97: {Interview} Understanding and Overcoming Burnout with Emily Johnson

Are you feeling stressed and overwhelmed with life at the moment? We've all been there with different seasons of our life. Today I sit down with burnout & recovery coach Emily Johnson to discuss how exactly you can avoid and recover from burnout. 

In this conversation, Emily shares her journey from working in the alcohol industry to becoming a burnout coach. She discusses her personal experiences with burnout, the importance of understanding its causes, and offers strategies for prevention and recovery. Emily emphasizes the significance of self-awareness, lifestyle choices & the relationships we maintain in our lives. She provides valuable insights for high-achieving entrepreneurs on how to balance their ambitions with self-care & mental health.

Takeaways

• Lifestyle choices, such as sleep and nutrition, impact burnout risk.
• It's important to listen to your body and recognize signs of burnout.
• Acceptance and self-compassion are vital in the recovery process.
• High achievers must prioritize rest as much as action.
• Nurturing oneself leads to better business outcomes.

Early in her career, Emily worked in a very demanding industry. She climbed the corporate ladder, said yes to everything, ignored my body's signals, and was feeling very unfulfilled. She was lucky enough to tune into what my inner knowing was telling me and made major changes.

​Emily went back to school to get my diploma as a Certified Holistic Nutritionist, something she would have never seen for herself in her corporate days. She did it for herself & her future. She fell in love with wellness, how small changes can make the biggest difference, and promised myself she would make this my career. 

​In 2019 she burned myself out once again building my business, not setting boundaries, and not listening to her body. She started applying new practices to her routines, implementing mindfulness, and began managing her stress in a healthy way. 

​She now coaches and support high-achieving women starting from the ground up who are looking to find a more enjoyable way of life.

Her core beliefs lie in building a solid foundation of healthy habits through mindfulness, nutrition, movement, and work-life management.

Connect further with Emily

Transcript

Caroline (00:01.18)
Welcome, Emily.

Emily Johnson (00:03.608)
Thank you so much, Caroline, for having me. I'm so happy to be here.

Caroline (00:07.89)
So tell me about where you are now and how did you get there?

Emily Johnson (00:12.428)
Well, it's a quite a long journey and a story, but I think it's really important to share with your audience how I became a burnout coach. So I started my journey in a completely different space. I was an alcohol rep for one of the largest alcohol suppliers in North America, Diageo. I'm not sure if you've heard of them. We were representing Kettle One, Smirnoff, Don Julio, Captain Morgan. And so my job as an alcohol rep was to make sure

those big brands were being sold off the bar shelves, were being visible in the bars. So my lifestyle and my career was heavily based in the nightlife industry. And I did that for a few years in my twenties. And while the experience taught me a lot about my values, my profession, it landed me a bunch of skills. But after a few years, I started to really feel the demands of the job weighing on me. I started to

I started to not feel aligned with how I was spending my day to day. And so I took a huge leap of faith and I ended up pursuing a passion in nutrition and wellness, something I've always looked up to, but I finally had the courage to actually make this change. So I went back to school to be a nutritionist. I took a year program to study and the experience of moving from this corporate cushy alcohol job to moving to a new country, pursuing a new

passion, a new education, I burnt myself out because I had no idea that this transition would be so difficult and challenging. I thought, yay, great, this is perfect. And I didn't anticipate all of the challenges that I would be navigating going from working this full-time corporate job to being a full-time student again, working part-time, it was stressful. And so you can see that I experienced burnout in my corporate job. I experienced burnout as a student, as a nutritionist.

And then I graduated nutrition school and I started my online nutrition business. And you might guess that that experience burnt me out. So you can see that I experienced burnout over and over and over again. And regardless of what situation I was in, I kept experiencing burnout. And so I finally took a hard look at how I was living my life, what I was prioritizing my mindset, how I was feeling really unsafe in my body. And I

Emily Johnson (02:35.234)
decided to change everything. I healed my body. I decided to take further courses in education and I became a burnout coach because I understand how important it is to, it's not the external factors that are burning you out. It's actually what's going on inside and internally. That's what's burning you out. So I finally got to a place where I felt stable, grounded, centered, safe. And now I teach other women to feel the same.

Caroline (03:03.762)
Okay. This is kind of wild that you and I met on LinkedIn because I actually worked for an alcohol company too in North America. represented, I was on the wine side, so the wine rep and I did that for a year and a half. So my background, was a corporate executive recruiter on the agency side. I did that for about 12 years, burnout went, alcohol sales, did that for a year and a half. They went back into recruiting for three years.

Emily Johnson (03:25.816)
Mm.

Caroline (03:32.56)
and burn out again. So I can completely relate to your timeline there.

Emily Johnson (03:37.228)
That's so funny. Yeah, so you'll see that regardless of what profession you were in, it actually was going, you're burning out because of what's happening inside, how you're managing the stress, not because of the job, not because of the transition, not because of the uncertainty, it's how you're handling it. Wow, that's so cool. I love that fact.

Caroline (03:58.002)
So tell me what exactly is a burnout recovery and prevention coach?

Emily Johnson (04:03.42)
such a good question. Honestly, what I do with my clients really ranges. Yes, we are addressing burnout, but we're also addressing the mindset, your internal narrative, building self-awareness. I'm helping you cultivate a safe space inside of your body through somatic practices, through talk therapy, through different self-care practices and rituals that will make you feel more

aligned with who you are inside, making you develop a better relationship with yourself, prioritizing your wellbeing. Oftentimes we're burnt out because we are putting everyone else's things before us, everyone else's commitments before us, and we're not honoring our emotions. We're not honoring our needs. And so a burnout coach does so much ranging from stress management to

even manifestation, getting you so aligned with how you want to live your life. Are you feeling fulfilled? Because that's a huge piece of burnout too. Oftentimes we're putting all of our energy into something that's actually making us feel like it's sucking our soul out. So I even help my clients with their careers. Like, are you in the right career path? Is there some opportunity for you to pursue a passion? So as you can see, it's a very wide range of scope.

So I mean, I call myself a burnout coach, but honestly it is so much more than burnout.

Caroline (05:31.004)
So what exactly causes burnout?

Emily Johnson (05:35.234)
A lot of things, a lot of things, but let's first start talking about what burnout is. So burnout is when you're chronically stressed for a long period of time. Burnout is when you are in that freeze state. You feel hopeless, you feel helpless, you feel like you can't move on. You might be depressed. You might feel like, what's the point? Those are all signs of burnout. And so oftentimes when we are in that burnout state, we're

It's already like too late, right? We're already like, there's no option at this point. So I forget, what was the question you asked me? What causes burnout? So what causes burnout is when we're in that fight or flight response chronically, over and over and over again. And so how we identify for burnout is those feelings of helplessness, hopelessness, like

you've really lost connection to your why, your purpose. Is this for me? What am I doing here? Is life even worth living? I know that's really, really dark, but that is what we call a freeze state. And so when we're chronically stressed, we're in that fight or flight state, which over time, if we keep experiencing that fight or flight, we're eventually going to get to that freeze state where we just feel like we want to lay at the end of our bed and not move. And there's nothing that will get us out of bed.

That is what causes burnout. Does that make sense?

Caroline (07:02.67)
It does. So let me ask you this. I am here listening and learning from you and I'm my late thirties. I've experienced burnout two, if not three times yet so far in my life and my career. Is there a way that you can just completely avoid burnout in your life?

Emily Johnson (07:21.496)
That's a really good question. I would say there are countless ways for you to prevent burnout. However, even as a burnout coach, I still will experience burnout. However, the thing is when you get to a place where you're comfortable listening to your body, taking notes of cues, symptoms, then it's a lot harder to burn out when you're really

when you've developed that really strong relationship internally, when you can identify how you're feeling. Because let's say you're in a stressful situation. Let's say, know, me five years ago when I was working that corporate job and I was in this really stressful scenario, instead of listening to my body to rest, take a sick day, pause, I would just push through. But now because I've learned so much about burnout, how to prevent it,

I understand what to look for internally. And so now that I know what to look for, it is a lot less likely that I am going to burn out. If I do burn out, it's very temporary. It may be last a couple of days or I know it's coming and I can quickly make a change. And I have developed this internal confidence and knowing intuition, you could say, where I know if something is not right for me. And so to answer your question,

Yes, there are ways that you can avoid burning out.

Caroline (08:49.33)
So if you are in a place in your life and you're listening to podcast right now and you think you are headed towards burnout and you're on the brink of burnout, what are some specific things that you can do to slow the train down?

Emily Johnson (09:07.682)
Great question. I think the first thing, the very, very first thing that you must be comfortable doing to either recover from burnout or prevent burnout is develop a deep relationship with your internal voice. What that looks like is being comfortable sitting, being comfortable doing nothing, being comfortable with your thoughts, understanding that thoughts are not thoughts, they are just there.

And I think that's a huge piece of the learning puzzle with burnout is understanding like what's actually true and what's just my fear talking or my anxiety talking. And so when we have cultivated this relationship internally with trusting ourselves and listening to our bodies, listening to any aches or pains or sensations that don't feel good in our bodies, that's the first step is to just simply pay attention to those things. The second thing I will say is

You want to address your lifestyle. Are you sleeping well? And I mean, what is the time that you're going to bed? You want to make sure you're going to bed at the same time, roughly every night before 11 o'clock. Those sleeping hours before 12 are so important. I go to bed at like nine, 10 o'clock latest, and I'm really consistent making sure you're getting quality sleep. That is huge.

What are you eating? Are you eating processed foods or are you nutrient dense foods that are fueling your body? What are you consuming? Are you constantly rotting on social media, in TV, in the media, making sure that you're aware of what you're consuming? Who are your friends? Are they people who are going to suck the energy out of you or give you energy, right? What you consume is so important to preventing burnout.

So lifestyle and then also building that deep relationship with yourself.

Caroline (11:04.186)
I'm glad that you went there because I love all of those topics. I'm with you. go to bed between nine and 10 every single night. And I wake up at five to work out and be at the gym at six, five days a week. And it matters. mean, who you surround yourselves with. mean, do your friends, do they gossip? Do they talk negatively about other people or are they lighting you up and encouraging you? You have to really think about those things. And even if you've been friends with someone for a long time,

That doesn't mean that they still get space to be close to you.

Emily Johnson (11:37.782)
Absolutely. And I'm so glad that you brought that up because part of having strong relationships with others, you have to have a strong relationship with yourself. And I think that if you don't have a strong relationship with yourself, then you're going to attract others who might not serve you for the best. Does that make sense?

Caroline (11:58.728)
It does. And it's interesting as I've, you know, going through adulthood, you, your friendships change and that's okay. And because you grow and evolve as a human being, and if you're not growing and evolving, you're dying or just writing water, which who wants to do that? And it's okay to level up your friends.

Emily Johnson (12:20.064)
It really is. It really is. I think and, you know, there's a few approaches that you can take to this. Like you can be the person who decides to cut everyone out, who maybe isn't in the same frequency as you. Or you can add in people who really light you up and really make you feel safe and heard and seen and not be so dramatic with the I can't hang out with this person. They're not into self self development. You know, I think.

I that's my approach. I'm a little bit more gentle because I as you as you know, I used to be in a completely different industry. I was a party girl and a lot of those people have naturally faded out of my life. But there's still a few people I have from my past life who I hold very deeply into my heart. And while I've changed so much, they are and they've changed too. But I still really value certain relationships, regardless if they're

on the same journey as me or if they're on their completely different journey. And so I think it's important for people are compassionate as they as they evolve being mindful that not everybody's going to be evolving at the same frequency as you and that's okay.

Caroline (13:31.144)
The last thing I'm going to add to this conversation real quick is you have to pay attention to how you feel when you're around other people. So for me, when I'm around other women who I feel drained, my energy just is not good. I have to listen to that and take note of it because I want to surround myself with women who light me up, who my energy is on fire, who are encouraging all the things as I am able to pour that back into them as well.

Emily Johnson (13:37.708)
Hmm.

Emily Johnson (13:56.01)
Absolutely, absolutely agree with that.

Caroline (13:59.366)
So what are some ways that you can recover from burnout?

Emily Johnson (14:04.046)
Yeah, well, if you're listening and if you're burnt out, I'm holding so much space for you. I know how hard it is to be in this space to feel like there's no other options to feel like you're trapped. I know it's very confusing. I know you're probably judging yourself right now thinking what's wrong with me? Why do I feel this way? I shouldn't feel this way. And I'm here to tell you that it's okay to not be okay. I think that's the first step to burnout is

acceptance and allowing yourself to move through this chapter with acceptance and self-compassion and knowing and trusting that you will come out of it. That's the first step is to just be aware that you're in it and accept it because the more we resist burnout, the more it's going to just become bigger and bigger and bigger. Think of that shampoo effect, right?

The more shampoo you're adding into your hair, the more soap is going to be in your hair. And that's the same with burnout. When we resist any feelings or sensations that are coming up with burnout, it's just going to compile. acceptance, viewing what you're experiencing from a place of curiosity versus judgment. Interesting. Ever since I started this new job, I'm having these bizarre symptoms manifest in my body.

Interesting. I wake up feeling kind of nauseated every morning. You know, listen to these cues and signs, okay? And notice, like pinpoint what is maybe that puzzle piece that's missing. Like, why am I feeling this way? And really viewing these experiences from that place of curiosity and interest versus judgment. I shouldn't feel this way. I should be able to handle this high stress job. I should, I should, I should, okay?

Now, let's talk about how to actually take action steps to recovering from burnout. So it depends on the situation. Everyone's situation is so different. If you're in a nine to five and you're burnt out, don't be afraid to take a sick day, to take a sick week, to ask for a leave of absence. There is no job that is worth your mental health suffering. I have been there many times in toxic jobs. My mental health suffered and

Emily Johnson (16:23.22)
It is never worth it. It is never worth it. So don't be afraid to take some time. I think a lot of people are afraid that they will be judged if they take time off for mental health, that they will be fired. Let them fire you. If that company is going to fire you for prioritizing yourself, they're not your company. So if you're in the nine to five, don't be afraid to take some time for yourself. Also, pay attention to how you're spending your time.

Are you over committing to a million things? Sometimes doing the bare minimum when you're burnt out is what's necessary. Showing up for the absolutely non-negotiables. And then you want to add in these small moments of self-care, of stillness, of self-love throughout your day of joy. That looks like avoiding your screen when you wake up in the morning. That looks like allowing yourself to be still. Perhaps you experience

with some meditation, perhaps there's other modalities like EFT tapping that you want to experiment with. But again, that piece of you need to give yourself some space and grace to be able to heal. And then from there, you also want to be deepening your relationship to yourself. And so this looks like starting to paying attention to your body, starting to pay attention to your mind, what kind of thoughts are keep coming up? Is there a pattern? And so by

giving yourself some space, deepening your relationship with yourself, and saying no, setting some boundaries, that is a beautiful recipe to start to recover from burnout.

Caroline (18:01.906)
of all of those examples and I'm going to share a personal story that I have never shared on the podcast before about my experience of burnout and how it literally caused me to be so physically ill. I was in my twenties. I was a recruiter. lived in Columbia, South Carolina, and I was working in Charlotte, which is about two hours away. So I would spend two or three days a week in Charlotte working. I stayed with my parents at the time and then I came back and spent the rest of week with my husband.

Between the commute and then working 12 hours a day, I didn't take a day off for an entire year. By the end of that year in December, after Christmas, I was diagnosed with mono and I was literally so sick for a full month. It was my body literally shutting down, physically telling me you are pushing way too hard. And I had to do all the things you just mentioned to reset myself and my body. And then.

try to choose a different path forward just to recover and get out of that situation.

Emily Johnson (19:04.322)
That is such a good example of your body telling you, like shaking you like Caroline, like get a grip. This is not working. You need to prioritize more rest, more self care. That is your body communicating with you. That's a very extreme example. I love to say, listen to the whispers before they become screams. That motto was a scream, right? Whispers could have been that year. Maybe you started experience like

headaches or random nausea or back pain or any other things, can I ask, did you notice any smaller symptoms leading up to the mono?

Caroline (19:43.47)
yeah, my stress level was high. My immune system was low. I would get small bouts of sicknesses. And then by the time I was finally diagnosed with mono, I couldn't even get off the couch to physically shower. was that.

Emily Johnson (19:56.686)
That's so unfortunate. I'm so sorry, but such a good example. So now you know firsthand, I'm sure you took that as a huge lesson to prioritize yourself more. And it's not always about the career.

Caroline (20:08.38)
Yeah, it was a huge lesson for me that I had to learn. okay. So my listeners, my community is full of female entrepreneurs, high achieving women where we all want to do all the things, be the top, the best at everything. So what is your top advice for high achieving entrepreneurs who are trying to do it all, but about to burn out.

Emily Johnson (20:35.224)
Well, I can say that I deeply resonate with your audience because I am also a high achieving female entrepreneur who has burnt out many times. And so I get it. Believe me, girls, I get it. We are powerful beings. We know what we want. We hold that vision. Believe me, I'm right there with you. Here's what I would say. If you want to do all the things you have to view rest as important as taking aligned action.

Look at your calendar and I want you to actually schedule in moments of rest, of self-care, of joy. How often are you gifting yourself time for you? View that as important as taking aligned action towards your business goals because ultimately when you're an entrepreneur, you are your business. If you are unwell, your business is going to be unwell.

If you're mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually thriving, your business will be thriving.

Caroline (21:37.823)
so good. Pure gold right there. Okay, so what is lighting you up with some of the clients you're working with right now?

Emily Johnson (21:44.12)
That's a great question. So right now I have this beautiful private community and there's a lot of, I just naturally attract women who are entrepreneurs or either they work that nine to five and they're entrepreneurs. So it's a lot of the same kind of energy inside. What's lighting me up right now is kind of guiding them to the things that we were just saying to make sure that they're taking the pressure off of certain

external success factors while they are building their dream business. Because when we're attached to our external factors, certain milestones, certain goals, a number, when we're attached to that, first of all, it takes the fun out of it. Second of all, when we don't achieve those things, we feel like failures, but we're not failures. The fact that you're even on this entrepreneurial journey is a massive win.

And so I'm really encouraging my clients to detach from the external factors and instead focus on a good day being a good day because you feel internally aligned, centered and grounded. Not because you made a sale, but because you woke up and you felt grateful for the day and you loved the commitments on your calendar and you just feel so joyful to be able to, what a privilege it is to own a business, to be able to do the things that you love.

That's the energy that I'm pushing to my clients, not the, need to make a sale. I need to do all these things on my to-do list. It's like nurture yourself so that you can nurture your business.

Caroline (23:24.84)
love that energy and I'm here for it. So we wrap up. How can I listeners find you?

Emily Johnson (23:27.702)
Yay!

Emily Johnson (23:32.824)
Great question. So I'm on LinkedIn. You can find me at Emily Johnson, burnout coach. You can find me on Instagram at burnout with Emily. I also have a podcast called Breaking Burnout. It's released every Friday. And what else? Just come say hi. If you resonated with anything that I said in this episode, send me a DM. I would love to connect, love to chat. I love building my network of like-minded women who are powerful on the same journey. So I'm here for you and Caroline, this was such a great conversation. Thank you so much.

Caroline (24:02.13)
Thanks, Emily.

Caroline (24:09.32)
All right, if you can hang out with me for like one minute.