Burnout thrives in silence. This episode is your reminder that healing often starts with one simple but radical act: asking for help.

Sarah Vosen, Director of Coaching at Burn Bold, shares a personal #sarahshares about finding herself stuck in exhaustion despite doing everything she thought she needed to recover. As a coach and acupuncturist, she’s used to helping others untangle their burnout, but this time, she needed someone else to help her remember what works. That turning point led her back to a grounding Qigong-inspired practice called “pulling down heavens,” which uses breath, movement, and intention to bring energy back into flow. Sarah’s story is a powerful reflection on how easy it is to slip into hyper-independence and how much shifts when we let ourselves receive support. If you’ve been tired for too long, this episode is a gentle nudge toward replenishment.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Why Burnout Recovery Starts with Asking for Help

01:24 The Trap of Hyper-Independence and Self-Judgment

02:06 Why Even Coaches Need Coaches

03:54 How Refusing Help Fuels Burnout

04:39 Qigong and Daily Practices That Actually Work

06:14 Pulling Down Heavens: A Burnout Recovery Ritual

10:14 How to Make the Practice Stick

11:39 When It’s Time to Ask for Support

Links

Guided meditation:

https://open.spotify.com/episode/0WGHqwQAVbZEY1qLC9XyZL?si=bf0217195beb4b2f

Dive Deeper:

Burnout isn’t a personal failure or a lack of resilience. It’s a signal that something in the system, expectations, roles, pace, or support, is out of alignment. Conversations like this one help surface the human experience of burnout, while the broader work continues to explore how organizations can respond more intelligently and sustainably.

To explore burnout, leadership, and sustainable performance through a workplace and organizational lens, connect with Cait Donovan: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: 

https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-minute overview: 

https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm