How We Find Our Way Back From Burnout with Dr Jillian Bybee
Notas del episodio
Burnout is often described as being too busy, working too hard, or having too much on our plates. But what if it has as much to do with how we relate to ourselves as it does with how much we do?
In this episode of A Thought I Kept, I talk to Dr Jillian Bybee, a paediatric intensive care physician, certified coach, writer, and host of the Humans Leading podcast. Having experienced burnout twice herself, Jillian brings a thought that completely changed the way she understands wellbeing: wellness is not a state of being, but a state of action.
Together, we explore what happens when we stop thinking of wellbeing as a destination we eventually arrive at and start seeing it as something woven through everyday life. We talk about the difference between stress, overwhelm, and burnout, why so many of us keep pushing through long after we've run out of energy, and what it means to build small moments of restoration into busy lives.
Along the way, we discuss emotional suppression, self-compassion, nervous system regulation, perfectionism, motherhood, leadership, and the challenge of caring for ourselves in cultures that often reward self-sacrifice. Jillian shares why five minutes can sometimes be enough to begin, how burnout can disconnect us from joy as well as difficult emotions, and why rest is about far more than simply taking time off.
This conversation is full of gentle reminders that wellbeing doesn't live somewhere beyond our lives, waiting for us to finally get everything right. It is something we practise, imperfectly, in the midst of work, family, grief, responsibility, and ordinary days.
Whether you're feeling emotionally exhausted, navigating stress, recovering from burnout, or simply wondering how to care for yourself in a more sustainable way, I hope you'll find something here that stays with you.
Dr. Jillian Bybee is a busy pediatric intensive care physician, toddler mom, certified coach, and creative who uses what she’s learned from recovering from burnout twice to help other ambitious women live less stressed, more satisfying lives. Her Substack publication and podcast, Humans Leading, aim to remind us that, although we can do amazing things, we are not machines (and even machines get regularly scheduled maintenance). She believes that we all need and deserve rest, joy, and time away from work. If you are looking to make a change in your own life, Dr. Jillian offers 1:1 coaching, group coaching for teams, and workshops.
You can find Dr. Jillian in the following places:
Substack: Humans Leading | Jillian Bybee, MD | Substack
Instagram: Jillian Bybee, MD (@lifeandpicu)
LinkedIn: Jillian Bybee, MD | LinkedIn
Website: Jillian Bybee, MD- Physician Leader, Coach, Speaker
Podcast: Humans Leading
Books and papers mentioned in the podcast:
Burnout: Solve Your Stress Cycle by Emily & Amelia Nagoski
Atlas of the Heart by Brene Brown
Rehder K, Adair KC, Sexton JB. The Science of Health Care Worker Burnout: Assessing and Improving Health Care Worker Well-Being (2021).
Duke Well-Being Toolkit Resources
Forty-five Good Things — Sexton et al.
This is A Thought I Kept — Weekly conversations about the ideas that stay. Listen every Monday morning for a new thought to hold onto this week.
About Claire Fitzsimmons
Claire is the host of A Thought I Kept, a wellbeing writer, author and the co-founder of If Lost Start Here. As a Certified Coach and Emotions Coach Practitioner, Claire helps people navigate the everyday lost moments and all the feelings, from anxiety to grief, overwhelm to disconnection.
Buy Claire's first book, If Lost Start Here: Wellbeing for the Anxious, Disconnected or Uncertain here.
Subscribe to Claire's Substack newsletter here.
Find out how to work with Claire here.
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The music for all episodes from August 10th was made by Leon in the Wilderness.