Episode 16

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Published on:

20th Oct 2025

I Have Chronic Stress. How Can I Avoid Burnout?

How does chronic stress affect our health? How can we find peace, calm and stillness in our life?

In our fast-paced world, stress has become an unwelcome companion, quietly shaping our lives in ways we often overlook. This episode of Built Resilient Motivational Speaker Bart Walsh pulls back the curtain on chronic stress, revealing its hidden impacts and offering practical strategies to reclaim your nervous system.

Bart dives deep into the crucial differences between acute and chronic stress. We explore how our bodies, designed for short bursts of fight-or-flight responses, struggle with the constant low-level anxiety of modern life. This mismatch between our evolutionary biology and current lifestyle lies at the heart of many health challenges.

Chronic stress doesn't just make us feel uncomfortable, it reshapes our biology. We examine how elevated cortisol levels can:

  • Break down muscle protein
  • Contribute to abdominal fat storage
  • Disrupt sleep quality
  • Impact brain function and memory

For athletes and fitness enthusiasts, Bart explains why stress can derail your progress, making workouts feel harder and slowing recovery.

While we can't eliminate stress entirely, we can learn to regulate our nervous system. Bart shares four key strategies:

  • Move like a human, not just an athlete: The power of low-intensity, consistent movement
  • Close your loops: A simple yet effective technique to signal safety to your brain
  • Breathe intentionally: Using breath as the remote control for your nervous system
  • Redefine downtime: Creating true recovery in a distraction-filled world

This episode challenges you to shift your focus from quick fixes to daily practices that build resilience. We explore the concept of "micro-recoveries" and how to anchor stress-reducing habits into meaningful rituals.

By understanding the intricate dance between stress, your nervous system, and your physical goals, you'll be equipped to not just survive challenging times, but to thrive in them.

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Want to contribute to the show? Email:

📧 hello@bartwalsh.com.au

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About the Podcast

Built Resilient
Build Unshakeable Mental and Physical Resilience
Finally! A health podcast that speaks to normal people.
Built Resilient is a show that answers the questions that are often thought about, but rarely spoken aloud.
Hosted by motivational speaker and resilience coach Bart Walsh, each episode dives into the real, raw topics people ask him after his keynote speeches.

Whether you're feeling stuck, burned out, or just know you’re meant for more, this show gives you simple, powerful strategies to level up your physical and mental health. Because resilience isn’t just about surviving. It’s about becoming stronger, sharper, and more unshakable every day.

If you're ready to build real resilience from the inside out, physically, mentally, emotionally you're in the right place.

About your host

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Bart Walsh

Bart Walsh is an actor, father, and one of Australia’s most respected voices in both fitness and resilience. As Head Coach for Jetts Fitness Australia, his professional work impacts thousands of lives, but it’s his personal journey that truly inspires.

In his early 20s, Bart was diagnosed with aggressive cancer. Rather than becoming a victim, he turned inwards, discovering that physical strength could rebuild mental resilience.

In 2020, he and his wife experienced the tragic loss of their newborn son, Aurélien. In response, Bart created Aurélien’s Workout, an annual event that transforms grief into growth and love into legacy.

Most recently, he was diagnosed with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, a degenerative neurological condition that threatens his ability to move. But instead of giving in, Bart chose to lean in, continuing to live, teach, and speak with even greater purpose.

Now Bart has decided to pic up the mic, and give air to the important questions he gets after his presentations and workshops. Questions whose answers will help thousands of people become more resilient week over week.