I Didn’t Know I Was Burnt Out — Until I Couldn’t Get Out of Bed

I thought I was just tired.
I told myself, “It’s just a bad week.”
But the bad week turned into months… and one morning, I simply couldn’t get up.

No alarms, no emails, no deadlines could move me. My body had made the choice I couldn’t.

Burnout had crept in quietly. I wasn’t crying every day. I wasn’t shouting at people. I was just… numb. Tired in a way that no sleep could fix. Mentally foggy. Physically heavy. Emotionally flat lined.

I had pushed through everything — work, stress, moving to a new country, trying to prove myself. I didn’t see the signs. Because being “strong” was all I knew how to be.

It took that moment — lying in bed, feeling broken — to realize something had to change.


What Burnout Looked Like for Me:

  • Smiling in meetings, crying in silence
  • Saying “I’m fine,” while my chest felt like it was caving in
  • Forgetting basic things
  • Feeling nothing, even during happy moments
  • Waking up already exhausted

What Helped Me Begin Healing:

🧘 Slowing down — even when it felt wrong
💬 Talking to someone (a friend, a therapist)
📵 Setting boundaries with work and screen time
🌱 Taking walks without a purpose
📖 Reading about burnout and realizing I wasn’t alone


Burnout isn’t laziness.
It isn’t weakness.
It’s your body saying, “Please take care of me.”

If this feels familiar, I see you. And I promise: healing is possible, one gentle breath at a time.

This space — Heal While You Hustle — is where we talk about all of it. Honestly. Softly. Without shame.

You’re not alone.

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