The Clinician Holiday Reset Series Part I: Rest

Burnout doesn’t always mean you need more rest. Sometimes it means your nervous system is asking for a different rhythm—or even a different container for your work.

In this special three part holiday series of Off the Chair, Dr. Colleen Long dives into the science of nervous system regulation, winter hibernation, and why clinicians feel more depleted than ever during December. You’ll learn how seasonal biology, unfinished stress cycles, trauma physiology, and systemic pressure collide—especially for therapists, psychologists, physicians, and helpers who feel for a living.

This episode helps you identify what kind of tired you’re actually experiencing—the kind a nap will fix, the kind that needs a nervous system reset, or the kind that signals a deeper career redesign. You’ll also hear why December is not a neutral month for clinicians, how rest can bring uncomfortable clarity, and why evolving your work is not failure—it’s biology.

If you’re feeling exhausted, flat, or quietly done, this episode offers language, permission, and practical tools to slow down without shame and listen to what your nervous system is asking for next.

Who this episode is for:
• Therapists, psychologists, counselors
• Physicians, psychiatrists, dentists
• Coaches, healers, helpers
• Burned-out professionals considering a career pivot