664: High-achiever? Here’s how to prevent burnout | science writer Elizabeth Svoboda

"It's way better to pull yourself back from the brink of burnout before it hits than to let yourself fall all the way in,” says Elizabeth Svoboda.

Svoboda is an award-winning science writer and contributor to Scientific American, Discover, The Boston Globe, The New York Times, and other publications. Elizabeth is a winner of the Evert Clark/Seth Payne Award for Young Science Writers, and her work has been anthologized in the Best American Science and Nature Writing series. She lives in San Jose, California, with her husband and young sons. Her new book, The Art of Pacing, is available now.

00:00 - Why high performers always push to 110%

05:58 - Physical signs of burnout

09:14 - Getting more comfortable with recovery

12:16 - Pacing & how to take advantage of energy rhythms 

16:00 - What an Olympic runner taught her about rest

18:32 - Modulation & the importance of breathwork 

28:30 - Why it’s so hard recover from burnout

31:48 - Boom-bust cycles

35:12 - Gold star culture & unsustainable achievement

40:34 - Why early sports specialization backfires