One Week Before Burnout: Collapse in Slow Motion

Inside Nat’s Notebook: Real Reflections for Real Change 

Hey, you.

One week before my burnout hit, I felt like I was barely there—running on autopilot, completely drained. Maybe you know this feeling: like you’re moving toward a cliff, but somehow, you just can’t pull back.

This week isn’t just exhaustion. It’s the final warning, the point where every part of you is screaming, “Enough!” You literally can't ignore it any longer.

Let’s talk about what those last days before burnout look like.

🧡 Your Brain is Offline  

Simple tasks feel impossible. Every little decision feels like a mountain. You’re so scattered that focus is out of reach. It’s like your brain has hit the pause button, protecting you from overload. I remember looking at basic tasks and feeling totally paralysed. 

If you’re in this fog, it’s your mind’s way of telling you it’s maxed out.

🧡 Emotional Meltdown – Numb, Crying, or Both  

One minute, I was on the verge of tears; the next, totally numb. Have you felt this? Like your emotions are a storm you can’t contain? You might cry at work or snap at someone over nothing, then feel… nothing. 

Burnout takes your emotions hostage, flip-flopping between overwhelmed and emptiness.

🧡 Your Body Says ‘No’  

Just getting out of bed feels impossible. The idea of doing anything at all? Unbearable. Your muscles ache, every part of you feels heavy, and even sitting up feels like a chore. 

It’s burnout, right down to your bones, telling you it can’t go on like this.

🧡 Fantasies of Escape  

By this point, I dreamed about running away or even getting sick just to stop. Sound familiar? That urge to escape, to do anything to just pause? It’s burnout driving you to the edge. 

It’s not weakness—it’s the desperation to stop this endless cycle.

🧡 The Frenemy Voice at Full Volume  

That inner voice, once a quiet critic, is now relentless. I remember thinking, “I can’t do this,” and hearing that Frenemy voice tear me down for it. Has yours turned cruel too? It’s that voice that makes you doubt yourself, criticise every misstep, and fill your head with self-blame. 

When burnout is this close, your inner critic stops holding back, and it’s brutal.

Why We Ignore the Signs  

Why do we let it get this far? Because we’re taught to push through. We believe rest is weakness, and strength means holding it all together. Sound familiar? 

Here’s the hard truth: burnout doesn’t care about strength. It’s built on ignoring yourself until there’s nothing of you left.

🧡 The Pressure to Keep Up  

In a world that glorifies hustle, slowing down feels like failure. But this fake “strength” it’s what’s leading us to collapse. 

Rest isn’t optional—it’s survival.

🧡 The Perfectionism Trap  

I used to think if I could just get everything perfect, it would be okay. Maybe you’ve told yourself that too? 

Perfectionism makes us think breaks are failures, but burnout isn’t impressed by perfection, it ensures you never find it, noticed that yet?

🧡 The Normalisation of Exhaustion  

Exhaustion feels normal now, doesn’t it? When was the last time you truly rested? Tired just becomes the baseline, but it’s burnout pulling you down, step by step.

The Breaking Point – Your Chance to Step Back  

If any of this sounds familiar, you’re closer to burnout than you think. Here’s where you can start, even if it’s just one small step back:

🧡 Stop the Need to Overdo  

Burnout feeds on the idea of “just one more thing.” Pause. Right now. Ask yourself, “Is it worth it?” You don’t have to prove anything to anyone.

🧡 Listen to Your Body  

Your body is telling you what it needs—rest, stillness, maybe just a few moments of peace. Let it guide you. Even a small break can start to make a difference.

🧡 Reconnect with What Matters  

Burnout steals joy, but it doesn’t have to stay gone. Find a moment to reconnect with something you love. You don’t need hours—just a few minutes can bring you back to yourself.

This Is Your Wake-Up Call

Burnout doesn’t hit all at once. It’s a slow slide that you can choose to step back from. If you’re seeing these signs, let them be the nudge you need to reset.

🧡 Your #RebelMoment Starts Now 🧡  

Burnout isn’t the end of your story. It’s the beginning of a new one. Choose yourself, your well-being, your peace. This isn’t about quitting—it’s about claiming your life back.

The real rebellion? It’s choosing to rest, to listen, to be present.

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 🧡

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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 

www.littlesoulshack.com