Your brain isn’t broken. It’s trying to protect you. When I work with burnout, chronic stress, and trauma — I’m not just looking at “mindset”. I’m looking at which part of the brain has taken over. A simple way to understand this is the triune brain model 🧠 We have three main operating systems: 1️⃣ The Survival Brain (Reptilian Brain — brainstem) This is your alarm system. It runs breathing, heart rate, muscle tension and your fight / flight / freeze response. Under prolonged stress or trauma this part becomes over-sensitive. This is when you notice: • constant tension in your body • shallow breathing • jaw clenching • difficulty sleeping • feeling “on edge” even when nothing is wrong • sudden overwhelm or shutdown Your brain is not overreacting. It has learned the world requires vigilance. 2️⃣ The Mamalian Brain (Limbic System) This is where meaning and emotional memory live. Burnout often sits here. You may experience: • irritability or tearfulness you can’t explain • loss of motivation • dread before work • emotional exhaustion • over-personalising small things • feeling rejected or criticised easily Your nervous system is tired — not weak. 3️⃣ The Human Brain (Prefrontal Cortex) This is your rational, planning, organised, “competent professional” self. Here’s the important part: When stress is high, this part goes offline. Which is why you might notice: • brain fog • struggling to prioritise • simple decisions feel hard • mistakes you wouldn’t normally make • procrastinating complex tasks • reading the same email five times This is not laziness. It’s neurobiology. You cannot solve nervous system overwhelm with more pressure, productivity hacks, or self-criticism. You restore it by helping the brain feel safe again. That’s why therapy, nervous system work and hypnotherapy help — they don’t just “talk about problems”. They regulate the survival brain, soothe the emotional brain, and bring the thinking brain back online. Burnout recovery is not about becoming tougher. It’s about your brain no longer needing to protect you all the time. #burnoutrecovery #traumainformed #nervoussystemregulation #stressandburnout #hypnotherapy

Burnout often isn’t caused by how much you actually have to do (although it can be!). It’s caused by how much you’re carrying that was never yours to hold. Stephen Covey described the Circle of Control — the things you can directly influence (your actions, boundaries, effort, responses). Outside that sits the Circle of Concern — deadlines, other people’s reactions, office politics, client moods, organisational decisions, the economy, the inbox that refills overnight. When you’re burnt out, your brain quietly starts living almost entirely in the Circle of Concern. You: • replay conversations after work • anticipate problems that haven’t happened • try to prevent other people’s disappointment • over-prepare to manage risk • feel responsible for outcomes you don’t actually control Your nervous system doesn’t know the difference between a real demand and a mentally rehearsed one. So your body works overtime… even when you’re sitting still. Burnout recovery isn’t only about rest. It’s about re-locating your effort. A helpful daily reset: Write down everything stressing you. Circle only what you directly control (your reply, your timing, your boundary, your standard — not their reaction). Take one small action inside that circle. Intentionally release the rest. The moment you move energy back into your Circle of Control, your brain receives a powerful message: “I am not helpless here.” And that is where burnout quietly starts to loosen. Let's talk. #burnoutrecovery #therapy #highachievers #professionalsupport #nervoussystemregulation

🧠 The Window of Tolerance In therapy you might hear this phrase — but what does it actually mean? Your window of tolerance is the emotional zone where your nervous system feels safe enough to cope, think clearly and respond (rather than react). When you’re inside your window: • you can focus • you can problem-solve • you can listen and communicate • your emotions feel manageable, even if life is stressful But many high-functioning people are quietly living outside it. ⬆️ Hyper-arousal (overwhelm) Racing thoughts Irritability Snapping at people you care about Working late but getting less done Anxiety that won’t switch off ⬇️ Hypo-arousal (shutdown) Brain fog Procrastination Avoiding emails or files Flat mood Scrolling because everything feels like too much This is why burnout feels so confusing. It’s not a motivation problem. It’s not laziness. It’s a nervous system problem. Your brain isn’t failing you — it’s protecting you. Therapy and hypnotherapy help widen your window so you can stay regulated for longer, recover faster after stress, and feel like yourself again. If you’ve been wondering why you know what to do but can’t seem to do it… This is often the reason. You don’t need more discipline. You need more regulation. 📩 DM me “WINDOW” if you’d like to understand how this might apply to you. Let's talk. #burnoutrecovery #windowoftolerance #nervoussystem #stressrecovery #hypnotherapy

130 Women in Chancery signed up to our 'Habits to Prevent Burnout in Law' webinar yesterday with Charles Russell Speechlys. There were tears, there were laughs, there was connection. So many of you have been in contact following this event; thank you. I value every one of you. If you want to discuss how I might be able to work with you or your firm, get in touch. #LawFirmWellbeing #lawyersofinstagram #legallife #therapy #wellbeing

5 surprising signs of burnout (that often get missed) Burnout doesn’t always look like collapse or tears at your desk. More often, it shows up quietly — especially in high-performing professionals. You might notice: • New work doesn’t interest you anymore Tasks you once enjoyed now feel flat, draining or pointless. • You turn your camera off in Teams calls Not out of disengagement — but because even being seen feels like too much social effort. • You avoid “smelly fish” files Complex or emotionally loaded tasks get pushed aside… until they grow bigger and heavier. • You’re struggling to prioritise Everything feels urgent, so nothing feels manageable. • You’re making small mistakes Not because you don’t care — but because your brain feels foggy, slower, overloaded. Burnout isn’t a personal failing. It’s a nervous system under prolonged pressure. ✨ Support available I offer: • Small group burnout training for law firms • 1:1 therapeutic support for professionals experiencing burnout, stress or overwhelm If this resonates, you don’t have to push through alone. Get in touch to explore support that fits you. #BurnoutAwareness #ProfessionalWellbeing #TherapyForProfessionals #LawFirmWellbeing #BurnoutRecovery

Inspiration shoes 👡 Mine are strappy, leather-soled sandals. I hardly ever wear them but they make me happy whenever I see them at the bottom of my wardrobe. They are the kind that only come out when the days are long, the evenings stretch on, and time feels generous rather than scarce. They make me think of endless summer nights with nowhere to be, nothing to prove, and no responsibilities pulling at my sleeve. When I think about inspiration in therapy, it’s rarely about big goals or dramatic change. More often, it’s about small symbols like this — reminders of how we want to feel. Light. Free. Unhurried. At ease in ourselves. So many of us move through life in metaphorical work shoes: practical, sensible, built for endurance. Necessary, yes — but not always nourishing. Over time, we can forget what it’s like to feel playful, spacious, or simply… ourselves. In therapy, we gently explore questions like: When did life start to feel heavier? What parts of you have been set aside as “impractical”? And what would it look like to invite a little more summer-night energy into your everyday life? You don’t have to book a holiday, quit your job, or reinvent yourself. Sometimes it starts with noticing what your “inspiration shoes” are — the things that remind you who you are underneath the roles and responsibilities. ✨ What would your inspiration shoes look like? If you’re longing to feel lighter, freer, or more like you, therapy can be a place to begin that conversation. Let's talk. #shoes #inspiration #therapy #goals

January can feel stark — cold mornings, heavy routines, and the pressure to “start strong.” But even in the bleakest seasons, your nervous system is quietly searching for safety, warmth, and moments of ease. And you are allowed to follow that instinct. 🌱 Find warmth where it feels bleak. In the softest rituals — a slower morning, a deep breath before the next email, stepping outside just to feel daylight on your skin. 🌱 Notice green shoots where life feels barren. Tiny signs of progress count. Rest counts. Choosing yourself counts. 🌱 Offer kindness and compassion when it feels hardest. Your inner critic gets loud when you’re stretched thin — respond with gentleness, not punishment. 🌱 Let yourself find joy, even now. Not the performative kind. The quiet, grounding kind that reminds you you’re human, not a machine. This month isn’t about pushing through. It’s about remembering that healing, hope, and self-connection are still possible — even in the longest winter. ✨ If you’re ready to reconnect with yourself, therapy can help you find steadiness again. Let's talk. #selfcarejanuary #professionalwellbeing #personcentredtherapy #selfcompassion

What does hypnotherapy feel like? I get asked this by many people, so I prepared this short video to show what hypnotherapy feels like, for me. I hope it is helpful! #Hypnotherapy #Therapy #stressrelief #burnoutrecovery #professional