Recovering from burnout requires you to be okay with being uncomfortable. Rest is actually incredibly productive, and even though you might feel restless or guilty about sitting still it is vital for recovery. In today’s #straightfromcaitandsarah episode, Cait Donovan, host and burnout speaker, and Sarah Vosen, FRIED burnout coach, answer your most common burnout questions from the FRIED Facebook group.

If you are expending too much time and energy and not receiving enough resources back, this will contribute to burnout. You can’t go into burnout recovery the same way as you tackle other issues, because it requires an entirely different approach. When your resources are depleted, you need to rest in order to refill those resources. Your body is likely to start sending signals in the form of various ailments and symptoms if you ignore the signs for too long and refuse to rest. 

When you are experiencing signs of burnout, it is time to stop and take a break. Allow your body to rest and check in on your routine to see where you may be able to change things. Often you will find yourself running on autopilot and doing things a certain way when there may be a simpler way to do them that enables you to expend less resources.

Quotes

• “Recovery requires a different way of being, a different way of doing, a different mode of operation.” (3:35-3:40 | Sarah)

• “A lot of burnout recovery happens in these spaces where you learn to sit with feeling uncomfortable.” (6:59-7:07 | Cait)

• “When you are faced with the choice of guilt or resentment, choose guilt every time; because resentment eats at you.” (8:09-8:21 | Cait)

• “The guilt isn't the problem. The avoidance of the guilt is the problem.” (10:09-10:12 | Cait)

• “When we're burnt out, we have depleted our resources oftentimes, especially time and energy, and we're giving too much. And we're giving too much out to things that aren't refueling our resources. So pausing for a second and a break is a good time to do this, to take an inventory of what am I spending my time, money, and resources, energy on? And what can I stop giving to?” (16:09-16:40 | Sarah) 

• “Rest is receiving resources.” (17:52-17:55 | Cait) 

• “Any symptom from head to toe can be part of a burnout scenario.” (30:52-30:56 | Cait)

Links 

https://bearaby.com

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 reel: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm