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Unravel with Elaine Clark
Unravel, hosted by Elaine Clark, explores the intersection of mental health and physical health. Through expert interviews and insightful conversations, we uncover science-backed tools and practices for well-being and personal growth.
Whether you’re seeking to cultivate resilience, challenge misconceptions, or reconnect with your innate wisdom, Unravel offers the insights and guidance to support your journey.
Science meets embodiment. Let’s explore what it means to unravel the layers—together.
Unravel with Elaine Clark
16 - The Slow Rebuild: Four Nervous System Truths for Healing Burnout
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After a season of travel, celebration, and teaching, I returned home feeling what so many of us know well — that post-burnout fog where the mind wants to rest but the body doesn’t quite remember how.
In this episode, I explore what I call “the slow rebuild” — the process of relearning safety, energy, and trust after prolonged output or stress.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- How the HPA axis and chronic cortisol elevation create the physiology of burnout
- Why women experience stronger emotional ripple effects from jet lag
- What neuroplasticity and “micro-moments of safety” teach us about rebuilding trust in the body
- Four science-backed steps to restore energy, focus, and calm
- Why safety, not productivity, is the ultimate measure of healing
Referenced Research & Resources
McEwen, B. S. (1998). Protective and damaging effects of stress mediators. The New England Journal of Medicine, 338(3), 171–179. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJM199801153380307
Czeisler, C. A., Duffy, J. F., Shanahan, T. L., Brown, E. N., Mitchell, J. F., Rimmer, D. W., Ronda, J. M., Silva, E. J., Allan, J. S., Emens, J. S., Dijk, D. J., & Kronauer, R. E. (1999). Stability, precision, and near-24-hour period of the human circadian pacemaker. Science, 284(5423), 2177–2181. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.284.5423.2177
Walton, J. C., Bumgarner, J. R., & Nelson, R. J. (2022). Sex differences in circadian rhythms. Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology, 14(7), a039107. https://doi.org/10.1101/cshperspect.a039107
Sims, S. (2019, September 23). Women are not small men: A paradigm shift in the science of women’s health [Video]. TEDx Talks. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5LYGzKUPlE
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