Leaning Into Enoughness
- Oct 7
- 3 min read
By Carrie Severson
In the past, I’d get in my own way regarding self-care. When I was younger, I thought self-care meant pampering myself. My sense of well-being was associated with what I could afford to do — Pilate sessions, manicures, and massages. It always revolved around the physical.
When I launched a non-profit in my 30s, took a 75% pay cut, and maxed out my credit cards to grow an organization nationwide, my well-being was in deep jeopardy. Mostly because my wealth went away!
When I was alone, I’d check out social media and see a woman in a challenging position at an elite yoga studio that costs hundreds of dollars a month to belong to, and I’d think, once I have that, I’ll be set. Everything will fall into place, and I’ll be whole, good-to-go, happy.
I’d see a group of women around an infinity pool in Mexico on a retreat and shame myself for not having myself together enough for that kind of life.
That’s when the trash-talk started. And the burnout started to creep in. And my sense of self-worth tanked. Internally, I was not well. But as a public figure for a growing organization, nobody could tell I was hurting.
When I accepted my burnout and real sense of brokenness, I had to stop and look at my life from a different perspective.
So I took a long hiatus from work (hello mental breakdown) and forced myself to ponder questions I didn’t know the answers to, like:
How did I get here?
What do I need to do differently?
What are my non-negotiables now?
Burnout isn’t something I just fell into. It didn’t happen to me, or you for that matter, because we have bad bosses, crazy co-workers, or because we’re underpaid and overworked. Granted, none of that helps make life any better, easier, or more fun in any way. But when it’s all said and done, burnout happens because I didn’t manage my workplace stress. I had a lack of boundaries, a lack of self-care, self-love, self-compassion, and most importantly, not seeing myself as enough.
That’s when I created The Enoughness Method.
Whenever I felt a surge of anxiety, was massively overwhelmed, or couldn’t take a deep breath, I found fresh air, box breathing, and a cold shower were the three well-being and nervous system recalculating tools that helped me the most.
Fresh air, box breathing, and a cold shower were so effective for me climbing out of burnout, I named it The Enoughness Method and started timing it. The whole method is over within six minutes, and I went through the method several times a day in the thick of burnout. I’d start my day with The Enoughness Method. I’d do it again before I got ready for bed. And if I needed to do it in the middle of the day, I’d do it then, too.
I spent an entire year, day in and day out, doing these three little well-being exercises before I finally felt like I had room to breathe again.
And now, more than a decade later, I have turned my journey into a mission: helping professionals retrain their nervous systems, recover their energy, and rediscover joy at work and home.
Carrie Severson is the host of the podcast I Saved You, Now Do the Dishes, and the author of Unapologetically Enough.
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