How to Recognise and Avoid Burnout

Welcome back to NTD. Good morning. Trying to live an energetic and purposeful life is frequently met with challenges around every corner. For most of us, the dreaded burnout can come and drain our body, our mind, and even feel like it's draining our souls. >> I know. But joining us with practical tips is Josie Carden. She's a coach and author of Recharged: Break Up with Burnout: Walk in Sustainable Strength. Thank you so much for joining us. It's great to have you here. And what a perfectly timed book for the holiday season >> and we're very excited to talk about the book Recharged. But before we get into it, I just like to get a little bit more about your background. I I found it so interesting. >> Yeah, absolutely. Thank you for having me today. I am an author and a pastor and I've done philanthropic and charity work my whole life, ministry work. I grew up in Sweden, moved to the US in my teenage years and since then have um done a number of different charities and things of that nature. along the path found myself a little bit burned out and that's why I wrote the book. >> Yeah. You've you've got a big mission and it takes a lot of work to make it happen. Yeah. >> Um but you've put a lot out there to support others and if you could tell us more about your work with the organization Rescue Her. >> Yeah. So several years ago, this has been back a long time, I encountered in my travels and my other ministry work human trafficking. And it was something that just really gripped my heart. I think once you've seen it, you can't unsee it. And for me, I thought, what can I do? And it feels really overwhelming because you hear the statistics and you're talking about millions and millions. But I really felt this tug like if I could help one and if everybody could help one. And so Rescue Her was the name that was birthed out of that because what if we could all help one? So I started a nonprofit called Rescue Her. It's still going strong today. I've handed over the reigns to another um lady who leads it. She's phenomenal. and we have a crisis hotline in the Dallas area. We work with victims and advocacy for them after they come out of human trafficking. So, it's been a phenomenal journey. >> Wow. So inspiring and that message is so important, especially during the holiday season. Some people are overwhelmed by how they can help and your message of just try to help one person. And if everybody could do that and it's a great segue into this book, Recharged, because when you're burnt out, you feel like you can hardly help yourself. let alone help others. So, what did you take from all of these experiences to say, you know, this this is the next project. I need to write this book, Recharged. >> Yes. Well, I think we all have a purpose here on the planet and we need to fulfill it. So, that means we have to figure out a way to stay sustainably strong and not just do all this stuff and then crash and burn. And I think it's very common. It happened to me. I know that for sure. And actually the book came out of a moment where my husband went to go and uh drive a vehicle that had been standing for a long time and the battery had died. And it just just inspired me with this kind of parable of a battery that reminds me of our lives. And the answer to the question of getting burned out is not really to park your car and not do anything. A car was designed to drive down the road and it actually recharges its battery while it's doing what it was created to do. And we're created to do good on the planet. I think we all have a God designed in that way. And so just giving up and quitting is not the answer. So instead, I went on this journey of how can we then walk in a way that's not overwhelming and not doing too much, but doing the thing that we were intended to do because I think a lot of us pick up too much along the way. the things that we're obligated to do, the pain, the hurt, the trauma, the things that maybe we're good at but we're not necessarily called to be doing. >> Incredible. And that's a beautiful message. What did you learn along the way of writing this book? >> Well, I learned a lot about cars because I started talking about batteries the whole time. I was like, I didn't know. But there's such a thing, for example, called a parasitic drain where things in the car that are not meant to be on are draining that battery. And I think a lot of times that true of our lives. It can be things like past pain, people pleasing, um unforgiveness, just things that we are not taking the time to notice. And just like you have to go and diagnose a car sometimes, what's wrong with it? I think it's important for people to go and get help when they find themselves in those situations where they're like, I don't know why I'm so exhausted. Maybe you need some help to figure out what that drain is that you might not even be aware of. I think that's important. And then just having the boundaries of knowing what am I meant to be doing and not picking up all the obligations. I think especially around the holidays. That's very important. Like drive in your lane. Don't try to swerve all over the place. Stay with what you're responsible for. And sometimes just that is so vital to finding and recouping your own power. >> It's such a clear message and I think pretty much anybody could benefit. But I want to get a sense of like when you were writing it, was there a particular audience that you had in mind that you've observed really, you know, could benefit from the insights that you wanted to put down on paper? >> Yeah, I think no offense to the men, but I think it's particularly for women because we're carers and we really do take on I think even the emotional well-being of everybody around us and we want to care for people and sometimes we can take on too much. And so for me, even again going back to the car, being able to use that simple analogy to help women to walk in a way that's not overwhelming. Like for example, when you park your car at night, you turn the lights off. You don't leave them running. Like when do you park your life and turn the lights off? Like when do you refresh? When do you recharge? So you're not constantly giving out. So I'm hoping that that message will help women who have a purpose on the planet and need to be able to give that to the world instead of just giving up. And what are some of the sort of practical tips that you might have for them to really get started on this process? >> Yeah, for me things like really being clear on what I am meant to carry helped. So that's number one. Like sit down and just think about it. What am I doing that I'm not maybe meant to be doing >> and just forget about what everybody else thinks and stop doing those things. Number two, finding peace and quiet. Like really parking your car and turning those lights off. I think it really settles even our nervous system. For me, I'm a strong believer and so I do prayer and I read the Bible and if I have that every day and then I take one day a week when I'm purposefully more still, the other six days go so much better. So that's really something I think we've gotten away from. But I believe it was a way we're designed to be able to go for the long haul with strength. >> Now you're a pastor and leader in your community with your husband. You've started this nonprofit to help disadvantaged and targeted women. And now you're an author. >> Yeah. >> So, what's next for you? >> Well, I'm actually working on another book, so we'll hopefully see that in 2026. I travel and speak um to women and women's conferences. I love doing that. I'm also a grandmother of two, so they are my favorite thing on the planet. So, being with them a lot is my uh my goal in life. Really, that's so beautiful. and a really nice picture of a balanced life where you can be striving for that mission and that goal all within this sense this uh cycle of recharging. Yeah. >> And something that I think everybody needs a kind of ally to help them take that brave step into something new such as a balanced life where you can recharge but still go for your mission. And it sounds like, you know, your book is a really beautiful way for people to carry that ally with them and learn along the way together. >> Josie Carnen, the book is Recharge. Thank you so much for dropping by our studio and happy holidays to you and all of your people in your community and your family. >> Thank you. So lovely to be with you and happy holidays to you, too. Thank you.