Burnout Doesn’t Come With a Warning Light—But Here’s How to Catch It Early

Julie Barris | Crisis Counselor | Therapist-in-Training
3 days ago
3 min read

Burnout often shows up quietly—through exhaustion, irritability, or a sense of emotional numbness—long before we recognize its toll. Taking small, consistent steps to care for yourself daily can be the key to preventing burnout before it takes hold.

Burnout Doesn’t Come With a Warning Light—But Here’s How to Catch It Early

Let’s be honest: most of us don’t realize we’re on the edge of burnout until we’ve already slid off the cliff. One day you’re multitasking like a pro, and the next, you’re crying in the bathroom over a calendar notification or snapping at someone you love for forgetting to load the dishwasher.

Burnout doesn’t announce itself with sirens. It creeps in quietly, disguised as productivity, responsibility, and ambition. But there are signs—subtle, small, and absolutely worth noticing. Catching burnout early is not just about preventing a crash; it’s about preserving your energy, your relationships, and your joy.

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Here are small, powerful things you can do—even with a busy schedule—to take care of yourself before burnout takes over:

1. Start Your Day With an Internal “Weather Report”

Before jumping into emails, meetings, or breakfast prep, check in with yourself like you’d check the weather. Ask:

What’s the emotional forecast today?
Where do I feel it in my body?
What’s one thing I can do to make today easier for myself?

This quick pause helps you notice fatigue, resentment, or anxiety before they escalate.

2. Redefine “Self-Care” as Micro-Acts of Maintenance

Forget the bubble baths and yoga retreats (unless that’s your thing). Real self-care is what you do in between your responsibilities:

Take 10 deep breaths before you open your laptop.
Drink a glass of water before your next call.
Step outside and feel actual sunlight on your skin—even for one minute.

Tiny acts add up when done with intention.

3. Use Transitions to Your Advantage

Going from work to home mode? Leaving a stressful conversation? Pause for 30 seconds and ask, What energy am I carrying right now, and do I want to bring it into this next moment?

It’s like wiping your mental shoes before stepping into the next room of your life.

4. Anchor Into Something That’s Just for You

No matter how busy your day is, find something—one thing—that is yours and yours alone. A 5-minute playlist that makes you feel alive. A silly meme account that gives you joy. A post-it note mantra on your mirror. This is less about escape and more about grounding.

5. Name Your Wins—Even the Tiny Ones

You answered that hard email. You drank more water. You didn’t lose your temper when you could’ve. You tried. That counts.

Noticing effort builds resilience. Burnout feeds on the feeling that nothing you do is enough.

6. Put a Boundary on the Invisible Work

You know the kind—worrying about everyone’s needs, double-checking what didn’t get done, mentally redoing a conversation. If you can't stop overthinking, give yourself a scheduled worry window. Set a timer. Let the mental noise run. Then move on.

You don’t have to carry it all, all the time.

7. End Your Day With Care, Not Collapse

Even if your day felt like a sprint, give yourself two minutes to close it intentionally:

What’s one thing I did well today?
What do I want to leave behind?
What does my body need tonight?

Treat yourself like someone worth winding down for—because you are.

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Final Thought:You don’t need to wait until you're depleted to care for yourself. In fact, the best time to care for yourself is before you think you need to.

And here’s the eye-opening question to reflect on:

If you treated your energy like your most valuable asset, what would you do differently today?