Boundaries Over Burnout

Have you ever used a sick day just to sit in absolute silence because you had no other excuse to stop? Are you so afraid of losing your income that you keep tolerating a job that is stealing your health and your peace? Do you know something has to change but you cannot figure out how to move when the bills depend on you staying right where you are? In this episode I am sharing the full story of how burnout almost took me out and what God did when I finally stopped trying to fix it myself. I once scheduled an elective surgery partly so I would have a medical excuse to rest. I sat in a chair with the heat on, a book in my lap, everything set up for peace, and my mind still would not stop. So I opened my journal and wrote the most desperate prayer of my life. Three days later God answered it in a way I did not see coming. This is the story of the breaking point, the prayer, the Zoom call where my manager expected tears and got peace, and the choice I had to make when I hit the fork in the road — chase another paycheck or trust the God who just showed up exactly how I asked. If something is stealing your peace and you are still tolerating it, this episode is for you. Scriptures referenced: Psalm 23:1 — The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want Exodus 14:14 — The Lord will fight for you; be still John 15:5 — I am the vine; you are the branches Philippians 1:6 — He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion Genesis 2:2 — God rested on the seventh day Free Resource: Download the Peace of Mind Runway Calculator at www.boundariesoverburnout.com — if the paycheck fear is what is keeping you stuck right now, this tool will show you exactly how many months you could survive without it. It takes 2 minutes. Book a Free 15-Minute Strategy Session at www.boundariesoverburnout.com — if you are in the middle of this season right now and you do not know what your next step is, let's talk. No pitch. Just an honest conversation with someone who has been exactly where you are. Related Episodes: Episode 1: Christian Women: Stop Waiting Until Retirement to Write Your Book Episode 2: Feeling Overwhelmed? How to Set Boundaries That Protect Your Calling Part 4: Connect With Twana + Next Steps Contact → twanalthomas@boundariesoverburnout.com for topic ideas or to be a guest on the show. Find me on Facebook and LinkedIn — search Twana Thomas and send me a connect or a follow. Website → www.boundariesoverburnout.com Step 1: DM me the word PEACE on Facebook or LinkedIn if this episode described your life. Tell me where you are in your season. I read every message. Step 2: Download the free Peace of Mind Runway Calculator at www.boundariesoverburnout.com. If the fear of losing your income is the thing keeping you stuck, you need to see your real number. Step 3: Share this episode with a woman you know who is tolerating something that is stealing her peace because she is afraid of what she will lose if she stops. She needs to hear this story.

Have you had a book idea, a business, or a calling on your heart for years but keep telling yourself "one day"? Are you working full-time, convinced you do not have the time or the talent to start? Do you scroll past other women building their purpose and wonder why it feels so impossible for you? In this episode I am sharing the 4 steps that took me from burned out, excuse-filled, and frozen to writing from a place of rest. You can stop waiting and start pursuing your calling today, even with just 15 minutes a day. I sat in a room full of writers at the Blue Ridge Christian Writers Conference and most of them were past retirement age. I love that for them. But I could not stop thinking about the women my age and younger who have a dream they keep pushing to someday. If that is you this episode is your permission slip. I am sharing what happened when I tried to skip the most important step, what God taught me in the silence, and the 4 steps that changed everything. Whether you want to write a book, start a business, or finally answer what God keeps nudging you about, this one is for you. Scriptures referenced: Habakkuk 2:2 — Write the vision and make it plain Psalm 23:1 — The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want 1 John 4:18 — Perfect love casts out fear Ephesians 2:10 — Good works prepared in advance Exodus 14:14 — The Lord will fight for you; be still Free Resource: Grab the Peace of Mind Runway Calculator at www.boundariesoverburnout.com — find out exactly how many months you could survive without your paycheck. It takes 2 minutes. Related Episodes: Episode 2: Feeling Overwhelmed? How to Set Boundaries That Protect Your Calling Episode 3: Burnout Recovery: What God Taught Me When I Lost the Paycheck I Was Afraid to Lose Part 4: Connect With Twana + Next Steps Contact → twanalthomas@boundariesoverburnout.com for topic ideas or to be a guest on the show. Find me on Facebook and LinkedIn — search Twana Thomas and send me a connect or a follow. Website → www.boundariesoverburnout.com Step 1: DM me the word READY on Facebook or LinkedIn if you are committing to starting your calling this week. I will personally cheer you on. Step 2: Grab the free Peace of Mind Runway Calculator at www.boundariesoverburnout.com so you know exactly where you stand before you start building. Step 3: Leave a review on Apple Podcasts if this episode gave you the push you needed. It helps other women find the show and takes less than two minutes.

Are you hand-grating carrots to make a cake from scratch for people who wouldn't even open a bag of chips for you? Are you always doing the most for your family, taking on everyone else's emotional drama until you are completely stressed out? Does the thought of finally saying "no" terrify you because you know the people around you won't thank you—they'll freak out? You have spent years being the fixer, the doer, and the peacekeeper. But doing too much for grown adults is causing massive exhaustion. In this episode, we are tackling what happens when you finally start setting boundaries with the people who are used to using you as their personal energy source. When you stop doing the most, the pushback is real. I am breaking down exactly why your family screams louder the moment you cut off their supply. This pushback isn't a sign that you are doing something wrong; it is a completely normal part of burnout recovery. We are trading the heavy burden of people-pleasing for true stability and rest. If you need the biblical encouragement to stand firm in your "no" without guilt so you can finally claim your freedom, this episode is going to give you the exact tools you need. In this episode, we cover: The "Carrot Cake" Trap: Why doing too much is actually a trauma response, and why it feels like grief when you finally stop. The Pushback: Why a toddler kicks the vending machine when the candy stops coming—and why your toxic family members do the exact same thing when you set a boundary. The 3 Scripts: Your exact stress management blueprints to handle the rage so you don’t backslide into people-pleasing and lose your peace. Scriptures referenced: Galatians 5:1 — It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. Proverbs 29:25 — Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe. Romans 12:18 — If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. (Notice it says: as far as it depends on YOU). Free Resources: Download the Free Boundary Scripts: Don't know what to say to the pushback? Download the exact scripts to handle family resistance at www.boundariesoverburnout.com. The Peace of Mind Runway Calculator: If the paycheck fear is what is keeping you stuck right now, this tool will show you exactly how many months you could survive without it. Get it at www.boundariesoverburnout.com. Book a Free 15-Minute Strategy Session at www.boundariesoverburnout.com — if you are in the middle of this season right now and you do not know what your next step is, let's talk. No pitch. Just an honest conversation with someone who has been exactly where you are. Related Episodes: Episode 2: How to Stop People Pleasing: Why "Doing too much" is Keeping You Trapped Episode 4: Exhausted? Overcome Burnout at Work to Find Freedom Part 4: Connect With Twana + Next Steps Contact → twanalthomas@boundariesoverburnout.com for topic ideas or to be a guest on the show. Find me on Facebook and LinkedIn — search Twana Thomas and send me a connect or a follow. Join the Community → Discuss this episode in our private Facebook Group: www.facebook.com/groups/boundariesoverburnout/ Website → www.boundariesoverburnout.com Step 1: DM me the word PEACE on Facebook or LinkedIn if this episode described your life. Tell me where you are in your season. I read every message. Step 2: Download your Free Boundary Scripts at www.boundariesoverburnout.com so you are prepared for the pushback. Step 3: Share this episode with a woman who is currently being punished for saying no. She needs permission to stand her ground.

Do you stare at the ceiling at 2:00 AM, mentally rewriting a slide deck for a meeting that isn't for three days? Does your phone feel like a leash that you are terrified to put down, even during family dinner? Do you check your work email on weekends "just to make sure nothing is burning," only to ruin your entire mood and leave you completely stressed out? It is 1:00 AM. The house is quiet, but your brain is screaming. You tell yourself you are just "getting ahead," but deep down, you know the truth: you are operating a system that is overheating, and you are dealing with massive exhaustion. In this episode, I am diagnosing your "Outlook PTSD" and exposing the real reason you can't turn it off: You are addicted to the dopamine hit of being "needed." This lack of setting boundaries is destroying your stability and keeping you trapped in a cycle of over-functioning. Tonight, you face a choice: You can continue to be a slave to the notification bell until you hit complete burnout at work, or you can become the steward of your soul and flip the circuit breaker. I am teaching you practical stress management techniques to install a 24-hour Sabbath without getting fired or feeling guilty. If you are ready for the biblical encouragement you need to put the phone down, step into true burnout recovery, and claim your peace, this episode is for you. In this episode, we cover: The "Outlook PTSD" Trap: Why you feel the physical urge to check your email when you should be resting. The Dopamine of Being Needed: How to stop treating your soul like a machine and detach your identity from your inbox. The Circuit Breaker Protocol: Exact stress management techniques to enforce a 24-hour Digital Detox without the guilt. Scriptures referenced: Psalm 127:2 — In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat—for he grants sleep to those he loves. Exodus 20:8-10 — Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Mark 2:27 — Then he said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath." Free Resource: Download the Peace of Mind Runway Calculator at www.boundariesoverburnout.com — if the paycheck fear is what is keeping you stuck right now, this tool will show you exactly how many months you could survive without it. It takes 2 minutes. Book a Free 15-Minute Strategy Session at www.boundariesoverburnout.com — if you are in the middle of this season right now and you do not know what your next step is, let's talk. No pitch. Just an honest conversation with someone who has been exactly where you are. Related Episodes: Episode 1: Stressed Out? 3 Burnout Symptoms & How to Find Rest Episode 4: Exhausted? Overcome Burnout at Work to Find Freedom Part 4: Connect With Twana + Next Steps Contact → twanalthomas@boundariesoverburnout.com for topic ideas or to be a guest on the show. Find me on Facebook and LinkedIn — search Twana Thomas and send me a connect or a follow. Website → www.boundariesoverburnout.com Step 1: Open your calendar right now and block out a 24-hour window labeled "Authorized Downtime" (The Circuit Breaker). Step 2: Practice the "Digital Lockdown" tonight: Put your phone in a drawer at 8:00 PM and do not touch it until morning. Step 3: Share this episode with a woman you know who is terrified to put her phone down and needs permission to finally rest.

Do you feel like the "enemy" attacks you every time you try to prioritize your rest? Are you dealing with complete exhaustion from "warring in the spirit" over financial or emotional messes that just keep happening on a schedule? Do you feel guilty setting boundaries because you’ve been told it’s "un-Christian" or selfish, leaving you constantly stressed out? You finally decide to put yourself first, and suddenly the washing machine breaks, the kids act up, and your mother calls crying. You think, "The enemy is trying to stop me." But what if I told you it’s not the devil? In this episode, we are learning the difference between a true spiritual attack and a lack of setting boundaries. You cannot rebuke a demon that you invited in for dinner by leaving your front door unlocked. Today, I am teaching you the 3-Point Test (Pattern, Access, and Benefit) to stop the chaos and start finding real stability. You have a choice: You can keep experiencing burnout at work and at home by fighting battles you actually created, or you can finally lock the door, practice true stress management techniques, and secure your peace. If you are ready for the biblical encouragement you need to stop rebuking the fruit of your own planting so you can finally claim your freedom and rest, this episode is for you. Scriptures referenced: Proverbs 25:28 — Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control James 4:7 — Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you Ephesians 4:27 — And do not give the devil a foothold Free Resource: Download the Peace of Mind Runway Calculator at www.boundariesoverburnout.com — if the paycheck fear is what is keeping you stuck right now, this tool will show you exactly how many months you could survive without it. It takes 2 minutes. Book a Free 15-Minute Strategy Session at www.boundariesoverburnout.com — if you are in the middle of this season right now and you do not know what your next step is, let's talk. No pitch. Just an honest conversation with someone who has been exactly where you are. Related Episodes: Episode 1: Stressed Out? 3 Burnout Symptoms & How to Find Rest Episode 2: How to Stop People Pleasing: Why "Doing too much" is Keeping You Trapped Part 4: Connect With Twana + Next Steps Contact → twanalthomas@boundariesoverburnout.com for topic ideas or to be a guest on the show. Find me on Facebook and LinkedIn — search Twana Thomas and send me a connect or a follow. Website → www.boundariesoverburnout.com Step 1: DM me the word PEACE on Facebook or LinkedIn if this episode described your life. Tell me where you are in your season. I read every message. Step 2: Download the free Peace of Mind Runway Calculator at www.boundariesoverburnout.com. If the fear of losing your income is the thing keeping you stuck, you need to see your real number. Step 3: Share this episode with a friend who is constantly "under attack" but refuses to set boundaries. She needs to hear this truth to protect her peace.

Do you sit in your driveway for 10 minutes because you don’t have the energy to switch from "Boss" to "Mom"? Does a full weekend of sleep leave you feeling just as exhausted and stressed out on Monday morning? Are you telling yourself the lie, "I’m not dealing with burnout at work, I’m just tired," while your body is screaming for stability and peace? In this inaugural episode, I am exposing the root of your exhaustion and showing you why "doing too much" is keeping you trapped. You aren't suffering from a lack of sleep; you are suffering from a lack of setting boundaries. For too long, you have treated your soul like a machine, trying to fix a deep spiritual and emotional drain with a quick nap. Now, you are facing a choice: keep running on empty, or get honest about your burnout symptoms so you can finally reclaim your freedom. This is the start of your burnout recovery. We are diving into how to stop managing the chaos, trade your people-pleasing habits for deep rest, and embrace the biblical encouragement you need to protect your calling. If the heavy cape of the "Strong Black Woman" is stealing your peace and you are ready to find true stability, this episode is for you. Scriptures referenced: Matthew 11:28 — Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest Isaiah 26:3 — You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast Proverbs 4:23 — Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it Free Resource: Download the Peace of Mind Runway Calculator at www.boundariesoverburnout.com — if the paycheck fear is what is keeping you stuck right now, this tool will show you exactly how many months you could survive without it. It takes 2 minutes. Book a Free 15-Minute Strategy Session at www.boundariesoverburnout.com — if you are in the middle of this season right now and you do not know what your next step is, let's talk. No pitch. Just an honest conversation with someone who has been exactly where you are. Related Episodes: Episode 2: How to Stop People Pleasing: Why "Doing too much" is Keeping You Trapped Episode 3: Spiritual Warfare or Bad Boundaries? The 3-Point Test to Stop the Chaos Part 4: Connect With Twana + Next Steps Contact → twanalthomas@boundariesoverburnout.com for topic ideas or to be a guest on the show. Find me on Facebook and LinkedIn — search Twana Thomas and send me a connect or a follow. Website → www.boundariesoverburnout.com Step 1: DM me the word PEACE on Facebook or LinkedIn if this episode described your life. Tell me where you are in your season. I read every message. Step 2: Download the free Peace of Mind Runway Calculator at www.boundariesoverburnout.com. If the fear of losing your income is the thing keeping you stuck, you need to see your real number. Step 3: Share this episode with a woman you know who is tolerating something that is stealing her peace because she is afraid of what she will lose if she stops. She needs to hear this story.