Burn Out Self Care March 2026

I read somewhere that it can take 3-5 years to recover from burn out. I don’t really know if that is true for everyone- but I am a little over 2 years into my recovery and I would be lying if I said that I wasn’t still impacted.

There are moments now when things are calm—when I’m drinking my coffee, looking at the trees—and instead of feeling peaceful, I feel a flicker of panic:

“What if no one needs help anymore? What if I’m not doing enough?”

And then, almost automatically, I open my laptop and start working.

Officially I am a “pelvic floor PT,” but I am really starting to learn what it is I really do.

Sure I help people with leaking, pain, sexual dysfunction- but I like to think the real work I am doing is helping people learn their bodies, their actual capacity, and begin to take (actual) good, self compassionate care of themselves. Not so they can take better care of their kids, spouse and workplace, but because they are worthy of care themselves.

My patients who tend to find me are really very similar to me (or at least I like to think- you guys are just so awesome): very driven to succeed, very thoughtful parents and partners, women entering motherhood often around the time they are entering perimenopause. And women at other points in their life when the scales are starting to tip into “burn out.”

And honestly I just get so thrilled to really get to know you all so well, to watching many of you make profound changes to the way you live your life.

I love hearing stories about leaking less, having better sex, and reporting less pain with lifting your kids or grand kids. But I get even more excited when I hear more about how your routine is changing (the yoga practice in the morning, the less screen times in the evening, a different pace to your day).

What I hear is: I’m taking care of me (too).

I do have to say, while I am still noticing the impact of burn out, it heals me a little extra when you all make changes.

(and if I’m honest it keeps giving me permission to take care of myself too).

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