How to Achieve Balance and Prevent Burnout: Important Self-Care for Healers

Can you imagine living your life every day with a sense of balance, contentment, and joy? Maybe you can do it on a good day, but can you do it when the world around you feels distant? What about when everything feels like it’s falling apart, or when the pressure of life is overwhelming you? For many healers, intuitive guides, and spiritual practitioners, living with balance, contentment, and joy may sound like an ideal you yearn for but never manage to achieve. You dedicate so much energy to caring for others, but what happens when you neglect your own needs?

In a recent episode of Connecting To Spirit, host Lisa Brandis discussed this idea with me, Laura McVeigh. As a holistic counsellor and intuitive Reiki master, a lot of my work is encouraging clients to recognise stress and burnout, and to find balance within their lives. Here are some ideas that Lisa and I discussed within the podcast, and how you can apply it to your own life and wellness.

Recognizing Burnout

Burnout is not just being stressed and tired, although there are similarities. There are three distinct traits that differentiate burnout from stress:

• Emotional exhaustion – the fatigue you feel when you’ve cared so much for so long that your tank is empty.
• Depersonalisation – a reduction or complete lack of compassion, caring, and empathy.
• Decreased sense of accomplishment – the feeling that nothing you do is going to make a difference.

Symptoms and Signs

The physical symptoms of burnout are widespread and can affect nearly all your body systems. These might include:

• Tense or painful muscles
• Headaches
• Breathing difficulties
• Digestive issues
• Sexual health disruptions
• Increased heart rate and blood pressure
• Sleep disturbances
• Psychosomatic symptoms like feeling of choking or being unable to swallow without any physical reason

Mental signs may manifest as:

• Jumping to conclusions
• Tunnel vision
• Catastrophizing
• Blaming others
• Overgeneralizing

Behavioral signs might include:

• Withdrawing from friends
• Decreased productivity
• Lowered concentration
• A sense of feeling stuck in work, friendships, or relationships
• Regular procrastination
• Worrying

The signs of burnout are similar to many other issues like depression, grief, trauma, and chronic fatigue, so it’s also worth checking in with your healthcare practitioner to rule out any underlying health problems.

Rediscovering Self-Compassion

So that’s great, Laura—we’re all stressed and burned out, and I can recognize it… but what can I do?

I’m so glad you asked!

Start by treating yourself with the same kindness and compassion you would offer a friend, child, or loved one.

As healers, we often push through exhaustion, feeling responsible for everyone else’s well-being. But what if you eased up on the pressure you put on yourself?

“I find with a lot of my clients that this idea of being kind to yourself feels so foreign that it makes them uncomfortable. And that’s OK too. Just start by noticing little moments where you could be kinder to yourself. You don’t even have to be kinder at first—just notice when you could be.” – Laura McVeigh

This small shift in awareness plants the seed for deeper self-compassion. From there, self-care starts feeling like a natural part of your life rather than another obligation.

Breaking the Norm: Self-Care as a Journey

Self-care is often perceived as glamorous activities like spa days and holidays, but I love advocating for “unglamorous self-care.” This includes everyday actions like making and attending your medical appointments, staying hydrated, eating well, and nurturing your mental and energetic health. I think these are the vital steps that build a solid self-care routine.

Embracing your Support System

Seeking help doesn’t diminish your strength – this is something Lisa and I spend a bit of time discussing in the podcast. It is absolutely essential to have a support network, whether it’s a trusted friend, partner, family member, or professional therapist. And often, these trusted people are the ones that point out to us that we seem to be struggling in the first place, so know who your people are, and trust them.

Some everyday support to try

When it comes to dealing with burnout as healers, there are really two ways to deal with it. There are the big things like taking a break from seeing clients, or going on holiday, and then there are the small, everyday things that you can use to build up your wellness. I’m going to focus on these little things.

The number one gold standard for dealing with stress is to move your body in a way that works for you. Maybe that’s running, dancing, swimming, rock climbing – anything that is going to move your body and get you breathing deeply. Aim for twenty to sixty minutes a day on most days. Just a note, we’re talking purely about stress management here, not fitness. And if you can’t move like that? Something like a progressive muscle relaxation exercise will have a similar effect.

Want something that you can add into your daily routines? Try laughing, singing, breathing exercises, sharing affection with another person, having a positive social interaction, patting your pets, having a big cathartic cry, creating something with your hands, or reconnecting with your faith or community.

And one I feel is really accessible, reconnect with your emotions through creative expression like watching a movie or a play that makes you feel, listening to music that takes you through an emotional journey, or get lost in a book that helps you embody emotion.

Activities like Reiki, Tai Chi, Yoga, gardening, meditation, mindfulness activities, energy work, and journalling are all excellent as well for managing stress, reconnecting with yourself, and re-engaging with your emotions.

Know When It’s Time to Make Bigger Changes

You’ve recognized that you’re burned out. You’ve added good habits to your routine. You’re relying on your support system. You’re taking care of yourself in meaningful ways. But what if you still feel burned out? Or do you feel better for a few weeks or months, and then it’s back to square one?

At this point, it may be time to consider bigger changes.

Making these changes is not always easy, and it might add stress to your life before things improve. But it’s necessary to evaluate whether the situation itself needs to change.

Here are some ideas:

• If you work for someone else, maybe you can negotiate your workload or adjust your hours.
• If you’re self-employed, perhaps it’s time to reevaluate your schedule and set clearer boundaries to avoid overcommitting yourself.

But if making changes to the situation is out of your control? It’s essential to seek support from your trusted people or professionals who can help guide you through these difficult decisions.

Ready to Reclaim Your Energy & Prevent Burnout?

Burnout doesn’t have to be the norm. You deserve balance, joy, and a self-care practice that truly supports you.

In this episode of Connecting to Spirit, Lisa and I dive even deeper into how healers and intuitive guides can recognize burnout, set healthy boundaries, and build sustainable self-care practices.

Listen now: https://intuitivereiki.com.au/podcast/

✨ Want to go deeper? If you’re ready to reconnect with your intuition and create lasting transformation, check out Lisa’s Learn to Channel Course—a powerful way to strengthen your connection to spirit while prioritizing your own well-being.

https://intuitivereiki.com.au/channelling/

Your healing work is important, but so are you. Let’s take this journey together.

Click here to listen now: https://intuitivereiki.com.au/podcast/

Remember—your intuition is one of the greatest tools you have. The more you trust it, the more powerful it becomes. So start tuning in today!

Do you have an intuition story of your own? Drop it in the comments—I’d love to hear how you’ve used your inner wisdom in life!

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Links mentioned in this episode:

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