Dr. Matt Delgado, an Austin chiropractor and founder of Lifespring Chiropractic, is prescribing strategic pauses he calls Time Out Rx as an unconventional solution to modern burnout culture. This approach represents a fundamental shift from chasing productivity hacks to intentionally slowing down as a health strategy. The concept emerged from Dr. Delgado's personal experience with Graves' Disease and his observation that many patients are caught in what he calls the specialist shuffle, moving between doctors without anyone addressing the body as a whole system.
The Time Out Rx framework centers around Lifespring Chiropractic's Core 4 strategy, which identifies four health levers with the most significant impact: sleep, stress, movement, and toxins. This includes both dietary choices and scheduling habits. Dr. Delgado emphasizes that metabolic issues often appear before formal diagnoses, which is why he personally uses a continuous glucose monitor despite not being diabetic. The approach challenges conventional wisdom about productivity, asking whether what benefits business schedules actually serves human health.
This philosophy extends beyond individual health to cultural critique, aligning with perspectives explored in documentary content like Breaking Big Food, which examines how processed foods manipulate biology and time. Dr. Delgado applies similar analysis to modern health expectations, noting that from back-to-back meetings to extreme biohacking practices like daily ice baths, people are overwhelming their systems while craving simplicity.
In clinical practice, the method involves using technology like the INSiGHT Nerve Scan to track nervous system function and resilience rather than just symptom relief. Patients use tools including smart rings and continuous glucose monitors to monitor progress. The approach has gained traction among what Dr. Delgado describes as high-functioning burnout patients—those who maintain outward success while experiencing internal exhaustion. By redefining rest as productive rather than weak, the Time Out Rx method offers an alternative to the cycle of constant doing that characterizes modern life. The implications extend beyond individual wellness to question cultural assumptions about productivity and success, suggesting that sustainable health requires intentional disengagement from constant activity. This approach represents a paradigm shift in how healthcare addresses the interconnected nature of physical, mental, and environmental factors contributing to burnout.
