Fitness Flipped Podcast Week 1: Conquering Stress and Finding Connection
Experts and Members share how to avoid feeling exhausted, even when things are overwhelming.
By Colleen Travers•
You know it’s important to recover from a workout, but do you take the time to recover from stress? That’s exactly what the first two episodes of Fitness Flipped are all about. Anne Helen Petersen is a chronic stress and burnout expert and author of Can’t Even: How Millennials Became the Burnout Generation. She chats with Peloton instructor and Fitness Flipped host Tunde Oyeneyin to talk about how stress is a big part of our physical condition and how we can all better cope with it, no matter where it’s stemming from.
Here’s a sneak peek at what you’ll get in this week’s episodes, which also include comedian and New York Times bestselling author Phoebe Robinson and Jagu Anadkat, M.D., neonatologist and Peloton Member.
Take Back Your Time
Burnout takes so much from us, especially our time. “Sometimes you really need to lay on your couch and look at your phone, but sometimes you need to tell the burnout ‘no’ and do something that will actually make you feel nourished,” Petersen says. “Ask what makes you feel excited and rejuvenated. What is the thing that gives you some space and peace in your mind?” Whether it’s a hobby, a ride on the Peloton Bike, run on the Peloton Tread or something else, Petersen shares a few secrets to shake off burnout and fuel yourself instead.
Community Is Key
On top of causing tremendous amounts of collective stress in society, the pandemic has disconnected many of us from our communities. “We cannot survive as islands on our own. We need small groups of care and community to provide safety nets,” says Petersen.
Similarly, Dr. Anadkat, a neonatologist based in St. Louis, realized just how important reclaiming her community was as COVID-19 swept through her hospital. “Burnout is real in every field, but physician burnout is a huge problem,” she says. “Anything that I can do, be it physically or mentally, to prevent that is worth it.” Dr. Anadkat goes on to share with Tunde how Peloton helped her colleagues support and show up for each other.
Small Moments of Joy = Big Payout
“The way we train ourselves to work all the time, we have to also train ourselves to be able to enjoy life, relax and not think, ‘I'm not being productive,’” says comedian and self-described former workaholic Phoebe Robinson.
Even if your life isn’t in a great place—be it financially, emotionally or in some other way—try to grasp hold of little details during your days that bring you joy. That’ll pull you out of the burnout rut and make you feel alive. And you can get inspired by Robinson’s story, including how she’s learned to create something and let it into the world, without stressing about what the reaction from the public will be.
Catch up on Fitness Flipped:
That’s just a taste of what you can expect from this episode of Fitness Flipped. (For starters, Tunde’s also got a weekly challenge for you.) Listen to the full episodes on the Peloton App or wherever you get your podcasts!