Today’s topic centers around window of tolerance - what it is, why it’s relevant to the burnout conversation, how you can grow your window - and gain self-regulation tools when you veer outside of it.

The “window of tolerance” is a crucial tool in understanding your capacity + how that relates to your nervous system state. Expanding it allows you to adapt to daily stressors, increase your resiliency, and gain self-awareness, so you can prevent burnout in the long run.

Self-regulation is an integrative, mind-body experience. Here we share some self-regulation tools, for both ends of the spectrum (hypo and hyper arousal), so you can keep expanding your window of tolerance & return to baseline, in your daily experiences. We believe that movement is essential in developing that internal awareness + helping our nervous systems establish safety - and share both our experiences & professional lens, to equip you in your journey.

Resources:

Window Of Tolerance (with a super helpful graphic!) https://katherineyeagel.com/2022/12/24/regulating-your-nervous-system-with-the-window-of-tolerance/

Circle of Capacity: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/arts-and-health/202109/traumatic-stress-and-the-circle-capacity

Find your hosts here:

Natalie Smith is a Strength Coach, Nonprofit Co-founder, and Certified Trauma-Informed Weightlifting Practitioner. She works 1:1 with clients all around the world, supporting them in fitness + lifestyle goals, with a mental-health focused approach. You can learn more about her here: https://linktr.ee/integratedcoaching

Alexis Postans is a therapist, coach, and consultant. She owns Total Life Wellbeing, with the mission of improving wellbeing & preventing workplace burnout, for both individuals and teams. You can learn more about her here: https://www.tlwellbeing.com.au/meet-alexis

Burnout has become a buzzword for our times, especially in the wake of the pandemic. Workplace burnout is at an all-time high globally, affecting everyone from frontline healthcare workers to stay-at-home parents.

This episode will demystify what burnout really means, how it differs from everyday stress, and empower you with tools to recognise and address it. Burnout isn't a personal failing – it's a sign that something needs to change. We hope this episode equips you with the info and actionable tips you need to find the right support and begin your journey back to balance and wellbeing.

Resources:

Self Check-In Questions

1. Am I exhausted – physically and emotionally – most of the time?
2. Have I become more cynical or negative at work (or do I feel disengaged)?
3. Do I feel less effective or that I'm not accomplishing anything worthwhile?

If you answer yes to all three, there's a chance you're experiencing burnout rather than just routine stress.

Professional Assessment Tools

• Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI): The most famous burnout assessment, used in research and by professionals.

Maslach-Burnout-Inventory-MBI.pdf

• Sydney Burnout Measure (SBM): A research-validated tool that evaluates burnout through cognitive, physical, and emotional exhaustion dimensions.

Sydney-Burnout-Measure-Questionnaire.pdf

Take time to complete these assessments in a quiet environment where you can answer honestly. The results can help guide your next steps toward recovery and prevention.

In a world that glorifies doing everything, how do we find the balance between impact and rest? This episode dives deep into the tension between advocacy and social justice and the sustainability of long-term change.

It's not about pouring into your own cup *or* others' - both need to coexist (and go hand-in-hand). Collectivism is essential, and habitual self-care ensures your longevity in that.

Natalie shares her experience as a nonprofit co-founder in the U.S., and we both open up about our own brushes with activism burnout in trying to advocate for social change.

We unpack the dangers of all-or-nothing thinking, why rest is a radical act, and how small, intentional contributions to your community still matter.

Key takeaways:

• Ditching perfectionism in community action
• Accessible ways to contribute to your community- even when your capacity is low
• How self-care and advocacy go hand-in-hand
• How rest fuels your capacity to create impact
• 
  

If you’ve ever felt like you’re not doing enough (or felt lost at WHAT to do), this episode is for you.

Tune in and let’s redefine what sustainable activism really looks like.

Resources for Queer, Black/Indigenous/People of Color, Immigrants, and other marginalized groups in the US:

https://www.aclu.org/

https://www.thetrevorproject.org/resources/category/mental-health/

https://www.thetrevorproject.org/resources/category/community/

https://www.linesforlife.org/get-help-now/services-and-crisis-lines/racial-equity-support-line/

https://www.las-americas.org/

https://supportkind.org/

https://colorofchange.org/