Episode Summary:
Burnout is real! And this Fun Table conversation goes straight into the lived-in signs, the quiet red flags and the practical ways event pros can protect their energy heading into 2026. From food aversion to emotional clutter, the hosts unpack what happens when ambition collides with depletion and how boundaries, rituals and honesty can pull us back from the edge.
Takeaways:
- Burnout often shows up in small ways.
- High performers tend to push past their warning signs, making capacity checks and boundaries essential.
- Powerful and effective recovery tools.
- Tech can support resilience, but it can also add noise.
Timestamps:
00:00 – When food aversion becomes a burnout red flag
03:00 – Dele on resilience scores and the “nap isn’t enough” warning
06:13 – Kristin on being “tired but wired” and micro-burnout
11:39 – Disconnection from joy as an early burnout signal
26:38 – Recovery rituals heading into 2026
Resources & Links:
-Brain Hacks & Productivity: Unlock the Brain
-Meet The Fun Table: Kristin Graham, Dele Downs Kooley, Amy Liz Harrison
-Alysse & Libby: Bios & LinkedIn
Connect with Us:
-Website: www.beatsworkingpodcast.com
-LinkedIn: @BEATS WORKING Show
-Instagram: @beatsworkingshow
-Facebook: @Beats Working Show
-YouTube: @BEATSWORKINGPODCAST
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BEATS WORKING is a platform on a mission to redeem work—the word, the place, and the way. We believe that work is the most honorable act in the universe, and through inspiring stories and practical insights, we want to transform the way people think about work and help them discover greater fulfillment in their lives. We invite you to join us as we build community through sharing and actively demonstrating what we learn.
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Transcript
The following transcript is not certified. Although the transcription is largely accurate, in some cases it is incomplete or inaccurate due to inaudible passages or transcription errors. The information contained within this document is for general information purposes only.
[00:00:00] It’s when I start having food aversion. And by that I mean I do not want to think about do anything for dinner. I just would, can I just have cereal and listen, food aversion is not a normal thing for me. That’s when it’s a red flag. But when I’m just like, I don’t even, I don’t even wanna do anything or like everybody else can figure out what they want to eat.
[00:00:21] When the act of going into the kitchen and thinking about food is overwhelming. To me, that’s one of the signs that my brain has just been really depleted. I must be depleted all the time then, but, but maybe that’s just because I really don’t like to cook, so that’s my food version. It’s, yeah, your oven for store.
[00:00:38] I don’t wanna cook and I don’t wanna shop. I just want it to all magically show up.
[00:00:43] Welcome to BEATS WORKING, winning the Game of Events where we share stories and strategies to turn any event or life moment into something Unforgettable. Events are wild and the people who work in them are some of the most resilient humans on earth, if you [00:01:00] know, you know. So come with us behind the curtain for a look at their most memorable experiences, as they say, the show must go on.
[00:01:09] So let’s get on with the show.
[00:01:16] Libby Sundgren: Welcome back to the Fun Table where the conversations are real. The laughs are loud, and the hustle gets a reality check, because today we are tackling a topic that’s hotter than your inbox at 4 59 on a Friday burnout, and how to actually avoid it as we head into 2026. Everyone’s doing too much. Juggling too many roles, pretending like coffee is the answer, but it’s really not.
So today we’re gonna talk about what’s actually working. Boundaries, rest, rituals, ways that we’re redefining success in a way that doesn’t lead to collapse. If burnout had you in a choke hold this year, this episode is [00:02:00] your permission slip to do things differently. Let’s dig in. I’m Libby Sunrun, co-host of the BEATS WORKING, winning the Game of Events podcast with me. Here are Alysse throwing it to you.
[00:02:13] Alysse Bryson: Thanks, Libby. I’m Alysse Bryson. The cohost to Libby Sandgren for BEATS WORKING, winning the game of events. And when you said that coffee is not the answer, I was like, well, it is followed by a Celsius. Those. So, and a diet Coke, like, I was like, yeah, those are totally the answers. So, , but I’m really grateful to be here today as we round out 2025 because yeah, there’s so much going on in the world and there has been that the burnout is real.
[00:02:45] And so I’m really excited to talk with the fun table about how things that we can actually do to kind of set ourselves up for. A successful and less burnt out 2026[00:03:00]
[00:03:00] Deli.
[00:03:00] Dele Kooley: Thank you. I’m Deli Downs Cooley, TEDx coach and personal brand strategist to speakers. I am so excited to be talking about this because it’s December. It’s that time where we wind down and prepare for the next year and what’s coming. So I’m excited to be talking about this today.
[00:03:21] Kristin Graham: Hi everybody. I am Kristen Graham, and this topic is near and dear to my heart. And at this time of year, my wish would be to give the whole world a really long nap.
[00:03:35] Amy Liz Harrison: I’m Amy Liz Harrison, and yeah, I’m an author. I’m a publisher, I’m a podcaster, I’m a friend, I’m a wife, I’m a mom. I don’t know what else, but you fill in the blank.
[00:03:45] Libby Sundgren: She does it all people. She does it all.
[00:03:48] Amy Liz Harrison: None of it. Well, but I do a lot of things.
[00:03:52] Libby Sundgren: I disagree with that. The first part. You do it well. Okay. What are your personal red flags? [00:04:00] burnout is creeping in, and how do you catch it before you actually burn out? Deli, you go first.
[00:04:08] Dele Kooley: Oh, I love that question. So I’m just gonna start by saying, in recent years, most of my burnout tips come from Kristen Graham and unlock the brain. So there’s that.
[00:04:22] Libby Sundgren: Mm-hmm.
[00:04:23] Dele Kooley: have an aura ring. I love it. It actually has told me to call a doctor before and that phone call resulted in a surgery that resulted in me turning my health around and it’s been amazing and fantastic.
[00:04:37] So how do I know, like what’s the red flag? My aura ring is one of the many tools that I use to check and see where am I at. My oral ring gives me resilience scores and it’s. Aura is the ring that I use, the tool that I use. There are lots of tech, wearable tech out there that do similar things. [00:05:00] So from a tech perspective, I use.
[00:05:04] Tools that track my health, resilience scores, all of those things. How do I know that I’m approaching burnout? It’s when a nap is not enough. Being tired is something that we all experience when I. Can’t recover from that tiredness with a nap. That is the biggest red flag there is for me, that there’s a problem and I need to go deeper.
[00:05:28] That’s when I pull out my apps and start looking at resilience scores and start coming up with plans and I, I do love those tech tools because they actually offer me actionable tips in the absence of tech. If an app’s not working, boundaries are, are the thing for me that help with that red, red flag that burnout’s creeping in.
[00:05:50] Libby Sundgren: Kristen Deli said it a few times and we’re gonna plug it again. But you talk about this a lot with unlock the brain. You have so many tips, [00:06:00] so many ways to try and. Catch it before you really fall into a burnout hole. , so how do you, how do you see it? What’s your personal red flag and what kind of red flag should everybody be looking out for?
[00:06:13] Kristin Graham: Yeah. Such a great question and I, I do appreciate the plugs, but a lot of this work comes from the recognition of living in it. So this isn’t, this is about learning out loud, not having solved all of it, and being immune to burnout. What I really like about this particular topic is the micro burnout. I think that there’s something about. Um, hard charging, um, high wired individuals. Let’s be honest, we’re probably not ever gonna completely just shut off. We’re just gonna grind a little harder on the gears. So, I’ve been focusing a lot lately on the micro burnout, and one of my personal signs is what I call tired but wired. And it’s when I start having yawning, like at 6:00 PM and all of a
[00:07:00] sudden I’ve yawned eight times in a row and bedtime seems so far off or even. If any of you have done this, like where you’re like, okay, I’m gonna go to bed, and then you get in bed and you’re like, I’m just not there yet. Like I’m exhausted all day except for when I’m going to bed and then it’s just this, my brain won’t stop. That for sure is a sign for me. And another one, and I had this yesterday, so it is fresh. It’s when I start having food aversion. And by that I mean. I do not want to think about do anything for dinner. I just would, can I just have cereal and listen, food aversion is not a normal thing for me. That’s when it’s a red flag. But when I’m just like, I don’t even, I don’t even wanna do anything for like everybody else can figure out what they want to eat. When the act of going into the kitchen and thinking about food is overwhelming to me, that’s one of the signs that my brain has just been really depleted.
[00:07:53] Alysse Bryson: I must be depleted all the time then. But maybe that’s just because I really don’t like to cook, so that’s my food aversion [00:08:00] is I just don’t wanna, I don’t wanna cook, I don’t wanna shop. I just want it to all magically show up for me. Which there are, you know, many services that, that do
[00:08:09] Kristin Graham: I’m not, I’m
[00:08:10] Alysse Bryson: do that.
[00:08:11] Kristin Graham: had like toast for dinner last night. That’s the kind of day I was having.
[00:08:15] Alysse Bryson: Yeah. No, I get it. I get it. I get it. I get it for sure. As the, I think I’m probably the biggest napper in this group because I nap five days a week minimum. and if my schedule allows, I don’t set an alarm. Uh, and I have found that I don’t really need to anymore. The days have kind of passed where I would sleep for two or three hours, which is for me, a sign that there’s something that I’m not, I’m dysregulated when I’m napping that long in the afternoon. Now, if I lay down, I can be rest assured, pun intended, that , it’ll be under an hour. It’ll probably be the sweet spot will probably be like 40 minutes. , and [00:09:00] so, uh, but I love, I love naps and I, I’m a hardcore napper.
I’m in my room, in my bed, under the covers with the blackout curtains. Like I’m in bed, not like my mom is also a napper, but she does it sitting upright in a chair and I’m always like, I don’t understand, like, what’s the point? , so napping to me doesn’t necessarily. Isn’t necessarily a sign of burnout, depending on the length of the napping, but it comes from, again, a lot of lived experience of burnout. Cause I, I have a little tendency to be obsessed, obsessive with things. And when I realized that I can’t, I’ve been touching a project or a thing like. With no days off, like when I can’t remember the last time I didn’t, check on something and spend time with it on a daily basis, um, that is work related. That’s usually not a good sign for me.
[00:09:56] Libby Sundgren: Amy, how do you track burnout? What are, what’s your red flag?
[00:09:59] Amy Liz Harrison: One [00:10:00] of mine is, you know, the whole concept of that book, the Body keeps the score. And one thing that really shows up for me is I’ll notice that I’m not breathing. And what I mean by that is, yes, I’m breathing involuntarily to keep. Myself alive, but I’m not like I, I’m clenching or holding my breath instead of actually doing restorative relaxation breathing techniques, which. I tend to just function better like that. And then the second thing is, have you guys ever had that thing where you’re staring at a computer screen, you’ve been quote unquote working at something for a long time, but you can’t think anymore, but you’re trying to produce results somehow, and you’re sort of just spinning.
That’s my second thing. And then, you know, kind of my third thing is my attitude. So when [00:11:00] I look. My life and all the good things in it that I’m usually grateful for. I’m starting to look at ’em through these other lenses of like obligation instead of opportunity. And I’m not saying to try and put like some kind of a Pollyanna positive spin on everything and woo, let’s just pretend everything’s hunky dory. But just when I feel that like, ugh, this is an obligation, like everything just seems to feel heavy. That’s when I know. I’m like about to lose it, and that’s kind of my real red flag.
[00:11:38] Libby Sundgren: Mm-hmm.
[00:11:39] Kristin Graham: That’s an important share, Amy. I feel like when I am resisting responding to texts or I don’t wanna call people back, or I’m like. I just, I can’t call my mom right now. I think those are subtle signals that I have a fund deficiency
[00:11:54] that the places I normally go to get a boost are, not available to me.
[00:11:59] Dele Kooley: Yeah, I [00:12:00] would call that my disconnection from joy.
[00:12:02] Libby Sundgren: Oh.
[00:12:03] Kristin Graham: Yes.
[00:12:04] Say more
[00:12:04] about that.
[00:12:05] Dele Kooley: it is like the I, I said when you are so tired that a nap doesn’t fix it, all of the examples that you all have shared have been some of the signs before you get to that point. And for me, another one of those things is, you know, there’s the loss of joy early on.
[00:12:27] Kristin Graham: Mm-hmm.
[00:12:28] Dele Kooley: Where you are kind of disconnected and things that would normally bring you joy like a quiet morning or connecting with people that you really enjoy or that creative work.
[00:12:39] Just like you said, Alysse, those, like you said, Kristen, they start to feel like obligations and that is a huge yellow flag.
[00:12:50] And I know Kristen has examples ’cause did you ask that question about how to catch it earlier?
[00:12:56] when that happens and you’re starting to feel overwhelmed and you [00:13:00] have those red flags or those yellow flags before you get to red, I think we’ve talked about this before, the capacity check when you’re asking what’s mine to carry and what is it that I can let go of or pass on to someone else.
[00:13:16] Because when we’re aware of that, it helps us with that slow creep that’s coming in before we get to a huge problem. And I think we’re all accustomed if you’re a high performer, to push through, push through, push through. Whereas if we catch ourselves not breathing, if we catch ourselves with, I think one of the other things that somebody came up with was that clutter.
[00:13:41] Does anybody else have that problem? Like the digital or emotional clutter? It’s a mirror of what’s happening
[00:13:47] Kristin Graham: Mm-hmm.
[00:13:48] Dele Kooley: So if I have 500 tabs open on my computer, there’s, that’s probably a sign there is something going on in my life maybe I need to check on [00:14:00] that.
[00:14:00] Kristin Graham: Yeah,
[00:14:00] Libby Sundgren: Are you talking down about my emotional support tabs
[00:14:05] that I.
[00:14:05] Dele Kooley: not because.
[00:14:06] Alysse Bryson: Yeah,
[00:14:07] Dele Kooley: I do have emotional, I have emotional support tabs and my office, that’s another sign when I walk into my office and it looks like who did it and ran. I probably, that is a clear sign. I don’t normally operate that way. So when I have a lot of clutter physically or digitally, or even emotionally, it’s a sign to pause.
[00:14:34] Libby Sundgren: So everybody has mentioned this, you know, high performers, which I almost anyone I know in the event industry fits that bill and in the event world it can be so like. You know, very, you know, busy times, you know, you go through days where you’re working nonstop because you have a big event coming up, and then you have a little bit of a break and then you kind of get back into it.
[00:14:59] It [00:15:00] can be very cyclical depending on, you know, the size of your team or if you’re a one person show. , so how do we balance ambition? Boundaries in a world that’s telling us to do more. And in a world where we’re telling ourselves we should be doing more, everyone has a hustle and a side hustle and a secondary side hustle. You know how, I’m curious how you women find that balance. What do you do to keep, you know, how do you keep yourself from burnout and still. You know, know and feel like you are being successful, even if you’re not saying yes to everything.
[00:15:44] Amy Liz Harrison: I think for me it depends on how I’m defining successful, and I feel like that needs to be different. At different times, depending on what’s happening in my personal life and [00:16:00] what’s happening with anything else. I feel like that definition needs to be a little bit fluid for me, , because otherwise I tend to spin out into a. compare-and-despair type mentality. Well look at this person can do all those things and accomplish all this stuff. And here I am just, you know, just shoveling snow in a snowstorm. which is, you know, kind of one of my definitions actually of burnout in general for me is putting forth extreme effort. and Not seeing reward or what I would define as a reward or an accomplishment, which is one reason I like books, because you write a book, you can put it on a shelf and then you can go, I did that, which is really nice. But, um, but I think that’s it for me is, is this extreme effort kind of syndrome where [00:17:00] I feel like, yeah, I’m not getting anything.
[00:17:03] Uh. In return, I’m not, I’m not feeling very good about it. And that’s when I know it’s time to stand back. It’s time to shift gears. Right? And it’s time for me to, um, be a little bit more introspective about how I’m defining some of these words that I’m attaching meaning to, if that makes sense.
[00:17:23] Alysse Bryson: Can we just go back and acknowledge your burnout, Barney impression that whatever voice you just
[00:17:29] did did, I don’t know what it was, but like I’m here for it. I would like to hear it again in the future at an unexpected time. Thank you for that.
[00:17:39] Amy Liz Harrison: I’ll do what I can.
[00:17:40] Alysse Bryson: Thank you.
[00:17:42] Kristin Graham: Yeah. I mean, the voice got deep. It wa it was a thing. It was a thing. I wanna go back to what you just said there too, Amy, and I’m gonna speak very directly to all of us listening, that it is, , hard to have our needs met when we deny that we have any and how many of. [00:18:00] Us even would think to ask for support once we start to see that there might be some signals, and then that emotional drain, that ego depletion also tends to make us more reluctant. To reach out because our patience is short. It’s like, it’s just easier for me to do it myself ’cause they’re just gonna do it wrong and they’re not gonna take the trash out or they’re not gonna, and then we get into this martyr, spin it almost like that, um, washing machine
[00:18:29] Libby Sundgren: love being a martyr. I really do. But that. Is a real sign for me too when I’m like, why do I think I’m the only one who can do this the right way?
[00:18:39] Kristin Graham: Yeah, that is actually one of the signs of micro burnout, is that hyper intensity to push help away and just focus on fixing, except we don’t stop to fix what’s ailing us. So it’s a spin, it’s a loop.
[00:18:55] Libby Sundgren: I’m always fixing things. I’m, I’m in, I think I’ve been in micro burnout for like [00:19:00] 30 years.
[00:19:00] Kristin Graham: Well, and let’s, let’s be honest though, and especially because of the professions that most of us are in and people who are listening, we are rewarded financially, socially, in our community for being fixers. It is one of the most socially acceptable forms of addiction. We’re addicted to other people’s problems, to praise to all the things. So that martyr is a symptom we brought on ourself, and it really is going to take true disruption for us to reset that spin.
[00:19:33] Amy Liz Harrison: I’ll sometimes find I’m playing the victim of something instead of being like, no, I have full choice in what I’m saying yes to. And so when I’m playing the victim and not a willing volunteer to participate in something, that’s when I know for me, I need to re-look at my boundaries too and just go. Wait a minute. Let me back this train up and like see what I’m doing here because really [00:20:00] if I can’t tell where I end and somebody else begins and I’m starting to encroach on like micromanaging something, , that’s a clear sign I’m about to really spin out.
[00:20:11] Kristin Graham: Good one.
[00:20:12] Dele Kooley: Yes, I feel that so much. And I was just having a conversation about the concept of being nice versus kind. And that, for me was a light bulb moment because we have been conditioned to be nice. And if you’re nice. It impacts your boundaries because saying no, used to feel like you’re letting people down kind is the ability to say no, and you’re choosing your own personal alignment over other people’s approval.
[00:20:47] That’s like putting the oxygen a mask on first. Like if we, if we’re being really honest. If my kid’s sitting next to me, I’m gonna be tempted to put their oxygen mask on first. If there’s an airplane [00:21:00] accident or like the thing comes down on an airplane, that’s nice because now my kid’s not gonna have a mom to take care that that’s nice.
[00:21:11] They won’t have someone there to take care of them because I was being nice versus being kind means you’re saying no. You’re putting the oxygen mask on for yourself first. Kristen, you said. Meeting our own needs, we can still be a good person. By being kind and focusing on what we need first, then what’s left.
[00:21:35] We have more to give to other people.
[00:21:36] Kristin Graham: I love that you, you all keep reminding me of some of my favorite quotes and, and one of them exactly to what DE was saying is, you are not required to set yourself on fire to keep other people warm.
[00:21:47] Alysse Bryson: But, okay. I have a question though. Let’s, let’s stay on this whole mom analogy because I, everyone here is a mom. Like how many times have you been driving somewhere and had to stop short and [00:22:00] you momed the person in the passenger seat, like your arm instinctively went up to protect them, which would do nothing if it was a real accident, but you instinctively go to block.
[00:22:12] So I’m using that. Metaphorically, because I feel like as professional women moms, that’s what we do. How do we unwire that? Kristin?
[00:22:23] Kristin Graham: Yeah, well, you’re right because it is a natural response, which means it comes from the limbic system in our brain, which was what was rewarded while our brains were still being formed. You know, the brain doesn’t. Fully finish its evolution until the mid twenties. So when you think of all the social conditioning that we got for being good girls, good people, nice, kind, all of that, don’t talk too much.
[00:22:48] Don’t make a mess. Fix everything for other people. So, exactly to Alysse’s point, it is disruption. It is going back and retraining the brain with some of the neuroplasticity. And I’ll give a really, really [00:23:00] small example, but it came up recently with my partner. We’re trying to make more space. I love how Libby said something earlier about rest rituals, but when we are wearing our technology, sometimes we have to disrupt by the things that we don’t even know are in our ecosystem.
[00:23:16] And so for him, he had to spend three days without always being buzzed. At every moment. You could be in the middle of your best nap, Alysse, but if. You didn’t turn off the notifications. There’s so many ways for everybody else to put their needs on us, that we have to put the gates up more strongly and more clearly, all the more these days.
[00:23:41] Mm-hmm.
[00:23:41] Libby Sundgren: It is kind of like CBT. I did this when I was diagnosed with OCD when I was like, I don’t know, 13 or 14. I was young and he would have, I was, I mean it, Dick came up in many different ways, but the most prolific way [00:24:00] was counting fours, fours and fours, and fours and fours. So he would have me count. Like I, I would do this on purpose.
[00:24:09] I would start counting, and then I’d have to stop before I could complete the session. And I feel like, you know, I had to stop at three or two or 11 or, um, you know, 13 or whatever it was, and it, and I had to, you know, tell my brain not to keep counting. Inside my head. ’cause you know, it was, obviously I could stop counting out loud, but I, it was a real effort to stop that and I feel like that’s something I still have to do now when I get to these micro burnout circles and these spins, you know, I have to, it’s hard ’cause you’re in it, but. You know, the more you talk about it, the more that it’s just something that you’re aware of. You, [00:25:00] you can try to CBT yourself out of it and say, okay, stop. Stop doing this. Just stop doing it right now and just come back to it later. Or like, I know you really don’t wanna ask your husband to sweep the floor ’cause you think you can do it better, but just do it and see what happens and. It’s actually quite freeing.
[00:25:23] Kristin Graham: You’re right though about that disruption and having some, , buffer and boundary for it. When I was, um, first becoming a public speaker, one of the things is it’s very natural for people to say ums and ahs, and I had a speaker coach that as I was speaking, they would snap their fingers in front of my face.
[00:25:41] This goes back to Elisa’s point about the brain and conditioning. We don’t hear our ums.
[00:25:46] Necessarily. And so repeatedly doing that was, and knowing that that was gonna come, would be kind of like your, uh, cognitive behavioral therapy. Those are disruptions that then fit in [00:26:00] the neuroplasticity, because then when I was starting to say, um, my brain was reacting almost as if this snap had already occurred.
[00:26:07] Libby Sundgren: See, those brains are so smart.
[00:26:10] Kristin Graham: They can be, but we gotta, we gotta help
[00:26:13] Libby Sundgren: He’s gotta train them.
[00:26:14] Kristin Graham: a little bit.
[00:26:15] Libby Sundgren: Okay, so as we move out of December, out of 2025 into 2026, what are your go-to recovery rituals and ways to recharge so that you don’t get into burnout? What do you like to do and maybe what are you gonna commit to doing in the new year?
[00:26:37] Kristin Graham: Ooh.
[00:26:38] Alysse Bryson: Well, I’ll go. I. As many of you know, to, I can’t call it making art that doesn’t feel right, but we’ll call it crafting for sure. But I love to play and make things, bedazzle things, paint things, arrange things,
[00:26:58] Libby Sundgren: Now, what’d you say the other day? If [00:27:00] it stays still long enough, I’m gonna glue some
[00:27:02] Alysse Bryson: Yep.
[00:27:03] Libby Sundgren: on
[00:27:03] it Yeah.
[00:27:04] Alysse Bryson: still long enough, I’m gonna glue something on it. And, and what I love about that is, and I, I don’t, I, I typically do not do that with a TV on. Sometimes I will if it’s some mindless show in the background, but usually I’ll have music or maybe a podcast or maybe an a book on Audible. , but a lot of times I won’t have anything. And I just, it’s a place for me to play and I’m not making it for anyone. It’s not gonna matter if I mess it up or not. I just can play and decide if I’m happy with it. And that helps me kind of. Disengaged from all the other hamster wheels in my head of all the things I have to do because it’s so tactile, right?
[00:27:49] It’s so, I’m very much, I have to be where my feet are when I’m playing in that way. And so that works for me really well. Plus it’s a false sense of control. Like, [00:28:00] it feels like, you know, ’cause I am the queen of my diamond castle, right? So no one is gonna move my glue or touch my, move my rhinestones. Like, no, nobody is.
[00:28:10] And so, , I, that’s something that I really do. And it could be anything. It could be coloring, it could be a puzzle. It’s just do something with your hands that’s not on a screen. Just do something maybe Libby for you, it’s gardening. I know you love to garden, like do something with your hands that’s not on a screen.
[00:28:28] I, whatever that is for you
[00:28:29] Kristin Graham: Brilliant.
[00:28:30] Alysse Bryson: come over and glue with me, you’re welcome.
[00:28:32] Kristin Graham: Brilliant. I would add on to what Alysse says. And to answer your question, Libby, I’ve done a lot of research in the last year on hydration. So one of my goals is gonna, in the year ahead, is to really continue to increase incrementally my hydration, because it goes to all of the burnout flags that I tend to experience. And back to what Alysse says, um, and with the rest ritual. I have a dog, and so walking the dog without technology [00:29:00] nearby, so it’s not just your hands, it’s your feet. There’s, I usually procrastinate, wanting to go, but when I come back, I never regret having gone.
[00:29:09] Libby Sundgren: That’s a good one. What about you, deli?
[00:29:11] Dele Kooley: Yeah. For me it’s silence and stillness is my benchmark for self-care. It’s, I, I have this morning ritual that, you know, it was a good day because it happened versus. It’s not going well because it didn’t happen. And for me, my first hour of the morning is tech free. It’s quiet. I tend to avoid everyone in my family.
[00:29:36] I don’t wanna engage. I don’t wanna have any conversations. I just want silence. And I wander around my house, putting dishes away, hanging out with my dogs, going outside and sitting on the back patio, taking in a deep breath. I enjoy a fall or a cold morning. Those are the things that I need to start my day.
[00:29:58] Silence and [00:30:00] stillness, not having conversations with anyone and just being present, going outside. And the other thing for me, self-care wise or, or what do I aspire to always have more joy in my life is movement and music. So the walk outside in nature is. Always a win. And like Kristen, I avoided at times.
[00:30:24] Dancing is always available to me and it’s free. And when I was going through a divorce or when I’ve gone through burnout, I tend to have less music and movement in my life. So I know that in order for me to feel at my best, mu music, being in my life is a huge sign that. I, I’m a music lover. That’s, that’s why it’s for me, it’s the movement in music and the 32nd dance party button will definitely be coming out on a regular basis in 2026.
[00:30:56] Libby Sundgren: I love it. Everybody needs one of those. Amy, what about you?
[00:30:59] Amy Liz Harrison: [00:31:00] I find this such an interesting theme because a couple of you have mentioned walking and you know. Let me be honest, like in the dead of winter, in the, uh, demographic and city, uh, where we live, it’s rough, man. Like, I don’t wanna get my big old coat out in the park, uh, and like wear my shoes, all of that. But I’ll tell you, this is really fascinating. Hashtag not an accident, but essentially we moved, uh, right across the street from some retired nuns, and they are, by the way, sidebar, the best neighbors ever. Quiet, hospitable, sweet. Lovely ladies, and they have a labyrinth on their property. And I am a big fan of a labyrinth, let me tell you.
[00:31:52] Not just the David Bowie movie, but also, , a physical labyrinth and, I’m a big [00:32:00] meditator. Oh my gosh, Kristen, I just said, um, now I’m self-conscious about it. Anyway, that was a good little, uh, that was a good tip. So what I’ll do is I’ll text Sister Carmel and I’ll say, Hey, can I pop over real quick and do the labyrinth? And nine times out of 10, yes I can. And so I’ll walk over there. I don’t talk to anybody. I don’t see anybody, but I’ll do the labyrinth a couple times and I’ll come back and it is the quickest, just calming reset that I can think of without too much. Like effort and like the whole shebang of like getting the coat and the shoes and all of that is like at a minimum. And so that’s kind of been a ritual that I like to do when I’m feeling like, okay, I need to reset. I don’t know if I’m gonna do that all of [00:33:00] 2026, but that’s what I know has worked for me in the past. So I plan to continue that going forward for now.
[00:33:07] Kristin Graham: I have so many questions about the nuns, but most important is what do they give out for Halloween?
[00:33:13] Amy Liz Harrison: Um, we have not trick or treated there. However, we have brought cookies every Christmas and they have reciprocated our gesture by breaking out in song and doing
[00:33:24] Libby Sundgren: Are they saying to you when you bring them cookies?
[00:33:27] Amy Liz Harrison: they’re the best.
[00:33:29] Dele Kooley: so I’m adding that to my list. I’m adding that to my list for 2026. I’m gonna get, my goal is to get to know Sister Herman and have, and befriend her and, and have her be friendly to me.
[00:33:41] Amy Liz Harrison: Done
[00:33:42] Kristin Graham: I need a whole episode on, on the
[00:33:44] nuns and.
[00:33:45] Alysse Bryson: the labyrinth. Yeah.
[00:33:46] Kristin Graham: Yeah, I mean there’s so much here. And then I’ve seen an opportunity for some golden girls moments of like, if, if you don’t wanna walk outside, like mall walking friends.
[00:33:56] Alysse Bryson: You know, as we wind down, I would love to [00:34:00] tag team on that, Kristen, because I have now been targeted by this. Instagram reel from Portland. Not one, not two, but five times on a group that is dressing in like eighties gear.
[00:34:13] And they go and they walk the mall there. There’s a leader, uh, I, I assume she’s the leader ’cause she’s the one like wearing a Walkman. And um, they go and they just kind of walk, dance through the mall together as a group and they don’t care. Uh, who’s watching, obviously now it is Portland. There’s that. But, , I’m, you know, I’m, he, I’m always down for a sneaker and
[00:34:38] Dele Kooley: One table walk club.
[00:34:40] Alysse Bryson: sign me up. Sign me up.
[00:34:44] Kristin Graham: Yes. Fun
[00:34:45] on the
[00:34:46] Alysse Bryson: at Home Goods with anybody.
[00:34:47] Yeah.
[00:34:48] Amy Liz Harrison: I’ll even go get the leotard with the high sides. Remember those
[00:34:53] Alysse Bryson: I’m holding you to that. I’m
[00:34:54] absolutely holding to you that. All right everyone. Well, hopefully you’ve taken away some great [00:35:00] tips today on how to avoid burnout. Um, feel free to email us if you have any questions. And do make sure to go check out Kristen’s unlock the Brain. She has so many valuable tips over there. And if you have an idea or you wanna reach out, you could email us at info at BEATS WORKING. Show and remember, every detail matters, every moment counts, and no matter what the show must go on.
[00:35:26] Thanks for listening to BEATS WORKING, winning the Game of Events where we explore what it takes to make moments unforgettable. If you’re leaving with a little more inspiration, a little more perspective, and a big side ache from all of the laughing at our funny jokes, then we’ve done Our Job BEATS WORKING is a work P two P production.
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