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What if you’re not “unmotivated”… you’re depleted?
In this week’s episode of Growing Tall Poppies, Dr. Nat Green sits down with Dr. Heather Clark—existential coach and creator of Divinely Structured Success—to unpack what burnout actually looks like on the inside, why it can feel terrifyingly physical, and how recovery begins when you close the identity gap between who you really are and how you’ve learned to operate for safety.

Heather shares her personal journey from pharmacy and high-achievement to a sudden collapse where even a shower required a lie-down—followed by years of searching for answers, navigating the “it’s all in your head” loop, and finally rebuilding her capacity from the ground up.

Together, Nat and Heather explore the intersection of science and spirit, nervous system realities, and the practical framework Heather teaches clients to prevent the slide back into exhaustion: Goals, Roles, and Resource Flow.

In this episode, we explore:

• The difference between “tired” and true burnout exhaustion (the kind sleep doesn’t fix)
• Why high-achievers can be great at their job… and still be deeply misaligned
• The long, costly road of searching for answers when tests say “you’re fine”
• Adrenal fatigue: what it can look like and why it made sense physiologically for Heather
• The “identity gap” and how it shrinks your capacity to access vitality and energy
• Why recovery accelerates when you own who you are (instead of performing who you should be)
• Burnout risk factors for conscientious, impact-driven, neurodivergent “justice-wired” humans
• The power of saying no (and how people-pleasing is often a survival strategy)
• A practical self-leadership tool: Goals → Roles → Resource Flow
• Why self-care shouldn’t become another obligation—and how to build your personal “self-care menu”
• A grounding reminder: you are not broken—there’s nothing to fix

Heather’s practical framework (take this with you):

1) Goals: What do I actually want right now (be honest)?
2) Roles: What is my role here—and what isn’t mine to carry?
3) Resource Flow: Am I resourced enough (time, energy, executive function) to do this well today?

Connect with Dr. Heather Clark:

Website: vibrantagain.com

Instagram

LinkedIn

If this episode landed for you, share it with someone who looks fine on the outside—but is quietly running on fumes. And if you’re ready to close the identity gap and rebuild capacity from the inside out… this one is for you.

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If this episode resonates with you then I'd love for you to hit SUBSCRIBE so you can keep updated with each new episode as soon as it's released and we'd be most grateful if you would give us a RATING as well. You can also find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/drnatgreen/ or on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DrNatalieGreen

Intro and Outro music: Inspired Ambient by Playsound.

Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for educational purposes only. It is not intended to be deemed or treated as psychological treatment or to replace the need for psychological treatment.