Monthly Archives: April 2021

Give yourself permission

white woman with curly short brown hair holding a prescription bottle. tag: give yourself permission I just got a prescription for sleeping pills.

I’ve resisted this for so long. After years (a lifetime?) of disturbed sleep, waking to terrifying images that either aren’t real or are in the past, and trying to find and fix the ‘root cause’ – usually some version of believing I’m not doing enough, healed enough, evolved enough, haven’t processed enough. 

I’m ready to feel better and to not make it mean I’ve failed. 

Being a 2 on the enneagram, I’m stubbornly and persistently resistant to my own human-ness. To having needs. It leaves me feeling self-righteous, disappointed, and exhausted.

When I confessed my sleep-struggles today, my doctor peered over her mask compassionately and said, “Breana, you deserve to feel well-rested.”

Her words landed in my middle, cracking my resistant armor and seeping through like warm pudding.

I do deserve to feel well-rested.

This doesn’t preclude my desire to get to the root, to give care and attention to past trauma or current grief. This is not an either/or. 

Believing I have to choose between sleeping better or attending to my mental and emotional well-being is a lie. I can have both. And I can choose better sleep while or even before getting to the bottom of what’s keeping me awake. 

As a mental health coach I know that so many caring people feel trapped by this false choice. Parents, caregivers, and people in relational professions often struggle to prioritize their own needs. Oppression and any sense of ‘other’ness can make it even harder.

Do you relate to this struggle? 
What do you believe you have to choose between?

Let me know below. Together we can reclaim permission to care about how we feel.

April 2021 Oil Protocol and Self-Care Workshops

image of tree with pink blossoms, with a yellow pine warbler bird perched on a branch. Tag: april 2021 self-care

Image credit: Ray Hennessy on Unsplash

Welcome to April!

The vernal equinox on March 20th ushered in a new season that can feel like the start of the new year in the northern hemisphere.

You may be noticing new life emerging around you and feeling the urge to open the windows or blinds (depending on how cold it still is where you are!), clean and clear your space, and be outside in nature.

Here are some of the exciting things emerging this month at Burnout Proof Academy.

 

April 2021 Self-Care at Burnout Proof Academy

We’ve been busy creating new burnout support offerings, and are so excited to share them with you!

brighter focus logo with green mountains and a yellow background healing interpreter burnout: complete your stress cycle, Tag: april 2021 self-care

Healing Interpreter Burnout:
Complete Your Stress Cycle

The Insightful Interpreter is hosting the course Healing Interpreter Burnout: Complete Your Stress Cycle taught in English and ASL by Brea Cross-Caldwell.

You might be experiencing burnout. Burnout and emotional exhaustion can have negative impacts on your health, relationships, and work.

It can be hard to know how to rescue yourself, let alone find the energy to take positive steps.

Good news! You don’t have to live like this. A long, fulfilling career is within your grasp. This course can help.

You will explore:

  • Your stress cycle: what it is, how to complete it, and how it affects you when you don’t
  • Techniques for self-regulation that you can use during your work day
  • How to form and integrate new, healthy habits to help heal and prevent burnout

0.35 GS CEUs processed by Interpretek, an approved continuing education sponsor. $70

*Videos for this course are presented in both American Sign Language and spoken English. Instructions and activities are provided in written English.

*The Insightful Interpreter recognizes that Deaf and BIPOC interpreters have unique skill sets, expertise, and valuable perspectives that benefit the interpreting field. These interpreters also experience bias, oppression, and barriers in our field and our society; in response, we offer discounts on all courses to self-identified members of these groups.

*This course is intended for working sign language interpreters, students of interpreting, and Deaf and DeafBlind community members.

Register for Healing Interpreter Burnout: Complete Your Stress Cycle here!


Burnout Proof Book Club

The long awaited Book Club is finally here! Join us for this deep dive into a foundational and transformational Burnout Proof text:

Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle

burnout proof book club, burnout: the secret to unlocking the stress cycle tag: april 2021 self-care

This course is available on-demand, so you can read along at your own pace and go deeper in the online discussion forums. We’ll do a live discussion through Zoom on April 28, 2021 from 5:00 – 6:00 pm pacific – we hope to see you there! If you can’t make the live discussion, the recording will be posted so you won’t miss a thing.

1.3 GS CEUs processed by Interpretek, an RID approved continuing ed sponsor. $65

Register to Get CEUs for Reading + Discussing Here

 


 


April Oil Protocol

orange background. brighter focus logo. text: emerge oil protocol. citronella - heart space. arborvitae - in + around navel. sandalwood - crown of head. wild orange - solar plexus. @brighterfocus

 

As you apply these oils, bring your attention to your senses:

  • Inhale the fragrance of each oil separately, and the combinations
  • Feel your own touch as you apply them to your body lovingly
  • See the colors of the bottles and the amber drops of liquid
  • Set intentions with each oil application, grounding yourself in what you know to be true

Invite the properties* of each oil to inspire your intentions:

  • Citronella – the oil of appetite for life – a potent cleanser and clearer, helping us to see the path forward. Encourages healthy exchange of energy and collaboration.
  • Arborvitae – the oil of divine grace – aids in releasing what’s no longer serving us, calling in support from all directions, and embracing our humanity – in all its messy beautiful imperfection.
  • Sandalwood – the oil of sacred devotion – encourages heightened spiritual awareness and clarity. Assists in identifying the beliefs, dynamics, and behaviors that aren’t aligned with our values.
  • Wild Orange – the oil of abundance – opens the windows of our soul! Reconnects us with inspiration, joy, play, and creativity.

*From Emotions and Essential Oils: A Reference Guide for Emotional Healing

 


May you allow space for newness, for birth, for the vast unknown of possibility.

I look forward to all the ways we’ll connect in the month ahead!

Signature: With love and bright focus, Brea