Maybe you’ve felt it lately. That sense of being just a little crispy around the edges. You’re not completely burned out, but you’re not your best self either. You’re tired, short-fused, drained. The joy that once fueled your work has started to fade.
Burnout doesn’t happen all at once. It creeps in slowly. It starts with small compromises: skipped workouts, late nights, missed weekends. The voice that says, “I’ll rest when things slow down.” Except they never do.
The signs show up in subtle ways. You start to dread the inbox. You lose patience with your team or your family. You feel detached from your purpose. You wake up tired no matter how long you sleep. You start wondering whether any of it still matters.
If any of this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. The world is moving faster than ever. Expectations are higher. Our devices never stop talking to us. The pressure to perform, to keep up, can be relentless.
And yet, the truth is this: you can’t give what you don’t have. You can’t lead, create, or serve when you’re running on fumes. You can’t be your best for others if you’ve abandoned yourself.
So what do you do when you realize you’re burning out?
First, stop pretending you’re fine. Acknowledge what’s real. Burnout thrives in denial. It grows in silence and shame. Admitting that you’re tired is not a weakness; it’s an act of courage.
Second, reclaim your margins. Every high performer I’ve ever coached has wrestled with this. They fill their calendars to the brim, mistaking activity for impact. But great lives and great work happen in the white space, in the moments between the doing. You need rest. You need recovery. You need stillness.
Third, come back to your body. Burnout is not just mental; it’s physical. Move. Breathe. Hydrate. Sleep. Step outside. Touch the ground. The body knows before the mind does. Listen to it.
Fourth, reconnect to what matters. When you’ve been running too long, you forget why you started. Ask yourself: What really lights me up? What brings me peace? Who do I love being around? Then, orient your days toward those things again.
And finally, get support. Burnout isolates. It convinces you that you’re the only one struggling. You’re not. Talk to a coach, a therapist, a trusted friend. You don’t have to do it alone.
There’s no quick fix. Reclaiming your energy and enthusiasm takes time. But you can begin today with one small act of care, one boundary drawn, one breath, one pause.
The paradox is that when you slow down, everything gets better. Your focus sharpens. Your creativity returns. You become more patient, more compassionate, more effective. You remember who you are.
The work will always be there. The deadlines will never stop. The demands will keep coming. But you get to choose how you show up.
So take a look at your life. If you’re feeling crispy around the edges, don’t wait until you’re burned out completely. Step back. Breathe. Refill your cup. You can’t pour from an empty one.
Need help? Let’s talk. Email me: [email protected]
