About this episode
Join the therapist (Pen Pal List): https://balanced-thunder-281.myflodesk.com/drjenb I write back! Burnout isn’t just exhaustion — it’s the loss of feeling alive.In this final episode of the year, I’m sharing what burnout recovery has actually looked like for me: the slow parts, the stuck parts, the softening of ambition, and the small pockets of aliveness that are bringing me back to myself.In this episode, I talk about:Why burnout isn’t just about depletion, but about losing a sense of alivenessWhy leaving private practice didn’t “fix” burnout the way I expectedJumping straight into school psychology without a real break — and what that brought upThe existential “midlife stuckness” many therapists experienceWhy the question “What else can I do?” is a doorway, not a failureUsing memories of past aliveness as a bridge back to yourselfGlimmers, play, and small pockets of aliveness in daily lifeHow ambition has softened — and why the “arrival” point doesn’t actually existWhy burnout seemed to have a moment in 2025What it means to work toward enough instead of moreIf you’re feeling stuck…If you’re burned out and trying to figure out what’s next, I invite you to start here: come back to yourself first.Figure out what you need as a human — not just as a therapist.That’s the path out of burnout. That’s the path toward something more sustainable.What’s coming nextI share a bit about where the podcast is heading in the new year, including:moving toward a more sustainable rhythminviting more guestscontinuing to talk honestly about burnout, identity, and recoveryPen Pal List: https://balanced-thunder-281.myflodesk.com/drjenb
