What if burnout isn't a sign you're doing too much — but a sign you've forgotten who you are? In episode 264 of Joy Found Here, Dr. Rebecca Hubbard, licensed clinical psychologist and TEDx speaker, brings her own hard-won burnout story to the table — from a thyroid diagnosis to burning out again despite doing all the "right" things — and reveals why the real fix isn't another self-care routine. It's an identity shift.

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

(03:15) How a basketball scholarship brought Rebecca from Berlin to the U.S. — and planted the seeds of burnout

(05:30) The thyroid diagnosis that forced her first real recalibration

(07:03) Why self-care alone wasn't enough — and burning out again during the pandemic

(08:46) The identity shift at the heart of burnout recovery

(10:48) How social, cultural, and professional identities intersect to fuel over-functioning

(13:15) Why slowing down is medicine — and what comedic yoga taught her about it

(22:32) Micro self-care in action: three practical strategies for overwhelmed moms

(26:00) The real definition of burnout — and why interrupting chronic stress is the key

(38:01) Why reading for pleasure (not self-improvement) is a radical act against hustle culture

(42:38) The shift from proving to choosing — and what that looks like in real life

Dr. Rebecca Hubbard is a licensed clinical psychologist, burnout prevention specialist, and TEDx speaker based in Chicago, Illinois. With over a decade of clinical practice, she works with high-responsibility professionals navigating chronic stress, identity pressure, and performance expectations, drawing on research in race and resilience and a mindfulness-integrated approach. She is also an award-winning comedic yoga instructor who offers individual therapy, virtual workshops, and small-group sessions to help people break burnout cycles for good.

In this episode, Dr. Rebecca Hubbard reframes burnout not as a self-care or time management problem, but as an identity issue rooted in the stories we've absorbed about our worth — from family, culture, and profession. Drawing on her own burnout journey (including a thyroid diagnosis and burning out again during the pandemic despite having all the "right" boundaries in place), she introduces the concept of micro self-care: mindful everyday tasks, maximizing actual breaks, and reducing stress in daily transitions. She and Stephanie also explore motherhood, perfectionism, and the systemic barriers that make rest harder to access — closing with a powerful reminder to move from proving to choosing who you want to become.

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