Podcast Summary

Podcast: Take Out Therapy: End Overthinking & Overwhelm for Empathic High Achievers
Host: Rebecca Hunter, MSW
Episode: 2 Ways to Reduce Emotional Exhaustion Quick With Therapy Based Tools; Support For Empathic High Achievers
Date: December 19, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode, hosted by Rebecca Hunter, zooms in on emotional exhaustion—what it really looks and feels like in the lives of empathic high achievers, why it’s not a sign of weakness, and, most importantly, quick therapy-based tools to reclaim your emotional reserves. Rebecca mixes relatable stories, honest talk, and actionable advice in her signature friend-who’s-also-a-therapist tone, aiming to help listeners notice and address burnout before it takes over.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

What Emotional Exhaustion Looks Like in Real Life

(02:30 – 07:00)

• Avoiding Conversations:
  “You start avoiding conversations because basically you just don't have the energy or the motivation or the interest… otherwise known as the capacity to do conversations, especially if they're boring or topical.”

• Simple Decisions Feel Heavy:
  “Sometimes the small decisions that are typically pretty streamlined and perhaps even simple feel really, really unusually heavy.”

• Physical & Emotional Overload:
  "Perhaps the thought of one more obligation makes you feel like you want to put a fork in your eye… like there's a physical response to things getting put on the list.”
  Rebecca normalizes feelings like thinner patience, being touched out or talked out: “My husband knows exactly what I mean by that.”

The Downward Spiral: How Overwhelm Leads to Burnout

(07:00 – 11:00)

• Overwhelm Progresses Quietly:
  “Most people don't realize they're completely exhausted emotionally until they actually have their face in the wall.”

• Impact on Functioning:

  • Emotional exhaustion shows up as “shutting down or losing it altogether.”
  • “You start saying stuff you don’t mean, struggling to concentrate, your brain just starts shutting parts down.”

• The Shame Trap:
  "As I'm going through all these things, it's easy to see how people might feel ashamed of where they're at with their level of overwhelm, how reactive they've become.”

Empathy, Achievement & Hidden Burnout

(11:00 – 13:00)

• Empathic High Achievers at Risk:
  Rebecca notes how high-achieving, big-hearted people are vulnerable:
  "It seems like everybody kind of wants something from you and you just have nothing left to give."

• Even traditionally "fun" things, like holiday gatherings, can start to feel like “another thing on the list.”

Real-life Example of Burnout

(13:00 – 15:00)

• Rebecca offers a personal story from 2021:
  "I realized… I'd been chasing tiredness for a long time. What was really happening was that I was just burned out. I'd been working too hard, not taking enough breaks, not allowing myself into my life."

• You don’t have to disappear:
  "That's my burnout cycle, friend! What you can do is pretty simple, actually."

Two Therapy-Based Tools to Reduce Emotional Exhaustion

1. Name What’s Happening

(15:00 – 18:00)

• Break the Shame Spiral:
  “Just say, I'm emotionally exhausted. Just say, I'm not able to take on anything else right now.”

• Verbally Acknowledge Your Limits:

  • "Identifying what's actually happening just reduces that ridiculous shame spiral and labeling that we all do to ourselves.”
  • “Just name it.”

2. Take One Step Back (Shrink Emotional Output)

(18:00 – 22:00)

• Permission to Pull Back:
  "Shrink your emotional output for 24 hours... Be like, yeah, I can't. I just can't do this today. I gotta deal with this later."

• Use Fewer Words, Be Less Available:
  “Maybe respond with fewer words… I remember, like, you don't need to say so many words, friend.”

• Empower Others to Solve Their Own Discomfort:
  "Let other people solve their own discomfort. Give yourself permission to just be a little bit less available so that you can reset your own nervous system.”

• Restores Groundedness:
  "This will really help you come back to a state where you’re in your feet and you’re grounded and you’re like, okay, these are the things I really need to do for myself."

Emotional Exhaustion Is Not a Flaw

(22:00 – 24:00)

• Reframe Burnout as a Signal:
  "It’s not a flaw, it’s not your inability to handle life. It is literally a signal from your brain and your body. It means you have been attuned to taking care of, focused on everyone around you for way too long."

• Pulling Back Helps:
  “When you pull back just the tiniest little bit, I promise you some of your energy will return. Your ability to be present in your life, it will return, and you’ll start to feel like yourself again.”

Gentle Encouragement for Listeners

(24:00 – end)

• You’re Not Alone—It’s Not Your Fault:
  “Hopefully today I helped you understand how emotional exhaustion happens so slowly and quietly… when we’re able to name what’s going on, it really reduces this whole shame spiral of thinking we’re not handling things good enough.”

• Actionable Next Steps:

  • Book a coaching session at takeouttherapy.com for more tailored support.
  • Free 20-minute class on stopping overthinking is available at her website.
  • Support is always available; recognize when you need it.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the hidden signs of burnout:
  "We all try to push through life, but everything starts to feel so much more effortful." (05:00)

• On the myth of weakness:
  “Emotional exhaustion... is not a flaw. It’s not your inability to handle life. It is literally a signal from your brain and your body.” (22:45)

• On taking space:
  “Give yourself permission to just be a little bit less available so that you can reset your own nervous system, your own brain.” (20:20)

• On regaining yourself:
  "Wouldn't it be nice to get back to just being you instead of the drained and exhausted and overwhelmed version of you?" (09:30)

Timestamps: Important Segments

• 02:30 – 07:00: What emotional exhaustion looks and feels like
• 07:00 – 11:00: How burnout sneaks up; shame spiral
• 13:00 – 15:00: Rebecca’s personal burnout story
• 15:00 – 18:00: Tool #1: Name what’s happening (break the shame cycle)
• 18:00 – 22:00: Tool #2: Shrink your emotional output, permission to slow down
• 22:00 – 24:00: Emotional exhaustion reframed as a vital signal
• 24:00 – 26:00: Encouragement, action steps, and resources

Final Takeaway

Rebecca’s message is compassionate, direct, and practical. Emotional exhaustion is not proof of your shortcomings—it’s your body telling you it’s time to reset. By naming your limits and shrinking your output (even just for 24 hours), you begin to restore your reserves and return to yourself.
If you're feeling this way, you are not alone—and you don't have to tough it out alone, either.

“Don't worry, we'll work it all out in time.” (24:50, Rebecca Hunter)

For quick relief from emotional exhaustion: Name it. Step back. Let yourself recover.
Find more resources and support at takeouttherapy.com.