"This simple method helped me beat burnout!"

When Rebecca Maher started feeling so overwhelmed by her job that she found herself mentally and physically exhausted, she considered retiring...until a simple practice changed everything!

- Danica Uzelac

Rebecca Maher put down her book and sighed. I feel so drained I can’t even read, she thought ruefully, knowing in her heart that she was on the brink of burnout.

A licensed social worker for 30 years, the 68-year-old was running out of both steam and empathy, and the stress, fatigue, concentration issues and irritability were getting worse— and harder to work through—each day.

Even things she loved, like reading, listening to music, exercising and connecting with friends and her children, started to fall by the wayside. I’m just too drained, Rebecca would think as it became more difficult to recognize and appreciate the good moments. But when she ultimately started questioning her future as a social worker, Rebecca knew she had to do something—and fast.

Practicing joy

Fortunately, Rebecca recognized her symptoms early, but she knew that burnout was very much like getting a sunburn: It needed immediate attention, and she also needed to learn and find prevention strategies for future exposure.