Preview Mode Links will not work in preview mode

The Sonya Looney Show

The Danger of Being an Excitement Junkie: How to Recover from Burnout and Actually Rest

Hey everybody! My name is Sonya Looney and welcome to my podcast. For those of you who don’t have any context on me, I’m a plant-based World Champion ultra endurance mountain biker. I travel the world and have met some incredible people with world class attitudes and ways of living that motivate me daily, and I want to share their paths of mastery with you. This is a podcast interviewing inspiring leaders across the categories of wellness, endurance fitness, plant-based nutrition, mindset, and entrepreneurship to help you unlock the best and healthiest version of yourself.

The Danger of Being an Excitement Junkie: How to Recover from Burnout and Actually Rest

Oct 18, 2018

Is your mind on overdrive? Are you exhausted? Is it hard to leave your email alone on nights and weekend? Don't worry, you're not alone. Office workers report a burnout rate of 40 percent in the United States and Canada. Physicians are closer to 50%. Burnout is not only attributed to the workplace; "keeping up with the joneses" and trying to be a "balanced" human who works more than full time, exercises regularly, eats healthy, sleeps 8 hours a night, has a family, and makes time for friends can seem overwhelming. In a society that champions the hustle and reveres people who seem to be doing it all, it's hard to feel a sense of ease when we aren't doing something productive. I was excited to dig into this conversation with burnout expert, previous podcast guest, and author Brad Stulberg because burnout is a regular part of the conversation amongst my peers and family. We wanted to get to the bottom of why we feel pressure to push ourselves so hard, how to actually define rest, why obsessive passion can be detrimental, and how to live more easeful lives.

Brad is the co-author of one of my favorite books, Peak Performance. which is specifically about avoiding burnout and elevating your game. Listen on our last episode and definitely get this book. I've read it a couple times! If you're not already familiar with Brad's writing on human performance in his regular column in Outside Magazine, or in publications like the New York Times, Thrive, Sports Illustrated, and more, you're missing out. He is my favorite person to follow on Twitter because he always has insightful and actionable information.

My favorite takeaway from today's episode was to define rest as the act of doing an activity without needing to progress.

Topics Discussed in the Podcast

how to tell if you're burnt out
why being an excitement junkie can kill you
difference between excitement and happiness
how do you define true rest
how to implement 3 key habits to foster happiness and human connection
harmonious vs obsessive passion
what to do if you constantly are seeking external validation

Listen Now

Support the Show

If you would like to support the growth my show, I’d love your contribution on. Patreon. The current production of this free show is primarily supported out of my own pocket and a small portion is covered through the donations on Patreon. With my Patreon page, you can donate directly to the show which will help me cover the costs and help it grow! Even 4 bucks a month- the cost of one coffee per month helps a LOT! Thanks, I really appreciate your support!

Crowdfunding on Patreon – thank you!

Shop my products!

Leave a review or share on social media

Don’t forget to subscribe!

Thanks for listening!