Candid Club

There was a time I was working three jobs. I’d be up at 8am, go to sleep around 4am, and do it all over again the next day. It wasn’t even a question of should I rest? because it just didn’t feel like an option.

We were going through a hard time financially. And when you’re in survival mode, rest just feels like a luxury. I didn’t feel like I could be tired. Or overwhelmed. Or even human, to be honest. So I didn’t stop. I kept going, even when I knew something wasn’t right.

Eventually, my body caught up with me. Not in a dramatic way. I didn’t collapse, there was no hospital moment. It was smaller than that.

I started forgetting things mid-conversation. I’d wake up feeling like I hadn’t slept. Little things would set me off, and I wasn’t sure why.

That’s what burnout looked like for me: slow, quiet, and easy to miss.

The hardest part is I didn’t even realize how far gone I was until I was on the other side of it.

We often think of burnout as this big, obvious crash. But it doesn’t always look like falling apart. Sometimes it’s just your brain fogging over. Sometimes it’s feeling stuck in a loop of being tired, pushing through, and waking up tired again. Sometimes it’s just… not feeling like yourself.

That’s the moment we should be paying attention. Not later. Not when everything’s already too loud to ignore.

So what does listening to your body actually look like? It’s not always some deep, spiritual thing. Most of the time, it’s pretty unglamorous.

1. Check in before you check out

Start the day with a one-minute scan of your body and mind. Just pause before reaching for your phone and ask:

• How do I feel in my body right now?
• Is there tension in my shoulders, jaw, stomach?
• What’s my energy like? Restless? Heavy? Steady?
  

Notice your answers. That alone can shift how you move through your day.

2. Name what you need (even if you can’t meet it fully)

Sometimes you need a nap, but you only have five minutes. Sometimes you need a weekend away, but your calendar says otherwise. Still, name it.

When you identify the need, even if you can’t meet it completely, you stop ignoring it. And maybe you can meet it halfway.

Can’t take a nap? Try ten minutes with your eyes closed. Can’t log off for the day? Step outside for three deep breaths. Can’t cancel everything? Cancel one thing.

Small changes are still care.

3. Don’t confuse stillness with laziness

You don’t need to earn rest. You don’t need to prove how hard you’ve worked. You don’t have to reach the brink of collapse to be allowed a break.

One of the most powerful mindset shifts in self-care is this:

You are allowed to rest simply because you are tired.

Not because you’ve “done enough.” Not because someone else said it’s okay. But because your body asked, and you listened.

4. Build ‘pause points’ into your routine

Waiting until you “have time” to care for yourself almost guarantees you never will. Instead, create little pause points in your day where you reconnect with your body:

• A gentle stretch before opening your laptop
• A glass of water after every meeting
• A song break between tasks
• Silence for five minutes after lunch
  

You won’t even need any apps or willpower for these. You just need intention. A moment to breathe before rushing to the next thing.

5. Redefine what being ‘productive’ looks like

You don’t need to hit a wall to know you’re tired. You don’t need to keep pushing just to prove you can.

Pay attention when your body first asks for rest, not later, when it’s already shutting down.

The earlier you notice, the easier it is to take care of yourself.