A few years ago, I was searching for something I didn’t know I needed. I was working full time at a functional wellness clinic in Hong Kong, studying at graduate school, and pregnant with my second daughter. I loved the pace and action of my life, but I found myself utterly depleted. I had a lot on my plate, and the things that usually kept me balanced, massage, yoga, and regular exercise, weren’t helping me relax enough.

It was during this time that I turned to sound, not as a practitioner, but simply as someone in need of relaxation. I visited Red Door Studio in Hong Kong, the largest gong studio in Asia. The first time I lay down for a gong bath, I felt my nervous system soften in a way that no amount of sleep, exercise, or even yoga had been able to offer. In just an hour, the vibrations created a spaciousness inside me that I hadn’t felt before. It was transformational, and I knew in that moment I would begin my own journey into sound healing. Sound became not only a practice I would later share with others, but my own personal medicine for balance, deep rest, and restoration.

And in sharing it, I’ve witnessed the same transformation in others. One experience that has stayed with me is of a BBC war correspondent who came to a session here in London after returning from Israel in the immediate aftermath of a terrorist attack. He had not slept properly for three weeks since arriving back in the UK, his nervous system locked in survival mode. During the sound bath, he dropped into his first true rest since the crisis began, seventy-five minutes where he could step away from the hypervigilance of his thinking mind, release the tension gripped in his body, and simply be held in the sound. He described it as a return to himself, a rare ease and tranquility after weeks of overstimulation.

From my own journey, to guiding literally hundreds of sound baths in London, Whistler, and beyond, the profound power of sound has shown me again and again how deeply it can restore balance. Here are five ways in which sound can be a powerful balm for burnout.

Calms the Nervous System
Burnout often locks us into a constant state of fight-or-flight. The tones of sound healing instruments; gongs, alchemy crystal singing bowls, or chimes can stimulate the vagus nerve, guiding the body out of stress mode and into rest-and-digest. Within minutes of a session, clients’ shoulders drop, their breath deepens, and their bodies begin to soften, almost ready for sleep. It’s a direct and accessible way to soothe frazzled nerves and bring the system back into balance.

Restores Deep Rest and Sleep
Sound entrains the brain into slower wave states (theta and delta), which are linked with meditation and deep sleep. Many people drift into a half-dreaming state during a sound bath and emerge feeling as if they’ve had several hours of restorative rest. I often hear that a 60-75 minute session feels more nourishing than an entire night’s sleep. For that war correspondent, it was the first deep rest in weeks. For others, it becomes a way to gently reset sleep patterns. 

Releases Emotional Tension
Burnout isn’t just physical exhaustion; it’s also emotional overload. Sound works on a vibrational level, reaching places that words often can’t. I’ve witnessed clients quietly release tears during a session, explaining afterwards that the tones seemed to dissolve a heaviness they’d been carrying for weeks. The release of emotional tension makes way for openness and renewal.

Sharpens Mental Clarity
When we’re burnt out, even small decisions can feel overwhelming. After sound healing, many people describe a renewed sense of clarity and focus. Vibrations help clear mental fog and restore coherence in the brain, like tuning a static-filled radio back to a clear channel. Clients often leave sessions feeling lighter, more creative, and able to see challenges with fresh perspective.

Reconnects You to Yourself
At its core, burnout is a disconnection from the body, from joy, from purpose. Sound is an invitation back to that connection. Lying in resonance, we’re reminded of our own natural rhythm. It becomes less about “doing” and more about “being.” Many people leave a session with a sense of coming home to themselves, remembering what it feels like to inhabit their own body with ease. It’s a way of returning to the truest part of ourselves that we often lose in the rush of daily life.

Words by Nancy Trueman, Sound Bath Specialist. Find more here: https://www.instagram.com/mytruenorthyoga/ and here: https://www.mytruenorthyoga.ca/the-studio