The Burnout Queens | The Burnout Queens

Finally, I had arrived…but where?

August 2, 2026

I’m sitting here totally frustrated! My laptop has decided on work to rule and my printer won’t communicate with my laptop! This is all due to an ‘upgrade’ that would be faster, better, quicker, easier. It’s not. I yearn for the ‘old days’ (that would be last week) when all was working just fine and plenty fast enough to get everything done.

So, I ask you Universe (‘cause you can’t talk to a human in the same country) in all sincerity and bewilderment, why does everything have to be quicker, faster, better. Just so you know, I’m not some old fuddy-duddy who wants to go back to the days of dial-up (and before you ask, yes I do remember them but only for a very short time).

We have decades in our lives that are defined by achieving, moving up, doing more, setting one bigger goal after another. I admit I remember when 18-hour days were a badge of honour. I’d arrived…but where? For me it was the land of burnout!

As we get older nature naturally begins to slow us down. Not in some scary way but in a way that encourages us to pursue more relaxation, leisure, softer values, and maybe even eventually retiring from the busyness of work-life.

We can stop trying so hard, pushing through and simply be. We can retire from busyness, hurrying just for the sake of hurrying, saying yes to please others, giving everything to our job (when did work become everything?), putting everyone else’s needs first, or doing things that don’t really matter to you.

As we find a different style of living we go through lots of changes. Some of these changes feel uncomfortable (like playing ‘hooky’ from school) but many of these changes are a welcomed breath of fresh air. With age we have the chance to reflect on what we truly want to do.

Redefining aging, and retirement, means reengaging with newness, change, reflection, beauty, quiet time, friends that ‘get you’, activities that resonate with who you are, new discoveries, adventures, creativity, old dreams, and new dreams.

The big surprise was how easy it was to make these changes, not all at once, but gradually, slowly, savouring each and every new sense of freedom.

The thing I want you to take from this is knowing that in order to find something new you always have to leave something old behind. For me it was a burnout lifestyle.

Cheers, Dr Toby & Dr Bev (aka The Burnout Queens)xx

On the other side of Burnout

July 8, 2026

We want you to think and dream about the other side of burnout. Even though we talk about how Bliss can be yours after burnout, let’s be clear…Bliss doesn’t mean…

sitting on a beach with a fancy drink
a remote island where you meditate all day long
that enlightenment is just around the corner

And it certainly doesn’t mean that life can’t catch up with you and bite you in the… well you know!

Life is never a straight line, it’s more of a spiral path. There will always be ups and downs, new surprises and discoveries, and, of course decisions and problems to solve.

But with each step you take, each level you transcend you will have discovered how strong you are and how resilient you are. Even more than that, you will know what’s right for you and what’s wrong. You won’t be afraid to leave something behind in pursuit of something new. One step at a time, and you own each and every amazing step. You will believe in your path, YOUR path, down to your very gut.

On the other side of Burnout you will live life your way because, believe it or not, Burnout leads you closer to the real, true YOU.

Embrace Life!

Dr Toby & Dr Bev (aka: The Burnout Queens}

Embracing a summer-pace lifestyle

July 30, 2019

Always striving for balance we’ve taken impromptu moments away from work to de-stress and play… after all darling, we’re all about putting our burnout-balance-bliss system to the test.

We’re calling this our summer-pace lifestyle. It takes skill, boundaries, and plenty of curiosity.

Relaxing days strolling through newly discovered neighbourhoods, poking around interesting shops, checking out the art open houses and plenty of room for afternoon tea…cake and all. It’s what we both love and do best.

The benefit of all this summer fun? We return to work refreshed, rested and creative.

(Of course you can always catch our latest edition of ‘Hello from London & Lewes’ to see the photos that prove we are living what we suggest!)

Here’s to embracing your own summer-pace lifestyle.

The Burnout Queens xx

The Big Leap’s initial excitement

July 4, 2019

Our first morning in our new country happened to be JULY 4th! How symbolic for two Canadians to be celebrating our own Independance Day in a country we had held as a dream destination since we were both teenagers. We sat in the local cafe (we had to have the English breakfast) and just watched and took in the vibe of our new neighbourhood. It felt great and we had given ourselves a month to settle into the flow of London while we waited for our container of furniture to arrive.

Arrival date, first rental flat and lucky us it was a dreamy, quirky little up-down with a garden in North London. Welcome home!

It was fun to start decorating and fitting our belongings into a smaller space, making it work, making it feel like home, yet seeing it all in a new way.

We were settling into our adventure with enthusiasm. And of course we found a real passion for ‘taking tea’ wherever we explored. So many options and all the time in the world we kept saying. We’re not on holiday, this is where we live now. Yet it felt like the best holiday ever!

Embracing our new routine and lifestyle. Sunday morning reads & tea

New routines, new locals, new neighbours, new everything. And even though we were in England, everything had different labels, brands and names. Tiring work, so relaxing for tea and a read became our new norm!

Good start at living a Burnout-Free Lifestyle don’t you think?

Love, The Burnout Queens xx

The Big Leap times 10 years!

July 3, 2019

From Here to There!

We just cannot believe it has been a full decade that we left our home and country. Last evening we were sitting in the Vancouver International Airport saying ‘shouldn’t we be nervous, or sad, or something?’ We weren’t, we were just quietly waiting for our one-way ticket to our new destination in life.

Brave or stupid? Just feels right. We had sold our condo, money in the bank, said good-bye to family, friends, neighbours and clients (although some would stay with us over skype), all our belongings except our luggage was packed into a container enroute across Canada to board a boat heading east!

A big leap of faith was starting to really happen.

I vividly remember looking out the window of the plane as we took off, looking back at my neighbourhood (we climbed right over it) and thought…’I don’t know what will happen or how it will turn out, but I’m open to whatever transpires’.

A long sleep, a beautifully calm flight and we landed in our new homeland. The customs woman looked at our passports and VISAs and said, ‘welcome home‘. Just such a deeply happy moment we had both waited for for the last 4 decades. You couldn’t wipe the smiles off our faces, even after the 10 hour flight and time-change.

So it’s official. We live in England and over the next 10 or so days in honour of these 10 years, we’ll give you a peek at the life we set up and are living from then until now (warts, pups and all)!

In the meantime…..

HAPPY 10th ANNIVERSARY TO THE BOTH OF US!