You're Not Broken-You're Burnt Out
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Erica: [00:00:00] Feeling drained and wondering what’s wrong with you?
This episode is your reminder: you’re not broken—you’re just burnt out.
Welcome back to your sanctuary. If you've been feeling like something's wrong with you, like no matter how hard you try, you just can't get it together. This one's for you. Let's take a breath together. Inhale two. Three, four. Hold exhale slowly. 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Good. Notice how your body feels right now. You're here.
That's enough.
You're not lazy, you're not broken. You're burnt the hell out. And I'm not talking about needing a nap. I'm talking nervous system fried soul, drained body screaming, but you just keep [00:01:00] pushing. You wake up tired. You smile on zoom calls while dissociating inside. You answer. I'm good because explaining the ache behind your eyes would take too much energy.
You're not fine. You're functioning and there's a difference. The world praises you for your resilience. But no one sees that your resilience came from necessity, not choice. You learn to carry things alone, to perform, to push past the breaking point, and now you can't even rest without guilt. You feel bad for wanting peace.
You don't know how to be soft because soft never felt safe. Maybe you've been surviving for so long. Peace feels unfamiliar. But your body remembers. You're not wired for failure. You're wired for protection, but it's [00:02:00] time to rewire for connection, for softness, for rest.
If you're holding your breath, let it go now. You're allowed to exhale.
Let's pause for a moment together. Feel into this question when did doing nothing start feeling unsafe? Who told you that your value was only in your doing?
Breathe. Inhale. Exhale. Ask yourself, where your body am I holding the tension of proving myself? Is it in your shoulders, your jaw, your gut, maybe your heart? That tightness isn't weakness. It's your body asking for something you never felt allowed to have, rest without shame. What would it mean just for a moment to stop hustling for worth? [00:03:00] To trust that you're enough, even in stillness?
Let that echo inside. If emotion rises, let it. It means you're finally ready to heal differently. You're not failing. You're coming home to yourself.
If you can close your eyes. Picture yourself in a quiet room. The lights are low, the noise is gone. There's a soft chair, maybe the first chair that feels truly safe. You sit. You breathe.
You don't need to earn this moment. You deserve it.
Place one hand on your chest, the other on your belly. Feel the gentle rise and fall.[00:04:00]
Say out loud or in your mind. I am not a machine. I don't need to collapse to deserve rest. I can soften. I can breathe. I can be. Good. Inhale, deeply exhale with the gentle sigh.
Let the sound vibrate out of your throat. Let your body believe it's safe to slow down.
Again, breathe in. Breathe out. [00:05:00] Ah,
Notice if there's even a tiny bit more softness, more space, more ease.
You don't have to hold it all. Not here.
You don't need fixing. You need a nervous system that feels safe being held, a life that doesn't require you to burn out, to be seen. You are not behind. You're not weak. You've just been surviving in a world that forgot softness is strength. So this is your reminder. You're allowed to rest. You're allowed to heal.
You're allowed to be [00:06:00] human.
You are not broken. You're burnt out, and now you're finally coming home. Breathe that in.
I will see you tomorrow. If this spoke to something deep inside you, know that your healing begins with honoring your limits.
Come back to this space anytime you forget that rest isn’t a reward—it’s your birthright.
