Self-Care & Mental Wellness: Dr. Eliza Collins Of The Burnout Witch On The Top Five Selfcare Practices That Improve Mental Wellness

An Interview With Maria Angelova

Update Your Environment: We often overlook our environment, but it’s the sauce we marinate in every day. If you hate the color of your walls, the shape of your coffee table, or even your silverware, you’ll notice every single time you see them. If you absolutely love them, you’ll notice that, too. Creating an environment that feels cozy, safe and welcoming has massive benefits on reducing stress, and you don’t need to overhaul your entire home! Starting small by replacing a piece of furniture or getting new artwork can have a huge impact on improving your day to day mental health. Eventually, your whole space can be a sanctuary.

Let’s face it. It seems that everyone is under a great deal of stress these days. This takes a toll on our mental wellness. What are some of the best self-care practices that we can use to help improve our mental wellness and mental well-being? In this interview series, we are talking to medical doctors, mental health professionals, health and wellness professionals, and experts about self-care or mental health who can share insights from their experience about How Each Of Us Can Use Self Care To Improve Our Mental Wellness. As a part of this series, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Dr. Eliza Collins.

Dr. Eliza Collins is a burnout recovery expert and integrative wellness specialist with over 15 years of experience in medicine and healthcare. She combines her knowledge of Eastern medicine, functional medicine, biomedicine, somatic work, mindfulness techniques, and even tarot to help individuals identify and recover from burnout while managing stress, anxiety, and chronic illness. Based in Providence, Rhode Island, USA, she works with individuals all over the world in both the entrepreneurial and corporate spheres. You can find her online at www.theburnoutwitch.com

Thank you so much for doing this interview with us. It is a great honor. Our readers would love to learn more about you and your personal background. Can you please share your personal story? What has brought you to this point in your life?

I’ve always been interested in science and medicine — my undergraduate degree is in Chemistry — and I started pursuing a career in medicine in my mid-20s. It became apparent to me that I wanted to do something a little outside the box so I became a doctor of acupuncture. I still had a passion for truly integrative medicine so I added functional medicine to the mix about five years later. I opted to start my own clinic in a city where I didn’t know anyone which meant I was wearing all the hats — practitioner, administrator, website designer, etc. Without any assistance and feeling like I had to do all the things, I was pretty exhausted by 2019. I reached out to a colleague who’d started very successful practices in cities where she didn’t know anyone to find out what the secret sauce was, and she informed me that she’d burnt out badly in the process of doing so and pointed out that I, too, was burnt out. So we focused on my recovery. As I emerged from the other side of that, it was apparent that I had a really unique skill set that would serve the burnt out population well, so I started to focus my energy and resources on helping individuals with recovery.

What is your “WHY” behind what you do? What fuels you?

I think it’s safe to say that burnout is rampant these days. One of the biggest reasons I do what I do is because there is a stark difference between burnout prevention and burnout recovery, and that difference is largely misunderstood. Burnout prevention is essentially stress management — we have a lot of tools for that, and they’re the common ones we think of when we talk or read about burnout: meditation, clean eating, sleep hygiene, exercising regularly, etc. These tools are unfortunately not helpful for individuals who have already burnt out. People in burnout experience physiological changes to their brain and body that result in them literally not being able to access tools like meditation and exercise. They need a different approach, and there is not an abundance of people working in the recovery realm right now. Being a point of access and support for these individuals is a huge driver for me.

Sometimes our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about a mistake or failure which you now appreciate has taught you a valuable lesson?

The entrepreneurial road has a big cross-this-bridge-as-you-build-it element to it. One of the biggest mistakes I made when starting my business was that I had absolutely terrible boundaries around the amount of time I put in during a week. If I wasn’t in my office, I was sitting on my couch with a glass of wine creating my website. I would answer client text messages at 8 p.m. on a Sunday, not because it was an emergency but because I was young, hungry, and utterly terrified that if I didn’t respond the same day I would lose potential clients. I started to become resentful when my phone would ping over the weekend. Except it was not the fault of the individuals contacting me — it was my responsibility to set the internal boundary that I wouldn’t respond to client communications outside of my business hours. Once I set that boundary with myself, my stress decreased significantly. Learning to honor that one piece of what I needed allowed me to expand the vision of what I want my business to look like, and that looks very different from other people in my field.

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

My commitment to my values, my curiosity, and my compassion have all been critical to my success.

I didn’t always live in alignment with my values, as I stated above. Knowing our values helps us understand our boundaries. I value my down-time immensely, therefore I was getting really snarky when I felt like it was being violated (even though I was the one technically violating my own boundary by checking my phone). My values have allowed me to say no with kindness because I’m clear about where I want to put my energy, and where I definitely do not. It freed up a lot of mental, energetic, and physical space in both my personal and professional lives. I’m living in alignment with what’s most important to me so my energy isn’t drained by things I value less.

My curiosity is the core value that I cherish the most. It creates space for the most incredible conversations because it takes shame and judgement off the table entirely. It allows me to hold space for individuals and gives them the opportunity to discuss difficult or painful things without feeling as though someone is looking down on them. It’s also beneficial to me directly. When I was first starting out, I shouldered a lot of responsibility if a client wasn’t improving. I assumed I wasn’t working hard enough or that I’d missed something. It never occurred to me to stop, be curious, and say, “what are all the potential reasons that this treatment might be falling short?” The list could have been endless, but I immediately assumed it was my failure. Curiosity allows me to ask questions instead of making assumptions, and I get so much more information that way.

Compassion is key in burnout recovery. The fact that I’ve been through burnout and know the journey intimately allows me to truly have empathy for my clients and their circumstances. Whilst everyone’s experience is unique to them, many of us have similar underlying feelings of imposter syndrome, perfectionism, and a history of putting everyone’s needs before our own. When we try to exercise more agency and set boundaries or we’re struggling with unhealthy coping mechanisms, we often encounter a lot of judgement. Working from a place where compassion is ever-present is something that allows for real growth and recovery.

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

Believe it or not, I’ve started integrating tarot cards into my work. Many people think of tarot as an esoteric divination tool meant to predict the future, but I’ve found it has a much more practical use. At its simplest, tarot asks thoughtful questions. Each card in the deck represents a life circumstance or archetypal figure showcased by specific imagery, words, or phrases. Pulling a set of random cards and bringing those topics to the table leads to the most fascinating discussions and creates space for the discovery of information that’s sometimes simmering deep under the surface, outside of conscious awareness. When used in this way, tarot isn’t here to tell you what’s going to happen; it’s asking to you to consider what the cards mean and see what bubbles up naturally based on those meanings. The growth I’ve seen clients experience through using them has been truly incredible.

OK, thank you for all of that. Let’s now shift to the main focus of our interview, about the interface between self-care and mental health. From where you stand personally or professionally, why are you so passionate about mental well-being?

I’ve spent the majority of my life focused on the underpinnings of well being. I was a child of “big T trauma” — my biological mother passed away when I was just over a year old. That had a profound effect on the way my personality, preferences, and coping mechanisms developed — some great, and some very unhelpful. What started out as an exploration and fact-finding mission for my own well being evolved into a situation where I realized that the tools I was accumulating could be extraordinarily helpful for other individuals, and they wouldn’t have to go through the arduous process of finding them on their own.

Based on your research or experience, how exactly does self-care impact our mental wellness?

Self care is an act of self love. It is you recognizing your own inherent value and worth. It is reminding yourself that you are worthy of love simply because you exist. At it’s most basic, it is allowing yourself to create a sense of safety in moments of rest, which can feel alien when living in a fast-paced world that values productivity and burning the candle at both ends, particularly if you have a history of trauma. A sense of safety during moments of rest is critical for our well being. It allows for the healthier cycle of stress and recovery, as opposed to living in a state of chronic stress full time, which has a myriad of harmful effects on both our psychology and physiology.

Here is our primary question. Can you please share your “Top Five Selfcare Practices That Each Of Us Can Use To Improve Our Mental Wellness”?

I have a pretty comprehensive toolbox to pick from, but these are five of my favorites because they’re incredibly simple to do and are easily accessible for everyone, whether you’re new to self care or you want to add to an established self-care routine:

• Diaphragmatic Breathing: This exercise isn’t your typical “stop & take a few deep breaths.” This is an intentional technique that involves breathing in slowly through your nose and fully expanding your chest, holding your breath for 30 seconds (or as long as you can if you can’t hold for 30 seconds), and then breathing out slowly through your nose. Really focus on expanding your ribcage, and make sure you’re not raising your shoulders, clenching your jaw, or tensing up. Do this 10 times, twice a day; I like doing it while lying in bed when I wake up and again before I go to sleep. It has a massive variety of benefits, from regulating neurotransmitters to improving cardiovascular health. In as little as a week, many individuals notice they are calmer, more well rested, and generally less stressed.
• Shaking: Many people exercise to reduce stress, but it can be a real challenge for individuals who have conditions that limit exercising or who are prone to frequent injuries. Shaking is a great alternative. If you’ve ever seen a fox chase a bunny and the bunny gets away, it may sit still for a few moments and then shake its entire body before hopping off to do whatever it was doing pre-fox. That shaking serves an important physiological need: it helps complete the stress cycle. The rapid movement helps release tension coiled in the muscles as well as producing chemicals that reduce anxiety, and it has the same effect in humans. The movement should be very gentle and can last anywhere from about a minute to 10 minutes or more. You can find excellent tutorials on YouTube by searching “Shaking Practice” or “Shaking Exercise.”
• Yoga Nidra: This is a process of guided progressive relaxation and while it may seem like you’re just lying there, a lot is happening under the surface. The exercise involves listening to a person (or a recording) that instructs you to relax various parts of your body in a specific order, and it’s been shown to help promote the formation of new neural pathways as well as reduce stress hormones and increase beneficial neurotransmitters. The overall effect is reconnecting the brain and body from a somatic perspective and helping the body start to feel safe in states of rest.
• Update Your Environment: We often overlook our environment, but it’s the sauce we marinate in every day. If you hate the color of your walls, the shape of your coffee table, or even your silverware, you’ll notice every single time you see them. If you absolutely love them, you’ll notice that, too. Creating an environment that feels cozy, safe and welcoming has massive benefits on reducing stress, and you don’t need to overhaul your entire home! Starting small by replacing a piece of furniture or getting new artwork can have a huge impact on improving your day to day mental health. Eventually, your whole space can be a sanctuary.
• Get Adequate Sunshine: This doesn’t have to be a 2 hour nature walk. As little as 5–15 minutes per day has a massive effect on mental health. In addition to producing vitamin D, our eyes need natural light to help us regulate our circadian rhythms. The more skin exposure you can get for your short burst, the better, and skip the sunscreen for that. If you’re going to be out in the sun for longer stretches, non-toxic sunscreen is still recommended, but using it before a quick exposure won’t allow you to reap the benefits. Bonus points if you can also get outside for a few minutes at sunrise and/or sunset, which has a bigger impact on your sleep/wake cycle

Can you please share a few of the main roadblocks that prevent people from making better self-care choices? What would you suggest can be done to overcome those roadblocks?

I find several repetitive themes that crop up when clients are encountering roadblocks to wellness. These are two of the biggest that I see.

• We stop listening to our bodies — The body is a highly refined organism that communicates very effectively if we pay attention, but often we ignore it. We brush off hunger, thirst, aches & pains, bloating, and even the sensation of needing to pee (“I’ll go after I finish this last e-mail!”) and just keep pushing through. If the body is ignored, it will start talking to you, and if it’s ignored long enough, it will start screaming at you. I work with clients to start noticing their body’s cues and address them in real time — if you’re thirsty, get water. If you need to pee, don’t wait an extra 30 minutes. The more closely you listen to and honor your body’s signals, the better you’ll feel.
• Modern culture values independence over community — Many day to day activities — cooking, laundry, child-rearing — were historically done by a community. When we become solely responsible for the tasks typically spread out across a village, it doesn’t leave much space for ourselves. To address this overwhelm, I walk clients through an exercise I call “Do-Delegate-Drop”. We streamline which tasks they must do, which ones they can reasonably outsource to someone else, and which ones actually don’t need to be done at all. It can be a bit uncomfortable because many of us don’t like to delegate or drop, but it can free up a shocking amount of time & mental space. Even if delegating is something as simple as having groceries delivered or sending out certain elements of your laundry once a week, that adds up.

In one sentence, what would you say to someone who doesn’t prioritize their mental well-being?

If you don’t prioritize your mental well-being, your body will do it for you in a much more dramatic (and less preferable) way.

Thank you for all that great insight! Let’s start wrapping up. Can you share your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Why does this quote resonate with you so much?

“There’s a voice that doesn’t use words. Listen.” It’s a Rumi quote and to me it very elegantly sums up the importance of connecting to ourselves somatically and listening to our inner knowing.

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? They might just see this, especially if we both tag them :-)

As a burnout specialist, I think it would be fascinating to meet up with Elon Musk. He’s very vocal about the hours he puts in, the hours and work ethic he expects from his team & employees — he recently referred to them as “long hours at high intensity” — and is on record as saying he wouldn’t recommend it for everyone. Burnout is a systemic issue and addressing it requires both systemic and individualized solutions. I’d be curious about his personal thoughts on the possible ways that his idea of productivity could flourish in a work environment that took burnout culture into consideration, or if he believes it’s possible at all given the pace of innovation that he’s seeking. I think it would be a fascinating conversation.

I truly appreciate your time and valuable contribution. One last question. How can our readers best reach or follow you?

I’m on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube @theburnoutwitch, and people can always check out my website and sign up for my email list at www.theburnoutwitch.com

This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for the time you spent on this. We wish you only continued success.

About The Interviewer: Maria Angelova, MBA is a disruptor, author, motivational speaker, body-mind expert, Pilates teacher and founder and CEO of Rebellious Intl. As a disruptor, Maria is on a mission to change the face of the wellness industry by shifting the self-care mindset for consumers and providers alike. As a mind-body coach, Maria’s superpower is alignment which helps clients create a strong body and a calm mind so they can live a life of freedom, happiness and fulfillment. Prior to founding Rebellious Intl, Maria was a Finance Director and a professional with 17+ years of progressive corporate experience in the Telecommunications, Finance, and Insurance industries. Born in Bulgaria, Maria moved to the United States in 1992. She graduated summa cum laude from both Georgia State University (MBA, Finance) and the University of Georgia (BBA, Finance). Maria’s favorite job is being a mom. Maria enjoys learning, coaching, creating authentic connections, working out, Latin dancing, traveling, and spending time with her tribe. To contact Maria, email her at angelova@rebellious-intl.com. To schedule a free consultation, click here.