Beating Burnout: Rosanne Nieboer Of The Chakra Way On The 5 Things You Should Do If You Are Experiencing Work Burnout

An Interview With Jake Frankel

Meditation. Taking a mere 10 minutes out of the day to spend in quiet contemplation. For those with burn out a guided meditation is a must. Being led to breathe, allowing the thoughts to be led is hugely beneficial. The purposeful activity of sitting or lying for the purpose of finding peace and giving the mind and body a break is so powerful. Once a practice of sitting to listen to a mediation becomes part of a daily routine it will become integral and most likely want to be expanded beyond 10 minutes!

Millions of Americans are returning back to work after being home during the pandemic. While this has been exciting for many, some are feeling burned out by their work. What do you do if you are feeling burned out by your work? How do you reverse it? How can you “get your mojo back”? What can employers do to help their staff reverse burnout?

In this interview series called “Beating Burnout: 5 Things You Should Do If You Are Experiencing Work Burnout,” we are talking to successful business leaders, HR leaders, and mental health leaders who can share insights from their experience about how we can “Beat Burnout.”.

As a part of this series, I had the pleasure of interviewing Rosanne Nieboer.

Rosanne is a Chakra Expert, Meditation Leader and has been a Yoga Teacher for over 20 years. Her passion for sharing the ancient wisdom of the chakras was the inspiration for starting her podcast — The Chakra Way Meditation Podcast — and for her signature personal growth program, The Chakra Way Journey.

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive into the main focus of our interview, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your childhood backstory?

Of course! Thank you for having me! I was born in the North of England and had what could be seen as a very normal and easy childhood. Until I had my own family and children, I thought that my childhood had been ideal! And on a lot of metrics, it really was. However, being sent to an all-girls boarding school at the age of 12 meant that I really never put down roots anywhere. I began to realize that I had been conditioned to ignore my needs and, most significantly, my emotions. So, when I reached emotional maturity, I began to notice where there were massive holes in my ability to relate to others, to hold onto relationships and in my self-worth.

What or who inspired you to pursue your career? We’d love to hear the story.

My career was always going to be in teaching! When I was around 20 years old, I found a book called “Teach Yourself Yoga” by James Hewitt. It was a slim volume with an 80’s leotard clad woman on the front — very unyogic in appearance! But I was drawn in and immediately knew that I had “found” what I was looking for in my life. I started to attend yoga classes — and this was way before it was trendy or popular and accepted as a normal thing to do! One of my teacher’s husband was an astrologer and so I had my chart done with him and he told me that I would be a teacher. At the time I rejected this! “Pah!” I thought, “ I don’t want to stand in front of a class of kids and teach Geography!” But over time I began to realize that there are many different ways to be a teacher…

None of us can achieve success without some help along the way. Was there a particular person who you feel gave you the most help or encouragement to be who you are today? Can you share a story about that?

So, yes, there have been many teachers in my life — and there continue to be! We are never the finished article and the learning keeps going… In terms of who has inspired me I would say that there are a whole team of yoga teachers that I have had in my life who have all given me something slightly different. However, there is one teacher who stands out… About 15 years ago I was in Kerela, in Southern India, on a 2 week yoga retreat and one night I began to experience some discomfort in my hips. There I was just lying in bed and noticing that my hip joints were beginning to become painful. So, I hopped out of bed to stretch it out and it just got worse! And it started to spread to my knees, my elbows, and it started to freak me out! After a few hours of this pain getting worse and worse I finally called for help and was taken to the local hospital — which was quite the experience — but they found nothing wrong. After a while they sent me back to my retreat home and the pain subsided. Later that day, talking to this yoga teacher, she mentioned that perhaps I should investigate what I might be holding within my Sacral Chakra, as pain in the hips is a sign of unprocessed emotions. This simple suggestion changed my life! A stadium worth of lightbulbs went off in my head and my journey with the chakras began.

Can you share the funniest or most interesting mistake that occurred to you in the course of your career? What lesson or takeaway did you learn from that?

Well, mistakes are gifts, in my book! If we don’t make mistakes, how are we supposed to learn and grow! So, yes, there have been many mistakes and I welcome each and every one of them.

Can you share your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Why does that resonate with you so much?

“You have everything you need already within you.” I find this so empowering and when we are striving for a goal it allows us to sit back in ease that the answer is already there, the solution is at our fingertips, we just need to quieten the busy, noisy mind and it will float up to us. Trusting this inner wisdom, the intuition that we all hold is one of the most challenging things to do but when we can — the results are effortless, easy and very pleasing!

What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now? How do you think that might help people?

I have a number of passion projects, most notably my podcast, where I offer weekly short meditations and also conversations with healers, therapists, and anyone who works with energy. Knowing that I have listeners all over the world who are gaining insights, knowledge and benefit from this brings me immeasurable joy! Collaborating with some of the extraordinary people that I meet is always the most rewarding part of my work.

You are a successful business leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?

Relatability — my clients and listeners find me easy to relate to, to talk to and to understand. When people get in touch they already feel they know me. I love this — I have a worldwide family!

Trust — not only do I have trust in myself, but my clients trust me. People open up to me really easily which helps enormously as we work through energy blocks. Allowing me to delve deep into their inner world whilst I do a Chakra Reading requires trust…

Passion — I love what I do, and I adore my work with such passion that this is easily felt by my clients. Supporting individuals, helping them figure out what energetic blocks are there for them and then working through easing them out of old patterns and into a new space of inner awareness and wholeness, is my life’s purpose and passion.

For the benefit of our readers, can you briefly let us know why you are an authority on the topic of burnout?

Hmmm, this is an interesting question because I haven’t experienced burnout personally. However, I have worked with so many people — both in my yoga teaching and my personalized chakra containers — who have, that I feel that I understand the energetics behind this all to common phenomenon. I think that because I understand how the mind, body and spirit interact between themselves and the outer world, and all the myriad of pressures that exist there, I am well qualified to discuss the causes, effects, and remedies of finding yourself in burnout.

Ok, thank you for all of that. Let’s now shift to the main focus of our interview about beating burnout. Let’s begin with a basic definition of terms so that all of us are on the same page. How do you define “Burnout”? Can you explain?

When we look at burnout from the perspective of the Chakra system, we need to have a basic understanding first of what the Chakra system is. Bear with me — all will become clear!

We all have within us 7 energy centers that relate to every aspect of our physical body, our inner life and thoughts, and how we approach the world. For example, the root chakra at the base of the spine connects us to the Earth, and governs our relationship with family, home, survival (and therefore, money), food, amongst others. It is connected to our adrenal gland and when balanced and happy, we feel safe, secure, can set boundaries, and feel a sense of belonging. When this chakra is lacking in energy we may feel disconnected from our body, fearful, anxious and find ourselves in financial difficulties.

When we are looking at burnout, we need to examine the Solar Plexus Chakra. This is located just beneath the sternum and is related physically to our digestive system and in our lives, it relates to how we present ourselves in the world. It is the source of our physical energy, our inner power, our productivity and where we hold our sense of self. Now, each Chakra has an element that is held at the energy center and here at the Solar Plexus the element is Fire! Imagine your engine room — the place that generates your energy to get out in the world and “do”. We want this inner fire to be burning just right but when that inner fire has burned too strong we use up all our inner reserves of energy until we are running on empty! THIS is when we find ourselves in burnout.

This can present in many ways but a classic set of symptoms of burnout are chronic fatigue, appetite and/or digestive issues, hypertension, irritability, not sleeping, high blood-pressure and simple exhaustion. When we look at burnout though an energetic lens, we can see that this fire has burned too brightly, used up our reserves of energy, burned us up from the inside out. Heartburn and stomach ulcers are common fiery complaints of the overactive Solar Plexus Chakra.

How would you define or describe the opposite of burnout?

This is a simple one — the opposite of burnout is when we are “in flow”. When everything simple happens with ease, life flows… You set an intention, meet someone who can help facilitate, are offered the tools, the space, whatever you need, to make this intention come to fruition. You do not have to strive, push or stress. Life in flow.

This might be intuitive to you, but it will be instructive to expressly articulate this. Some skeptics may argue that burnout is a minor annoyance and we should just “soldier on’’ and “grin and bear it.” Can you please share a few reasons why burnout can have long-term impacts on our individual health, as well as the health and productivity of our society?

It is important to understand the physiological effects of burnout. To begin with we need to understand the basics of our Autonomic Nervous System. This regulates the automatic bodily functions such as our heartbeat, our digestion and breathing. These functions are directly affected by external factors and are delicately balanced. The Sympathetic Nervous System is better known as our “fight or flight” response and is designed to keep us safe. In evolutionary terms this response has been what has made us so successful as a species! Our body senses danger and our body responds by increasing our heart rate, releasing glucose into the system so our muscles are ready to fight or flee, it stops the digestion process, shuts down any reproductive urge, and increases blood pressure. If our bodies are constantly in this “mode” due to pressures at work, worry about our lives and all the other factors that lead to burnout then it is not hard to understand that the physical effects of being in this state, with adrenalin and cortisol coursing through our bodies is going to be very harmful, long-term to our physical health.

When we are in burnout, when the Solar Plexus Chakra is overactive, we have used up our inner reserves of energy. Pushing through this state and not replenishing our energy will deplete the entire body. All our energy centers will be out of balance, since all the chakras are connected. The far-reaching ramifications of this are numerous! But when we are experiencing just one of the many symptoms of burnout, say exhaustion, all other areas of your life will suffer. You will not be minded to spend time with friends or family, the stories that you will be telling yourself mentally will be negative, you will not be productive, you may lash out at loved ones. This is not a happy life. Relationships suffer, those who love you suffer, your income may suffer, everything that really matters to you can be in jeopardy.

When we have great swaths of society who are experiencing burnout then the collective energy is lowered.

As far as the physical impacts on the sufferer of burnout they can range from eating disorders, digestive issues, ulcers, hypoglycemia, diabetes, muscular disorders, chronic fatigue, hypertension, pancreas and gall bladder issues, and one of the most common problems, those of the colon, such as ulcerative colitis and IBS.

From your experience, perspective, or research, what are the main causes of burnout?

It is often thought that the most common cause of burnout would be pressure at work. This is valid to a certain degree. I cannot tell you how many clients I talk to who are asked to hit unrealistic targets at work. Who are made to feel this immense pressure to “perform”, whether that be in reaching targets, presenting work, or simply living up to the expectations of an employer.

However, the most significant source of burnout is the pressure that people place on themselves. This expectation to do better, have more, make more, succeed, out-do others, comes from within. Now the interesting question is where did THAT come from? More often than not it is deeply ingrained programming from society, from upbringing, and from peers that makes us feel “not enough”. And in order to feel like we are enough, we push ourselves beyond our limits, we sometimes think that doing more, that working harder, is the only way forward.

This way lies burnout.

With clients I find that the most instructive and helpful work is to uncover the belief systems and behavior patterns that have led to this situation.

What can an individual do if they are feeling burned out by work? How does one reverse it? How can you “get your mojo back?” Can you please share your “5 Things You Should Do If You Are Experiencing Work Burnout?”.

1. Have Fun On Purpose. We already discussed that the element at the Solar Plexus is fire! So, my first tip is to ask you — what would you do with a fire that was getting dangerously out of control? Throw water on it, right?! And here is where the Chakra system can begin to really help. In between the Root Chakra at the base and the Solar Plexus is the Sacral Chakra. This energy center holds our emotions, our creativity, our passions, pleasure, our sexuality, and relationships. And the element here is water! So, we can draw from this well of energy here at the Sacral Chakra to help damp down the fire in the belly. How do we do this? Well, the easiest way is to be purposeful about bringing pleasure into your life. Have some intentional fun! See the friend who always makes you laugh, go to a comedy night, watch your favorite funny film. Seek out the pleasures that you love.
2. Somatic work. What so I mean by that? Well, basically anything physical. So, movement, and breathwork. Next question is why? The Solar Plexus Chakra holds our physical energy and so when this Chakra is underpowered, we can use exercise to fire us up, we can also use our bodies to release excess energy. Now, if we are in burnout, we are going to be exhausted — to the bone! So strong exercise might not be an enticing proposition. This is where gentle somatic work can be extremely useful. Yin Yoga, Qi Gong, Kundalini Yoga will all be soothing to the nervous system and invite the body to shift into a the “rest and digest” parasympathetic nervous system. Breathwork or Pranayama is soothing to the nervous system and will reset the body back into the Parasympathetic Nervous System of “rest and digest”. A regular yoga practice including breathwork will ease the body into the habit of being in the Parasympathetic Nervous System. The reason that yogic exercise is so different from a gym based exercise is that it connects the body to mind and spirit — it is holistic — and therefore bolsters our energy rather than sapping it.
3. Stimulate the Vagus Nerve. The Vagus Nerve carries signals between the brain, heart and digestive system. It is integral to the nervous system and when it is stimulated it will being us back into the Parasympathetic Nervous System way of being. There are some really simple ways to do this.

• Breathwork — simple deep, purposeful breaths can bring a gentle stimulation to the Vagus Nerve.
• Humming — the vibrations of humming, chanting and singing will please the Vagus Nerve greatly!
• Eye movements — Keeping your head facing forward turn your eyes as far as you can to the right and wait until the body requests a deeper breath or yawn. Then turn your eyes all the way to the left and wait for another deeper breath to arrive naturally.
• Massage
• Laughter — taking us back to point 1, having fun will always release us physically but laughter, as the old saying goes, is the best medicine!

4. Activate Will Power. At the Solar Plexus Chakra we hold the ability to make things happen. The interesting aspect of looking at burnout with relation to our energetic body is that whilst we have pushed our body beyond its natural capabilities and have encouraged our inner fire to burn too bright, we now have very little energy. But it was willpower — this pushing of ourselves — that potentially led to this situation in the first place. So, someone who is burnt out has, or had, a very strong will power in the first instance. It may be that there is little or no energy in this direction, but we can set an intention that we will make changes and shifts within our life to adjust our lifestyle so that we can incorporate these healing modalities into our life.

5. Meditation. Taking a mere 10 minutes out of the day to spend in quiet contemplation. For those with burn out a guided meditation is a must. Being led to breathe, allowing the thoughts to be led is hugely beneficial. The purposeful activity of sitting or lying for the purpose of finding peace and giving the mind and body a break is so powerful. Once a practice of sitting to listen to a mediation becomes part of a daily routine it will become integral and most likely want to be expanded beyond 10 minutes!

What can concerned friends, colleagues, and life partners do to help someone they care about reverse burnout?

Once you have understood the energetic side of burnout a caring friend, colleague or partner can simple suggest accompanying their frazzled friend to an activity that will suit their relationship. A night out at a comedy club, try out a gong bath, a yoga class, recommend a meditation podcast, give them ideas on how to activate their Parasympathetic Nervous System… There will be some way in which encouraging a healing practice can be done.

What can employers do to help their staff reverse burnout?

Employers have a huge responsibility to ensure that the targets and pressures that they place on employees are achievable and reasonable. We all understand that the pressure from shareholders, the Board, etc. for growth and profit is great and mostly felt by those at the top of any company but this filters down to employees. Engendering a culture of care and making sure that employees are not working ridiculous extra hours or at weekends would be a start. Making sure that employees take a proper break in their day allows a reset to happen. Some companies employ a massage therapist to visit the office to give brief treatments to employees. In-house yoga classes at lunchtime, breathwork workshops and education on the signs of burnout and how to remedy them would also be useful.

These ideas are wonderful, but sadly they are not yet commonplace. What strategies would you suggest to raise awareness about the importance of supporting the mental wellness of employees?

Education, education, education! Employers need to understand that burnout is very real, it is not something that one day off, or even one week off, can solve. Employees need to be given the consideration they need as individuals to help them when burnout becomes an issue. Sadly, these types of policies need to be embedded in employment law so that companies take them seriously.

What are a few of the most common mistakes you have seen people make when they try to reverse burnout in themselves or others? What can they do to avoid those mistakes?

The most common mistake is to jump back into work again too soon. Also, treating burnout with a one size fits all solution is very dangerous. Because we all have our own personal history and programming that have led us to becoming burnt out in the first place, it is important to know that each person will have their own unique healing pattern. It will take a different amount of time in each case. The solutions will be a personalized mix of what will resonate with each individual.

Talking is the best place to remedy this situation. Human connection, reassurance, empathy and understanding are vital.

Ok, we are nearly done. You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the greatest number of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.

A movement to bring an acceptance of the knowledge of our energetic body would be a huge shift! If we could move away from the belief that the mind and the body are separate entities, and treat the source rather than the symptom by understanding that our thoughts influence our energy and that our energy manifests physically as dis-ease. This idea is beginning to be accepted but it needs to be much more widely understood. The Chakra System gives an easy and clear map of our energetic body — let’s teach it to our children!

We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US, whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we both tag them :-)

Dr Joe Dispenza has been a huge inspiration for me — I love how he adds science and solid proof to the mysterious world of energy, meditation, and healing.

How can our readers further follow your work online?

My main output is my podcast The Chakra Way Meditation Podcast, where I give weekly 15-minute guided meditations and interview other healers and energy workers — basically I love to chat with anyone who I find interesting! You can find out all about my work at https://chakra-way.com/ where you can find out about having a Chakra Reading, or taking “The Chakra Way Journey” to dive deep into your chakras and learn all about your own energetic body!

Thank you for these really excellent insights, and we greatly appreciate the time you spent with this. We wish you continued success and good health!