Author: Andi Griggs

Healing Burnout: A Starting Guide to Rediscovering Your Energy and Purpose

I am a workhorse. I pride myself on my capacity to get shit done. I am unaffected by long hours and ridiculous demands, in fact, I live for it. So when I started getting sick a lot, was exhausted all the time and was constantly complaining about my job….it wasn’t because of too much work. 

There was a growing list of weird and unexplainable medical conditions that I was accumulating but I didn’t put together that the hives, migraines, back problems and random illnesses were a direct result of the anxiety, resentment and frustration building at work due to burnout. I just knew I was miserable all the time. 

For me, burnout slowly dragged me down to depths of mental and physical exhaustion because instead of feeling like the powerhouse I was, I felt overly criticized, overly controlled and overly managed by my boss. In the end, it was the criticism and mansplaining on top of everything else that wore me down and left me crying in my car on my way to work.

When the demands of life and work induce anxiety it is those feelings that are fueling your work day but they can’t and  don’t sustain you. You lose the clarity to address your thoughts, feelings and behavior that create the symptoms of burnout like exhaustion, stress and anxiety.

While burnout is something many people in the entertainment industry experience, healing it isn’t about just taking a vacation or getting a good night’s sleep. It’s about making lasting changes that align with your true self and finding different fuel for your career. I’ve backpacked the world twice in order to run away from burnout. It doesn’t last.

In my training as an energy healer and life coach, I now believe that burnout is not just about being overwhelmed by external demands. It’s often a sign that we’ve strayed too far from what we truly want and need. Healing burnout isn’t just about recovery; it’s about transformation and that begins with discovery and clarity.

Step 1: Discovery and Clarity

The first step in healing burnout is to gain clarity about what’s really going on. Burnout isn’t just a problem that happens overnight, and it’s not something that can be healed with a quick fix. It requires awareness and honest reflection.

Start by asking yourself: What are my current challenges? What’s draining you the most right now? Be honest—this is about you, and no one else is judging your answers. Maybe it’s your demanding job, but it could also be your expectations of yourself. Perhaps it’s a combination of too many responsibilities, not enough time for yourself, or a sense of disconnection from what truly makes you feel alive.

Reflect not only on your workload but also on your physical, mental, and emotional state. Are you constantly tired or fighting off stress-related symptoms like headaches or tension? Do you feel mentally overloaded, or are you stuck in negative thought patterns? Emotionally, are you feeling detached, irritable, or just plain “blah”? This awareness is the first step toward change.

Then, consider your career and lifestyle. Are you truly aligned with what you want out of life? This might be the toughest question to answer. You may find that the root cause of your burnout isn’t just a busy schedule but a deeper misalignment between what you’re doing and what you actually desire. Clarity means not just understanding what’s wrong but getting real about what you want to change.

Step 2: Comprehensive Assessment

Once you’ve gained some clarity, it’s time to take a look at what is contributing to your burnout. Think of this as a way to check how happy and healthy you feel in different parts of your life. We can look at how you feel in your body, your feelings, your friendships, and even what makes you feel special inside.

Start with your physical state. How is your body responding to stress? Are you dealing with constant fatigue, muscle tension, sleep disturbances, or even digestive issues? Are you gaining weight quickly? The physical symptoms of burnout are often the easiest to identify because they manifest in obvious ways.

Next, consider your mental and emotional state. Are you constantly in a mental brain fog making it hard to concentrate or stay motivated? Do you feel like your brain is racing, but you’re not getting anywhere? Emotionally, are you feeling drained or numb? It’s important to recognize these signs because burnout can lead to emotional exhaustion, where you just can’t seem to connect with joy or fulfillment.

This is where you become your own scientist. Assessing your thoughts, feelings, and physical symptoms can help you paint a clearer picture of where you are. You might also explore energy healing assessments, questionnaires, or other reflective practices to evaluate your current state. Understanding your physical, mental, and emotional symptoms is key to figuring out the next steps.

Step 3: Exploring Limiting Beliefs

One often overlooked aspect of burnout is the role of limiting beliefs. These are the unconscious patterns that keep us stuck in stress, overwork, and exhaustion. Identifying these beliefs is crucial because they’re often the real drivers of burnout.

Ask yourself: What beliefs are fueling my burnout? Maybe it’s the idea that you have to be perfect to succeed, or that you need to work constantly to be valued. Perhaps you’re holding onto the fear of failure or rejection. These limiting beliefs create an internal pressure that adds to the external stress of daily life.

To start uncovering these beliefs, ask yourself reflective questions like: “Where am I resisting change?” or “What story am I telling myself about my career that’s contributing to this burnout?” By bringing these hidden beliefs to light, you can begin to question their validity and loosen their grip on you.

Step 4: Defining Goals and Desired Outcomes

When you understand the root causes of your burnout, it’s time to shift focus to the future. What do you want your life to look like? What’s your vision for how you want to feel—physically, mentally, and emotionally?

Do you want to feel more energized, less stressed, or more fulfilled? Maybe it’s finding more balance between work and personal time, or maybe it’s transitioning to a career that better matches your passions. Visualize the life you want, because you need to know what you want in order to walk that yellow brick road to recovery.

Remember, these goals are about what you want, not what society, your boss, or even your friends expect of you. This process of defining your goals is about realigning with your true self, rather than chasing external validation. Visualize yourself in this new reality—more balanced, energized, and at peace. Affirmations and visualization exercises can help you stay focused on this new vision.

Step 5: Taking Action

The final step is action—but not drastic, life-overhauling action. Don’t rage quit your job because you don’t think you can take it anymore. Healing burnout requires small, sustainable steps. Start with the basics: get enough sleep, keep hydrated, take a walk in the morning and start listening to music to help move you to a better feeling. Start doing something simple that makes you happy. It makes all the difference in the world. These daily acts of self-care may seem simple, but they can have profound effects over time.

You can also integrate energy healing techniques like meditation, Reiki, or breathwork to restore balance to your system. These practices help to release blocked energy, calm the mind, and reconnect you with you. I started carrying crystals, yoga classes and taking hikes. 

In addition, begin setting boundaries in your work and personal life. This could mean delegating tasks, saying no to commitments that don’t serve you, or carving out dedicated time for yourself. The key is consistency—make small shifts that align with your long-term goals, and over time, these changes will compound into greater well-being.

Conclusion

Burnout doesn’t have to be a permanent state. By taking the time to reflect, gain clarity, and take action, you can transform burnout from a draining experience into an opportunity for growth. Healing is a process, and it starts with self-awareness and small, intentional steps toward a life that feels aligned with your true desires.

You deserve to live with energy, purpose, and fulfillment and when you feel better, you have more patience for those overly demanding Hollywood Bosses and develop a lasting career you love.

Healing Burnout in the Entertainment Industry Through the Entry Points of Mind, Body, and Spirit

When I first started showing signs of burnout deep into my career in Hollywood I only knew to schedule and appointment with a therapist. I fully understand that therapy can be life changing but it did not bring relief. Over the course of twenty years I have been following different paths to to feel better at work and at home and now understand the importance of a mind, body and spirit connection. Each part of the whole is an entry point into healing. I am learning to use different methods to heal my career burnout, release pain in my body and erase childhood trauma.

Healing Burnout Through the Mind: Rewriting the Story

Our family, friends and community influence the stories and beliefs that our minds hold onto old from a very young age and we don’t realize that this past programming affects how we live our lives today. These learned beliefs can help as well as hinder us, creating unseen behavioral patterns that we do not question and keep us stuck in who we are and the pain we are going through. 

• Mindset Work: Developing the ability to address and process thoughts that create feelings of frustration, anger and stress relieves overwhelm and quiets ruminating quickly. Developing the skill of choosing your thoughts and momentary is the biggest source of healing that I have personally experienced. Awareness of how we speak to ourselves is one of the first actions we can take to begin the healing process. Author Byron Katie, has books and YouTube videos on her process of self-inquiry which gently helps people witness that not everything your mind thinks is true, allowing space between our thoughts and our actions.
• Meditation and Visualization: The capacity to sit and respond to the happenings in our world instead of reacting to them is powerful. Response is choice of action while, reaction is action without choice. Creating the life I wanted, traveling the world, healing my trauma, having a steady career, a beautiful family and loving friends has started with meditation and visualization. I needed to listen to what my soul needed in order to build the life I wanted. I started meditation with Deepak Chopra and Oprah Winfrey’s free 21 day meditations, now available for purchase on the Chopra app. Continuing my healing journey I tried different types of mediations and attended in person and online offerings with multiple companies to find the meditation that works best for me. Unplug meditations, Waking Up and The Den Meditation are wonderful companies to begin your journey.

2. Healing Burnout Through the Body: Letting Go of Stored Feelings

We are energetic beings and our bodies hold the energy of our lived experiences. When we don’t process the emotions behind our hurt and pain our bodies hold the stress, anxiety and fear we refuse to face.

• Movement as a Healing Practice: Moving your body can release stuck feelings and calm our nervous system. I had a lot of built up hurt that turned to anger which I was able to release using Taryn Toomey’s workout, The Class. There was much pain stored in my body and mind that consistent movement helped release. Releasing the old energy makes room for the new energy that you are creating as you heal. The release of stress and anxiety in a physical form over time is beautiful.

• Breathwork: One of the most healing work I have done is breathwork. There are group classes available with qualified breathwork practitioners throughout Los Angeles. Each time I participate in a workshop there is deep healing and I am able to access my true thoughts and feelings while letting go of emotion I didn’t know I held in my body. Both The Class and Unplug Meditation offer in person classes for breath work.

3. Healing Burnout Through the Spirit: Finding Your Inner Wisdom

Healing the spirit is about connecting with you. There are many ways to do this from automatic writing, meditation, mindful journaling and breath work.

• Meditation and Mindfulness: I thought meditation was about quieting the mind and found it frustrating, however, I learned that it is not about quieting the mind, it is about witnessing the thoughts and letting them go. The mind is an organ that creates thoughts just like our lungs breathe air. The mind does not stop. I started to meditate to create energetic boundaries and a foundational sense of wellbeing. Now I meditate to continue the practice of response so when I need to refocus my thoughts I have practice doing so when not under stress. I think we all ruminate on things that happen in our lives that hurt or annoy us and I found meditation gives me the control to release it. My relationship with the Universe is growing and is one of the most significant changes in my world that has led to a higher quality of life and peace.
• Journaling for Spiritual Insight: I journaled all through my teen years. It was angst and helplessness followed by directives to lose weight, make more money and start exercising kept me in a vicious circle of pain. Yes, writing down your thoughts can help but if you don’t know how to move out of your current thought patterns then you are just asking painful questions that don’t help you heal. There are many books and courses that can help you with finding questions that unlock your inner wisdom. The Path Made Clear by Oprah Winfrey is a good place to start. 

When we connect with our spirit, there is peace and knowing that cannot be given to us by anyone, we earn it by doing the work and in turn we become more loving to ourselves and others.

Integrating Mind, Body, and Spirit into Healing Burnout

Deep healing is lasting and life changing. You can choose an entry point into healing and each segment will help create a happier you but to create the balance for life long healing you will need to address mind, body, and spirit together.

• Creating a Personal Healing Journey: Start where you feel you need the most help. If your mind is full of negative thoughts, begin with mindset work. If you feel tension in your body, start with movement. If you feel lost or disconnected, focus on your spirit. Choose simple daily practices like morning stretches, a 5-minute meditation, or journaling before bed.
• Overlapping Practices: Some activities help heal multiple areas at once. Yoga, for example, is great for both body and spirit. Visualization combines mind and spirit work. Find what feels good for you and make it part of your routine.

When we integrate mind, body, and spirit, we start to see the world—and ourselves—in a new light. We become more balanced, healthier, and more connected to who we really are.

Healing burnout changes how you are affected by the demands of your day. Connecting your healing practice to incorporate your mind, body, and spirit, allows you to let go of past beliefs, create a dynamic foundation for your future and address and release the daily challenges you come up against so you can create your successful Hollywood career.

Healing Hollywood: A Journey from Burnout to Balance

I used to think a spa day could cure my burnout the way a juice cleanse might shed a few pounds—effective for a moment, but nothing sustainable. True healing from career burnout, and the many illnesses that stem from it, requires ongoing care for both body and mind. The good news? Once you discover your own recipe for health, it becomes a matter of sustaining that routine.

What is burnout?

The World Health Organization defines burnout as an occupational phenomenon, a syndrome resulting from chronic workplace stress that hasn’t been successfully managed. It’s not a medical condition, but rather a state characterized by three dimensions:

• Feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion.
• Increased mental distance from one’s job or a sense of negativity or cynicism related to work.
• Reduced professional efficacy.

I know these dimensions all too well. I was exhausted, overly negative, and felt utterly incapable of being effective at work.

In the past, when stress reached an unbearable level, I would simply change jobs or embark on an adventure like backpacking through Southeast Asia and India—the career equivalent of saying, “It’s not you, it’s me.” Travel soothed my initial bout of burnout, and I returned to work feeling refreshed.

After a life-changing, round-the-world trip, I met my future husband, quit my job again, and traveled until we finally settled in San Diego. Then, in 2008, during the Great Recession, I found myself unemployed for a year. Eventually, my old job came calling, and within a year, I was back at my old desk, feeling the familiar weight of burnout.

Hollywood is a demanding industry, and before long, the burnout returned with a vengeance. Now with a husband and child, I found myself not just stressed about work but feeling trapped, angry, and powerless, with no clue how to fix my unhappiness. I would cry on my commute over Mulholland Drive, overwhelmed by the thought that I couldn’t make the decision to quit. Memories of unemployment during the Great Recession had shaken my confidence, and my misery was beginning to seep into every corner of my life. I needed the paycheck and health insurance, and my lack of self esteem left me feeling like there were no other options.

The anger I felt—stemming from hurt, and isolation—left me feeling unhinged, both at work and at home. Then came the physical symptoms: migraines that would last for days, digestive issues, weight gain, and even hair loss. I couldn’t keep relying on short-term fixes any longer.

Over the years, I had watched so many talented women fall victim to this same cycle—rage, illness, or just sheer exhaustion. One co-worker developed cancer and passed away. Another close co-worker left the company after 20 years and simply disappeared. A close friend retired early due to company politics after a blow up with our executive staff, and the list does continue on. Seeing what happened to these women I glimpsed my own potential future and I didn’t like what I saw. Yet, I also noticed that when some co-workers left the company or retired within six months to a year they seemed healthier, happier, and more at peace. It gave me hope that this burnout could be a temporary situation and that I just needed to find a permanent solution.

I wasn’t ready to abandon everything I had built; I was too close to a great pension to give up and start over. I resolved to find a way through.

I hired a Life Coach I found online who felt like a good fit. Years earlier, a different coach had helped me map out a plan to travel the world. This time, I was hoping to understand how my stress was making me sick—and most importantly, how to heal and reclaim my life and career.

Through visualization and intermittent meditation, I began to realize that I had been letting my work take up too much space in my life. My coach helped me see that I did have the power to change my circumstances if I chose to.

Within just seven weeks of coaching, I started to feel better. The pressure began to lift, and while I didn’t have all the answers about my future, my health was improving. My relationships at both work and home were beginning to heal. I stopped feeling explosive anger and became curious about new practices like yoga and meditation. I initiated conversations at work that went beyond the usual complaints and even invited colleagues to sound baths and retreats. I found solace in podcasts that spoke to me on a deeper, more spiritual level. Yes, they were a bit “woo-woo,” but they felt right.

I allowed myself to take detours, to explore different paths, and yes, even to make a few wrong turns. But each step moved me closer to where I needed to be.

So, where is ‘there’?

I developed a consistent meditation practice and started working out, first with yoga, then moving into aerobic classes with strength training, and now lifting weights. During the pandemic, I became certified as a life coach and have since begun training in energy healing as a meditation teacher, and studying Watsu—a form of aquatic bodywork that harnesses the healing power of water. I love the balance I have created with both cognitive and energetic practices. I love the science and I love the magic of it all.

I learned to manage my mind, my anger, and my resentment. My health improved dramatically, and instead of looking older as I age, people often remark that I look younger. I feel more at home in my skin than ever before. 

My relationships with friends and family have flourished, and those that weren’t supportive have naturally fallen away. I no longer hold onto regrets or am overly dramatic when problems arise at work or in my own life. My family is also seeing how to navigate the world with more patience and understanding as they follow my lead. I am so incredibly proud of the woman I am becoming.

When you begin practices that address the mind, body, and spirit holistically, everything changes. Your life starts to align with your true goals, and you find yourself with more love and compassion—for yourself and for others. You rewire your brain, reduce stress, and stop numbing out with food or alcohol. You start creating and living the dreams you once left on the sidelines.

You build resilience, strength, and a profound belief in yourself, becoming available for more creative, meaningful endeavors. You develop the ability to reflect on your thoughts, feelings, and actions, and you no longer feel out of control. That sense of powerlessness melts away.

You will still feel pain. You will still feel anger. You are, after all, still human.

But life on the other side of burnout is so much better. Through meditation, movement, and mindfulness, you can move from burnout, sickness, and isolation to a life of vibrant health and fulfillment.

Healing is not a destination; it’s a continuous, ever-evolving journey. And trust me, it’s worth every step.

The Painful Price of a Free Lunch at Work

For over twenty years I have received a free lunch in exchange for not taking a lunch away from my desk.  It sounds fabulous and it is, unless you are a stress eater who works a stressful job.

That one hour of peace and freedom most office workers are entitled to is denied to me. The idea that I leave my desk is frowned upon so for years I sat at my desk and escaped into my free lunch.  I ate….and ate…and ate some more.

My health declined, I gained and lost the same forty pounds until I just didn’t anymore. I didn’t move from my chair nor did I implement a consistent exercise program. Years ago my old boss suggested I meet with his trainer or try the South Beach Diet as he wrapped his hand around around my upper arm feeling the lack of definition. I declined.

I continued to plan poorly while our executives lost weight with their fancy diets and workouts. Weight loss for me came from fad diets, pills and juice fasts. Nothing sustaining. No consistency.

Twenty three years later I worry about being prediabetic and don’t go to the doctor for my yearly physical in fear that I will get news I don’t want to hear. I have difficulty with my feet hurting when I stand and a problem sitting for long periods of time.  My hips, knees and back hurt. My muscles are spasming and tightening. I’m about forty five pounds over my normal lifetime weight, which was thirty pounds over my ideal weight to begin with.

Sedentary desk jobs are no joke, the lack of movement is health busting if you don’t actively participate in your own health.

Looking at me I don’t think you would guess that I have these health issues and I realize that creaks and strains are not life threatening, but they are signs that without changing my health story I am on the way to bigger health issues.

So how do you stop stress eating, lose weight and get healthy when your brain goes for the burger and cookie when your office buys you a free lunch everyday? How do you consistently order healthy food when stressed?

You change your health by changing your thoughts about your life and not overeating.

I know, it’s hard to believe that successful weight loss comes not from unrestrictive diets and can be done by managing one’s mind.

In April 2019 I joined Phit and Phat with Corrine Crabtree, now re-named No B/S. Her online weight loss program consistantly shows women losing over 100 pounds successfully as Corinne has done. I have never seen such success from a program that is not food based or surgery of some sort.

The program has four basic rules.

Create your food plan ahead of time. (brilliant!)

Eat when hungry, stop when you’ve had enough (I had not really felt true hunger and when I did it was comical!)

Get seven to nine hours of sleep (This was not easy for me but I kept at it and now have it down)

Stay hydrated (Also not the easiest to implement for myself and yet now I do it well)

They are deceiving simple rules that are supported by the No B/S coaching program, and the program is filled with everything I could possibly ever need.

After the initial success of 25 pounds down and feeling great, I got to “Onderland” and weighed less than 200 pounds for the first time in seven years. I was over the moon. My diet and exercise were under control until, in rapid succession, life started throwing punches and I lost control of my health.

Beginning in July of July 2019 there were many events that occurred that I allowed through me off my weight loss game.

I almost died and ended up in the ICU after thyroid surgery. I quit smoking. Our family dog got cancer and died. My family then got scabies from the dogs – which are insects that burrow under your freaking skin and cause you to itch for weeks. My mother-in-law died.

There was always work stress but in 2020 the COVID pandemic began, as did online school for my fourth grader. My co-worker took medical leave and I worked by myself in the office for 12 hour workdays because we were understaffed.

Social unrest, political upheaval and finally the passing of our remaining two dogs and our family cat in rapid succession in 2021. Through it all I kept working to manage my mind.

I re-gained the 25 pounds I had lost in 2019 during my initial success but through all of it I wrote my food plan regularly, took the classes, listened to the podcast, started to make time for myself to meditate and move a bit. I journaled. My accountability partner hung in there for me. I started to slowly learn how to bring my attention back to my health.

I stopped the weight gain overeating train and just maintained my weight while I worked on processing my feelings, overwhelm and stress.

I created the consistent habit of setting up my day. I didn’t give up on myself.

On January 1, 2022 my weight was exactly the same as it was in April of 2019.  I couldn’t be more proud of myself than if I had lost the 75 pounds.

It is in these three years that I learned how to manage my mind, show up with grace for myself and for others. I don’t scream and yell anymore. I treat my co-workers with kindness. I am more loving and optimistic. I am a certified life and weight loss coach. I paddle board, meditate and work out consistently. I feel amazing and am filled with gratitude.

None of it had to do with weight loss. Same weight, different mindset.

Managing my mind has helped me have confidence in myself. I see resilience and strength in that dances with a light spirit and beautiful humor that I have not experienced before in my life.

My husband and I are closer than ever. I am unstoppable, capable and committed to my health.

This year my commitment is to take care of my body by eating foods that that I love. I plan on successfully losing fifty pounds by constantly implementing all my good habits that I developed during the past three years and that have supported my mind management.

I’m still at the same job and sometimes order lunch and sometimes I don’t. I don’t take an hour lunch break because I negotiated a six hour work day with a 4:00pm out time verses an eight hour day. I decided to trade my lunch hour for an earlier leave time.

The greatest part of this I no longer use my “free lunch” as an escape from myself and my job. I’ve learned that I can step outside, breathe some non re-circulated air and shake off the stress. I’ve learned how to take care of me.