Burnout Isn’t Always About Doing Too Much

Burnout isn’t always about overwork.
Sometimes it’s about:

• Unprocessed emotions
  

• Constant people-pleasing
  

• Invisible mental load
  

• Suppressing your own needs
  

• Living out of alignment too long
  

If you’re tired but can’t point to what exactly is draining you — this one’s for you.

⚠️ Signs of Hidden Burnout (That Aren’t Just About Hours)

• You wake up tired, even with 8 hours of sleep
  

• You avoid texts, not out of rudeness — but emotional depletion
  

• You find yourself numbing out with scrolling, snacking, or overplanning
  

• You dread even small tasks because your capacity is maxed out
  

🎯 Giphy Search: “emotionally drained”
🖼 Unsplash Search: “person lying in bed heavy light coming through window”

📘 Read: Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Emily & Amelia Nagoski — especially if you’re a highly empathetic or emotionally giving person

💡 The Real Energy Drains (That Nobody Talks About)

• Holding in your feelings to keep others comfortable
  

• Monitoring everyone’s mood in a room
  

• Saying “yes” when you mean “no”
  

• Staying in roles that don’t match your values
  

• Constantly editing yourself to avoid judgment
  

These are energetic leaks — and over time, they burn you out without warning.

🛠 What to Do About It

1. Name the Invisible Load

Use this sentence:

“I’m not just doing ____. I’m also carrying ____.”

Example:
“I’m not just going to work. I’m also managing my team’s emotions, suppressing my opinions in meetings, and pretending I’m fine.”

2. Do a Boundary Audit

Ask:

• Where am I overextending?
  

• Who or what drains me most?
  

• What am I afraid will happen if I disappoint someone?
  

Then, name 1 place where you can start under-functioning and let things fall out of balance on purpose.

3. Rebuild Energy from the Inside Out

• Breathwork before bed → try Othership’s free sessions
  
  

• Journaling emotional “residue” at the end of each day
  

• Schedule non-productive time that isn’t earned, just honored
  

🎧 Listen: The Rest Is Resistance by Tricia Hersey — revolutionary book and talk on rest as liberation

✍️ Journal Prompt

“What’s exhausting me that I’m not talking about?”

Let it pour out. The release is part of the repair.

“You’re not weak. You’re likely over-functioning for far too long, with too little care in return.”

Burnout isn’t proof of failure — it’s a signal. Honor it. And heal forward.

With restoration and respect,
- Growth Mode

Forward this to someone who keeps saying “I’m just tired lately.” It might not be physical. It might be emotional capacity overload.