Practical Advice for Achieving Balance in Life
Vanessa Autrey shares insights on managing burnout, her transformative journey with yoga, impactful recovery work, and practical advice for achieving balance and wellbeing in everyday life.
Vanessa Autrey is a beacon of inspiration in the realm of health and wellness. As a Yogacharya, Wellbeing Advocate, and the international best-selling author of The Art of Balancing Burnout, Vanessa has dedicated over 15 years to teaching yoga globally, supporting women in recovery, and leading philanthropic initiatives with The Outlier Foundation. Her work has been recognized on platforms such as Fox News, Voyage Magazine, and Bold Journey’s Finding & Living With Purpose, as well as on popular podcasts like Health with Maria™ and Talkin’ St. Pete™. Residing in sunny Saint Petersburg, Florida, with her husband and their giant German Shepherd, Vanessa continues to enrich lives through Wellbeing Workshops, Wellness Retreats, and her ongoing literary endeavours.
In this interview, Vanessa shares profound insights from her book, The Art of Balancing Burnout, offering practical advice on how to counteract stress and achieve a healthier lifestyle. She delves into her personal journey, revealing how yoga transformed her life and inspired her to help others. Vanessa also discusses her impactful work with women in recovery, the common misconceptions about managing burnout, and the heart-warming initiatives of The Outlier Foundation. Her wisdom and compassion shine through as she provides guidance for those struggling to maintain balance amidst life’s challenges.
Vanessa’s approach to wellbeing is both holistic and accessible, blending ancient practices with modern-day solutions. She emphasizes the importance of self-awareness and intentional living, encouraging readers to integrate moments of health into their daily routines. Her favourite practice, Have Your Perfect Day, exemplifies this philosophy by urging individuals to prioritize activities that rejuvenate and fulfil them. Through her teachings, Vanessa aims to empower others to pour from a full cup, fostering a life of balance and joy.
Join us as we explore the art of living well with Vanessa Autrey, and discover how her journey and insights can inspire you to lead a more balanced and fulfilling life.
Vanessa Autrey is passionate about teaching others how to live well. She is a Yogacharya, Wellbeing Advocate, and the international best-selling Author of The Art of Balancing Burnout. She has worked in the health and wellness industry for over 15 years, teaching yoga globally, working with women in recovery and spearheading philanthropic campaigns with The Outlier Foundation. She has been featured on Fox News, Voyage Magazine, Bold Journey’s Finding & Living With Purpose, and various podcasts, including Health with Maria™ and Talkin’ St. Pete™. She lives in sunny Saint Petersburg, Florida with her husband and their giant German Shepherd. She teaches Wellbeing Workshops, hosts Wellness Retreats, and is actively working on her second book.
Can you share some insights from your book, The Art of Balancing Burnout, and how it can benefit individuals striving for a healthier lifestyle?
The concept of balancing burnout is counteracting stress before it compounds. We achieve this by knowing ourselves, our needs and our limits more clearly. Once we have a foundation of awareness, we can integrate moments of health into our day, which helps lead us to a healthier lifestyle.
Perhaps my favorite practice I’ve shared is Have Your Perfect Day. It beckons an understanding of what fills your cup, and then making time (taking action) to do more of that. It’s an intentional, mindful, barrier of time we weave into our week, and it’s reserved for us. We all have a million things on our to-do list – and we always will – but you can’t pour from a cup that’s empty. Spending time doing what you love, even if it’s only an hour here and there, will help fill you so you can pour from a full heart.
What inspired you to become a Yogacharya and a Wellbeing Advocate, and how has your journey evolved over the years?
I spent a great deal of my life living unwell, and I believe yoga, quite literally, saved my life. I quickly learned beyond the veil of an ancient practice was a simple solution to life’s daily challenges. Every difficulty I faced could be solved by getting out of my brain and into my body. Yoga has done wonders in helping me achieve that, and it’s a gift I strive to bring to others. Advocating for the wellbeing of others spawned from both a deep spiritual practice combined with real-life experience in the corporate world. Not everyone wants the woo-woo, but they still need the medicine. Between these two worlds, I’ve found a healthy blend to help others heal, thus healing myself along the way.
Could you tell us more about your experience working with women in recovery and how yoga and wellbeing practices have impacted their lives?
Having recovered myself, I believe the key to conquering addiction is cultivating self-awareness. Until we see ourselves in our mess, in our addiction, in the thing we can’t let go of; we will never know peace. Self-awareness is the foundation of a strong yoga practice, and wellbeing is its fruit. By helping women get out of their heads – to detach from what’s making them sick – it paves the way to freedom, living, and life itself.
What are some common misconceptions people have about managing burnout, and how do you address them in your teachings?
Burnout is a modern term tossed around by the masses. It really just boils down to our bodies being in a sympathetic state (fight or flight). In the old days, there were serious threats our ancestors faced. Leaving their homes could result in them, quite literally, being eaten by a tiger. Our present-day brain doesn’t know the difference between the tiger that wants to eat us or the chimes of our inbox clamoring for attention. All we know is, we are alert and on guard. When we continually live in this state – in survival mode – our bodies suffer. Left unchecked, this leads to burnout. I address this by first educating on the issue, followed by offering simple solutions that can be integrated in a realistic way.
You’ve been involved in philanthropic campaigns with The Outlier Foundation. Could you share some highlights from these campaigns and the impact they’ve had on communities?
My pride-and-joy project with The Outlier Foundation is The Good Deed Project, a movement that seeks to inspire humanity through random acts of kindness. We have given toys to children, flowers to strangers, countless cups of coffee – the list is creatively endless. We deliver tangible goodness when it’s least expected, and it always sparks a smile. Perhaps doing good inspires others to do the same, and we believe that’s how we build better communities and a brighter future.
What advice would you give to someone who is struggling with maintaining balance in their life, whether it’s due to work, family, or personal challenges?
First, I would encourage them to take a few long deep breaths. Slow breathing tells our brain we’re safe. Then, I would suggest a walk, perhaps around the block or the neighborhood, as this also signals the brain that we’re safe. From there, I’d simply offer these words of encouragement: No one has the magic formula, and no one has it all figured out. Cheers to you for doing the best you can. Learn to smile at the sheer absurdity of life. Pat yourself on the back for all the progress you’ve made thus far. Take time to appreciate what you’ve built, no matter how grand or peculiar it is. Look at yourself, look how far you’ve come. I know you’ve been through a lot. I know you’re facing hard things. Remember: Everything is figure-out-able, even in the darkest of nights. Perfection is an illusion and comparison is the thief of joy. When all else fails, this is perhaps my favorite… walk over to the nearest mirror, look yourself in the eyes and say: “You are a force to be reckoned with.” Do that, over and over, until you believe it. With that attitude, balance is just the beginning.
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Photo by Ambika Agrawal Photography
