Heal Within with Dr. Evette Rose

Why We Burn Out + Meditation

• Dr. Evette Rose • Season 15 • Episode 2

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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

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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 talking, are you li

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Speaker 1:

Hi and welcome here to Heal Within with me, dr Yvette Rose, trauma Therapist and also creator of Metaphysical Anatomy Technique. And this podcast is your safe space to explore emotional learning, nervous system repair and also deep inner transformation. And if you are ready to go deeper and you would like to be also supported on your journey, you can always book a one-on-one session with me or with any of my certified metapsychology coaching practitioners, or you can even join any of our upcoming live events, workshops and or retreats at metaphysicalanatomycom. Now let's begin your healing journey back to wholeness and one breath and one breakthrough at a time. And today we're going to unpack quite an important question that I hear almost every day when I work with clients why am I getting so burned out? You see, we're going to zoom inside of the brain and trace also the biochemical cascade that drains that spark in you and also map the body's path that quietly also pay that price. So grab a cup of tea and then settle your shoulders and let's start this journey together.

Speaker 1:

Let's dive right into what exactly is burnout, because I can appreciate and understand that burnout is going to look and feel very differently for a lot of people. But I have come to also understand that there is this one universal part where we all just feel absolutely exhausted. Now, when we look at research, research defines burnout, for example, almost like as a chronic workplace that we might be in, where there's a lot of stress that hasn't been successfully managed. So there's something that we're always doing, there's a way that we go about our tasks that's deeply affecting us long term, and also how we manage our lives, how we manage, maybe, our ability to stay balanced I mean, the list can go on. Now, all these patterns, this way of life. It shows up as emotional exhaustion as well and also as depersonalization, and it's like a reduced sense of self, right, a sense of accomplishment. But in the brain it's actually a lot more than just I'm tired. You see, burnout is actually nervous system's red flag. That's the red alert that your adaptive 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 of that, you know that your HPA axis is completely in overdrive. It's almost like picture your inner alarm system, right, that's when we have the hypothalamus, pituitary adrenal, that's the HPA axis, right. So when pressure starts to mount, it almost like bathes the body in cortisol to mobilize energy. Now, in healthy spurts, that hormone is actually life-saving. It's not a bad thing. But under this relentless deadline you know the HPA axis it gets almost like jammed on flooding tissues in the body with cortisol 24-7. And what happens now is when we look, for example, at recent integrative reviews, they show that this dysregulation is now almost like an epidemic in professional burnout. It's almost like linking prolonged cortisol surge to immune suppression and also mood collapse.

Speaker 1:

So when we start to talk about burnout or chronic stress, most people assume that it's actually about feeling tired or mentally drained. But really the truth is the effects of ongoing stress. It goes much deeper than that. It's actually reshaping the structure and the function of your brain itself. So some of the most vital areas of the brain among the first to show signs of strain when stress becomes chronic, especially when the nervous system doesn't have a chance to return to its baseline, which is a bit more calm, more regulated, more neutral, becomes problematic. So let's look at some of the brain regions that's most affected and what that means for you and also for how you think, feel and also function.

Speaker 1:

So the first part that's also affected is the prefrontal cortex. We call that almost like the CEO of your brain. Now, this prefrontal cortex is located at the front part of the 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 also planning and also that impulsive control. But now chronic stress it literally shrinks this area by reducing the gray matter and the volume of that, weakening the synaptic connections. Now, this is largely due to that prolonged exposure to cortisol and the body's primary stress hormone stress hormone. Now, when this region is now under fire and it's under pressure, you can actually start to struggle to concentrate, organize your thoughts, manage your emotions or even perform simple tasks. So people often describe this experience as like and I don't know if you can relate, but I definitely can it's almost like oh god, I can't think straight. Right, it's not in your imagination. Your brain's core decision-making center is actually being hijacked.

Speaker 1:

Now, apart from the prefrontal cortex, we also have the amygdala. We can call it, say, the smoke detector. That's now in overdrive. It's like that smoke detector alarm that's going off and even though you switch it off in this moment, no more smoke it still goes. Beep, beep, beep, beep. That's what's happening with the amygdala. So when we look at that part of the brain that also scans for danger, so it's your early warning system that's now always on alert right, it's there to protect you. It has good intentions, but under chronic stress the amygdala becomes hyperactive and over-responsive. And now it also grows in size and actually strengthens connections for fear-related networks while actually weakening its communication with a rational, calming influence of the prefrontal cortex. Now you can already see how this imbalance fuels emotional reactivity, anxiety and even panic. Everything now can start to feel like a threat, even when it's not. You might find yourself even overreacting easily, getting irritated, feeling a little bit snappy or stuck in cycles of that feeling of dread. When is the other shoe going to drop? That's your amygdala overworking and it's whispering or it's screaming. You are not safe.

Speaker 1:

Then we also have the hippocampus. This is the memory librarian that's losing access. So when we have this part of the brain that I mean, it plays a very important role, a critical role in fact, in memory formation, learning and also spatial organization. Now it also helps to regulate the HPA axis, the system that governs your stress response. Now, unfortunately, it's highly, highly sensitive to cortisol. So when cortisol remains elevated for long, extended periods, it can actually cause the hippocampus to shrink and it reduces, and that's the creation of new brain cells. This is going to lead to what? Forgetfulness, difficulty retaining information and feeling disorientated. It's almost like that moment when you walk into a room and you completely forgot why did I just walk in here? You look around and you're trying to figure out, trying to take a few steps back. Maybe it will trigger the memory and it just doesn't come back. But it can also mean that when you're constantly misplacing your keys, this is a sign that your hippocampus might be under strain. It's not just aging, it's actually stress-related brain wear and tear.

Speaker 1:

Another important point that I would like to touch on is our network connectivity right. That's when the brain really stops talking to itself. So, beyond these individual regions, chronic stress also disrupts neural networks. This is now the ways the different parts of your brain actually also communicate EEG and fMRI images. It actually shows that prolonged stress impairs the resting state connectivity. Now that means that your brain's various hubs and stations, they stop syncing effectively. It's almost like having poor Wi-Fi in your mind. Right, signals get delayed. Signals get delayed, misrouted, disrupted, if not even lost altogether. So you see, that will come forward as brain fog, delayed reaction times, indecisiveness and this sluggish mental state Now tasks that used to be easy and felt effortless is now going to start to feel hard. You're not just tired, you are almost neurologically offline.

Speaker 1:

You see, it begs the question why our biology misreads modern life. Because when we look at this from, let's say, from an evolutionary lens, our stress hardware evolved for, or at least it evolved from, these saber-toothed tigers, these emergencies that our ancestors had to run from right. They had to be resolved quite quickly. So the fight flee and these freeze responses, they serve their purpose. The fight flee and these freeze responses, they serve their purpose. Today's deadlines, inbox pings and also these social comparisons actually keep that threat circuitry humming. It keeps it humming and running like a car engine that you started and it's just like boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, going on in the background without any resolution, without any goal that can or could or should be reached.

Speaker 1:

You see, now the amygdala can, for example, flag an email, actually like a predator, believe it or not, and the body, the body, becomes disrupted, it goes into a state of distress and then cortisol can spike. It can spike despite zero physical escape route and you see, over weeks, neuroplasticity works actually against us. This is where it's not necessarily a good thing, right. Rewire your brain for positive habits, that's great. But now we can also rewire the brain for bad habits, right. So we are almost like rewiring it for vigilance instead of actually healing and recovering Now. Next the question can we reverse this damage? Now, the uplifting news here is that brain tissue is plastic, not literally. But when we look at studies, studies are showing us that the prefrontal shrinkage can actually re-expand after stress reduction.

Speaker 1:

And also restorative sleep can also help. Positive social connection can also help and likewise, anti-inflammatory, nutrition-rich foods can also help. Omega-3s that lowers emotional exhaustion scores in as little as eight weeks. That's pretty powerful. Now, when we look at another step that I would like to touch on here, quick nervous system resets that we also can look at, and this can also be a teaser maybe for another episode, because I think more deserves or should be set for this as well.

Speaker 1:

But what I love is vagus, nerve breathing, right, that six seconds exhale that can stimulate the parasympathetic tone. Another one for me that is so important is sunlight. Sunlight anchoring really helps me. That morning light actually calibrates cortisol circadian peak. It really can help and microposes. Just 90 second limb shakes, discharge, build up muscle tension is a big yes, the body loves it. And gut friendly meals, right. So fermented vegetables, prebiotic fibers, all this feed, anti-stress microbes. But we'll definitely be diving a lot more into these protocols in one of our next future conversations.

Speaker 1:

Now, remember if your burnout is whispering or whether it's maybe shouting inside of your body. Remember that those signals are evidence of actually a brilliant system that's asking for recalibration, not proof of your personal failure. Don't misinterpret that. Your brain, your heart, your gut and every cell listen. It's craving safety, it's craving rhythm, it's craving nutrients. Give them what they've earned.

Speaker 1:

I want to thank you also for being here with me today for this episode and, as with most of my podcast, we're now going to switch gears and we're going to start a healing meditation for burnout.

Speaker 1:

So whether you're here because maybe your body or your heart is tired, not just from doing, but maybe tired from carrying giving or from just holding so much in for a long time right now is going to be your moment to receive, breathe and let go, and when you are ready, I invite you to lie down or you can sit up, whatever you feel most comfortable with.

Speaker 1:

Start our healing meditation and I invite you now to just start by focusing on your breath. Just notice as you're breathing, remember as you inhale and exhale, notice and feel how your body is moving with every breath and notice and see if you can become so still that you can feel your heartbeat without touching, without touching your heart, and know that, as of right now, nothing is required of you, there is nowhere that you need to be. Right now that this is your time, this is your space to let go and simply be and taking a nice slow breath in through your nose and then a long, gentle exhale through your mouth very good, and again breathe in the nose, out the mouth, letting go of that tension as you exhale, allowing each breath almost to be like a gentle wave, washing away the residue of stress Layer by layer. You don't have to try or force it, just breathe and allow. I invite you now to bring your attention to your body. Notice the points where you are supported by the ground or sand, feel the earth holding you.

Speaker 1:

Steady Strong Feel the earth, holding you steady, strong, unshaken, and I invite you now to softly scan your body, starting from the top of your head. Notice maybe if there's any tightness in your forehead or jaw and, with your next exhale, invite that area to soften. And now scan down to your neck, your shoulders. Are they carrying too much? Let them drop just a little bit. Let gravity do the holding. Now and now, feel your chest rise and fall with ease. Your heart has also worked so hard. Give it permission to rest. Now it's beating just for you. Let your belly relax, unguarded. Your arms, your hands, your fingers Loosened. Your hips, your thighs, your knees, all the way down to your toes. Feel warmth, almost like spaciousness returning to you, and I invite you now to imagine a soft golden light at the base of your spine. Soft golden light at the base of your spine. With every breath, this light moves upward, flowing through your nervous system.

Speaker 2:

It's calming repairing, touching every nerve that has been stressed and stretched.

Speaker 1:

Notice how it's also soothing the overworked circuits of your brain. It's almost reconnecting what burnout has disconnected. And as this golden light reaches your heart, imagine it expanding outward, bringing comfort, bringing clarity, bringing the reminder that you are safe right now and allowing your vagus nerve, your body's calming pathway, to activate, feeling your breath deepen, heart rate is gently slowing down and your inner world is softening. And now gently repeat these affirmations, silently or out loud, allow them to land in your body almost like seeds of healing. I give myself permission to rest. It is safe to slow down. My worth is no longer measured by my productivity.

Speaker 2:

I'm allowed to take up space, even in stillness.

Speaker 1:

My body knows how to heal. I trust its wisdom. I am healing and rebuilding myself one breath at a time. I am enough as I am and what I do is good enough. Taking a nice deep breath and allowing these words to settle in your heart and they almost come to rest like a soft blanket on your nervous system, and I invite to use this moment now as an opportunity as well to remind you you don't have to fix everything at once.

Speaker 1:

Healing is not a race, it's a rhythm, and in this moment, by choosing stillness, you've already begun. Take another nice deep breath as you're exhaling, finding yourself gently easing back into the present moment, feeling the surface beneath your body, following my voice back into the room, into the here and now. You can wrinkle your fingers and your toes gently and when you're ready, you can open your eyes, carrying with you the peace, the peace, the presence and the permission to keep resting as you need. And remember also that you are not alone. You are healing one step at a time, one breath at a time. An affirmation for today is I gracefully flow with the rhythm of life at my own pace, and if this episode touched you, then please share it with someone on their healing journey. And, as always, breathe deep, listen within and stay gently curious. Thank you for being here with me today and until next time, be the light that you are.