

Many of you are looking for therapy near me or virtual therapy. The beauty of today's digital world is that you don't have to leave your home to find support. Telehealth therapy is one of the most searched therapy terms. One of the most searched terms right now, especially in Texas, because we rank last in access to providers. It's a convenient way to connect with a therapist from the comfort of your own couch bed, wherever. I've had clients tell me, like you know, they feel like they need to look a certain way or what, if they you know I've had. I think that it's important for you to know from like therapist, from a therapist, that we meet people where they're at. So if you're in bed and that's where you're going to do your session today, that's fine. If you're in your car, as long as you're not driving, and because that's the space that you can get some privacy, go for it. Um, it's convenient. It's convenient to be able to connect with a therapist from the comfort of wherever you're at. So if you're thinking about starting therapy, do a search term for online therapy in Texas, for example, if you're in Texas, or CBT therapist near me. Cognitive behavioral therapy is one of the most researched and effective approaches for treating anxiety, depression and stress. So if you're not sure where to begin. You can search terms like that to help you find a licensed professional in your area.

Speaker 1: 8:29

Tip four managing stress in a busy life. So, with everything going on in the world, we're all searching for ways to manage stress and reclaim balance. You might've Googled how to cope with stress or stress management techniques. The good news is is there's tons of ways to start taking yourself self, tons of ways to start taking care of yourself, starting with small daily habits, like we don't have to overcomplicate this. One of my favorite ways to manage stress personally is through mindfulness practices.

Speaker 1: 9:00

Is why I love yoga so much, but you don't need to meditate for hours to benefit from it. Um, research shows that even just five minutes of focusing on your breath, like is, is helpful. So that's why you know mindfulness. People think you have to meditate for hours, but mindfulness is really just paying attention to something on purpose. It could be the food in your mouth, the textures, the colors in the room. Eating is a common one, and in the last episode we talked a little bit about breathing and intention before eating. But even a short walk outside to reconnect with nature and remember self-care doesn't have to be a huge event. Sometimes it's just as simple as stepping back and breathing.

Speaker 1: 9:42

Tip five, finally, how to find the right therapist for you, and this is an important one, like we got to talk about finding the right therapist. It's one of the most common things that people search for. How do I find a good therapist? The key is finding someone who fits your needs, and I can tell you as a therapist myself who has been a client, I have had my fair share of like therapy experiences where I'm like, oh my gosh, like I'm never coming back to this person or what the heck was that? Or, um, that just didn't. I just didn't vibe with that person. There's no other way to put it. And on the other side, I knew when I clicked and I'm just like this person gets me. This person, I feel like lighter, I feel informed, I feel like I had new realizations. I hadn't even like why didn't I even think of that? Um, so you'll know when it clicks. The key is finding someone who fits your needs.

Speaker 1: 10:40

Whether you're struggling with anxiety, trauma or depression, there's a therapist who can help you. And it's not always these big moments, right, like it's the daily life, because there are times that you're like well, like I, just feel like a little bit off, is off right, like that burnout and I don't really know, like I don't know what exactly I would talk to someone about, just like I don't know what exactly I would talk to someone about. Just the way you would be pro, do preventative care and like go get your teeth cleaned even though you don't need a root canal yet. Ideally, you don't ever need a root canal, but I'm just saying that there's something to be said about preventative and proactive hygiene when it comes to your mental health, just like in other aspects of health. So when you search for a therapist, try using specific terms, in my opinion, like trauma therapist, or therapy for depression, or therapy for burnout or recovery from divorce.

Speaker 1: 11:32

Sometimes it's therapists and sometimes it's therapists who turn into coaches who might be like the best fit for you. And the one thing with coaching I will say that is beneficial is that there aren't as many um limitations to things like diagnoses, like insurance, and um, like state, state laws. Although you want to, you want to make sure that your coach has really gone through like a training and education process to be where they're at. That's just my little two cents there. But you can ask questions like don't be afraid to ask questions like what? What kind of coaching training did you do? What's your back experience with treating anxiety? Even if they're like a super, like lots of credentials, ma, lpc, lms, wl like lots of credentials, m-a-l-p-c-l-m-s-w-l-c-s-w-p-h-d after their name, they may specialize in working with athletes. As a sports psychologist, you know there's so many different areas of specialties. So really don't be afraid to ask questions like what's your experience with treating anxiety? Do you offer telehealth sessions? Can you help me with? Like burnout Therapy should feel like it's safe. Safe, it's supportive and it's okay to shop around until you find the right fit.

Speaker 1: 12:47

So, as we wrap up today's session, I just want to remind you that mental health is a journey. If you've been feeling anxious, if you've been feeling burnt out, if you're just overwhelmed with everything that's going on, like you're definitely not alone, take small steps, take deep breaths. And whether it's reaching out for support, practicing mindfulness or simply saying no to something that's way too much right now, like this is probably like a big reminder. As I prepared for this. I think I just need a reminder for myself.

Speaker 1: 13:16

Um, it's okay to say no to something that's just too much. You don't have to have it all figured out. Remember that. And it's okay to say no to something that's just too much. You don't have to have it all figured out. Remember that. And it's okay to start small and take one step at a time. Support is available to you and you deserve to feel better. So thank you for joining me today. If this episode resonated with you, please share it with someone who might need it. And remember you are worthy of support. Take care, and I. You are worthy of support. Take care and I'll talk to you soon.