Why Burnout Isn’t a Buzzword – It’s a Body Alarm with Dr. Zarya Rubin | 019

Curveball: A podcast about possibility

She spent 15 years chasing a dream that almost killed her. Then came the burnout, the grief, the tango – and the decision to turn back.

Dr. Zarya Rubin was supposed to be living her dream. She was on track to become a neurologist, deep into her fellowship at Columbia, doing the doctor thing after fifteen years of training. But the dream had started to feel like a beautifully wrapped trap – and then came the wake-up call: a sudden death, soul-crushing burnout, and the realization that her body, mind, and life were waving giant red flags. In this episode, Zarya shares how she walked away from the career that defined her, what tango dancing in Argentina taught her about healing, and why doing less is the boldest move you can make when your nervous system is screaming “no more.” Plus, we dig into her now-famous mantra: Do one thing less. It’s as radical – and life-giving – as it sounds.

Quote:
“No matter how far you’ve gone down the wrong road, turn back.”

Guest Links:
👉 Website + Burnout Toolkit: drzarya.com

👉 Instagram: @drzaryarubin

👉 Podcast: Outsmart Burnout

Chapters

1. Introduction and Meet Dr. Zarya Rubin (00:00:00)

2. Burnout in Slow Motion: When the Dream Job Stops Feeling Good (00:02:55)

3. A Phone Call That Changed Everything (00:08:54)

4. Tango, Grief, and Learning to Feel Again (00:10:32)

5. Do One Thing Less: The Mantra That Saved Her (00:14:50)

6. Your Body Will Force You to Rest (00:17:25)

7. Why Canceling a Yoga Class Can Be Healing (00:23:30)

8. What Doing Less at Work Actually Looks Like (00:25:32)

9. The First Step: One Tiny, Brave Decision (00:28:20)

10. The Turkish Proverb That Gave Her Permission to Quit (00:36:40)

11. Life After Medicine: Burnout Coaching, Healing Retreats, and What’s Next (00:39:55)