The Remedy for Burnout is Not Recreation but Sustainability

“Exhausted. Totally drained.” “No motivation.” “Feeling disconnected.” “Can’t focus. Can’t keep up.” “Overwhelmed” “Don’t want to do it any more.” “I can’t do it any more!” Many of my clients are expressing sentiments like these when I ask how they’re feeling. Then our conversations center on finding a remedy for burnout. However, I’d like to share something profound that I’ve learned from this…

We live in times of great opportunities, but they come with monumental responsibilities and challenges. High achieving women manage the work/life juggling act for a while. But something has to give. And what usually gives is your spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical health. Then it’s a long, hard struggle to recover.

The Ultimate Remedy for Burnout

Compounding the problem,  many coaches say you need to show more love to yourself — Take a vacation. Get a massage. Do some yoga. Find a hobby. Schedule me-time. Experience has taught me that these interventions are a band aid approach. They do provide temporary relief. However, they miss a crucial truth: the remedy for burnout isn’t needing more recreation—it’s implementing a sustainable way of living and working. Do you get what that means? It’s a proactive, preventative approach that ensures you avoid burnout in the first place!

Think about it. When your car’s engine is overheating, taking a break might cool it down temporarily, but if there’s a fundamental issue with the cooling system, the problem will keep recurring. The same applies to human performance and wellbeing.

The traditional approach to burnout goes something like this: Push hard, reach exhaustion, take a break, repeat. It’s a cycle that might seem manageable in the short term, but it’s fundamentally unsustainable. Each cycle tends to require longer recovery periods and produces diminishing returns.

Break the Burnout Cycle

What if, instead of this push-crash-recover cycle, we built sustainability into the core of how we work and live?

Sustainability isn’t about working less—it’s about working differently. It means:

Creating rhythms that honor your natural energy cycles
Building in recovery before you need it
Establishing boundaries that protect your resources
Developing systems that support consistent performance
Making decisions based on long-term sustainability rather than short-term gains

The irony is that sustainable practices often lead to greater productivity and impact than the push-crash-recover model. When we work in alignment with our natural rhythms and maintain our resources, we can show up consistently, think clearly, and create meaningfully.

Awareness Note — this shift challenges the following deeply held beliefs! 

• Pushing through is a badge of honor
• Rest is a reward rather than a necessity
• Recovery is something we earn rather than build
• Breaks represent lost productivity rather than essential maintenance

True sustainability isn’t about perfect balance—it’s about intentional shifting between engagement and recovery. It’s about creating systems that support your wellbeing rather than deplete it. It’s about understanding that your capacity for impact is directly related to your ability to sustain your energy and resources.

 “Dream Big, Start Small” Here’s the one thing you can do today.

Learn to recognize and adjust your present energy cycle by practicing this exercise: Wave Breathing & Movement Integration…

Wave Breathing

• • Imagine your energy like a wave in the ocean
    • Inhale for 4 counts as the wave builds
    • Hold briefly at the peak
    • Exhale for 6 counts as the wave recedes
    • Feel the natural rhythm of rise and fall

• • Now notice where your energy cycle is:
    • Energized and ready for action
    • Steady and balanced
    • Depleted and in need of rest

There are no wrong answers—just truthful awareness

Introduce Movement Integration

• • Still breathing in waves, begin gentle swaying
  • Let your body find its natural rhythm
  • Notice when you naturally want to move faster or slower
  • This is your body’s wisdom about its natural cycles.

This exercise allows you to adjust your energy cycle within a minute or two. If you’re feeling sluggish, it will speed you up. If you’re feeling frazzled it will slow you down.

For a long-term solution — the next time you feel burnout approaching, rather than planning your next vacation or escaping into a book, consider:

• What in your current way of working needs to change?
• Where can you build in regular recovery?
• How can you create more sustainable rhythms?
• What boundaries need to be established or reinforced?

Remember: The goal isn’t to recover from burnout—it’s to transform how we work so that burnout becomes unnecessary. Sustainability isn’t the alternative to high performance—it’s the foundation of it.

I started paying attention to the processes and systems that created the greatest impact in my life. Some are seemingly insignificant; some are major breakthroughs. Combined, they form a road map for Stepping Forward into creating my life of meaning and fulfillment. Learn more — Feel free to download an Introduction to The Stepping Forward Program. 

 

Photo by Yoann Boyer and Richard Pasquarella