Quieting Burnout: The Science-Backed Power of Creative Self-Care with Alexandra Reid

"The BIG success is getting your time back to yourself to choose how you want to spend it." —Alexandra Reid Burnout recovery rarely starts with a five-year plan — sometimes it starts with a stick figure drawn during a Zoom call. In this episode of The Purpose and Progress, host Dr. Jim Price sits down with creative wellness coach and former research scientist Alexandra Reid to unpack how she rebuilt her sense of self after hitting a wall during the pandemic. Alexandra spent her career climbing the science ladder — bachelor's, master's, PhD, postdoc — before landing in quality and regulatory affairs at a medical device company. When her team was assigned to fast-track emergency ventilators during the pandemic's earliest, most uncertain months, the pressure of juggling 24/7 work with two kids doing remote school pushed her into full burnout. She couldn't even step into the art studio she loved. What brought her back wasn't a big creative project — it was doodling through meetings, almost by accident. That accidental habit became the foundation of her Creative Reset program, a 12-week curriculum that uses simple, judgment-free drawing exercises to help high-achieving women — especially those in STEM — set boundaries, manage stress, and reconnect with their own priorities. This conversation is for anyone who feels like their calendar is full, but their sense of purpose is running on empty. • Burnout often builds slowly, like the frog-in-boiling-water analogy Alexandra uses — small overcommitments compound until exhaustion feels sudden. • A five-to-ten-minute, judgment-free drawing exercise, done consistently, can lower stress in the moment and rebuild self-trust over time. • The "batteries" exercise — sketching a battery for each area of life and rating how full it is — makes invisible energy drains visible. • Creative wellness coaching differs from art therapy by staying forward-focused: it's about building new habits, not just processing the past. • Most clients start Alexandra's program believing they don't have time, then finish it saying they've reclaimed hours they didn't know they had. • Changing your physical environment — a walk, a café, a park bench — can reset your thinking faster than reflecting in the same space where the pressure lives. 🎧 Listen to the full conversation for Alexandra's boundary-setting advice and the exact doodling exercise that helped her recover. Connect with Jim: Website (https://jimpricebooks.education/) Instagram (  / childbookauthor  ) Facebook (  / jim.price.9822  ) X (https://x.com/JimmyPr74639009) YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@jimprice3934...) Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/033D7qi...) Chapters: 02:01 Meet Alexandra Reid: From Bench Science to Burnout 03:21 The Ventilator Project That Triggered Her Burnout 07:55 Recognizing Burnout: Invisible Labor and Bad Habits 09:33 Reclaiming Time Through Self-Awareness 11:22 Inside the Creative Reset: Batteries and Boundary Work 16:01 The First Step: Change Your Scenery to Reset Your Mind 18:39 Where to Find Alexandra Reid's Wellness Program 19:15 Key Takeaways and Final Thoughts Resources 📖 The Adventures of Harold from the Hood Book Series by Jim Price: 🚙A Trip to the Park (https://jimpricebooks.education/a-tri...) 🤝🏽Friends Like Different Things (https://jimpricebooks.education/frien...) 🍟 Fun Time Lunch Time (https://jimpricebooks.education/fun-t...) 😤 When I Feel So Annoyed (https://jimpricebooks.education/when-...) Meet Alexandra: Alexandra (Lexi) Reid is a creative wellness coach, business owner, and former research scientist who helps high-achieving women in STEM overcome burnout, rebuild purpose, and strengthen resilience through creativity, mindfulness, and reflection. Drawing on her background in quality and regulatory affairs and her own experience of pandemic burnout while leading emergency ventilator projects, Alexandra developed The Creative Reset, a 12-week, science-informed program that uses simple, pressure-free drawing and visual journaling to help women reclaim their time, set healthy boundaries, and reconnect with joy. Through 1:1 coaching, group programs, and online resources at Mind Art Wellness (mindartwellness.com), she supports women at every stage—from grad school to mid-career pivots and beyond—in building sustainable habits, deep self-leadership, and a more creative, aligned life. Website (https://mindartwellness.com/) LinkedIn (  / alexandra-j-reid  ) Instagram (  / lexireidstudio  ) Facebook (  / 100068320624242  ) YouTube (   / @mindartwellness  ) Pinterest (https://ca.pinterest...