Burnout doesn’t show up all at once. It creeps in — slow, quiet, and sneaky.
At first, I thought I was just tired. “It’s just a busy week,” I told myself.
But the weeks kept piling up, and I kept dragging myself through each day like a zombie in work clothes.
Burnout feels like being emotionally flatlined. You stop caring about stuff you used to love.
Your brain feels foggy. Coffee stops working. Even the smallest tasks feel huge. You might cry randomly. Or feel… nothing at all.
For me, it hit hard when I realized I couldn’t even enjoy my time off anymore.
My body was “resting,” but my mind was still racing through to-do lists and worst-case scenarios.
The truth? I waited way too long to listen to the signs. But when I finally did, everything changed.
I gave myself permission to rest. I talked to people. I stepped back. I stopped trying to be the superhero who could do it all.
And slowly, I came back to life.
If you’re feeling this way, please know: burnout isn’t weakness. It’s a signal. Your body and mind are begging you to slow down. And it’s okay — more than okay — to listen.