S1, E5 - Midday Medicine: Preventing Burnout from Work Unlearn Lab

Productivity is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it nurtures a culture of efficiency and thriving. But on the other hand, it pushes us so hard until we feel burnout from work with the constant need to accomplish something. When productivity becomes our priority, it becomes impossible to take a pause and take a moment to relax without guilt. But is the endless grind worth it in the end? It will be a long journey, but it's possible to break free from this culture and start focusing on yourself. In this solo episode of Unlearn Lab, Jess introduces the concept of her midday medicine episodes. She discusses the importance of pausing to prevent burnout from work. She shares her personal journey of unlearning, particularly on her brand and business's sustainability. Jess teaches us that it's okay to be vulnerable; give yourself grace and grit in moments of self-doubt and uncertainty.
If you want to find out why you should start integrating moments of reflection for yourself into your daily life, this episode is for you!
Here are three reasons why you should listen to this episode: Find the importance of taking a pause. Address the needs of your most human self. Discover the key to overcoming the perfectionism pattern and preventing burnout from work. Resources Embodied Impact Consulting Connect with Jess: Instagram | LinkedIn | Twitter Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba (TV Series) Episode Highlights [01:36] Midday Medicine  Jess is currently living in Okinawa, Japan. Most of her family, friends, and clients are in the US. She used to think of the time between noon to 5 pm in Japan as dead zones in productivity. It turned out to be an opportunity to pause and break up her feeling of unproductiveness and burnout from work. This midday medicine is a moment to recalibrate, move with clarity, and an opportunity to reset. Jess: “I think we think of this idea of reset as this designated time in our calendar that we have to block off, or we look at it as the morning or the night. Actually, it's a time that we get to decide.”
Jess made the "productivity dead zone" of the day her "me time." [03:08] Embracing the Pause Jess walks us through meditation practices and insights she has gathered from her midday medicines. Jess: “I want these moments to be real and raw because it's the in-between—the pause—that brings our most human self to the forefront.”
Embracing the pause helps drive your mission and vision forward while avoiding burnout from work. [04:13] Reflecting on Unlearning Unlearning is an experiment. Jess comes from a medical science background, which involves a lot of research. Researching unknown things never has a predetermined outcome. For third culture kids, it’s a lifelong journey deciding who they are versus how their cultural and colonized values and beliefs define them. [05:39] Unlearning Sustainability Jess continuously structures her brand and business to be sustainable. Sustainability changes and evolves. What was sustainable in the past may not be today, leading to burnout from work or other enterprises. Unlearning requires the consistent acknowledgment of where perfectionism and self-doubt are coming in. Jess: “What you think works one day and then all of a sudden doesn't work the next day is a constant unlearning for me that had nothing to do with me. That in order to get the house right, in order to get your people right, it requires us to get it wrong. Because again, it's an experiment—we don't know.”
It’s not necessarily your fault when something doesn't work out. Getting things right requires us to get them wrong. [07:45] Grace & Grit Sustainability will not be perfect because it continues to evolve.  You can’t rely only on yourself to do it. You have to call in your faith and fear, then face them. Grace and grit are vital to overcoming the perfectionism pattern. It’s the grace to hold yourself in the most vulnerable moments. It's grit through having faith and t