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Why I Nearly Lost My Mind (And How You Can Keep Yours): The Brutal Truth About Burnout Prevention

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Right, let's get something straight from the start. I used to think burnout was just corporate jargon for "being a bit tired."

That was before I found myself crying in the Woolworths car park in Surry Hills because I couldn't remember why I'd driven there. Classic burnout move, apparently. Who knew?

After seventeen years of running leadership workshops across Australia—from mining companies in the Pilbara to tech startups in Fitzroy—I've seen more burnout cases than I care to count. More importantly, I've lived through it myself. And here's what nobody tells you: most of the advice out there is absolute rubbish.

The Self-Assessment Nobody Wants You to Do

Before we dive into solutions, you need to know where you actually stand. Not where you think you stand, or where your partner thinks you stand. Where you actually stand.

Here's my brutally honest burnout checklist. Answer yes or no, and don't you dare lie to yourself:

Do you check emails before your feet hit the floor in the morning?
Have you cancelled social plans three times in the past month because you were "too tired"?
Do you feel guilty when you're not working?
Is your idea of a good weekend sleeping until 1pm and ordering UberEats?
Have you snapped at someone this week over something trivial?

If you answered yes to three or more, mate, we need to talk.

The Real Problem With Burnout Advice

Most self-care strategies are designed by people who clearly have never worked a real job. "Take a bubble bath!" they chirp. "Practice gratitude!" Right. Tell that to someone pulling 12-hour days in construction or managing a team through another restructure.

The wellness industry has convinced us that burnout is a personal failing. It's not. It's a systemic issue wrapped up in individual symptoms. But since we can't exactly overthrow capitalism this afternoon, let's focus on what we can control.

I learned this the hard way when my business nearly folded in 2019. I was so burned out I couldn't make simple decisions. Should I order the chicken or beef? Paralysis. Which route should I take to the client meeting? Twenty minutes of Google Maps staring. It was pathetic.

What Actually Works (And What Doesn't)

The stuff that doesn't work:

Telling yourself to "just relax"
Weekend warrior recovery attempts
Caffeine as a food group
Pretending you're fine
Meditation apps (sorry, Headspace, but most people give up after three days)

The stuff that actually works:

1. The Energy Audit Method

Track your energy levels every two hours for one week. I'm serious. Set phone alarms. Rate yourself 1-10. You'll be shocked by the patterns. Most people think they're tired all the time, but there are usually specific triggers.

Mine was back-to-back meetings. Anything more than three in a row and I was useless for the rest of the day. Simple fix: I started blocking 30-minute buffer zones. Revolutionary stuff, right?

2. The 67% Rule

Here's something controversial: aim for 67% capacity, not 100%. I know, I know. It goes against everything we've been taught about giving 110%. But think about it—your phone battery warning kicks in at 20%, not 0%.

When I started operating at 67% capacity, my actual output improved. Counterintuitive? Absolutely. Effective? You bet.

3. The Tuesday Test

Every Tuesday, ask yourself: "If I had to maintain this exact pace for the next three months, would I survive?" If the answer is no, something needs to change immediately. Not next month. Not after the busy period. Now.

The Melbourne Method (Because Everything Needs a Catchy Name)

I developed this system after working with a particularly stressed executive team at a major retailer. They were dropping like flies, and traditional wellness approaches weren't cutting it.

Week 1: Document Everything Write down what drains you and what energises you. Not what you think should energise you—what actually does. Maybe it's not yoga and green juice. Maybe it's fixing things with your hands or arguing about politics. Own it.

Week 2: Implement One Tiny Change Not seventeen changes. One. I had a client who started eating lunch away from her desk. Revolutionary? Hardly. Life-changing? Apparently so.

Week 3: Protect Your Energy Like Your Bank Account Start saying no to energy vampires. You know who they are. That colleague who complains about everything. The family member who calls only when they need something. The committee that meets monthly but achieves nothing.

Week 4: Build Your Support System And I don't mean just your partner or best friend. You need professional supports too. A good GP, a financial advisor who doesn't try to sell you insurance, maybe a counsellor who gets your industry.

The Uncomfortable Truth About Boundaries

Setting boundaries isn't about being difficult or precious. It's about sustainable performance. Elite athletes don't train 24/7—they periodise. They have recovery built into their schedules.

Yet somehow, in corporate Australia, suggesting you need recovery time marks you as "uncommitted." Bollocks.

I once worked with a law firm where partners were burning out faster than they could recruit. The solution wasn't more coffee machines or standing desks. It was implementing mandatory email blackout hours and actual lunch breaks. Radical stuff for lawyers.

What Your Body Is Actually Telling You

Burnout isn't just feeling tired. It's your nervous system saying "enough." The symptoms are annoyingly non-specific:

Brain fog (can't think straight)
Physical exhaustion that sleep doesn't fix
Emotional numbing (nothing feels exciting anymore)
Getting sick more often
Stomach issues that doctors can't explain

Sound familiar? Your body is basically staging an intervention.

The Recovery Reality Check

Here's what everyone gets wrong about burnout recovery: it's not linear. You don't steadily improve day by day. It's more like a drunk person trying to walk straight—lots of zigzagging, occasional face-plants, but generally moving in the right direction.

I've seen too many people give up after a bad day, thinking they're not improving. Rubbish. Recovery looks like having more good days than bad days, not having perfect days every day.

Industry-Specific Strategies

For Healthcare Workers: Micro-recoveries between patients. Thirty seconds of deep breathing, looking out a window, stretching your neck.

For Teachers: Actually use your lunch break. I know, I know—marking needs doing. But you're no good to anyone if you're running on empty.

For Tradies: Protect your body and your mind. That means proper breaks, not just smoko with more complaining about the job.

For Managers: Stop trying to be the hero who saves everyone. Delegate properly, not just the boring stuff.

When Self-Care Isn't Enough

Sometimes, despite your best efforts, burnout isn't something you can DIY your way out of. And that's okay. Recognising when you need professional help isn't weakness—it's intelligence.

Red flags that scream "get professional help now":

Thoughts of self-harm
Substance use to cope
Complete inability to function
Relationship breakdown
Physical symptoms that worry you

The Financial Reality

Burnout is expensive. Not just the potential medical bills, but the lost opportunities, poor decisions, relationship costs, and reduced earning capacity.

Investing in prevention isn't self-indulgent—it's financially smart. That stress management course, that weekly massage, that extra day off—think of it as insurance, not luxury.

Moving Forward (Without the Toxic Positivity)

Look, I'm not going to tell you that everything happens for a reason or that burnout is a gift. That's nonsense. Burnout sucks, recovery is hard, and some workplaces are genuinely toxic.

But here's what I will tell you: you have more control than you think. Not over everything—not over your boss's unrealistic deadlines or your organisation's poor planning—but over your response to it all.

The goal isn't to eliminate stress entirely. It's to build resilience so you can handle the inevitable challenges without falling apart. Think of it as upgrading your emotional and physical infrastructure.

Start small. Pick one thing from this article and try it for a week. Not three things. One. Because sustainable change happens gradually, not dramatically.

And remember: looking after yourself isn't selfish. It's strategic. You can't pour from an empty cup, and all that.

Now stop reading wellness articles and go do something that actually energises you. Even if it's just making a decent cup of coffee and drinking it while it's still hot.

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