On Permission Slips, Asking for Help, and Burnout

Hello, friend – 

As I write this on Friday the 13th – a scary-seeming day – I want to share something terrifying I did recently. 

I asked for help. 

Asking for help is one of the hardest things for me to do, second only to staying up past midnight or playing any kind of sport. Anyway, I’m guessing that as a high achiever with occasional perfectionist tendencies, you might have similar trouble seeking outside guidance.

For context, I’ve been in business as a health & wellness coach for about six months now, and I’d been lying if I said things were going swimmingly recently.

I’m ashamed to admit that I’ve been largely silent on Instagram, not really knowing who I’m talking to or what to say, questioning everything. Turns out silencing yourself isn’t the key to business success. 🫠

Realizing I needed to make a change unless I wanted to keep spiraling in inaction, I worked up the courage to ask for help from a business coach, who audited how Amplify shows up online. And you know what?

The coach's advice was not scary!

It was direct, kind, and actionable – exactly what I strive to offer my own clients (go figure). 

One particular thing the coach said after reviewing my website and Instagram has really stayed with me: 

“You know what the issues are – maybe I'm adding a little color and some tactics, but you already know what needs to be fixed. Now you just need to take action. Here is your permission slip.”

I had to laugh a little when she said that. Many of my clients have used similar language, knowing that something needs to change, sometimes even knowing the exact habit that needs to be modified, but embarking on that change only after being given my “permission” to do so.  

…which is wild! It's not literal permission, of course – we are all human beings with agency – but hearing from a coach, an outsider, that they are allowed to throw out old habits is somehow transformational. Even if it's hard. Even if it pisses someone off. Even if they fail. Even if they succeed.

With my own metaphorical permission slip in hand, I’ve made a big change to how I show up online and talk about my business. 

Instead of talking to some nebulous person seeking ~wellness~ in the general sense (hint: that person does not exist), I’m tailoring my coaching to those experiencing burnout. 

Why? Because unlike nutrition and fitness, where I have a lot of experience and knowledge, but less of a unique perspective, I have firsthand experience facing burnout and clawing my way back. I’ve also witnessed how many well-intentioned professionals are so ill-equipped when it comes to helping others recover from burnout and build resilience in an actionable way. 

Am I offering a magic solution? Of course not. 

Am I offering an evidence-backed, slow-and-steady way to help you take care of yourself, make small changes with big impact, and get back to feeling like you again? 

Yes. Yes I am. 

Unlike the vague offer of “healthier, richer, lives” 🤔 I was promoting before, burnout recovery is an overlooked, underserved area of health and wellness coaching, it’s something I feel passionate about, and something I can speak of with confidence.

So just as a business coach gave me a permission slip to make big changes, I’m giving you a permission slip to make changes in your life and stop feeling like shit. 

Ready to regain your energy, rebuild your confidence, and feel like yourself again?