Burnout Recovery - by Alicia K Anderson (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

A neurodivergent-friendly and holistic guide to identifying, recovering, and growing from the stress and burnout cycle

Burnout is a fact of life for most working adults, but many people lack the tools they need to truly recover from it. Even those of us who have tried therapy or self-help guides in the past may continue to cycle in and out of burnout for years, unable to find something that really works.

Burnout Recovery offers a holistic and neurodivergent-friendly approach to burnout. In this practical self-help guide, Alicia King Anderson argues that for many of us, burnout is not just a symptom of a stressful workplace. When reducing our workload slightly or taking a vacation doesn't seem to help, we need to consider the entire network of intersecting stresses in our life: physical, psychological, sensory, social, environmental, and political.

Taking the metaphor of "burnout" literally, Anderson skillfully maps the stages of wildfire burns to the psychological experience of burnout. Drawing from her training in ecopsychology and mythology, she finds profound lessons in the natural cycle of wildfire to help us explore our own potential for healing and growth after a "burn" period. This unique book:

• goes beyond 'work stress' to address all kinds of burnout, including autistic and ADHD burnout, creative burnout, and professional burnout;
  
• introduces grief work as an essential part of burnout recovery, to let go of idealized and unsustainable versions of yourself; and
  
• provides step-by-step guidance to identify where you are in the burnout cycle--and make a plan ahead of time for the next stages ahead.
  

Each chapter includes a variety of practical tools, including self-discovery exercises, activities, rituals, and journal prompts. For those tired of one-size-fits-all burnout advice, Anderson's guidance will help you identify your unique burnout cycle, helping you get beyond short-term recovery and toward a more sustainable, nourishing, and meaningful life.

Review Quotes

"One of the most insightful and compassionate guides for those navigating the complex terrain of burnout.... Whether you're dealing with workplace exhaustion, neurodivergent burnout, or chronic illness, or seeking ways to prevent future flare-ups, this book provides a healing road map that is both deeply validating and profoundly useful."
--Emely Rumble, LICSW, author of Bibliotherapy in the Bronx

"Powerful and compassionate.... This author offers a clear, hopeful road map for recognizing where you are in the burnout cycle, finding relief, and cultivating a healthier, more sustainable way forward if you're coping with burnout."
--Laura Briggs, author of The Six Figure Freelancer

"This book sparks breakthrough after breakthrough for anyone who's tried everything and still feels stuck. It's a lifeline for sensitive, creative minds; the reset button your soul has been waiting for; one of those rare guides that shows you what's really happening and how to break free. This book makes burnout recovery feel possible, even beautiful."
--Mary Cannon, trademark lawyer for entrepreneurs and creatives

"Alicia K. Anderson has crafted something refreshingly different by viewing the concept of burnout through the powerful lens of wildfire ecology and storytelling.... This is essential reading for anyone seeking to heal from burnout or support others through it."
--Fiona Wilkinson, PsyD, behavioural psychologist, psychological therapist, and ADHD Clinician

"Alicia beautifully explores the metaphor of a wildfire and flood to guide people in unpacking their burnout and grief. The exercises throughout the book allow us to deeply reflect on our work and family lives, create boundaries, and empower us to find a way forward through the wildfire to restoration. Her metaphors and vulnerability give us permission to be equally vulnerable as we process our burnout."
--Jessica Shannon, MDiv, BCC

"Extraordinary work.... A significant contribution to managing the undergrowth and minimizing runaway wildfire while enabling recovery and nurturing new life from the ashfall."
--Nathan Hogan, PhD, vice president of One Tree Learning Institute

"One of the most powerful books I have read to help clients who are at a crossroad in their careers. Based in science, written with deep understanding, and full of practical exercises to help clients gain clarity, Burnout Recovery is a great resource for career and leadership coaches who work with clients to move away from burnout to build (and sustain) a satisfying career."
--Judy Berman, career and leadership coach

"Alicia's timely Burnout Recovery offers readers a much-needed breath of fresh air. Her step-by-step, fireproof guidance draws from her deep knowledge and her own close encounters with wildfires, distilled in easy and relatable metaphoric analogies to help us assess, contain, and heal our own relationship to burnout. Convinced that it's never too late--even if we've felt stuck for years fighting fire after fire--she shows us how to detect instead of neglect our personal warming signals and dismantle default inner climate denial, using her rich lived experiences as an example."
--Loraine Y. Van Tuyl, PhD, CHT, Soul Authority Transformational Life Coach, Integrative Clinical Psychologist, and author of Amazon Wisdom Keeper and Soul Authority

About the Author

Alicia King Anderson has a Ph.D. in Mythological Studies and Depth Psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute. Her dissertation on The Storyteller Archetype explores the responsibilities of storytellers. Her areas of interest include career pivot and transition, trauma, burnout, fairy tales (particularly fairy tale retellings), mythology retellings, as well as archetypal symbols such as the tarot and unicorns. She has scholarly chapters coming in two volumes by Vernon Press in 2024 and is currently editing a collection of essays called Advanced Unicorn Theory which will be published by McFarland Press in Spring 2025. Anderson has presented at the American Folklore Society annual meeting, the London Arts-Based Research Center conference "The Art of Storytelling: Archetypes in Focus," and at the Progressive Connexions conference "Trauma, Shame, and Testimony." She offers workshops, 1:1 coaching, and on-demand online courses on achieving lasting burnout recovery.