Equilibrium - The 5 week
Resource Your nervous system Program
This five-week immersive experience invites you to reconnect with your body’s innate wisdom and capacity for restoration. We’ll begin by gently unpacking how stress shows up in your body, mind, and daily patterns, cultivating a compassionate awareness of its impact.
From this grounding perspective, we’ll weave somatic practices and embodiment tools into your journey—practices designed to support you in grounding, regulating, and finding ease within.
Equilibrium isn’t about achieving a permanent state of calm, balance, or zen. It’s about embracing the natural ebb and flow of your nervous system, learning to integrate and appreciate all parts of your human experience and building your window of tolerance to the uncertainties of life. By the end, my hope is that you leave with a deeper sense of connection to yourself and a toolkit to sustain balance in the face of life’s challenges.
Burnout and mental exhaustion are reaching critical levels in New Zealand’s high-risk industries like healthcare, construction, agriculture, education and veterinary services to name a few. With the healthcare industry experiencing a 21% turnover rate due to burnout (1) and veterinarians facing disproportionately high suicide rates (2) the urgency for intervention is undeniable.
Government representatives have voiced concerns: “The pressure of long hours, emotional strain, and lack of support systems is driving more workers to exhaustion,” warns Te Whatu Ora.
Stress and burnout are significant issues for caregivers and parents in New Zealand, both for those parenting full-time and those juggling work alongside parenting. Research highlights several concerning trends:
1. Psychological Distress: Around 12% of adults report experiencing high or very high levels of psychological distress, with women being more affected than men. Caregivers are particularly vulnerable, as their responsibilities often amplify stress levels. This is compounded for disabled caregivers, who report significantly higher distress rates .
2. Financial and Emotional Strains: Rising living costs impact 89% of Kiwi households, with 59% of parents citing financial stability as their top concern. Many parents worry about their ability to balance work and family, which adds to their stress levels .
3. Parenting Challenges: Over half (51%) of parents believe that modern parenting is more demanding than a decade ago. Concerns about their children’s mental health, safety, and the impact of social media further exacerbate stress .
4. Health Implications: Prolonged stress among caregivers can lead to physical health issues, reduced sleep quality, and increased mental health challenges. These effects also trickle down to children, with 10% of kids likely to face emotional or behavioral issues, particularly in households experiencing high caregiver stress .
The intersection of financial pressures, emotional burdens, and parenting demands creates a challenging environment for many caregivers. Addressing these challenges requires accessible mental health support, workplace flexibility, and broader societal changes to reduce caregiver burnout.
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At Creative Embodiment, our burnout prevention program is designed to address these issues by offering nervous system support and education around the stress responses, somatic practices, restorative movement modalities and outlets for authentic creative expression, all offered through a mental health lens. Our goal is to create sustainable change within these industries and areas of life, helping individuals build resilience, manage stress, and prevent burnout. Within the program, please know that participants are encouraged to meet themselves where they are at, self-agency is key, know that everything offered to explore is an invitation and an opportunity to meet your edge of comfort with a courageous yes or to bravely honour your need to say no.
This program specifically aims to support the mental health of those in high-pressure roles, parenting or carers, through education, experiential practices, and strategies for maintaining personal well-being. By integrating restorative approaches and providing a supportive space for exploration in a community setting, we hope to combat the alarming trends of burnout and suicide in New Zealand.
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Let’s work together to build a culture of well-being where burnout is preventable, and self-care is the priority.
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This program is not a substitute for therapy or medication, nor is it recommended for you to do this program as your only source of support, if facing mental health challenges, severe stress or burnout. We highly recommend starting your journey if you have not done so already to explore the many options available to you for your mental health support, such as, seeking advice from your GP and asking for referrals for further support, whether this be physical, mental, emotional or spiritual.
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Here are the top 10 warning signs of exhaustion, stress, and burnout, expressed physically, emotionally, and mentally. These symptoms can be subtle and easily overlooked:
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1. Chronic Fatigue: Persistent tiredness not relieved by sleep, leading to decreased energy and motivation. This can be masked by caffeine or other stimulants.
2. Sleep Disturbances: Difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or experiencing non-restorative sleep, which might be attributed to stress rather than recognised as a symptom of burnout.
3. Physical Ailments: Frequent headaches, gastrointestinal issues, or muscle tension. These physical symptoms might be attributed to other causes, like diet or lack of exercise, rather than stress.
4. Emotional Numbness: A sense of detachment or numbness, where one may feel emotionally flat or unable to connect with feelings. This can be mistaken for a lack of interest rather than emotional exhaustion.
5. Irritability and Mood Swings: Unexplained irritability, mood swings, or heightened sensitivity, which might be rationalised as personal flaws or a response to external situations.
6. Decreased Performance: Difficulty concentrating, memory problems, or decreased productivity. This can be attributed to a lack of skill or effort rather than recognising underlying burnout.
7. Social Withdrawal: Avoiding social interactions or isolating oneself from friends and family, which might be seen as introversion or personal choice rather than a symptom of burnout.
8. Neglecting Self-Care: Overlooking personal hygiene, nutrition, or exercise, which can be attributed to a busy schedule rather than recognising it as a sign of emotional depletion.
9. Increased Use of Substances: Relying on alcohol, drugs, or other substances to cope with stress, which can be hidden behind the guise of social drinking or occasional use.
10. Perfectionism and Overworking: Compulsive overworking or striving for perfection, which may be seen as dedication or ambition rather than a sign of underlying stress and burnout.
Recognizing these signs early and addressing them can help prevent more severe consequences and promote better mental and emotional health.
Why Choose Me to Facilitate Your Program?
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Kia ora! I’m Lauren, originally from the U.K., and I’ve called Aotearoa home for over ten years. I relocated here to join my partner, a farm manager, and support his family's farming legacy in rural Maraekakaho. As I adapted to life in this new country, I drew on my background in high-pressure environments, including years as a senior sales executive at Silverstone, an English motorsport track, and extensive experience in hospitality.
During my journey, I faced significant challenges, including severe homesickness, which deeply affected my mental health. This experience propelled me to explore both top-down and bottom-up approaches to regain my sense of self. I emerged with renewed determination to support others in their journey toward awareness, preventing burnout, and fostering mental health.
In 2019, my curiosity about trauma and stress led me to SomaPsych and Legacy Motion, specialising in trauma-informed training and somatic practices for nervous system support and stress management. I am now a certified Trauma informed facilitator in supportive somatic practices, restorative embodiment practices, social justice and systemic change. This path has transformed my approach and deepened my commitment to this work. To this day I continue to educate myself with the most up to date trainings that align with my vision to support people with the tools to manage stress and reclaim their most authentic selves in this lifetime.
I’ve observed the high cost of success through family and friends who are accomplished business owners or care givers. Their achievements often came at the expense of their well-being, underscoring the harsh reality that success in what ever form it takes, can lead to burnout if not managed carefully. I’ve seen the detrimental effects of relentless stress, including serious health issues and long-term illnesses.
My personal journey through burnout has given me invaluable insights into these challenges. I understand the exhaustion of working without breaks, the over-reliance on coffee, and the emptiness of coming home with nothing left to give.
My burnout and stress management program is crafted from this deep understanding. I offer practical tools and compassionate support to help you break free from unhealthy cycles and reclaim your well-being in an empowering and creative way. My goal is to empower you to take personal responsibility with compassion and self-awareness, to break unsupportive patterns, and build a life-long structure that supports balance.
This program is not a quick fix, such solutions don’t exist, plus there's nothing to fix, just support. It requires commitment and determination. I would love to work together to empower you to restore balance and relief, ensuring your definitions of success do not come at the expense of your health and happiness.
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Testimonials
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"As someone with ADHD who also coach’s others with ADHD, the resources and tools I gained from the Equilibrium program have been invaluable. Emotional regulation and nervous system management can be particularly challenging for those with ADHD, and I’m excited to share these techniques with my clients. Lauren’s calm, heart-centered approach created a truly inclusive space that valued everyone’s unique needs and preferences.
If you’re considering Equilibrium, give yourself the gift of attending this course—it’s an experience that will enrich your life in meaningful ways."
-Emma Hall
ADHD Coach & Financial Advisor
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“Lauren's 5 week Equilibrium series was jam-packed with a huge variety of ways to nurture the nervous system. I learned loads of new tools to add to my kete. Each week was an absolute delight, from yoga, Tibetan bowls, vision boards, cacao, dancing and my new personal favourite, "Havening". I feel like I invested in "future me" by learning new ways to balance the impact of stress in my life. Worth repeating every year” - Jenny Allen
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The 5 Week Resource your nervous system program breakdown (2hr per week)
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Before the program starts pre-reading and links will be sent to prepare for what's ahead. This will be a prerequisite to help engage better with the content to come.​
Please note everything will be invitational and an option to explore, there will be opportunities to meet your edges of comfort, this is an opportunity to explore different modalities to see what best works for you, you might take yourself by surprise. Know that all of you is welcome and what you put in is what you get out.​
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A questionnaire will also be sent prior for tracking any changes.
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Week 1: Grounding and resourcing techniques.
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Week 2: Topping up your nervous system.
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Week 3: Closing the loops on stress.
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Week 4: Creative embodiment outlets for empowerment and transformation.
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Week 5: Integration and sustainable support for future you.