Why We Burn Out + Meditation

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Ever found yourself staring blankly at your screen, completely drained, wondering why simple tasks suddenly feel impossible? That's not just fatigue—it's your neurological circuitry sending up emergency flares.

In this transformative exploration of burnout, Dr. Evette Rose takes us on a journey deep inside the brain to understand what's actually happening when we're chronically stressed. Discover how the prefrontal cortex—your brain's CEO—literally shrinks under prolonged stress while your amygdala goes into overdrive, creating that perfect storm of brain fog, emotional reactivity, and total exhaustion you're experiencing.

What makes this episode particularly illuminating is Dr. Rose's ability to translate complex neuroscience into practical understanding. She explains why your brain misinterprets modern-day stressors like emails as life-threatening dangers, keeping your nervous system constantly activated. Those moments when you walk into a room and forget why you're there? That's not random forgetfulness—it's your hippocampus struggling under cortisol overload. The brain fog, indecisiveness, and emotional rawness all suddenly make sense when viewed through this neurobiological lens.

The most powerful message here is that burnout isn't a personal failing—it's biology. Your body is brilliantly signaling for recalibration. Dr. Rose offers practical nervous system resets and concludes with a deeply restorative guided meditation designed specifically to begin healing your overworked brain and nervous system. Whether you're approaching burnout or already deep within it, this episode provides both the understanding and tools to begin your recovery journey. Listen, breathe, and remember: healing isn't a race, it's a rhythm—and it begins with understanding what's really happening beneath your exhaustion.

With love

Dr. Evette Rose

Website: www.metaphysicalanatomy.com

Events: https://metaphysicalanatomy.com/event_s/

Books: https://metaphysicalanatomy.com/books-by-evette-rose/

Book a Session: https://metaphysicalanatomy.com/session/

American Psychological Association. (2019). Burn-out an "occupational phenomenon": International Classification of Diseases. https://www.who.int/mental_health/evidence/burn-out/en/

Arnsten, A. F. T. (2009). Stress signalling pathways that impair prefrontal cortex structure and function. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 10(6), 410–422. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn2648

Joëls, M., Pu, Z., Wiegert, O., Oitzl, M. S., & Krugers, H. J. (2006). Learning under stress: How does it work? Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 10(4), 152–158. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2006.02.002

Lupien, S. J., McEwen, B. S., Gunnar, M. R., & Heim, C. (2009). Effects of stress throughout the lifespan on the brain, behaviour and cognition. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 10(6), 434–445. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn2639

McEwen, B. S. (2007). Physiology and neurobiology of stress and adaptation: Central role of the brain. Physiological Reviews, 87(3), 873–904. https://doi.org/10.1152/physrev.00041.2006

Porges, S. W. (2011). The polyvagal theory: Neurophysiological foundations of emotions, attachment, communication, and self-regulation. W. W. Norton & Company.

Rose, E. (2020). Metaphysical Anatomy Volume 1: Your body is talkin

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
Hi and welcome here to Heal Within with me, dr
Yvette Rose, trauma Therapistand also creator of Metaphysical
Anatomy Technique.
And this podcast is your safespace to explore emotional
learning, nervous system repairand also deep inner
transformation.
And if you are ready to godeeper and you would like to be

(00:28):
also supported on your journey,you can always book a one-on-one
session with me or with any ofmy certified metapsychology
coaching practitioners, or youcan even join any of our
upcoming live events, workshopsand or retreats at
metaphysicalanatomycom.
Now let's begin your healingjourney back to wholeness and

(00:49):
one breath and one breakthroughat a time.
And today we're going to unpackquite an important question
that I hear almost every daywhen I work with clients why am
I getting so burned out?
You see, we're going to zoominside of the brain and trace
also the biochemical cascadethat drains that spark in you

(01:13):
and also map the body's paththat quietly also pay that price
.
So grab a cup of tea and thensettle your shoulders and let's
start this journey together.
Let's dive right into whatexactly is burnout, because I
can appreciate and understandthat burnout is going to look
and feel very differently for alot of people.

(01:36):
But I have come to alsounderstand that there is this
one universal part where we alljust feel absolutely exhausted.
Now, when we look at research,research defines burnout, for
example, almost like as achronic workplace that we might

(01:57):
be in, where there's a lot ofstress that hasn't been
successfully managed.
So there's something that we'realways doing, there's a way
that we go about our tasksthat's deeply affecting us long
term, and also how we manage ourlives, how we manage, maybe,
our ability to stay balanced Imean, the list can go on.

(02:18):
Now, all these patterns, thisway of life.
It shows up as emotionalexhaustion as well and also as
depersonalization, and it's likea reduced sense of self, right,
a sense of accomplishment.
But in the brain it's actuallya lot more than just I'm tired.
You see, burnout is actuallynervous system's red flag.

(02:42):
That's the red alert that youradaptive wiring is just
completely maxed out.
It's almost like that stress,that stress switch at least,
that just won't turn off.
Now, when you become aware ofthat, you know that your HPA
axis is completely in overdrive.
It's almost like picture yourinner alarm system, right,

(03:06):
that's when we have thehypothalamus, pituitary adrenal,
that's the HPA axis, right.
So when pressure starts tomount, it almost like bathes the
body in cortisol to mobilizeenergy.
Now, in healthy spurts, thathormone is actually life-saving.
It's not a bad thing.
But under this relentlessdeadline you know the HPA axis

(03:30):
it gets almost like jammed onflooding tissues in the body
with cortisol 24-7.
And what happens now is when welook, for example, at recent
integrative reviews, they showthat this dysregulation is now
almost like an epidemic inprofessional burnout.
It's almost like linkingprolonged cortisol surge to

(03:55):
immune suppression and also moodcollapse.
So when we start to talk aboutburnout or chronic stress, most
people assume that it's actuallyabout feeling tired or mentally
drained.
But really the truth is theeffects of ongoing stress.
It goes much deeper than that.
It's actually reshaping thestructure and the function of

(04:18):
your brain itself.
So some of the most vital areasof the brain among the first to
show signs of strain whenstress becomes chronic,
especially when the nervoussystem doesn't have a chance to
return to its baseline, which isa bit more calm, more regulated
, more neutral, becomesproblematic.

(04:39):
So let's look at some of thebrain regions that's most
affected and what that means foryou and also for how you think,
feel and also function.
So the first part that's alsoaffected is the prefrontal
cortex.
We call that almost like theCEO of your brain.
Now, this prefrontal cortex islocated at the front part of the

(05:03):
brain.
This is your internal executive.
So that's like responsible for,let's say, higher order
thinking, decision making,regulating your emotions,
problem solving and alsoplanning and also that impulsive
control.
But now chronic stress itliterally shrinks this area by

(05:25):
reducing the gray matter and thevolume of that, weakening the
synaptic connections.
Now, this is largely due tothat prolonged exposure to
cortisol and the body's primarystress hormone stress hormone.

(05:47):
Now, when this region is nowunder fire and it's under
pressure, you can actually startto struggle to concentrate,
organize your thoughts, manageyour emotions or even perform
simple tasks.
So people often describe thisexperience as like and I don't
know if you can relate, but Idefinitely can it's almost like
oh god, I can't think straight.
Right, it's not in yourimagination.
Your brain's coredecision-making center is

(06:10):
actually being hijacked.
Now, apart from the prefrontalcortex, we also have the
amygdala.
We can call it, say, the smokedetector.
That's now in overdrive.
It's like that smoke detectoralarm that's going off and even
though you switch it off in thismoment, no more smoke it still
goes.
Beep, beep, beep, beep.
That's what's happening withthe amygdala.

(06:30):
So when we look at that part ofthe brain that also scans for
danger, so it's your earlywarning system that's now always
on alert right, it's there toprotect you.
It has good intentions, butunder chronic stress the
amygdala becomes hyperactive andover-responsive.
And now it also grows in sizeand actually strengthens

(06:55):
connections for fear-relatednetworks while actually
weakening its communication witha rational, calming influence
of the prefrontal cortex.
Now you can already see howthis imbalance fuels emotional
reactivity, anxiety and evenpanic.

(07:16):
Everything now can start tofeel like a threat, even when
it's not.
You might find yourself evenoverreacting easily, getting
irritated, feeling a little bitsnappy or stuck in cycles of
that feeling of dread.
When is the other shoe going todrop?

(07:36):
That's your amygdalaoverworking and it's whispering
or it's screaming.
You are not safe.
Then we also have thehippocampus.
This is the memory librarianthat's losing access.
So when we have this part ofthe brain that I mean, it plays
a very important role, acritical role in fact, in memory

(07:59):
formation, learning and alsospatial organization.
Now it also helps to regulatethe HPA axis, the system that
governs your stress response.
Now, unfortunately, it's highly, highly sensitive to cortisol.
So when cortisol remainselevated for long, extended

(08:19):
periods, it can actually causethe hippocampus to shrink and it
reduces, and that's thecreation of new brain cells.
This is going to lead to what?
Forgetfulness, difficultyretaining information and
feeling disorientated.

(08:39):
It's almost like that momentwhen you walk into a room and
you completely forgot why did Ijust walk in here?
You look around and you'retrying to figure out, trying to
take a few steps back.
Maybe it will trigger thememory and it just doesn't come
back.
But it can also mean that whenyou're constantly misplacing
your keys, this is a sign thatyour hippocampus might be under

(09:02):
strain.
It's not just aging, it'sactually stress-related brain
wear and tear.
Another important point that Iwould like to touch on is our
network connectivity right.
That's when the brain reallystops talking to itself.
So, beyond these individualregions, chronic stress also

(09:26):
disrupts neural networks.
This is now the ways thedifferent parts of your brain
actually also communicate EEGand fMRI images.
It actually shows thatprolonged stress impairs the
resting state connectivity.
Now that means that yourbrain's various hubs and

(09:49):
stations, they stop syncingeffectively.
It's almost like having poorWi-Fi in your mind.
Right, signals get delayed.
Signals get delayed, misrouted,disrupted, if not even lost
altogether.
So you see, that will comeforward as brain fog, delayed
reaction times, indecisivenessand this sluggish mental state

(10:22):
Now tasks that used to be easyand felt effortless is now going
to start to feel hard.
You're not just tired, you arealmost neurologically offline.
You see, it begs the questionwhy our biology misreads modern
life.
Because when we look at thisfrom, let's say, from an
evolutionary lens, our stresshardware evolved for, or at

(10:47):
least it evolved from, thesesaber-toothed tigers, these
emergencies that our ancestorshad to run from right.
They had to be resolved quitequickly.
So the fight flee and thesefreeze responses, they serve
their purpose.
The fight flee and these freezeresponses, they serve their
purpose.
Today's deadlines, inbox pingsand also these social

(11:11):
comparisons actually keep thatthreat circuitry humming.
It keeps it humming and runninglike a car engine that you
started and it's just like boom,boom, boom, boom, boom, boom,
going on in the backgroundwithout any resolution, without
any goal that can or could orshould be reached.
You see, now the amygdala can,for example, flag an email,
actually like a predator,believe it or not, and the body,

(11:34):
the body, becomes disrupted, itgoes into a state of distress
and then cortisol can spike.
It can spike despite zerophysical escape route and you
see, over weeks, neuroplasticityworks actually against us.
This is where it's notnecessarily a good thing, right.

(11:57):
Rewire your brain for positivehabits, that's great.
But now we can also rewire thebrain for bad habits, right.
So we are almost like rewiringit for vigilance instead of
actually healing and recoveringNow.
Next the question can wereverse this damage?

(12:18):
Now, the uplifting news here isthat brain tissue is plastic,
not literally.
But when we look at studies,studies are showing us that the
prefrontal shrinkage canactually re-expand after stress
reduction.
And also restorative sleep canalso help.
Positive social connection canalso help and likewise,

(12:43):
anti-inflammatory,nutrition-rich foods can also
help.
Omega-3s that lowers emotionalexhaustion scores in as little
as eight weeks.
That's pretty powerful.
Now, when we look at anotherstep that I would like to touch
on here, quick nervous systemresets that we also can look at,

(13:08):
and this can also be a teasermaybe for another episode,
because I think more deserves orshould be set for this as well.
But what I love is vagus, nervebreathing, right, that six
seconds exhale that canstimulate the parasympathetic
tone.
Another one for me that is soimportant is sunlight.

(13:30):
Sunlight anchoring really helpsme.
That morning light actuallycalibrates cortisol circadian
peak.
It really can help andmicroposes.
Just 90 second limb shakes,discharge, build up muscle
tension is a big yes, the bodyloves it.
And gut friendly meals, right.

(13:53):
So fermented vegetables,prebiotic fibers, all this feed,
anti-stress microbes.
But we'll definitely be divinga lot more into these protocols
in one of our next futureconversations.
Now, remember if your burnout iswhispering or whether it's
maybe shouting inside of yourbody.

(14:15):
Remember that those signals areevidence of actually a
brilliant system that's askingfor recalibration, not proof of
your personal failure.
Don't misinterpret that.
Your brain, your heart, yourgut and every cell listen.
It's craving safety, it'scraving rhythm, it's craving

(14:36):
nutrients.
Give them what they've earned.
I want to thank you also forbeing here with me today for
this episode and, as with mostof my podcast, we're now going
to switch gears and we're goingto start a healing meditation
for burnout.
So whether you're here becausemaybe your body or your heart is

(14:58):
tired, not just from doing, butmaybe tired from carrying
giving or from just holding somuch in for a long time right
now is going to be your momentto receive, breathe and let go,

(15:19):
and when you are ready, I inviteyou to lie down or you can sit
up, whatever you feel mostcomfortable with.
Start our healing meditation andI invite you now to just start
by focusing on your breath.
Just notice as you're breathing, remember as you inhale and

(15:52):
exhale, notice and feel how yourbody is moving with every
breath and notice and see if youcan become so still that you

(16:15):
can feel your heartbeat withouttouching, without touching your
heart, and know that, as ofright now, nothing is required

(16:41):
of you, there is nowhere thatyou need to be.
Right now that this is yourtime, this is your space to let
go and simply be and taking anice slow breath in through your

(17:04):
nose and then a long, gentleexhale through your mouth very
good, and again breathe in thenose, out the mouth, letting go

(17:26):
of that tension as you exhale,allowing each breath almost to
be like a gentle wave, washingaway the residue of stress Layer

(17:48):
by layer.
You don't have to try or forceit, just breathe and allow.
I invite you now to bring yourattention to your body.

(18:13):
Notice the points where you aresupported by the ground or sand
, feel the earth holding you.

(18:41):
Steady Strong Feel the earth,holding you steady, strong,
unshaken, and I invite you nowto softly scan your body,
starting from the top of yourhead.

(19:06):
Notice maybe if there's anytightness in your forehead or
jaw and, with your next exhale,invite that area to soften.
And now scan down to your neck,your shoulders.

(19:41):
Are they carrying too much?
Let them drop just a little bit.
Let gravity do the holding.
Now and now, feel your chestrise and fall with ease.

(20:15):
Your heart has also worked sohard.
Give it permission to rest.
Now it's beating just for you.
Let your belly relax, unguarded.

(20:50):
Your arms, your hands, yourfingers Loosened.
Your hips, your thighs, yourknees, all the way down to your
toes.
Feel warmth, almost likespaciousness returning to you,

(21:25):
and I invite you now to imaginea soft golden light at the base
of your spine.
Soft golden light at the baseof your spine.
With every breath, this lightmoves upward, flowing through

(21:51):
your nervous system.

Speaker 2 (22:04):
It's calming repairing, touching every nerve
that has been stressed andstretched.

Speaker 1 (22:17):
Notice how it's also soothing the overworked circuits
of your brain.
It's almost reconnecting whatburnout has disconnected.
And as this golden lightreaches your heart, imagine it

(22:44):
expanding outward, bringingcomfort, bringing clarity,
bringing the reminder that youare safe right now and allowing

(23:14):
your vagus nerve, your body'scalming pathway, to activate,
feeling your breath deepen,heart rate is gently slowing
down and your inner world issoftening.

(23:40):
And now gently repeat theseaffirmations, silently or out
loud, allow them to land in yourbody almost like seeds of
healing.
I give myself permission torest.

(24:05):
It is safe to slow down.
My worth is no longer measuredby my productivity.

Speaker 2 (24:31):
I'm allowed to take up space, even in stillness.

Speaker 1 (24:38):
My body knows how to heal.
I trust its wisdom.
I am healing and rebuildingmyself one breath at a time.
I am enough as I am and what Ido is good enough.

(25:14):
Taking a nice deep breath andallowing these words to settle
in your heart and they almostcome to rest like a soft blanket
on your nervous system, and Iinvite to use this moment now as

(25:36):
an opportunity as well toremind you you don't have to fix
everything at once.
Healing is not a race, it's arhythm, and in this moment, by
choosing stillness, you'vealready begun.
Take another nice deep breathas you're exhaling, finding

(26:05):
yourself gently easing back intothe present moment, feeling the
surface beneath your body,following my voice back into the
room, into the here and now.
You can wrinkle your fingersand your toes gently and when

(26:26):
you're ready, you can open youreyes, carrying with you the
peace, the peace, the presenceand the permission to keep
resting as you need.
And remember also that you arenot alone.
You are healing one step at atime, one breath at a time.

(26:48):
An affirmation for today is Igracefully flow with the rhythm
of life at my own pace, and ifthis episode touched you, then
please share it with someone ontheir healing journey.
And, as always, breathe deep,listen within and stay gently

(27:10):
curious.
Thank you for being here withme today and until next time, be
the light that you are.