Feeling tired on a Friday? That’s normal.
But burnout? That’s something deeper — and far more serious.
I once sat at dinner with my family and friends… and for 30 seconds, I genuinely couldn’t remember their names. Not because I was exhausted, but because I was burnt out.
Burnout isn’t just mental. It’s physiological:
- Your hippocampus, the part of your brain responsible for memory, starts to shut down
- Your prefrontal cortex shrinks under chronic stress
- Your cortisol rhythms flatten
- Inflammation markers spike throughout your body
And the emotional signs? They’re just as clear:
When you’re tired and finish a big week, you feel proud — even if you’re drained.
When you’re burnt out, you feel nothing. Just detachment. No pride. No joy.
That’s a signal you need more than rest —
You need a reset.
Burnout often comes from over-attaching your identity to outcomes. When goals become your self-worth, your nervous system pays the price.
The fix?
Shift your focus from outcomes… to process.
Fall back in love with the doing, not just the achieving.
That’s how you recover. That’s how you prevent it next time.
Feeling tired on a Friday? That’s normal.
But burnout? That’s something deeper — and far more serious.
I once sat at dinner with my family and friends… and for 30 seconds, I genuinely couldn’t remember their names. Not because I was exhausted, but because I was burnt out.
Burnout isn’t just mental. It’s physiological:
- Your hippocampus, the part of your brain responsible for memory, starts to shut down
- Your prefrontal cortex shrinks under chronic stress
- Your cortisol rhythms flatten
- Inflammation markers spike throughout your body
And the emotional signs? They’re just as clear:
When you’re tired and finish a big week, you feel proud — even if you’re drained.
When you’re burnt out, you feel nothing. Just detachment. No pride. No joy.
That’s a signal you need more than rest —
You need a reset.
Burnout often comes from over-attaching your identity to outcomes. When goals become your self-worth, your nervous system pays the price.
The fix?
Shift your focus from outcomes… to process.
Fall back in love with the doing, not just the achieving.
That’s how you recover. That’s how you prevent it next time.
