Right Where You Need to Be: A Soulful Check-In for Burnout Recovery

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Right Where You Need to Be: A Soulful Check-In for Burnout Recovery

Here’s a five-question soulful checklist for returning to yourself when everything feels too much.

Denise Pyles

May 13, 2025

Transcript

Hi y’all,

Have you ever received words of wisdom from one of your elders or wise ones in your community? Words that stay with you throughout your life?

I remember Sister Sophie, one of the wise sisters in the community of nuns that I belonged to.

We were both on an archaeological tour of Turkey in the summer of 1993. During that tour, we studied the ruins of the rock caves in Cappadocia in Central Turkey. Inside the caves were ruins of the early Christian community from the first few centuries to the 12th century, at the height of monastic life, where monks lived in community and in solitude.

In several of the caves, some paintings still exist from the 12th century.

As we were touring the ruins, I remember sitting in one of the caves underneath a fresco where you could still see the colors of a faded icon of Jesus the Pantocrator or Jesus the Almighty. This icon was from the Byzantine period of the 12th Century, and it was similar to the one in the Church of Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey. (The photos in today's notes are from the 1993 tour of those regions in Turkey.)

As we were sitting in the cave, I remember seeing Sister Sophie sitting quietly and directly underneath the icon.

Her face was glowing with joy amid the darkened cave of minimal light. I asked her what she thought of the ruins of this place. She beamed and said, "I am right where I need to be," as she pointed upward to the icon above her.

Her words of wisdom stay with me to this day.

I am right where I need to be. ~ Sister Sophie

How often do we know in the soul of our being that we are right where we need to be, grounded and centered in who we are?

Reflect on that for a moment. How often do we say with confidence, "I am right where I need to be.”

Sometimes, burnout or crisis can throw us off center.

*Photo by Denise Pyles - Cappadocia Caves, Central Turkey, June 1993*

*Photo by Denise Pyles - Icon of Jesus the Pantocrator, Church of Hagia Sophia, Istanbul, Turkey*

Crisis doesn’t always look like chaos.

Sometimes it’s quiet. It’s your calendar packed to the edges, your breath stuck in your chest, and a voice whispering, “Just get through this day.”

But surviving isn’t the same as living.

You can navigate crises and burnout if you learn how to check in before you check out.

Here’s a five-question soulful checklist for returning to yourself when everything feels too much.

#1. Am I breathing like I belong here?

Your breath is a homecoming. Three slow inhales and exhales tell your nervous system: You’re safe. Presence begins here.

#2. What emotion is driving my reaction?

Pause and ask, "What am I actually feeling right now?" Naming your emotions softens their grip and gives you a choice instead of autopilot.

#3. What am I making this moment mean?

You react to the story you’re telling yourself in the moment. A complicated conversation might feel like failure, but can it also be an act of courage? Awareness of the narrative can shift the entire weight of an experience.

#4. Who am I trying to protect, please, or prove something to?

Overwork is often a survival strategy. Ask yourself: Is this effort coming from fear or love? From pressure or purpose? Knowing what drives you brings clarity.

#5. What does my soul need, not just my schedule?

Your soul whispers for rest, beauty, and presence even amid a busy schedule. Even five minutes of stillness, journaling, or walking outside can be a sacred resistance to the busyness. It's how you stay human.

What helps you return to yourself, right where you need to be within the soul of your being?

That's it.

Here’s what we covered today:

The quiet wisdom of Sister Sophie: "I am right where I need to be."
We often overlook the signs of burnout, such as overpacked schedules, shallow breathing, and the pressure to power through.
Why surviving isn’t the same as living, and how mindfulness helps you reclaim presence.
A five-question soulful checklist to ground yourself during moments of crisis or overwhelm:
- Am I breathing like I belong here?
- What emotion is driving my reaction?
- What am I making this moment mean?
- Who am I trying to protect, please, or prove something to?
- What does my soul need, not just my schedule?
Let Sister Sophie’s words echo in your day: You are right where you need to be.

When burnout creeps in or life feels heavy, pause.

Ask the deeper questions. Breathe like you belong. Return to yourself, one mindful moment at a time.

Remember, take what you like and leave the rest.

Thanks for listening. I appreciate you being part of the journey.

Have a mindful week, and we’ll see you next time. Thanks.

Denise

Denise Pyles

I'm a former nun who, at midlife, pivoted to corporate life with zero business experience and became an award-winning program manager. I want to help you find stillness in the ball pit bouncy house of life.

Mindfulness begins with tiny steps toward being present. You can start micro-mindfulness right now without adding one more thing to your calendar. Join my newsletter, and I'll share simple micro-mindfulness tips every week that you can start using today.

In my book Burn Without Burning Out: 7 Micro-Mindfulness Habits for Clear Thinking, Decisive Action, and Recovery from Burnout, I share other skills I learned as a nun. Grab your copy today.