Burnout Isn’t a Badge of Honor: A Letter to the Overachiever Who’s Tired of Being Tired
Are you feeling a little crispy?
If you ask most adults how they’re doing, you’ll probably get a quick, “I’m fine—just tired.”
But tired doesn’t just mean a rough night of sleep. It often translates to:
I haven’t had a full meal today.
I’m living off caffeine, carbs, and mental to-do lists.
I’m holding everyone else’s needs in my head.
I’m overwhelmed but still saying yes to things I don’t really want to do.
I’m pushing myself to the point of collapsing…again.
This is more than tired. This is burnout.
When Working Hard Stops Working
We live in a world that glorifies hustle. Productivity is praised. Rest is suspicious.
And if you’re someone who gets things done—who’s always been dependable, driven, and detail-oriented—it can be hard to know when you’ve reached the razor thin line between healthy striving and self-sacrificing. I know that line well—I’ve walked it myself. And I still have to be mindful not to get swept back into the siren song of “just one more thing.”
So if we all know burnout is not the crown we should be wearing why do so many of us keep repeating the same patterns over and over?
Because burnout isn’t just a behavior. It’s often a belief system.
The Parts of You That Keep Going
I work with a lot of high-achieving women—smart, capable, and deeply insightful women—who know they’re burned out.
They’ve read the books. Done the journaling. Tried to rest.
And still... they find themselves unable to stop the cycle.
This is where parts work (also known as ego-state therapy) becomes so helpful.
Because burnout isn’t just about doing too much—it’s about the part of you that believes you have to.
The part that equates rest with failure
The part that learned achievement equals worth
The part that’s afraid of what happens if you stop
That part probably came from a very real place—a childhood dynamic, a cultural message, a moment when being “on top of it” felt like the only way to be safe or loved.
We don’t judge that part. We get curious. We understand it.
And then we help it find a new way to be.
You Can’t Fix What You Don’t Understand
Being the capable, insightful person you are, you may want to jump straight into fixing mode. Here’s the thing: insight alone doesn’t change patterns. This kind of burnout can’t be solved with better scheduling or another self-help book.
What does create change is informed intervention—the kind that starts with pausing, reflecting, and understanding why this pattern exists in the first place.
An uninformed intervention will fizzle.
But an informed one? That’s where transformation begins.
In therapy we use specific EMDR and egostate interventions to offer those parts of you a vision of a different future where burnout is not the only option.
You’re Allowed to Live Differently
Let’s face it… you already know this:
You don’t have to earn your worth.
You don’t have to outrun your burnout.
You’re allowed to slow down—not because you’re failing, but because you’re finally listening.
In therapy, we use specific EMDR and ego-state interventions to help those overworking parts of you envision something new—something beyond survival. A life where rest is respected. Where your needs matter. Where being enough isn’t something you have to earn.
Because burnout doesn’t have to be your baseline.
And your value was never meant to be measured by how much you carry.
If this resonates… you don’t have to navigate it alone.
I help high-achieving women untangle from the perfectionism, people-pleasing, and burnout that’s been running the show for far too long—so they can move through life with more clarity, confidence, and calm.
You’re allowed to change.
You’re allowed to choose a different rhythm.
And I’d be honored to support you in getting there.