When Your Body Whispers "Stop" Before It Screams
Why many driven women are close to burnout, and how to step back from the edge
I’m Nahid, “the nervous system whisperer” an Author and somatic movement educator. I’ve been teaching for twenty years and help clients move out of burnout, anxiety, stress and trauma-related issues with The Soothe Programme
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Maria's husband left me a voicenote after our retreat. "I don't know what you did," he said, "but I have my wife back. the change in her is incredible!"
Maria had been living on borrowed time. Years of nursing her child through cancer while running a demanding business had pushed her body into survival mode.
No sleep. Constant anxiety. A doctor's warning that felt like a death sentence: "Keep this up and you'll have a heart attack."
She knew she was sinking, but she didn't know how to break the need for relentless forward momentum.
Sound familiar?
The Retreat That Changed Everything
Maria came to my retreat because she was desperate. For the first time in years, she had no choice but to stop. No business fires to put out. No decisions to make. Just healing food, intentional rest, juicy movement that made her feel and permission to breathe.
The transformation wasn't magic, it is what happens when we finally tend to ourselves with the same fierce dedication we give everyone else.
But the question I often get is “How do I continue this work?”
You are extraordinary and built to endure the things that happen to you over a lifetime. But endurance without recovery isn't strength, it's a slow crawl toward breakdown. Chronic states start from small niggles.
The answer isn't dramatic life overhauls. It's micro-rests woven throughout your day. It's learning to ask yourself one crucial question: What is it that exhausts you?
Because here's what most people don't realise is that not all exhaustion is the same, and the wrong recovery approach can actually make things worse.
The Types of Exhaustion (And How to Recover From Each)
Physical Exhaustion Your body feels like it's moving through treacle. Muscles ache. Even simple tasks feel monumental.
Recovery: Rest isn't lazy - it's necessary. Aim for 7-9 hours of sleep, nourishing food, gentle movement like walking, and staying hydrated. Sometimes you need complete rest; other times, light activity helps more than being sedentary.
Mental/Cognitive Exhaustion Your brain feels like a computer with too many tabs open. Simple decisions become overwhelming. You stare at emails without processing them.
Recovery: Step away from mental tasks. Listen to music, take walks, do something repetitive that doesn't require thinking. Build in intermittent mental breaks before you hit the wall.
Emotional Exhaustion You feel wrung out from the inside. Everything irritates you, or you feel completely numb. This often comes from prolonged stress or difficult relationships.
Recovery: Set boundaries like your life depends on it, because it does. Seek supportive people, engage in activities that bring genuine joy, and practice radical self-compassion. Sometimes professional support is needed.
Pro tip: In my house, we have a rule, all big conversations happen during walks, never inside the house. When you both work from home, boundaries become even more crucial.
Creative Exhaustion Your creative well feels bone dry. This isn't writer's block, it's deeper depletion of your creative spirit.
Recovery: Stop creating and get inspired. Read, watch films, experience art. Change your environment. Give yourself permission to create without pressure. Fill the well before you try to draw from it again.
Social Exhaustion After a while, being surrounded by people grates. Even loved ones drain you. You crave solitude to recover.
Recovery: Respect your need for time alone without guilt. Engage in quiet activities after being with people. Gradually re-enter social situations when you feel ready, not when others expect you to. Be careful that you don’t retreat from community, just remember to recharge yourself before you do.
Empathy Exhaustion You've absorbed so much of others' pain that you feel emotionally numb or overwhelmed by everyone's problems.
Recovery: Practice emotional boundaries, you can care without absorbing. Take breaks from emotionally demanding situations. Use grounding techniques to stay centered in your own emotional experience.
Using the wrong recovery method can deepen your exhaustion. If you're emotionally depleted and you push through with caffeine and productivity hacks, you'll dig yourself deeper into the hole. If you're physically tired but force complete mental rest, you might end up feeling more sluggish.
The key is honest self-reflection and you’ll be better placed to understand what situations and environments make you thrive and when you need to recalibrate from the things that exhaust you.
Maria's transformation didn't happen because she overhauled her entire life overnight. It happened because she learned to move her attention away from outwards things and tend to herself with care.
You don't need a retreat to start this work (though I’m taking bookings for next year, check out details here.) You need to start listening to your body's whispers before they become screams.
What is your exhaustion trying to tell you today?
For paid subscribers, we are meeting for Sunday Somatic Soothe on Sunday at 5 pm (UK), 12 pm (NY and Toronto, Canada) and 9am (LA). You can find the link below.
HOLD STEADY - Somatic Lessons For Challenging Times
HOLD STEADY - Somatic Lessons For Challenging Times - I’ve put together these short courses because you are telling me that you need something to steady your nerves when life gets tough.
This course will explore somatic breathing and deep rest practices that keep me steady when times are HARD.
Here is what one client has to say after the first lesson:
“I appreciate tuning into the sensations without necessarily naming them. It took the pressure out of the experience. It's fascinating seeing the difference when I return to rest each time. Very much looking forward to the rest of the course!”
The Soothe Weekend Retreat on 10th - 12th October at The Quaives, a lovely retreat space in Kent, 51 minutes from St Pancras. I’ve already sold the cottages and the rooms in the main house. Rooms still available:
Dorm: 3 beds in the scandi-style dorm @ £650 pp
3 minutes drive up the road staying at The Tor Spa
3 x ensuite rooms 5 minutes car drive away @ £1150 pp
Lefkada Retreat, I’m taking bookings for 2026 now - all details here.
Stay human,
Nahid x
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