A Beautiful PA Life
3. “Ma’am, you have burnout!” with Abby Calabrese
Episode Summary
“It’s not like you go to the doctor and they say: ‘Ma’am, you have burnout!’” Join me on this week's episode of A Beautiful PA Life Podcast as I welcome Abby Calabrese. Abby Calabrese shares her career journey from corporate to startups to real estate investing and how she experienced devastating episodes of burnout along the way—even sending her to the emergency department. As a physician assistant (PA), I can see how my path of burnout could have landed me in the same place—and my mental health was suffering immensely. Abby discusses the importance of self-care and how it is not a one-size-fits-all approach. Abby emphasizes the need for women to support and lift each other up, modeling after the culture she has observed in men in corporate culture. Abby talks about her decision to quit drinking and the positive changes she experienced in her physical and mental health. She also introduces her coaching program, the Ever Fulfilled Method, which helps high-performing women, especially moms, navigate burnout and create a more balanced and fulfilling life, by assessing ten domains of their lives.
Episode Notes
“Ma’am, you have burnout!” with Abby Calabrese
Episode Pearls
- Your career path as a physician assistant (PA) can be nonlinear, and it's important to attune to intuition and make changes when red flags show up—this doesn’t mean you are abandoning a role which was previously serving you.
- Self-care is not a one-size-fits-all approach and should be personalized to your needs and preferences. Thinking about what self-care means for you as an individual and starting with little shifts have the biggest impact.
- Women should support and lift each other up, rather than compete, in order to achieve success and fulfillment for all of us. There is no such thing as one-way liberation.
- Cutting out alcohol may have a positive impact on mental and physical well-being—ignoring the red flags perpetuates the physical and mental impacts. Alcohol is often used as a coping mechanism for burnout and stress, but it can exacerbate the problem and prevent true self-repair from occurring.
- Navigating burnout as a PA requires a holistic approach that addresses various aspects of life, including career, relationships, self-care, and personal growth.
- Community and support are crucial in overcoming burnout and creating a more fulfilling life.
- Making small shifts and taking time for self-reflection can have a significant impact on overall well-being and happiness.
Words of Wisdom from the Episode
- “It’s not like you go to the doctor and they say: ‘ma’am, you have burnout.’” – @itsabbycalabrese
- “I need to take a step back. Like there's just no question about it. So I ended up leaving that position I was in and I really had to slow it all down and figure out: why am I getting myself into these positions? Why am I not able to set up certain boundaries? Clearly there were red flags all along the way to that collapse that was like: ‘get out of here, get out of here, get out of here!’ What was causing me to not pay attention to those red flags?” – @itsabbycalabrese
- “I think it's so beautiful that you have been in the depths of the hardest of the hard and you figured out how to pull yourself out of it. And now you're extending that hand back to other women.” – @rachel.la.costa
- “So I make that a part of my month that I'm getting some of that time in there where I'm spending time with women and you know seeing how we can support each other in different things whether it's business or personal or—I don't know, venting about the kid—because there's so much power there.” – @itsabbycalabrese
- “In the end, I don't think there's anything more worth it than taking the time to figure out what's going on with yourself and getting that sorted out. Everybody in your life will benefit. And you're obviously gonna benefit your company and your career.” – @itsabbycalabrese
More Information on Today's ABPAL Podcast Guest
Abby Calabrese is a sought-after speaker and strategist dedicated to empowering women to build sustainable success. Her approach emphasizes balancing wellness, impact, and personal fulfillment with professional achievement.
You can find Abby here: