You’re Not Lazy — You’re Burned Out: How to Tell the Difference
You’re not lazy.
You’re fried.
And deep down, you know it — but it’s easier to believe there’s something wrong with you than to admit you’ve hit a wall.
We hear a lot about burnout these days, as if stress itself is the problem. But here’s the truth: stress isn’t the enemy. Humans are built for stress. If we couldn’t handle it, we’d have gone extinct alongside the sabre-toothed tigers.
We’re wired to survive famine, chase food across continents, navigate harsh climates, raise families under pressure. Our nervous systems are incredible. But what we’re not built for — and what’s actually burning us out — is the lack of true recovery.
Why You Feel Exhausted Even When You’re Not “Doing Much”
Early humans, after a day of hunting or being hunted, would rest. They’d sit by fires. Stare at the stars. Be.
Modern humans? We finish a long day and scroll. Swipe. Watch. Click. Shop. Numb.
We might call it downtime — but our brains are still on high alert, processing stimulation and noise. And when we wake up, somehow, we’re still tired.
Because rest isn’t the same as sleep. And neither rest nor sleep can work their magic if you’re constantly plugged in.
Fake Rest vs. Real Rest
Fake rest looks like:
Doom-scrolling TikTok until your eyes sting
Binge-watching a show while reading comments
Drinking wine to “switch off”
“Relaxing” while checking your inbox
Real rest feels like:
Silence
Slowness
Space to think your own thoughts
Nature sounds instead of notifications
Handwriting instead of typing
Eyes lifted toward the sky, not glued to a screen
You’re Not Broken — You’re Overdue for a Reset
When you think you’re being lazy, it’s often your inner wisdom trying to get you to slow down. It’s the soul’s version of a low-battery warning. And if you ignore it? The system will crash.
I’ve seen it. True burnout can take years to recover from. And no job title, deadline, or approval is worth that.
What Actually Helps
Burnout recovery doesn’t start with a week in Bali. It starts with an hour.
An hour without stimulation.
An hour where you don’t achieve.
An hour of nothingness, stillness, or simply walking without headphones.
Some tools to try:
Meditation (if you want to find out more, click here)
Sitting in nature with no agenda
Letting your thoughts unravel on a page
Coaching — where your thoughts get heard, held, and sorted
Coaching is a powerful antidote to burnout. It gives you space to think, to feel, to put things down for a while. It’s an hour just for you, with no pressure to perform or explain.
Your Permission Slip
This isn’t your fault.
You’re not lazy.
You’re just human in a hyper-connected, high-pressure world.
And you’re allowed to stop.
To unplug.
To reclaim your mind.
To do nothing — not because you’ve earned it, but because it’s necessary.
Give yourself real rest. Your nervous system — and your future self — will thank you.
