If you’ve been noticing a decrease in your energy, a change in your sleep or eating patterns, more anxiety, and a more negative mindset than usual, you may be experiencing what is called burnout. Most people know burnout as overworking, but there’s more to it than that.
 -
 The next guest on the Love Intently Podcast is Traci Ruble, a San Francisco-based therapist for individuals and couples, a speaker, and the founder of Sidewalk Talk, a non-profit which teaches and practices listening in public spaces to heal our lonely and disconnected world.
 -
 We kick off this interview with Traci explaining how we can notice burnout in ourselves, how to get out of it, and also how to avoid ever getting in it in the first place. In addition, we discuss what to do if you notice your partner is burnt out.
 -
 Next, we discuss the four stages every couple cycles through throughout their relationship. Sometimes, one person can be in a different stage than the other, and they never progress to the next stage, which is often when couples come to therapy. Traci breaks it all down for us so we can clearly understand what stage we’re in, as well as if therapy will actually help or if it’s time to call it quits.
 -
 For all you ambitious over-achievers out there, Traci talks to us about how we can maintain our passion for work while also having a thriving relationship. You can have both!
 -
 Then, we talk about what’s known as the “window of tolerance”. A tool used by trauma therapists, psychotherapists and others to describe how we can regulate our emotions. Sidewalk Talk uses it in their trainings for volunteers to help them learn how to feel in their body when boundaries are being crossed and they should end the conversation, but the tool can be used by anyone to regulate turbulent emotions like fear, anxiety, anger, etc.
 -
 Lastly, we talk about her non-profit Sidewalk Talk, which started with just her and 28 colleagues sitting on a sidewalk listening to and talking with strangers passing by, and now has grown to thousands of volunteers and chapters nation-wide.
 -
 For full show notes: https://www.loveintently.com/podcast
 -
 **Connect with Traci Ruble:**
 http://traciruble.com/
 https://www.sidewalk-talk.org/
 https://www.instagram.com/tracirublemft/
 -
 Connect with Sophie and Love Intently
 https://loveintently.com
 Follow @love.intently on Instagram
 Follow @sophkwok on Instagram