When Burnout Sneaks Into Recovery (and What It’s Trying to Tell You)
After more than sixteen years in recovery, I know one thing for sure: burnout doesn’t care how long you’ve been sober, grounded, or “doing the work.” You can have all the tools, all the awareness, and still find yourself running on empty.
For a long time, I thought burnout was just another word for workaholism, something that happened to people who couldn’t shut off the work valve. But that was never me. When I worked for others, I had a solid work-life balance. I could leave work at work.
What I didn’t realize was that burnout can sneak in through other doors. For me, it crept in when I started working for myself, when the financial stress and pressure to keep everything afloat got heavier. That’s when the line between passion and pressure started to blur.
And maybe that’s true for you too. Burnout doesn’t always come from overworking; sometimes it comes from over-caring — from carrying the weight of things you can’t control, and trying to hold it all together because you have to.
It’s not recovery versus burnout, it’s recovery including burnout. Healing isn’t a finish line you cross; it’s a lifelong practice of noticing when you’re slipping back into old patterns and gently returning to what’s true.
I’m Saying This Because I Need to Hear It Too
I see it frequently with the women I coach, and lately, I’ve seen it in myself too. Smart, driven, generous women who have read all the books, listened to the podcasts, journaled, meditated, and done every damn thing “right.” On paper, they look recovered. Inside, they’re hanging on by a thread.
The truth is, even after sixteen years of sobriety and years of doing this work, I still have days when I bump right up against burnout. The difference now is that I notice it. I don’t shove it down or power through. I pause, I breathe, and I get curious.
That’s the real shift. I tell my clients all the time, “I’m saying this because I need to hear it too.” Recovery isn’t about having your shit together 24/7. It’s about knowing what’s true for you in the moment, being present, and remembering to look for what brings you joy — especially when it’s hard to find.
Joy in the Middle of the Mess
Recently I facilitated the SHE RECOVERS® Online Gathering, and our topic was joy. Honestly? It hit close to home. The way the world feels right now, joy can feel like a heavy lift. And then, as a coach, I beat myself up for not having it all figured out or feeling joyful all the time.
So, I asked the group — and now I’ll ask you: What brings you joy? What does joy feel like to you? And do you ever catch yourself holding unrealistic expectations of who you “should” be, like I do?
That’s what recovery is really about, not perfection, but awareness. Knowing when your tank’s empty, giving yourself permission to refill it, and remembering that joy isn’t something you earn after you fix everything. It’s something you can touch, even in the messy middle.
A BRAVE Perspective
In the BRAVE Recovery Method™, burnout lives where Belief and Resilience have been twisted into over-functioning, and where Authenticity has been replaced by people-pleasing.
Recovery happens when you start to believe that peace counts as progress. When resilience means staying soft instead of toughing it out. When authenticity becomes more important than approval.
That’s recovery, and it’s still something I practice imperfectly every day.
If you’ve been judging yourself for feeling burned out while “in recovery,” please stop. You’re not broken, you’re human. Burnout isn’t proof you’ve failed; it’s an invitation to rest, reconnect, and return to yourself.
Book your free BRAVE Breakthrough Consult here.
No pressure, no bullshit, no judgment. Just a conversation about what recovery looks like when you’re ready to feel whole again.
