How to kick burnout in the booty!
Ok, let’s get stuck in. The gem that is… burnout.
Burnout is a phrase that’s thrown around quite a lot, and often people are aware of when they’re on the way to it.
Without reeling out a dramatic and generic description of burnout that you probably already know, I'll provide you with an analogy that I quite like. Burnout is like trying to run a marathon but realising halfway through that your body is running on empty. You feel exhausted, like no amount of rest is enough, and tasks that used to feel manageable now seem overwhelming or pointless. Every mile feels like it’s just a repeat of the last, and the finish line is a foggy, blurry lifetime away.
Some very common and less stereotypical signs that you’re experiencing burnout include:
- Telling yourself that you have “no time”,which leads to social withdrawal.
- Loss of empathy:You don’t have the emotional capacity to hear other people's concerns.
- Cognitive impairment: General forgetfulness, trouble focusing, poor decision-making, and low-quality work.…
Are you thinking, “Sh*t, this is me?” Look, don’t panic. We can get you through this.
Why do we burn out?
Burnout doesn’t happen overnight. It’s the result of chronic stress, often coming from high-pressure environments or overwhelming life demands that leave us feeling depleted. But there’s a deeper reason why so many of us fall into burnout cycles: society’s definition of success.
We’ve been conditioned to believe that to be successful, we must be financially successful. Society tells us that the way to achieve that is to grind relentlessly — to work long hours, hustle, and sacrifice rest in the name of progress. But here’s the catch: often, we overwork not just because of the workload itself, but to avoid confronting our own emotions.
Many of us grind because we’re trying to convince ourselves that working hard is the answer to insecurities we’d rather ignore. Deep down, we might feel unworthy or fear failure, so we keep ourselves busy to avoid facing those feelings.
Staying in the same cycle of overwork and burnout becomes a way to protect ourselves. If we don’t stop and reflect, nothing will prove to us that we’re unworthy or wrong. But at the same time, we’re not growing. Instead, we’re trapped in a loop that keeps us from addressing the deeper, more personal issues that drive us to burnout in the first place.
How to beat burnout: The game-changer
So, how do you overcome burnout? One of the most powerful steps is changing your environment or life circumstances. Sometimes, you can’t just rest your way out of burnout because the root cause — your environment — is still the same. A fresh perspective or new setting forces you to re-evaluate what you’ve been doing and why. It disrupts the autopilot cycle you’ve been stuck in and opens up mental space to assess where the stress is coming from.
Changing your surroundings also forces you to ask the bigger questions:
- Is this lifestyle still working for me?
- What am I doing to avoid confronting my own insecurities?
- What can I change to make this more sustainable?
It’s a wake-up call. Whether it’s a new job, a shift in your work-life balance, or even moving to a new location, shaking up your routine helps you reset and reconsider what you need to function well.
Practical ways to break the burnout cycle
Aside from a major life change, there are smaller, immediate things you can do to start turning the tide against burnout:
Set boundaries
Start saying ‘no’ to commitments that drain you. Protect your time and energy like it’s a limited resource — because it is.
Take regular breaks
You might think pushing through will get you to the finish line faster, but breaks are essential for sustained performance. Micro-breaks during the day, as well as scheduling longer periods of rest, are key to recovery.
Practice mindfulness or meditation
These techniques help you reconnect with the present moment, allowing you to clear mental clutter and focus on what truly matters. They reduce overall stress and can prevent burnout by creating a sense of mental space.
Delegate or ask for help
You don’t have to do everything on your own. Delegate tasks where possible or lean on others for support. This can reduce your workload and take some of the mental pressure off.
Realign with your values
Take some time to reassess what matters most to you. Burnout often happens when you're working towards things that don’t align with your core values. Refocusing your efforts on what genuinely fulfils you can rekindle your motivation and energy.
Redefine success
Let go of society’s narrow definition of success. Success doesn’t have to mean constantly achieving more or making more money. Sometimes it’s about balance, personal growth, and finding joy in the process. If you’re always grinding toward an external measure of success, you’ll never feel like enough. By redefining what success means to you, you can free yourself from the constant pressure that fuels burnout.
If none of the above is working, it's time to think about working with a life coach. A life coach can be incredibly helpful when it comes to breaking out of burnout. One of the most powerful aspects of working with a coach is that they create a safe, non-judgmental space where you can unpack your burnout-related insecurities and push past those fears that may be keeping you stuck.
By offering guidance and support, a life coach can help you confront the limiting beliefs that are feeding your overwork and exhaustion. They’ll help to push you out of your comfort zone in a way that feels manageable and achievable.
Together, you can plan and work towards new goals that might have felt unattainable while you were in burnout mode but are actually more sustainable in the long run. These goals are based on personal growth and a balance that supports your overall well-being, not just external markers of success like money or status.
With a coach by your side, you can create a roadmap that prioritises your mental health while still moving forward in meaningful ways, which helps prevent burnout from creeping back in.
Burnout is a signal that something in your life needs to change. It’s not just about recovering and going back to the same cycle — it’s about growth and breaking free from the patterns that got you there in the first place. With the right tools, support, and mindset, you can reclaim your energy and create a life where burnout doesn’t stand a chance.
You’ve got this. Take a breath, take a break and let's kick burnout to the curb!