Burnout for me?
It was sitting at my desk, head in my hands… crying. Just crying.
Over nothing. Over everything. I wasn’t even sure.
The only thing I did know?
I was exhausted. Mentally, emotionally, physically.
Completely and utterly burnt out.
Looking back, the warning signs were all there. But when you’re in it, it’s surprisingly easy to miss them. Here’s what burnout actually looked like in real life:
🔸 Constant late nights – working
🔸 Brain fog that makes remembering your own name at times a stretch
🔸 Feeling overwhelmed and irritated by… well, everything
🔸 Snapping at people you’d normally bend over backwards for
🔸 Doing tasks you thought were important but can’t explain why
🔸 Surviving on snacks, not meals
If you’re nodding along thinking “oh no, that’s me” — keep reading.
Burnout doesn’t burst through the door yelling “Surprise! You’re mentally fried!”
It creeps in slowly, quietly, invisibly.
Until one day you find yourself sitting at your desk, wondering why you’re crying.
It doesn’t always look like lying in bed unable to move (though sometimes it does).
Sometimes it looks like being weirdly angry at your inbox.
Or avoiding phone calls because the idea of talking makes your skin crawl.
Or feeling weirdly disconnected from the work you used to enjoy.
The more you push through, the worse it gets. You tell yourself:
“I just need to get through this week.”
“Once I finish this project, I’ll rest.”
“It’s just a busy month.”
But the month never ends, does it?
And meanwhile, your brain is waving a red flag and whispering,
“This is not fine.”
If I could go back and speak to that version of myself, I’d say this:
🛑 Just stop. Even for ten minutes. Step away.
🌬️ Breathe. Like, properly. No shallow stress-breathing.
🥪 Eat a proper lunch. One that didn’t come from the bottom drawer of your desk.
🗣️ Talk to someone. Friend, colleague, anyone!
🤝 Ask for support. You’re not supposed to do it all alone.
You can’t “time-block” your way out of burnout. You can’t “positive mindset” it into submission.
Recovery starts when you admit something’s not right and that you deserve better than living in a permanent state of overwhelm.
And yes, you can come back from burnout. But if you can avoid it altogether?
Do.
Avoid it like that mystery Tupperware in the office fridge.
I’m no therapist, but I have been there and I really wish I had have asked for support.
I can take some of the burden from you and show you some empathy. You can even just call me for chat, if you’d like. no pressure, no judgment.
One of the reasons I became a VA was to offer to support to others who me be about to hit the wall, like I did.
Inbox chaos, admin overwhelm, never-ending tasks that drain your soul. I help untangle the mess, give you some head space, before it turns into burnout.
If you want to go a bit deeper, Mental Health UK have some great information about burnout.
Or read my blog on 6 Signs of Burnout
