322. Energy Debt and Burnout: Running on Empty Isn't a Time Management Problem, with Dr. Sarah Vadeboncoeur

With host retail coach Wendy Batten https://wendybatten.com/podcast-intro/ Episode Overview Dr. Sarah Vadeboncoeur is a Canadian naturopathic doctor who supports high-achieving women who feel like they have hit a wall. Many of them have ignored their health for a long time and perhaps feel destabilized. Dr. Sarah and I use this episode to talk about burnout, brain fog, and the grief that comes when you can no longer perform the way you used to. This matters for shop owners because so many of us have been rewarded for carrying everything since we were children. Dr. Sarah explains that when our capacity to recover goes down but the demands stay the same, we start spending more energy than we take in. She compares it to opening a profit and loss statement and seeing expenses exceed income month after month. By the end of this conversation, you will understand the four categories of energy (body, brain, heart, and spirit). You will also have a simple way to check in with yourself and a way to line up your time, money, and energy with what you actually value. Our Key Topics Why so many high-achieving women feel grief when they can't perform at their old level, and why that grief is tied to identity What energy debt is, and how it resembles a business running at a loss How the four energy categories (body, brain, heart, and spirit) each drain differently Why water, sleep, and regular meal timing come first How to build your own energy prescriptions and ignore what others are doing Why choosing your number one thing, and defining your weekly work hours, changes where your energy goes Key Takeaways For Shop Owners Energy works like a profit and loss statement. If you spend more than you put back in day after day, you end up in debt, and you may not recover it overnight. Dr. Sarah points out that for many women, the ability to recover drops while the demands stay the same, so the gap keeps growing. Fatigue is not only physical. Dr. Sarah describes four categories: body, brain, heart, and spirit. You can be doing well in one and still feel terrible if another is drained, so it helps to know which one needs attention. Start with the basics, then listen to yourself. Dr. Sarah's bare bones are water, at least seven to eight hours of sleep, and regular meal timing. Beyond that, she encourages you to stop and ask what you need right now, because no one knows that better than you do. Check your battery before you spend it. A 30-second scan each morning shows where you are, and you can decide where your best energy goes. Without that plan, most of us give it all to working hours and leave the scraps for the people who matter most. Align your time, money, and energy with what you value. Pick your actual number one thing and make one small change that supports it. Dr. Sarah and I both see how hard it is for self-employed people to decide how many hours they want to work, and without that decision everything else fills in underneath. If you have been carrying a lot for a long time, I invite you to listen and notice which of the four energy categories could use a little attention this week. "The people that we claim to be the most important are usually getting the scraps of energy that we have left after we've overspent all day long." - Dr. Sarah Vadeboncoeur INSERT IMAGE HERE Resources Mentioned and Related Podcasts Join me in The Collective: a 12-month coaching experience for established business owners who want a well-run, profitable business that supports the life they want to live. Episode 185: Avoid Burnout with Dr. Ashley Margeson Episode 285: Avoiding Retail Burnout: Closing Loops and Leaning In to Your People Let's hang out in a private coaching session! Follow along and chat with me on Instagram and join my love list. About Dr. Sarah Vadeboncoeur Dr. Sarah Vadeboncoeur is a Naturopathic Doctor and Menopause Society Certified Practitioner with over 15 years of experience and 3,500 patients served. Named one of Canada's Top 35 Menopause Influencers, she is a sought after speaker and host of The Fatigue Fixer podcast. Follow along with Dr. Sarah: Instagram | Website About your host, Wendy Batten In case we haven't met…I'm Wendy Batten. I've been a small business owner, coach, and mentor for over 25 years. I help thoughtful, established entrepreneurs step into their role as CEO and build businesses that are profitable, meaningful, and supportive of the lives they want to live. My work blends real-world strategy with a life-first philosophy, shaped by lived experience, not theory. I've been there! Through honest conversations and practical insight, I invite you into bigger thinking about leadership, possibility, and how to build both business and life on purpose. For more support from Wendy Hang out and connect with Wendy on IG All of Wendy's current programs and services for shop owners can be found HERE. Never miss an episode! Subscribe to the Creative Shop Talk Podcast and get the tools, inspiration, and strategies you need to thrive as an independent retailer.Click here to subscribe to iTunes! Loved the episode? Leave a quick review on iTunes- your reviews help other retailers find my podcast, and they're also fun for me to go in and read. Just click here to review, select "Ratings and Reviews" and "Write a Review" and let me know what your favorite part of the podcast is. So grateful for you! Thank you!