Soul Joy: Ditch Burnout and Fall in Love with Life

Soul Fuel: Why Helpers Need Their Crown Chakra Balanced Too

• Dr. Julie Merriman

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Professional helpers pour their energy outward daily, leaving many depleted, disconnected, and at risk for burnout. But what if the key to sustainable practice lies in tapping into your deepest wisdom?

Your higher self—that wisest, most authentic, compassionate part of you—serves as an essential internal compass in our challenging field. This isn't about mysticism; it's about practical resilience and effectiveness. When your crown chakra is balanced, you access enhanced intuition, sustainable compassion, clearer ethical decision-making, authentic professional presence, and remarkable resilience in the face of setbacks.

The barriers blocking this vital connection are substantial. Constant outward focus, emotional overload from absorbing others' pain, professional burnout, societal expectations, and that relentless inner critic all disconnect us from our wisest selves. Yet reconnection doesn't require expensive retreats or complicated protocols—it needs only intentional commitment to accessible practices.

From five-minute daily mindfulness meditations to nature immersion, reflective journaling, somatic awareness, purpose reconnection, and radical self-compassion, these free strategies create transformative shifts in your professional approach. What emerges isn't just burnout prevention but an elevated quality of both care and life as you become your own inner North Star.

The greatest gift you can offer those you help is your most authentic, well-resourced self. This episode provides both the rationale and practical roadmap to strengthen your higher self connection, including a guided "Inner North Star Compass" activity designed for immediate implementation. Your wisest self is waiting—and your clients, colleagues, and loved ones will benefit when you answer that call.

Speaker 1:

Hey y'all, I'm Dr Julie Merriman and welcome to SoulJoy. Today we're embarking on a journey inward, exploring a concept that might sound esoteric but holds profound practical implications for helping professionals connecting to your higher self, aka your crown chakra, because y'all this is a very necessary component of holistic, sustainable self-care. All right, hello, hello, hello. Thank you so much for dropping by and hanging out with me for just a hot minute. Oh, let's see Home talk. I want to start with home talk. Y'all it's, it's. I mean, as we are, you just never think you're going to get there. I know I've said this several times on podcasts recently, but man, this retirement stuff. I looked into my I'm fully vested in teacher retirement system here in Texas and I looked into that today and, yeah, that's going to be happening now, but I'm not going to leave my job. I have an Iowa as a professor because I love doing that. But anyway, all that's to say, kelly and I've really been talking about my new book that I'm working on and it's called Are we Going to have Sex or what, 35 years later and still going strong, because that well, you have to read the book to find out just exactly what that saying means. But it's gotten me writing the book, has really gotten me to think about the couples I've worked with over the years who've struggled in an unhappy bedroom, and I think it's just as important to have soul joy in your bedroom as it is anywhere else. So I'm thinking about firing up a second podcast really focusing on helping couples in the bedroom. So, anyway, that's what's happening here at the Merriman House. We're talking about stuff like that. So, okay, on to our podcast Professional Helpers. This podcast is dedicated to preventing and overcoming the occupational hazards of this career that we've chosen, and, specifically, we're working on overcoming and preventing burnout, compassion, fatigue and vicarious trauma.

Speaker 1:

So, y'all, as helpers, our energy and attention are constantly directed outwards. Right, we're attuned to the needs of our clients, the dynamics of our teams, the pressure of our systems. This outward focus, while essential for our roles, can sometimes lead to a subtle yet significant disconnection from ourselves, you know, from our own inner wisdom, our core values and that deepest sense of purpose that first drew us to this work. When this happens, we might find ourselves operating on autopilot, feeling depleted or even grappling with persistent self-doubt. So what do we mean by higher self in this context? It's not necessarily a mystical or religious entity, though those who resonate with spiritual traditions, you know y'all, it certainly can be, especially when we're looking at balancing that crown chakra. Certainly there's spirituality in that, and I think it's essentially important we explore that for ourselves as we help our clients explore that, because that gives us our soul, and how can we be doing this if our soul isn't balanced For our purposes?

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Today, though, I want you to think of your higher self as your wisest, most authentic, compassionate and resourceful self Y'all. It's the part of you that knows what's right, even when external pressures are intense or your inner critic is loud. It's that wellspring of your innate wisdom, that gut wisdom, your clearest intuition, your unwavering integrity and your true professional purpose. Connecting to it allows you to lead from a place of deep alignment rather than just reacting to external demands, which is exhausting. This wellspring is a richness that's going to help you stay grounded and know just. There's this wisdom that you know you're operating out of a place that's going to help your clients, that's going to serve your husband, that's going to be good to your children, wherever you might be serving.

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Today, we'll explore why cultivating this connection is especially vital for us professional helpers. Connection is especially vital for us professional helpers, what often pulls us away from it, and practical strategies to tune into your inner North Star for greater clarity, resilience and impact. So why is this connection so critical for us as professional helpers? Is this connection so critical for us as professional helpers? Well, I've got several things I've come up with through my research, so I'm going to start with the first. Number one it helps with enhanced intuition and clarity when you're connected to your higher self.

Speaker 1:

Your professional intuition isn't just a gut feeling although that gut feeling is important, I'm not going to negate that but it's even more than that. It's an informed, integrated wisdom that arises from deep listening. We're hearing ourselves, we're deeply attuned, decisions become clearer and you can cut through that external noise or emotional reactivity to find the most aligned path forward, Sustainable well. And number two would be sustainable compassion and burnout prevention, which is eminently important in our work. Our well of compassion, y'all it can run dry and if we're constantly giving from our finite personal resources, we're in trouble. So see, connecting to your higher self allows you to tap into a deeper, more infinite source of empathy and wisdom, and this helps to prevent the compassion fatigue and it helps to foster a sustainable approach to caring, because that is what we do. Third, it helps with ethical decision-making and integrity around that. In our complex work, ethical dilemmas are common. They're daily, if not hourly. Your higher self is your internal compass of integrity and this guides you towards choices that align with your deepest values and professional ethics, even when or if the path is difficult or unpopular. And we could have a whole podcast on making unpopular decisions, but we have to do it daily. That's what we do.

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Four authentic professional presence. When you operate from a place of genuine inner connection, your presence becomes more grounded. Y'all you're centered, you're authentic. Clients and colleagues feel that genuine presence and this helps to foster deeper trust and more effective collaboration. And number five we are able to have resilience in the face of challenge when our crown chakra is balanced and we are operating from our higher self. The helping professions are inherently challenging. Helping professions are inherently challenging. Connecting to your higher self builds an inner sanctuary y'all of strength and perspective. This helps you navigate setbacks, it helps you to absorb difficult emotions and it helps you rebound from professional disappointments without losing your core sense of purpose. And those disappointments are going to happen and we just best be prepared for them and have a balanced crown chakra. That's going to help us stay attuned to that sense of purpose, not get disgruntled and resentful or just I don't know disappointed, where you lose the love of what you're doing.

Speaker 1:

So if the benefits of this balanced crown chakra and attunement to higher self are so clear, why do we so often find ourselves disconnected? Why and I know it can't be just me why do we do this to ourselves? Well, again, as I researched getting ready for the podcast, I found some bullet points I want to share and also, just from personal experience, 30 years in the field helped me. It's kind of my meter if I felt this was true or not. So here's what I came up with. I'd love your feedback if you were going yep, I think that's true or nope, jules is not hitting it today. Up with. I'd love your feedback if you were going yep, I think that's true or nope, jules is not hitting it today, okay.

Speaker 1:

So first bullet point constant outward focus. Okay, so we're looking at how we become so disconnected from our higher self, how our crown chakra becomes so unbalanced. So, first, there's a constant outward focus. Right, our training and roles often demand we prioritize others' needs, making it easy to forget to check in with ourselves. Next, emotional overload. Y'all, we're absorbing the pain and complexity of others daily, moment, I mean hourly right, and this can leave us feeling heavy and this can obscure our inner light. Then there's burnout and depletion. Yeah, when we're exhausted, our default mode becomes survival mode and making deep connections feels like an impossible luxury. Our bandwidth is full and the thought of going deep it just feels perhaps overwhelming at times, perhaps like who has the time to do that? I wish that is a definite sign of your crown chakra not being balanced.

Speaker 1:

Next there's societal and professional expectations. Pressure to conform, perform or fit into a specific mold can silence our inner authentic voice, inner authentic voice. And then that inner critic and ego noise, our fear-based mind with its endless doubts and judgments can easily drown out the calm, wise voice of our higher self. You know the board rules. Was that an ethic violation? Oh, what should I do about that dual relationship? Oh, was that? Did I accidentally let someone see my computer screen where notes were up? I mean, it's just, it's constant all day long.

Speaker 1:

Inner critic, ego noise, okay, but the good news is that connecting to your higher self isn't a mystical journey reserved for just a select few. It's an accessible practice that involves intentional self-awareness and consistent commitment. So I've come up with a few strategies for you and then I will wrap up the podcast with an activity for you, but here are some practical strategies that you can integrate into your life this moment as you're listening to this podcast. So okay, first, you want to cultivate stillness through mindfulness. So there's a practice, right? You dedicate five minutes a day to quiet meditation where you focus on your breathing or you're just simply sitting in silence. It isn't about emptying your mind, it's about observing your thoughts without judgment, creating mental white space. Why? Well, the benefit is that it quiets the chatter of the ego and inner critic and it allows the gentle wisdom of your higher self to be heard and it sharpens your cognitive clarity. And y'all know you're in this profession. There's all kinds of research that backs up the benefits of this. Why don't we do it for ourselves more?

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Second, you want to connect with nature, and I've got several podcasts on that, even going outside and getting grounded. You know, going barefoot and rubbing in the grass, but the practice would be to spend intentional time outdoors Y'all, even if it's just a few minutes in the park observing a tree. I love to lay on the ground and look up through an oak tree or whatever kind of tree you have available, and watch the wind blow the leaves and just get lost in that. It's just beautiful and it's so grounding. Getting outside, observing, feeling the sun on your skin is absolutely essential in our work. Here's the benefit Nature has a profound grounding effect, as I mentioned a moment ago, helping to shift perspective and connect you to something larger than your immediate stressor. It fosters a sense of awe and spaciousness.

Speaker 1:

Third, you want to engage in reflective journaling. That seems to be a theme for me. The practice would look like using a journal as a dialogue with your inner wisdom and you ask yourself questions like what would my wisest self advise me to do in this situation? What message does my heart have for me today? You free write without any kind of censoring, and here's the benefit. This allows you to access deeper insights and process emotions, which uncovers intuitive guidance that might otherwise remain hidden. Have anything I mentioned so far cost you a penny? No, these are free. You can start it right this moment.

Speaker 1:

Number four embrace somatic practices and mindful movement. So the practice would look like perhaps engage in activities that connect to your body Gentle, stretching, mindful walking, yoga, conscious dancing. I love a full body scan. You focus on the sensations of your body and your breath and the benefit your body holds. Wisdom, releasing stored tension and grounding yourself physically can open channels for intuitive knowing and emotional release, and y'all this creates clarity. How cool is that? And y'all this creates clarity. How cool is that?

Speaker 1:

Fifth, regularly revisit your values and purpose. This has been a big one for me lately. I don't know if it's because I've hit my 60s and the purpose is just different and I'm trying to replug into it and find it. I mean, I know I'm not the only 60-year who's in another, maybe crisis that we hit, I don't know, when you hit 30, maybe it happens every 30 years, I don't know. But you want to revisit your values and your purpose and the practice would look like periodically reviewing why you chose the profession you chose, what values truly drive you and what kind of helper you aspire to be.

Speaker 1:

Here's the benefit you are realigned with your deepest motivations and this helps you distinguish fleeting desires or external pressures, perhaps from your core purpose. This helps you be guided by your higher self, which that's a great place to lead. And then, number six practical, radical self-compassion. So here's what the practice looks like. Make a mistake, because we're going to. When you feel overwhelmed, when you doubt yourself, you consciously offer yourself the same kindness, understanding and patience you would offer a struggling client the benefit this creates a really safe internal environment where your higher self feels safe to emerge without fear of judgment. It builds a foundation of unconditional acceptance within yourself and that's a great place to lead from. All six of those things are absolutely free to do. You have nothing but time invested and you're the one that benefits from this.

Speaker 1:

So I highly, highly, highly invite you to adopt one of those concepts, one of those practices, as you're trying to balance that crown chakra and connect to your higher self. Because connecting to your higher self y'all it's an ongoing practice. It is not a one and done kind of thing. It's about consistently showing up for yourself, turning inward, listening and trusting the wisdom that resides within you. This isn't about adding another task to your plate, but it's about fundamentally transforming how you experience your demanding role. When you show up from this place of deep connection, y'all you're bringing a level of grounded presence, authentic compassion and really clear insight that not only prevents burnout, but y'all. It's going to elevate your quality of life. You become your own inner North Star. How cool is that? You guide yourself and, by extension, those you're helping, and, by extension, those you're helping towards greater well-being and genuine impact are impacted as well, just because you've taken the time to do the work on you so that you are truly connected and attuned with your higher self. It's good stuff. None of that costs you a penny, okay?

Speaker 1:

So before we move to the activity, I'm going to invite you to please subscribe to my email list. I put you know when I was creating one of my PDFs earlier today. I thought, man, I put a lot of work into creating these. I wonder if anyone is looking at them. I really invite you to hop over to my website, sign up on my email list so I can get you this weekly email where I send you the podcast and these bonus PDFs of these activities that I create for you. While you're there, check out some other things I have on the website. If you think you might be ready for coaching or counseling, hit me up. Hop on my appointment book and I also have Souljoy, my book, for sale there and be on the lookout for my new book that, and I also have Soul Joy, my book, for sale there, and be on the lookout for my new book that will be coming out before too long. Okay, there's the Midway commercial.

Speaker 1:

Now on to our activity, and it is I've named it my inner North Star Compass a journey to your higher self and y'all. I designed this activity to help you actively engage with the concepts from this episode Through guided reflection and brief experiential practice. You're going to explore what your higher self means to you and how to strengthen your connection, because we need to strengthen that connection for enhanced professional well-being and impact, and that's going to bleed into your private life as well. Okay, so we're going to start with step one, and I would invite you to re-listen to this episode. So step one is to re-listen and reflect on disconnection, so finding a quiet and uninterrupted space.

Speaker 1:

You re-listen to this podcast episode and as you listen, you pay attention to the moments or types of situations when you feel the most disconnected from your inner wisdom or sense of purpose, from your inner wisdom or sense of purpose, and then you briefly describe one to two professional situations or patterns perhaps where you feel where you typically feel these ways misaligned or out of sync with your values, overwhelmed, reactive or experiencing decision fatigue, or disconnected from your why or your deepest sense of compassion. So, as you're relisting, you're trying to find those pieces within yourself. And in step two, this is defining your higher self. So, based on the podcast discussion, your wisest, most authentic, compassionate, resourceful self and your own understanding, you jot down what connecting to your higher self means to you. No, two people are going to have it exactly the same, so this might be.

Speaker 1:

You answer these questions what quality does this part of you embody? Would your connection embody calmness, clarity, insightfulness, being courageous, deeply compassionate? You tell me love to hear what yours is. Then you answer what does it feel like when I'm connected? Are you grounded? Do you feel very expansive? Do you feel peaceful, energetic? And then you ask yourself what might my higher self sound like if it offered me advice on one of the situations that I described in step one? What kind of advice would you give yourself?

Speaker 1:

And once you've taken the time to write that down and think through that, you go on to step three, which is experiential practice and observation. So you review the strategies for connecting, as I discussed in this podcast, which is mindfulness, nature, connection journaling, somatic practices, reviewing values and purpose, intentional solitude and practicing self-compassion Then you choose one of those strategies that really resonates with you the most and you dedicate 10, 15 minutes to actively practice this activity. So, mindfulness you find a comfortable seated position, set a timer for 10 minutes and focus on breathing, observing your thoughts and sensations, again without judgment. Or, if you're doing a nature connection, just step outside for 10 minutes or so and just mindfully observe what's around you, focus on the sounds and the sights and the smells and the textures. Or, if you choose journaling, you use one of the wisdom questions from the podcast or simply free, write about what clarity or wisdom you seek in a current situation. And if you're going to do somatic practice the movement you do a few moments of gentle stretching, mindful walking, maybe some yoga, focusing on your body's sensations. Or if you choose self-compassion, you bring to mind a recent moment of perceived failure or difficulty. You place your hand on your heart. You offer words of kindness and understanding. Offer words of kindness and understanding just as you would a dear friend.

Speaker 1:

After your practice, I want you to note your observations and it's really more powerful if you'll take the time to write it down. What did you experience during the practice? Did you notice any shifts in your mental or emotional state? Did any insights, ideas or feelings of clarity emerge regarding a professional challenge? So just things to note.

Speaker 1:

And then step four, and I know step four it's a pretty common step that I have, but I think it's very important because I believe an idea just stays an idea unless we put it into an action plan and bring it to life. So step four is my inner North Star action plan and this, simply, you just choose one of the connection strategies from step three or maybe another one you feel drawn to, but it's one that you're willing to commit to integrating into your regular routine, and you create a regular, a realistic action plan for the next seven days. So it's going to be specific action. You're going to monitor the frequency, like I'm going to breathe mindful three times this week before I check emails in the morning or maybe during my lunch break. You know the where and when and then you identify one potential barrier that might prevent you from sticking to this commitment and one strategy to overcome it.

Speaker 1:

Okay, that's all for this episode of Soul Joy. Thank you for embarking on this very vital journey inward. Remember the greatest gift you can give to others is your most authentic and well-resourced self. Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, leave a review and, until next time, take care of you.