What is burnout, anyway?
When an author reached out inviting me to contribute my expertise to her upcoming book on burnout, I was genuinely thrilled by the opportunity. In preparation for our conversation, I found myself diving deep into my accumulated research, reviewing patterns across countless client intake assessments, and reconnecting with my own transformative burnout journey. Today, I'll share both the origin story behind The Burnout Coach and several key insights that emerged during our rich discussion.
I became The Burnout Coach because I lived through it myself. After years in senior HR and recruiting roles at Fortune 500 companies like Amazon and Booking.com, I found myself constantly traveling and working 60+ hour weeks. Eventually, I felt physically depleted, anxious, and detached from myself. I was unable to disconnect from my job.
My wake-up call came during a work trip to Florida. While rushing to get cold medicine between back-to-back meetings, I was in a car accident. My first thought? Work. I shook my fists, looked up at the sky, and said, “I have too much f’ing work today for this!” I spent four hours in urgent care—laptop open—then pushed through the pain and kept going.
Months later, the consequences caught up with me. Ignoring medical advice, I developed a frozen shoulder and was drowning in anxiety, depression, and sadness. My husband asked, "What the hell are you doing? And why?" Everyone else could see it but me, and it forced me to confront reality.
Taking a three-month medical leave was the best decision I ever made. Stepping away, I saw how much my identity was wrapped up in work. I WAS A WORKAHOLIC! I finally realized how disconnected I had become. I knew I needed a complete reset.
So, I left corporate America. I pursued a yearlong coaching certification that changed my life—and The Burnout Coach was born. Now, for the past 7 years, I have helped others break the cycle I once lived in.
I'm often asked to define burnout. Here's what I typically share:
The World Health Organization defines burnout as "a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed." Its main characteristics are:
Feeling of energy depletion or exhaustion.
Increased mental distance from one’s job or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one’s job.
Reduced professional efficacy.
The description that most resonates with me that I share with my clients is a Michael Gungor quote: “Burnout is what happens when you try to avoid being human for too long." Some signs to watch for:
Exhaustion or feeling overwhelmed
Anger or irritability
Sadness and loss of motivation, ideals & hope
Difficulty concentrating
Physical symptoms like feelings of detachment & depression
During our interview, we explored common myths that drive burnout. I've found that burnout looks different for everyone and often gets worse because of struggles people don't talk about—like personal problems at home. When you add today's stressful political environment, it creates a perfect storm. Many people hide their burnout because admitting it feels like confessing weakness. The harmful thoughts that keep burnout going include beliefs like: "I just need to push through this rough patch," "I'll rest later," "Saying yes to everything proves my value," and "Feeling burnt out means I'm weak." These thoughts keep us stuck in unhealthy patterns.
Are you feeling burnt out in life? Whether it's job-related burnout, personal burnout, or just burnout in life in general, I can help.