Burnout Doesn’t Start with a Breakdown, It Starts with a Pattern

🎶 “I told you everything, opened up and let you in… you made me feel alright for once in my life.”  Kelly Clarkson, Behind These Hazel Eyes

That song hit differently once I realized I was showing up for everyone, except myself. Smiling on Zoom. Delivering big wins. And underneath it all? I was running on caffeine, resentment, and a little hope that “after this deadline,” things would ease up.

Spoiler: they didn’t.

Burnout doesn’t always start with a breakdown. It starts with one skipped meal, one late-night Slack, one “yes” you didn’t mean ,  repeated until it becomes your normal.

📌 “The earliest signs of burnout often feel like habits you don’t question ,  until your body makes you pay attention.”

You don’t need a dramatic collapse to realize something’s off. You just need to notice the patterns that quietly steal your capacity.

Try this:

✅ Audit your week for energy leaks. Highlight what gave you energy and what left you drained. Pay attention to recurring drains ,  they’re not small if they’re daily.

✅ Protect a pause, no justification needed. Start with 15 minutes per day just for you: a walk, silence, actual food. Reclaim time before it gets taken.

You’re not weak. You’re over-capacitated and overdue for a reset. You don’t need to earn recovery through collapse.

✨ You deserve more than holding it all together behind tired eyes.

Let this be the moment you see yourself again. Lets book a call and talk about how.

-Sophia