360° Health Beyond burnout: Where are you in the "burn-up" continuum?

In this episode, Dr. Stephen Sideroff explores the concept of going beyond burnout by introducing what he calls “burn-up”—a state of chronic stress where individuals continue functioning on the surface but are internally depleted, overwhelmed, and at risk of breaking down. He explains how to recognize the warning signs of burn-up, from constant fatigue to emotional disconnection, and outlines the serious risks it poses to both mental and physical health. With life becoming faster and more complex, Dr. Sideroff shares practical strategies to reverse this condition and build true resilience, emphasizing the importance of sustainable habits and mindset shifts. He also introduces his “9 pillars of resilience,” offering a structured approach to regaining balance, improving well-being, and thriving despite ongoing challenges.

Dr. Stephen Sideroff Biography

Dr. Stephen Sideroff is an internationally recognized expert in resilience, optimal performance, addiction, neurofeedback and alternative approaches to stress and mental health.

He is Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences, with a joint appointment in the Department of Rheumatology at UCLA’s School of Medicine, as well as the Director of the Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Ethics.

For over 40 years, Dr. Sideroff has been passionate about studying and understanding resilience and optimal performance.  He has developed and established innovative models of behavior and treatment approaches for restoring physical, emotional and mental balance and effectiveness in North America, Europe and Asia.

Dr. Sideroff presents seminars and professional training programs nationally and internationally.  He has conducted cutting edge research in brain and behavior at UC Irvine, McGill University in Montreal and UCLA.  His published research using Neurofeedback in substance abuse is a model for applying this innovative approach and he has helped to establish such programs at Sierra Tucson Treatment Center and other addiction treatment facilities. 

He has applied a similar approach in research designed to alleviate symptoms related to cancer and cancer treatment.  He was the director of the UCLA certification course in addiction for over 30 years. Dr. Sideroff helped establish the Gestalt Therapy clinic in Los Angeles, and is also the founder and former Clinical Director of Stress Strategies, a hospital based program addressing stress, burnout and psychosomatic conditions at UCLA/Santa Monica hospital.

In 2001 Dr. Sideroff was invited to China for the first of his pioneering visits to bring biofeedback, neurofeedback and his approach to behavioral medicine to the hospitals and universities of the People’s Republic of China. He was named Joint Director of China-US Biofeedback Training and served as the first Director of continuing education for the entire country from 2001 through 2005.

Dr. Sideroff was a co-founder and the Clinical Director of Moonview Treatment and Optimal Performance Center from 1998 to 2012.  He helped develop the programs that became the foundation for Moonview, a unique treatment and optimal performance center that brought together wisdom and approaches from all over the world, both new and ancient.

As Clinical Director, he integrated the skills and approaches of some of the most respected clinicians in the field to establish the Moonview Model, a trademarked treatment method that utilizes a novel team approach and a combination of mind, body and spiritual modalities. It created a unique synergy and integrative approach yielding breakthroughs in healing and optimal functioning. Currently, Dr. Sideroff uses this approach in his work with executives that he calls, The Path.

Dr. Sideroff has written and produced a number of self-help audio programs aimed at helping individuals develop greater resilience including: “Stress control with biofeedback” (which has been translated into four languages and has sold over 50,000 copies), “Journey into Sleep”, “Resilience”, “Peak Performance in Golf”, and “Resilient Living”, in which he presents his new and innovative nine component model of resilience. His book, The Nine Pillars of Resilience and Success takes readers on a journey of discovery, healing and growth that has been referred to as a “true bible for living in balance and spirituality.”

A former college handball champion, Dr. Sideroff specializes in the strategies of peak performance in sports and the science of optimal functioning in all areas of life.  He is a member of an elite sports psychology association called “The Mind Room”, first established in conjunction with AC Milan soccer.

He has worked