Every workday consists of 10-12 uninterrupted hours. You are forced to ignore your family, to be physically present but emotionally absent. You have to ignore your own needs. Sometimes you cry. Sometimes you feel desperate.

Nights are a nightmare—you fall asleep late, worries invade your pillow like dust mites. You don’t rest.

You feel constantly exhausted, lacking energy, and irritable. It’s hard to focus. You enter a trance… you can’t stop doing something, even when you actually have the chance to take a break.

Eating? You barely realize when or what you’ve eaten, absorbed in work.

Even worse, you don’t see the light at the end of the tunnel. The same routine, day after day… Until when? No one knows.

Then, you find out that all your efforts are only verbally appreciated, cost reductions are coming, restructuring is imminent, and more tasks will likely be added from those who are leaving.

Your life becomes a nightmare, you feel powerless, a prisoner in a situation with no escape.

Even prisoners know how long their sentence will last. But you… you don’t.

Burnout (Let’s Call It "B")

Burnout is more than stress but less than depression.

👉 Don’t panic.

It’s a state of emotional tension, more or less chronic, sometimes out of control.

Such tensions are to the mind what fever is to the body.

Many people, without understanding how it works, try to immediately stop it using painkillers or medication that lowers the temperature. But these silence the body, preventing the immune system from developing, allowing "invaders" to survive and possibly causing chronic illness.

The same applies to emotional "fever."

Up to a certain point, it is natural—a mental reaction designed to protect you. And most of the time, healing happens naturally.

👉 Do not panic.

What Can You Do If You Encounter "B"?

You only have two choices—there is no middle ground.

1st Option: Give Up

Just surrender and be done with it. But you won’t do that, will you? Because of your values. Because you are ambitious.

2nd Option: Survive… with "B"

More precisely, coexist with it.

Before talking about **coexistence**—which is what you need now—let’s see **how powerful "B" really is.**

I have good news and bad news.

Should I start with the good news? Alright.

👉 The Good News: You have the power to scare "B" away with the right decisions—we’ll talk about them shortly.

👉 The Bad News: If "B" is left unchecked, it dominates you. And when it settles in, it impacts every aspect of your life.

How "B" Affects Your Life

1️⃣ Physically – DO NOT IGNORE THIS!
This is where burnout can cause serious and irreversible damage.
⚠ Prolonged stress can lead to:

Insomnia
Headaches
Digestive issues
High blood pressure
Low libido
Heart attacks, strokes… BE CAREFUL!

2️⃣ Your Environment – Your workspace becomes your prison.
You may even start feeling claustrophobic.

3️⃣ Behaviorally – You may develop harmful habits:

Smoking, excessive caffeine, alcohol
Overeating or undereating
Procrastination

4️⃣ Emotionally –

You feel restless
You feel out of control
You lose confidence in yourself

What Can You Influence, and What Can’t You?

Let's summarize.

You are locked 10-12 hours a day in a 10-12 square meter "cell."

Your entire external world is projected through a tiny black camera lens.

You are living in the middle of a storm.

Can you stop it? Can you calm it down?

💡 Not really… But you can learn to stay afloat! How?

Learn the **dynamics of the waves**, maintain your **balance**.
This is what **ships do** when caught in the middle of **massive waves, shaken by violent winds**.

Shipbuilders first test buoyancy and center of gravity before a vessel sets sail. This is exactly what the "builders" of humans did as well.

Ships leave the shipyard only after technicians ensure they can withstand storms, even during hurricane season.

And so did you—you entered this world ready to face the storms of life, equipped with an emotional "technology" that stabilizes you.

Let’s take a moment to reflect:

Think about how your body heals a wound.

When you get a cut, your body immediately reacts by releasing fibrinogen from blood cells.
This turns into fibrin, forming a mesh that traps platelets and red blood cells, creating a natural seal.
White blood cells rush to the site to destroy potential bacteria.
The skin around the wound may turn red—a natural inflammatory response, the body’s way of healing itself.

👉 Your mind works the same way when it gets "injured."

Most of the time, it heals naturally.

And… you can’t heal emotions with paracetamol. 😊

Back to Your Options

We’ve already established that you stay in the stormy sea and learn to "navigate" through the chaos created by burnout (B).

You’re in a hostile environment, but you’ve started learning how to accept it.

Just like John Nash in A Beautiful Mind.

💡 If you haven’t seen the movie, add it to your to-do list—it’s worth it!

Nash, a brilliant mathematician but schizophrenic, managed to escape his tormenting hallucinations—without medication.

How?

✔ By accepting them.
✔ By recognizing them.
✔ By acknowledging their presence.

**Accept it!**
**Acknowledge it!**
**Admit it!**

What Can You Do to Protect Yourself from "B"?

Let’s go through the four key areas where "B" creates chaos and find countermeasures for each one.

1️⃣ Physical Health – The Most Important Battle

This is critical because "B" causes direct physical harm.

What to do?

Move even for 5-10 minutes a day.
Jump rope, box, dance, breathe deeply—ANY movement helps.
Avoid excessive caffeine—it helps in the short term but makes burnout worse long term.

2️⃣ Environmental Well-being – Change Your Space

Your workspace should not feel like a prison cell.

What to do?

Ventilate your room regularly.
Add color to your workspace.
Invest in a comfortable chair or sofa.
Play meditation music in the background.
Use aromatherapy (incense, essential oils).

3️⃣ Behavioral Changes – Take Care of Yourself

Take vitamins to support your body.
Avoid stimulants—they only provide short-term relief.
Prioritize nutrition and sleep.

4️⃣ Emotional Health – The Critical Piece

This is where "B" hits the hardest.

What to do?

Talk to someone. Share your emotions—anger, stress, tension.
Laugh—watch stand-up comedy.
Express emotions—don’t suppress them.
- Want to cry? Cry.
- Want to laugh? Laugh.
- Need time alone? Take it.

🗣 Just TALK! Say anything, everything… but release your emotions.

Final Thoughts: Learn to Accept "B"

You’re in a hostile environment, but you’re starting to understand it.

Just like John Nash in "A Beautiful Mind", who learned to live with his hallucinations by accepting and recognizing them.

💡 Watch the movie if you haven’t—it’s worth it!

👉 Acceptance is key.
👉 Recognize "B" without letting it control you.
👉 Admit that it exists, but don’t let it define you.

Burnout Can Be Managed

✔ You are built to weather life’s storms.
✔ Your emotions heal themselves, just like physical wounds.
✔ You cannot medicate emotions with paracetamol!

So, if you’re struggling with burnout… accept it, recognize it, and take action.

Because you are stronger than "B". 💪

rares@112coaching.com