6 Months Before Burnout: A Sense of Dread Looming

Hey You

This week we are moving in a little closer, six months before burnout hits.  At this point, it’s no longer just a “phase.” You’re feeling it, even if you haven’t fully admitted it yet. 

It’s like an invisible weight that never lifts, a constant cycle of exhaustion that no amount of rest can fix. You’re still trying to keep it together, but cracks are forming. 

Here’s what six months before burnout often looks like:

🧡 Chronic Stress in Both Body and Mind

By now, stress isn’t just something you think or feel—it’s something your body knows. Anxiety, depression, or just a constant tension lives in your body as much as your mind.

Do you feel it too?

The tight shoulders, the clenched jaw, that background feeling of dread? Unable to get comfortable in bed? That feeling where even the small things start to feel big?

This is chronic stress, and it’s building up layer by layer.

🧡 Exhaustion with No End in Sight

I remember waking up just as tired as when I’d gone to bed, day after day. Longing for rest but never really getting it. You might know the feeling: lying awake at night, wide-eyed with a racing mind, while all day, you’re barely making it through and have been dreaming of falling into bed and sleeping.

This insomnia—it’s not just sleeplessness; it’s burnout stealing your energy reserves. Sound familiar?

🧡 The “Sleep to Escape” Trap

On several occasions, I took a whole week off, thinking I’d just catch up on sleep. And I did—I literally slept and slept and slept. But when I went back to work, it was like that sleep had never happened. Have you tried this?

Burnout by now has settled in so deep that no amount of time off can fully recharge you. That week off? It just gets you back to “functional,” not truly rested.

🧡 A Parade of Doctor Visits Without Answers

I found myself in and out of the doctor’s office, getting tests, hoping for answers. Maybe you’ve been there, hearing terms like chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, or post-viral fatigue. Maybe you’ve even been given meds for anxiety or depression. But still, something feels unresolved, doesn’t it?

These symptoms are burnout showing up as physical exhaustion, making it harder to keep going.

🧡 The Frenemy Voice – When Your Inner Critic Gets Meaner

There was a point when my own thoughts made me cry. That inner voice, the Frenemy, once just a quiet critic, had turned into something harsh and unrelenting. Have you felt that shift? The voice in your head pointing out every mistake, replaying every awkward moment? It’s not just a mean streak—it’s burnout turning your inner voice against you, draining every bit of self-compassion and self-esteem.

🧡 Losing Touch with the Real You

Six months before full burnout, I felt like a shadow of myself. I’d go through the motions, but that spark I once had was flickering. Do you feel that, too? 

Like you’re slowly disconnecting from the person you used to be, and everything that once felt meaningful is slipping away. It’s burnout sinking its claws in deeper, and the more it builds, the harder it is to feel like yourself.

Why We Miss the Signs

So why do we ignore these warnings? I kept pushing through because I thought slowing down meant failing. Sound familiar? It’s that voice, the Frenemy that tells us strength means pushing through.

But here’s the truth—burnout isn’t something you “earn”; it happens when we ignore what we need.

🧡 The Pressure to Keep Up

Our culture cheers on busyness. Slowing down? That’s seen as weak, right? But this constant drive to keep up leads us deeper into burnout. Rest isn’t just a luxury; it’s how we survive.

🧡 The Perfectionism Trap

I convinced myself that if I could just get it all done, I’d finally be “enough.” Perfectionism has this way of keeping us pushing even when we’re empty. Maybe you’ve heard yourself saying, “It’s just this busy season.” But that season never really ends, does it?

🧡 Adjusting to Exhaustion as the New Normal

The more I ignored exhaustion, the more it just felt like… life. The constant tiredness became my new normal. Do you feel that? That worn-out feeling that somehow became expected, even acceptable?

The Breaking Point – Time to Step Off the Burnout Track

If any of this sounds like you, know that it’s not too late to make a shift. You don’t have to wait until burnout has you cornered to make a change. 

Here’s where you can start:

🧡 Break the Cycle of Overdoing

I get it—the urge to “do more” is burnout’s sidekick. But every time you overcompensate, burnout digs in a little deeper. Take a moment—even just five minutes—to ask yourself, “Do I really need to push this hard right now?” Try giving yourself permission to just be, instead of do.

🧡 Listen to Your Body

When was the last time you actually tuned into your body? That tightness, the tension, the aches—it’s trying to tell you something. Try letting your body set the pace. Even a few moments of tuning in can help shift things in small but real ways.

🧡 Reconnect with What Lights You Up

Burnout steals joy, but joy isn’t gone forever.

Start small: find one thing that brings you back to yourself, even for a moment. Whether it’s time outside, reading, or a quiet moment to breathe, you deserve to feel alive again.

What’s one small thing that can remind you of who you are?

This Is Your Wake-Up Call

Burnout isn’t an overnight collapse; it’s a slow slide. These signs are your body’s way of saying, “Hey, something has to change.” If this is resonating, take it as a nudge to reset. You don’t have to keep slipping further into burnout’s grip.

🧡 Your #RebelMoment Starts Now

Burnout doesn’t have to be your whole story. This can be your moment to take life back before burnout takes you any deeper.

The real rebellion? It’s choosing to pause, listen, and reclaim your energy.

You’ve got this.

Let burnout be your guide to Reset Realign + Rise.

Life feels lighter when your nervous system is your ally.

Stay Blessed!

Nat x

🧡 Your Burnout Bestie 🧡

Ready to Break Free from the Cycle of Overdoing + find your FLOW?

On The Mat with Nat isn’t your typical yoga class. Forget sun salutations and standard sequences — that’s not how we do yoga here. These are practices to reset your nervous system so you can actually focus, feel clear, and move through the week like the superstar you are!  

Ready to ditch the tight shoulders, busy mind, and endless doing? Jump In

Hungry for more than just an hour’s session?  

The Seasonal Slumber Party is your secret weapon to hit pause before you hit the wall. It’s where high-achieving people like you stop hustling and rediscover what it feels like to drop into that flow state. Sign Up Here

Sick and tired of the grind? Lost that spark and not even sure why?  

It’s time to talk. I’ve been there, and I got you! Let’s Chat.

Not sure and want to dip your toe in first? I get it.  

Subscribe to Nat’s Natterings for weekly reminders to step off the hamster wheel and start living from a place of calm inner power. Get on the List.

About Nat

Nat Creasy, aka Your Burnout Bestie, doesn’t sugarcoat the hustle—she calls it out for what it is: an exhausting lie that’s making us all sick. As a Nervous System Mentor, Nat shows people how to break free from the cycle of exhaustion and overthinking, helping them operate from a place of power, flow, and clarity — meditation in motion.

She gets it. After 18 months knocked flat by burnout, Nat learned the hard way that constant striving is a trap. Now, she’s all about flow—teaching people that the real win isn’t about doing more; it’s about learning how to ride the waves of life with ease, in flow. Meditation In Motion. It’s about listening to your body, resetting your nervous system, and coming at life from a place of easeful power that fuels lasting success.

Tired of running on empty? It’s time to Reset Realign + Rise 

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