14/02/2026
If you’re recognising yourself in those signs, this isn’t about weakness. It’s about a nervous system that’s been running on emergency mode for too long. I say this as a GP who has sat on both sides of the desk.
Burnout doesn’t fix itself with a spa day or a week off. It needs something more intentional.
Here are three things I recommend, and that I had to learn the hard way.
1. Reduce one demand immediately.
Not ten. One.
Cancel something non essential this week. Say no to one extra shift. Delay one commitment. Burnout improves when the load reduces, not when you simply cope better. Your body needs proof that the pressure is changing.
2. Add one thing that restores you, not numbs you.
Scrolling is numbing. Wine is numbing. Overworking is numbing.
Restorative is different. A proper walk outside. Moving your body gently. Cooking something slowly. Sitting with someone you feel safe with. It should leave you feeling slightly more like yourself, not distracted from yourself.
3. Tell the truth to someone.
Burnout thrives in silence.
Say, “I’m not okay at the moment.”
Not dressed up. Not minimised. Just honest. Whether that’s a partner, a friend, a colleague or your GP. The moment you name it, it becomes something you can address instead of something you secretly carry.
I know how easy it is to normalise exhaustion. To call it busy. To call it resilience. I did that for years.
But feeling flat, detached and permanently tired is not a personality trait. It’s a signal.
And signals are there to be listened to. 🤍
