Pink Flags & Burnout Signals: Catching It Before It Catches You

← Back to all posts

I was standing in my kitchen last week, staring blankly at an open fridge, completely unable to decide what to eat. Not because there weren't options, but because my brain had officially reached its decision-making limit for the day after completing the move. I was now in the in-between. As I stood there, heating up my groceries and trying to cool down the kitchen (sorry, planet and power bill), I had to laugh—here I was, experiencing one of my own personal burnout warning signs while drafting a newsletter about... burnout warning signs.

Isn't that always how it goes?

We're entering that tricky seasonal transition point where summer's different rhythm is barreling at us and we are having to drop our winter and spring expectations. The days get longer, the pace feels more spacious, and suddenly that spaciousness starts to feel overwhelming and the need for control and direction rears it's head.

It's precisely these transition moments—when we're focused on adjusting to new demands—that burnout finds its opening.

This week, I'm inviting us to pause and listen—not to add another thing to your to-do list, but to create space for signals that might be trying to reach you through the noise. Because recognizing these patterns isn't about fixing yourself or optimizing your productivity. It's about honoring the knowing your body and mind are already trying to share with you.

Let's dive in...

🌱 TIPS FOR A MORE SUSTAINABLE LIFE + BUSINESS

The Pink Flags (Before They Turn Red)

It's 2025, and guess what? Two-thirds of us are burning out in some way. [1] After hitting the wall myself 5 different times, I've learned the most dangerous burnout isn't the dramatic crash—it's the one that sneaks up when you're not looking. The kind that masquerades as "just a busy season" or "normal stress" until suddenly you're wondering why you can't remember the last time you actually enjoyed anything.

Looking back at my own crashes, they almost always intensified during those in-between times—when I was wrapping up projects before summer plans or time off kicked in, or when fall demanded I get "back to business" after summer's different rhythm. These transition moments? They're where burnout finds its opening. We brush off that bone-deep exhaustion as "just adjusting to the new season" or tell ourselves it's normal to feel completely disconnected from things we used to love.

The research backs this up, showing most of us miss the earliest warning signs [2] that look something like:

The Success Trap (When "I Got This" Becomes Your Whole Identity) Does this sound familiar? "I'll handle it" is practically your life motto. You're the reliable one, the person who always delivers. That drive is probably how you built what you have now—through showing up, following through, and constantly raising the bar. But here's the thing: when there's no upper limit to expectations (yours or others'), your greatest strength can quickly become quicksand.
The Always-On Mode (When "Just Checking One Thing" Is Actually All Day) Be honest—when was the last time you did something purely for enjoyment without that nagging voice saying you should be working? Can you remember a recent meal where your phone wasn't part of the place setting? This isn't just about needing better boundaries. It's about that slow creep where work becomes your default state, and everything else starts feeling like time you're "stealing" from your real responsibilities.
The "I'll Rest Later" Pattern (But Later Never Actually Comes) Sleep? That's negotiable. Food? Whatever's fastest. Friends? They've stopped asking because you always cancel anyway. This isn't you being lazy or bad at self-care—it's what happens when your business's needs consistently trump your human needs, all based on that promise you keep making yourself that "once things calm down" you'll get back to taking care of yourself.

Look, sometimes we all push hard for something that matters. It's not bad to hustle... on purpose... with an end point. The difference is in how long it lasts and whether you ever actually come up for air. When occasional intense work becomes your permanent state, that's when those pink flags turn red.

Your body has this amazing alarm system that's unique to you. My personal early warning lights include headaches I can't shake, that feeling of wanting to throw my phone across the room, and staring blankly at my fridge for 10 minutes because deciding what to eat feels impossibly complex. Your signals might be completely different—maybe you get snippy with people you love, or find yourself ordering takeout five nights in a row, or suddenly can't remember anything without writing it down (unless you're ADHD and then that's just our default state 😂)

QUICK CHECK-IN: Take a breath right now and ask yourself honestly: did anything in this list make you feel a little called out? Did your chest tighten reading certain parts? Did your shoulders creep up toward your ears? That's not guilt—that's your body trying to get your attention. If you found yourself nodding along thinking "damn, this is me right now," I've pulled together my most helpful resources here to help you catch this before it catches you.

✨ TIPS FOR A MORE SOULFUL LIFE

When "That's Just Who I Am" Becomes a Trap

Ever catch yourself saying "that's just who I am" as an explanation for... well, anything? I literally said this to my therapist this week. Sometimes this phrase is us finally standing our ground against a world that's constantly telling us to be different—more productive, more disciplined, more positive, less sensitive, less emotional... you know the drill.

But other times? It's our brain's sneaky way of avoiding uncomfortable change. It becomes the excuse we use when we're clinging to patterns that aren't working anymore, but feel safer than the alternative.

I see this all the time with clients who've built their entire identity around being "the reliable one" or "the one who makes it happen" or "the person everyone counts on." When your sense of self is completely wrapped up in what you produce or how much others need you, it feels like an actual threat to your existence when life asks you to operate differently.

Unlike the seasons that naturally flow from growth to rest and back again, we fight these transitions tooth and nail. We keep pushing when our bodies are screaming for rest. We keep saying yes when everything in us wants to say no. We keep trying to be who we've always been, even when that version of us is literally making us sick.

You can spot this happening when:

You feel like you're playing a role in your own life
You get weirdly defensive when someone suggests you might be doing too much
You've built an impressive business but secretly feel like a fraud
You've achieved your goals but feel nothing when you hit them

These aren't character flaws or signs you're ungrateful. They're your internal warning system trying to get your attention before you crash completely.

What makes this so tricky is how good we get at explaining these feelings away. That emptiness you feel after hitting a huge goal? Just the "natural valley after the mountain." The way your stomach drops when you look at your to-do list? That's just "what ambition feels like." The fact that nothing you achieve ever feels like enough? Just means "you're driven."

Here's the truth: your relationship with work, success, and productivity isn't supposed to be frozen in amber. It needs to change as you change, as your life changes, as your body changes. When was the last time you gave yourself permission to redefine what "enough" looks like for this season of your life?

QUICK REFLECTION: What's something you've been writing off as "just part of being successful" or "just how I am" that might actually be your body's way of saying "this isn't working anymore"? What might be possible if you treated that signal not as normal, but as important information?

📈 TIPS FOR A MORE SCALEABLE BUSINESS

Your Business Feels Like It's Running You (Instead of the Other Way Around)

I've noticed something interesting working with business owners over the years: the most dangerous time isn't actually during your busiest season—it's during those in-between periods when things should be "getting back to normal" but somehow just...don't.

You know that feeling when something's off, but you can't quite put your finger on it? When your business (or team) seems more like a demanding monster than the dream you built? These aren't just "growing pains" or "the cost of success"—they're early warning signs that your business might be consuming more energy than it's generating.

Here's what this looks like in real life:

That super detail-oriented team member suddenly missing things they never would have before
Conversations that used to flow easily now feeling like pulling teeth
People (maybe even you) taking those necessary mental health days out of desperation instead of support or suddenly having "emergencies" more often

These aren't just random hiccups or people "not pulling their weight"—they're literally your business trying to tell you that something is off balance.

Most of us plan our business quarters around deliverables and deadlines, not around how much energy we actually have to give. We map out summer knowing people take vacations, but forget that summer schedules completely change our day-to-day rhythms without school hours for child care and longer daylight hours. We set ambitious Q4 targets without acknowledging we're all running on fumes after pushing hard for nine straight months.

Here's what actually helps: creating a simple "human check" routine for your business. Not another formal process—just regular moments to ask "Is this working for the humans involved, or just for the business goals?" Look for things like how many back-to-back meetings people have, how often deadlines get pushed, or how many Slack messages are happening after hours. These things are just as important in telling you about the sustainability and health of your business as your revenue projections are.

The most practical thing you can do? Build in buffer zones—actual breathing room between busy periods that isn't filled with more work. This isn't "lost productivity"—it's what prevents those weeks where everyone's staring at their computers but nothing's actually happening.

NEXT STEP: Schedule three quick check-ins (seriously, just 15 minutes) over the next month. Ask questions like: "What's feeling unnecessarily hard right now?" "Where are simple things suddenly becoming complicated?" and "What's about to break if we don't fix it soon?" Look for patterns, not just one-off problems.

BEHIND THE SCREENS

I love writing this newsletter because it always forces me to take stock of myself when I'm resisting it... like this week.

I've almost got my office put back together where it's functioning or at least usable, but regardless of all the physical unheaval, I've been feeling really disconnected from my systems—including this newsletter (hello 12:22 pm on Sunday because I have been struggling with what to write in this section.)

Which means I probably need to admit something that I've been pushing back against too hard:

I keep trying to overcomplicate my systems.

I've spent so much of my career in large companies and the consulting work I do now is with teams of 5-10 or more teammates. I'm so consistently embedded in helping companies much bigger than my own right now that I have a hard time when it comes to my own systems.

Sometimes I get trapped by my own desire to make my systems perfectly sustainable and scalable that I end up overcomplicating what I need to be doing today in order to get shit out the door.

So part of my time this week is going to be spent intentionally simplifying and realigning, starting with:

Checking in more deeply to see why I've been clinging to these overcomplications
Reassuring the parts of me that are hanging on too tightly
Making some choices on how to move forward

Because sometimes the most powerful systems aren't the most complicated ones—they're the ones that create space for us to be human... which absolutely does not mean perfect.

CURRENTLY OBSESSED WITH:

Watching my clients growth in real time and getting to celebrate them when they make big moves.
Not logging onto Instagram once (even on the computer) at all this week, and it just felt like what I needed.
Sending warmth to everyone navigating Mother's Day in all its complexity—whether you're celebrating, remembering, avoiding, or just making it through. However you're experiencing the day, your feelings are valid and I'm in the mess of it right along with you 🖤

HAVING A GREAT TIME HERE?

Here's a few ways you can let me know:

Option 1: 💌 Share with a fellow creative or business owner. Community starts with each of us and friends don't let friends chase their dreams at the expense of their mental health! If you know someone seeking more sustainability and harmony in their life and/or business, send this their way.
Option 2: 👋 Say hi! Hit reply and share a sentence or two about anything you enjoyed or hit home for you. I always hope these words find the right people at the right time, but it's always makes my day to hear from you!

Hey there! You're receiving a copy of The Purposeful Pause in your inbox because you opted in for this weekly newsletter. Every Sunday, I'll share a blend of practical wisdom, actionable advice, and personal insights—all designed to help you create a more sustainable life and business.

To make sure you don't miss out on these purposeful moments, add [email protected] to your address book.

Received this from a friend? You can click here to subscribe!

Need to step away? Totally understand! You can unsubscribe below right now, no hard feelings. Remember that this will remove you from all email communications so if you only want a break from certain topics, feel free to reply here and let me know!