Last week, I sat at my desk and stared blankly at my screen, feeling a familiar sensation creeping in—an exhaustion beyond the physical. The endless stream of emails, urgent messages, and back-to-back meetings blurred into one another. Each task felt heavier than the last, and even the smallest interruption felt like a mountain I couldn’t climb. I was falling into bed exhausted, sleeping like I was dead, but waking up more tired than before I went to bed. That was when I realized I was dangerously close to burning out.
Burnout doesn’t hit you all at once. It’s a slow build-up of stress, fatigue, and frustration.
Here’s how I began to recognize it in myself:
Constant Exhaustion
I wasn’t just tired; I was **exhausted**. Despite getting a full night’s sleep, I would wake up feeling like I hadn’t rested. My constant cup of tea became a crutch, but even that couldn’t shake the persistent brain fog. I was drinking water with electrolytes, consciously eating well, and ensuring I had enough movement each day instead of getting stuck at my desk. I was still tired.
I have a sleep app that I use when I travel. It plays theta beats to help me sleep well. It reports a sleep score, and my scores were very high. I was having hours of deep sleep, quickly falling asleep but waking up like I hadn’t. It made no sense, but throughout the day, I yawned and felt like I needed a nap (but, of course, I had no time for a nap).
I blamed it on the constant changing of time zones, but in fairness, I do that all the time and typically do my best to stay in my home time zone, and I was doing just that. In hindsight, I knew what was happening… burnout.
Diminished Productivity
I noticed that my usual go-to strategies for managing workloads weren’t cutting it anymore. I jokingly say that my best office is on an airplane or in a hotel room. It seems to be where my focus is the best, yet I couldn’t focus the same way I usually can. I was getting work done, but I found myself making more mistakes, needing to re-read emails multiple times, and spending longer on projects that would typically be straightforward.
My concentration had gone out the window. I found myself switching tasks more often, feeling like I was distracting myself (I was). I was writing multiple lists yet not sticking to them. I was scrambling to meet deadlines, creating a stress level I don’t usually have.
Emotional Detachment
I have always loved my job. It fulfills me, makes me happy, and, most importantly, is really fun. Yet, I found myself looking at the calendar wishing for the weekend so I didn’t have to think about my growing to-do list. There was a growing sense of detachment, almost like I watched myself go through the motions without being there. Instead of being excited I was about to jump onto an airplane to speak at a conference, I was wishing the conference would be held online so I could stay at home. While I was at the events, I was 100% enjoying them but wasn’t as social as usual. I normally attend all the sessions the other speakers deliver, and this time, I did fewer than usual. I found the idea of hanging out in my hotel room alone far more appealing than I ever have. My excitement, joy, and enthusiasm were missing from my day-to-day interactions.
Irritability and Cynicism
I was a little bit cranky (and I’m sure Warren will agree). The little things started getting under my skin. All of this awareness crept in at the same time as the US election; I recognized I needed to step away from social media for a few days (and I did). I’d get irrationally annoyed for small, insignificant things. I was less my happy-go-lucky self and more irritable with friends and family. I didn’t like the way that felt, even when I rationalized to myself why I was feeling it.
Physical Symptoms
It wasn’t just mental fatigue. I felt it physically too: headaches, muscle tension, and even digestive issues. It was as if my body was trying to send me a message I wasn’t ready to hear.
I justified all the travel, hotel food, time zones, and the natural upset those caused. I wasn’t listening to my body at all.
The Importance of Acknowledging Burnout
In the corporate world, we often wear busyness as a badge of honor. Being “swamped” is seen as a sign of importance and productivity. But there’s a difference between being busy and being overwhelmed. Ignoring the signs of burnout can lead to serious consequences, not just for your work but for your overall health.
At first, I tried to push through it. I told myself it was just a phase and that things would ease up soon. But weeks turned into months, and I was still caught in the same cycle. That’s when I realized something needed to change. I had to start taking better care of myself before I hit the breaking point.
Addressing burnout isn’t about one grand gesture but rather a series of small, intentional steps to regain control of your well-being. Here’s what I’m learning on my journey:
Set Boundaries
I’m the one who sets my calendar. I can decide if I want to work Monday-Friday, 9-5, or if I’m willing to work on weekends and longer hours to accommodate time zones. I hadn’t been honoring my own boundaries until now.
Last week, I knew that I was over the edge. My body wasn’t acting like my body, and it decided it was going to make the decisions and overrule my brain. And when I hit the wall, I hit it hard! I was flattened by it, screaming at me to take care of myself. While lying in bed trying to heal myself, I did a lot of thinking. Boundaries were one area that I needed to set.
We now have very clear office hours. I am an earlier riser by nature. It is not unusual for me to be in the office by 6:30 am. That stopped this week. I put on my face mask and forced myself to stay in bed until 7:30 this week, and a few times, I even fell back asleep.
I will make exceptions of course for clients in different time zones, but my 10-hour days are a thing of the past. It wasn’t easy at first; I felt guilty (I still do as this is a relatively new decision). But I realized that to be effective, I needed to recharge.
When traveling, I will force myself to do the same thing. I was working far too many hours and not taking care of myself. I had enough work to do, but because I was pushing too hard, it took all the hours in my day. If I tell myself I’m walking away from the laptop at a certain time, I’m willing to bet I can work more efficiently in that allotted time. I used to do it! I need to do it again.
Practice Saying No
I am the type of person who lives by the motto that you will regret the things in life you didn’t do. I like to do all sorts of things and have all life’s experiences. Saying yes and justifying why I said yes has always been my standard practice. But looking at that theory in my business, I realized that saying yes to everything was a fast track to burnout and not always a smart business decision. Now that I’m asking myself if saying yes is right for me and my business, I have discovered a few things on my calendar that indicate that the answer is no. I’ll honor what is on my calendar, but moving forward, I will ask myself if that commitment makes the most sense to me and my business.
Prioritize Self-Care
Self-care isn’t just about spa days or vacations (although those can help, and I’m looking forward to the one I have upcoming); it’s about doing things that replenish your energy. I will prioritize regular exercise, even if it is just a walk after work. I need to find those hobbies I’d neglected, like reading and painting. These activities helped me disconnect from work and reconnect with myself.
Just this week, I finished a book I had been reading for months. And I have three more on my night table to read!
Seek Support
I reached out to a trusted friend and admitted how overwhelmed I was feeling. Just talking about it lifted some of the weight off my shoulders. I also confided in my Warren about how I felt; he was very understanding and supportive. We discussed how I need to adjust how much I do, which of course, impacts our wallet. We agreed that my health was more important.
Focus on the Basics
Even simple things like eating healthy, drinking enough water, and getting sufficient sleep can feel challenging when you’re feeling burnt out. But I made a conscious effort to focus on these basics. I started meal-prepping healthy options, setting a consistent bedtime, and taking breaks during the workday to stretch and breathe.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed like me, it’s important to remember that you’re not alone. Burnout is incredibly common, especially in high-pressure jobs with constantly rising expectations. It’s okay to admit that you’re struggling. It’s okay to ask for help. And most importantly, it’s okay to take a step back.
Your mental and physical well-being is more important than any deadline or project. Remember that taking care of yourself is not a sign of weakness but a sign of strength. It’s a sign that you respect yourself enough to prioritize your health and well-being.
Recovering from burnout isn’t a quick fix; it’s an ongoing process. It requires a commitment to making your well-being a priority. I’m still working on it daily, learning to listen to my body and mind, and taking proactive steps to ensure I don’t fall back into the same pattern.
To anyone else feeling the edges of burnout, I want to remind you: **You deserve to feel well and whole. You deserve to take care of yourself.** The work will still be there tomorrow, but you can only give your best when you are at your best. Prioritize yourself because you are worth it.
This article was written by Rhonda Scharf and not by artificial intelligence.
