Why Do We Experience Burnout

Burnout. We’ve all been there and I have too. I’m sharing my own recent experience of hitting a wall after burning the candle at both ends and sharing this information for myself as much as for you.

My motto is progress over perfection; I feel like I forgot it for a moment. My body involuntarily gave that reminder after going so hard that I ended up in bed for two days. We all need to be wary of wearing our busyness as a badge of honor. 

I get it! As entrepreneurs, we’re naturally wired to have dreams and hopes and always work toward the next achievement. But alongside that, we need to remember to respect our bodies, rest, ask for help, pause, and really prioritize so we can safely manage our mental, physical, and emotional health without hitting rock bottom. 

If nothing else, this episode serves as a reminder that we’re all human and we need to honor our limits!  No matter how much we believe we have our ducks in a row, sometimes life does get too much, and instead of racing against it and believing we can tackle it all in an impossible amount of time frame, we need to pause and realize that by burning out we’re not doing ourselves any favors since we’re the best asset in our own business! 

Episode Highlights

• Why Burnout Happens and How to Fix It – In this episode, Rebecca opens up about her personal experience with burnout, sharing candid insights on how it sneaks up on us and what we can do to prevent it. Whether you’re juggling multiple roles—like a parent, business owner, or creative professional—you’ll relate to her journey and learn valuable tips for avoiding burnout and finding balance.
• The Moment My Body Forced Me to Slow Down – Rebecca gets real about the moment her body shut down after pushing through impossible deadlines and stress. Tune in to hear how she recognized the signs of burnout and why hitting pause can be a game-changer for your health, mindset, and productivity. This episode is a must-listen if you’re feeling the pressure to do it all!

Read the Full Transcript ⬇️

00:00:00:00 – 00:00:27:21
Rebecca:
Hey, hey, hey! It’s Rebecca, and you’re listening to Resilient by Design. Today is a short episode, and I just wanted to hop on here to talk about burnout. I recently experienced major burnout, and it’s been a really long time since I felt this way. In fact, I think it was reminiscent of either 2016 or 2017, and it really got me thinking and reflecting deeply.

00:00:27:22 – 00:00:48:12
Rebecca:
Anyhow, today I just want to quickly share with you: why do we burn out? What’s causing this burnout, and how can we fix it? This is the journey I’m on. So here we go. Burnout happens when you’re literally burning out—like burning the candle at both ends. You might not even realize you’re doing it. You’re probably someone who values hard work, productivity, and you’re trying to do it all. You’re trying to wear all the hats. Maybe you’re a mom, a business owner, or a designer. You’re trying to please your clients, get your systems in place, take all the courses, and still meet friends for drinks—you’re trying to do everything.

00:00:48:15 – 00:01:06:09
Rebecca:
Typically, for me, I experience burnout when I’m getting close to something big, like a big reveal for a client or a presentation. In this case, it was different. I can tell you exactly what happened: I was trying to take a vacation over the summer months and ended up putting a lot of things on the back burner. I trusted my team, and they did a great job, but there were certain things only I could do. So I kept pushing them into September.

00:01:06:11 – 00:01:29:15
Rebecca:
When I came back from holiday, I had four days to do the impossible—an impossible amount of tasks. I had to ensure certain orders were placed (not replaced!), review a million different items, and collect things for a job site. Everything was coming to a head with my design project. On the flip side, with the coaching business, we were gearing up for our Power of Process launch. At the time of my burnout, I needed to record podcast ads, short episodes, get my manager chat up and running, check in with the team, and keep up with our Facebook ads.

00:01:29:15 – 00:01:56:21
Rebecca:
To top it all off, for the first time in nine years, we started school without a nanny. We had relied on one for almost a decade, and even though we were ready for it, it was still a hard awakening. All those little things added up. I was working so hard, cutting my workdays short to pick up the kids, then trying to work from home, which I hadn’t done in years because of all the deadlines. I was falling behind. I got to the point where I was staring at my computer, feeling nauseous.

00:01:56:23 – 00:02:11:24
Rebecca:
Actually, I’m recording this episode post-burnout recovery. I chose not to turn on the camera, so if you’re on YouTube, I’m sorry. I just needed a break from staring at a screen. By doing audio only, I don’t have to stress my eyes, which had gotten so bad that, by Thursday and Friday of that week, my eyeballs were literally bugging out of my head. I was staring at my computer at 9:00 PM thinking, “I just have to finish a few more tasks,” but I physically couldn’t do it anymore.

00:02:11:24 – 00:03:00:03
Rebecca:
That was a point I hadn’t reached in years, and I wanted to share this episode because it’s important to dissect how we get to this place. I’m not here to complain or seek sympathy, but to understand why this happens. I pride myself on having a great work schedule, on time-blocking effectively, and on growing two businesses (one to seven figures). So for me, this was a double whammy because I thought I had overcome the burnout cycle, yet here I was again.

00:03:00:03 – 00:03:21:22
Rebecca:
One of the important things about discussing this is accepting that we’re human. We won’t always get it right, and perfection doesn’t exist. Honestly, there’s a bit of relief in reminding yourself of that. As the week went on, I got more and more tired. We went to a friend’s house on Friday night, and I had maybe two drinks—nothing crazy. But that night, I got home and was violently ill with the stomach flu. I was sick all weekend, and it was my husband’s birthday on Saturday.

00:03:21:22 – 00:03:39:26
Rebecca:
The poor guy ended up parenting alone. Thankfully, our community of neighbors helped out, taking care of the kids and hosting a birthday party. But as I record this now, on Monday, I’m still slightly feverish and not feeling great. It’s been a strong reminder that we cannot do it all. When we get to that place, we need to reflect on where we aren’t taking care of ourselves.

00:03:39:26 – 00:04:01:16
Rebecca:
When we work really hard, for me at least, when I hit a burnout phase, it’s like my body is desperate for rest. It’s run down and tired. It’s almost like the universe—or my body—is telling me, “Hey, Rebecca, you haven’t taken time for me, so I’m going to take it.” You haven’t taken time off, gone to the spa, or done something to fill your cup. Being at the cottage with the kids is great, but you’re still parenting and hosting. It’s not restful. So my body forced me to stay in bed for two days.

00:04:01:18 – 00:06:02:24
Rebecca:
There’s something about this idea of being busy as a badge of honor, and I thought I’d moved past that, but clearly, I’m still working through it. It’s this idea of, “Look at me! I can achieve so much!” But at what cost? If you’ve experienced burnout before, or if you’re feeling it now, you know that it’s a lot—especially in September. As a parent, programs are starting up, the mental load increases, and you’re trying to coordinate all the schedules. The mental monologue alone is exhausting! And if we don’t slow down, our bodies will force us to. It won’t be fun.

00:06:02:26 – 00:07:03:23
Rebecca:
I’m curious if you’ve experienced this. I just wanted to put it out there because I don’t think we talk about it enough. People tend to breeze past it—”Oh, I was sick. I’m fine now. Let’s get going.” But then we do the whole burnout cycle all over again. For me, I’m trying to be more intentional with my schedule now. I came to work today and thought, “What’s a priority? What can I do with the energy I have? Can I record a couple of episodes without a camera? Done. Can I handle a few other tasks and then go home for a nap? Yes.”

00:07:03:25 – 00:08:25:07
Rebecca:
That’s what I’ve learned, even if it’s later than I’d hoped: Pause. Slow down. You can still achieve what you want without overworking and burning out. This is your reminder to stop burning the candle at both ends. Find help where you can, and if you can’t find help, reduce the workload. Prioritize what will actually move the needle. Does that mean ignoring your email inbox for a few hours? Maybe. That’s what I’m doing today. I’m just not going there because it will only lead to more overwhelm. So, if you’re experiencing burnout, you’re not alone. We can do this together. You’ve got this, mama, and I hope this was helpful. I’ll see you soon.