Being strong all the time might be what is actually burning you out

You’re burnt out likely because you’ve been carrying too much for too long.

Let’s just name it.

The exhaustion you’re feeling? The brain fog, the low level resentment, the heavy sigh when your phone pings again?

That’s not because you’re lazy.
It’s not because you’re disorganised.
And it’s definitely not because you’re “bad at business.”

You’re burnt out because you’ve been too strong for too long.

You’ve been the one holding it all ↓
The business.
The house.
The emotions.
The family calendar.
The client load.
The never ending to do list that lives rent free in your head.

And that invisible backpack you carry every day?
It’s full.

With pressure.
With expectations.
With unspoken emotions you didn’t have time to process.

You’ve gotten so used to carrying it all, you forgot what it feels like to put it down.

But that heaviness?
That deep, tired ache?
That’s your body’s way of whispering:
“This isn’t sustainable.”

What if you’re not just tired … but emotionally full?

Burnout isn’t always about overworking.
It’s about over holding.

It’s emotional.
It’s mental.
It’s the accumulated weight of everything you haven’t let yourself feel because you’ve been too busy doing.

So let me ask you something, gently, lovingly:

What are you still holding that isn’t yours to carry?
– Is it the belief that you have to do it all yourself?
– Is it the guilt for wanting more support, more space, more help?
– Is it the pressure to always be okay, even when you’re not?

Pause for a moment.
Let that land.

Because when you’re holding everything for everyone, there’s no room left for you.

It’s not just the workload. It’s the emotional load.

Especially for women, especially for Mums in business, the burnout isn’t just task based.
It’s energetic.

You’re not just managing your business.
You’re managing emotions.
You’re managing expectations.
You’re managing the mental tabs that never fully close:

• What’s for dinner?
• When’s that school excursion note due?
• Did I reply to that client’s email?
• Am I being present enough?
• Is my business growing fast enough?
• Did I post on socials today?

Sound familiar?

This is the load that wears you down, not just what you do, but what you hold.

And no planner, Pomodoro timer or morning routine is going to solve that kind of burnout.

Because what you need isn’t better time management.
It’s a better relationship with yourself.

Coaching moment: let’s get curious (not critical)

Instead of pushing past this, like you’ve been conditioned to do, let’s pause.

Here are some coaching prompts to gently explore what might be underneath your burnout:

Where am I holding tension that I haven’t acknowledged?

Examples:
– The tightness in your chest every time you open your inbox.
– The clenching jaw while you prep dinner and answer client messages.
– The constant mental tab open that whispers “you’re behind”.

How to navigate it:
→ Start with your body. Set a 60 second timer, close your eyes, and scan from head to toe. Notice where you’re tense without judgment.
→ Ask: What’s this tightness trying to tell me?
→ Sometimes tension = a boundary being crossed, an unmet need or suppressed emotion.

✨ Try: Placing your hand on the tense area, breathing into it, and saying, “I see you. You don’t have to hold this alone.”

2. What emotions have I been avoiding because I didn’t have time or space to feel them?

Examples:
– Guilt for resenting how much everyone needs you.
– Sadness about how fast your kids are growing and how little time you give yourself.
– Frustration from doing everything “right” and still not seeing the results you want.

How to navigate it:
→ Create emotional space, even just 10 minutes of stillness.
→ Ask yourself: If I had permission to feel anything right now … what would come up?
→ Journal it. Cry it. Shake it. Voice note it to yourself. Let it move through you.

✨ You don’t need to analyse it. Just allow it. Emotion is energy. Let it flow instead of fester.

3. Whose expectations am I still trying to live up to?

Examples:
– Your partner who doesn’t fully understand your business but expects you to “keep the house running.”
– A past version of you who thought you’d be further along by now.
– That invisible online coach who makes 6 figures while homeschooling and meal-prepping daily.

How to navigate it:
→ Make a list of expectations that feel heavy.
→ For each one, ask: Is this truly mine or did I absorb this from someone else?
→ Decide what gets to stay … and what gets to go.

✨ Let yourself rewrite the rules. You’re the CEO. Not just of your business, but your life.

4. What would it feel like to let myself be supported right now?

Examples:
– Asking your partner to do school pick-up.
– Delegating a task you’re not lit up by (hello, Canva or emails!).
– Saying yes to coaching, not because you’re “failing,” but because you deserve to be held.

How to navigate it:
→ Identify one area of your life or biz where you wish someone else could take over.
→ Ask: What’s stopping me from receiving support here?
→ Often, it’s a story of “I should be able to do this alone.”

✨ Challenge the story. You’re not weak for needing support, you’re wise for allowing it.

5. If I didn’t have to be “strong” today, how would I show up differently?

Examples:
– Maybe you’d cancel that call and take a nap instead.
– Maybe you’d stop pretending you’re fine and say, “I’m actually not okay today.”
– Maybe you’d let yourself create content from your heart, not from a strategy checklist.

How to navigate it:
→ Write out what “strong” has looked like for you lately.
→ Then ask: What would “soft” look like instead?
→ You’re allowed to show up as you are. Strength isn’t only in pushing, it’s in the pausing.

✨ Give yourself permission to be held, to feel, to rest. That’s where true strength lives.

Take your journal.
Take a deep breath.
And let it be safe to answer honestly.

Because clarity isn’t just found in planning, it’s found in presence.

In my world, we don’t just build businesses.

We build capacity.

In my coaching space, whether it’s 1:1 or inside the Life Aligned Business™ Mastermind we don’t gloss over this stuff.

We go there.

We create space for what’s actually going on.
We unhook you from the patterns that are keeping you stuck in survival mode.
We help you build a business that serves your life, not steals from it.

We bring your nervous system into the conversation.
Your energy.
Your emotional needs.

You get to build this differently

You don’t have to keep pushing.
You don’t have to keep pretending.
You don’t have to earn your rest.

You get to lead a business that supports your real life.
One that leaves room for tea, tears, presence, peace.

But here’s the catch:
You have to be brave enough to stop carrying what’s no longer yours.

That’s where the real shift happens.
That’s where burnout begins to dissolve.
That’s where strategy and soul finally meet.

If this is resonating, you don’t have to do it alone

Inside my 1:1 coaching + Life Aligned Business™ Mastermind, we hold space for the whole woman behind the business.

We blend strategy with emotional clearing.
Planning with permission.
Systems with softness.

So you’re not just building something “successful” you’re building something sustainable.

Something that feels like you.

If you’re craving that kind of support, let’s begin, together.