🌿 Resilience Isn’t What You Think: The Silent Signs of Burnout (and How to Catch Yourself Before You Break)
- Lenka Powell
- May 2
- 4 min read
The Lie We Were Sold About Strength
When I left my 9–5 to build the life of my dreams, I thought resilience meant this:
Working every minute of every day.
Answering every email instantly.
Being available, present, productive, always on.
I wore my busyness like a badge of honour. I thought if I just worked harder, gave more, stayed reachable at all times... I'd make it. I'd be successful. I'd feel whole. I'd be free.
And for a while, it worked. Because I am hardworking. I am disciplined. I can outrun exhaustion with adrenaline if I need to.
But the cracks started to show.
Not in my inbox.
Not in my bank balance.
In the faces of the people I loved most.
When Success Costs Too Much
I became irritable.
Short-tempered.
Snapping at my husband. Hissing at my beautiful 4-year-old son over nothing.
Always rushing.
Always stressed.
Always checking my phone.
My husband begged me:"Please... slow down, love. You're disappearing right in front of us."
But it wasn't until my little boy — the one I thought I was doing all this for — grabbed my phone, looked up at me with those wide innocent eyes and said:
"Mummy, you’re sad. You’re in your phone all the time. I need you."
That was the mirror I couldn't look away from. That was the punch to the gut that cracked my armour.
I wanted to scream: "Give me five minutes!"
I wanted to defend myself.
I was doing all of this for him, wasn’t I?
But in that moment, something softened inside me. I saw it.
I wasn’t building a life of freedom. I was building a new prison.
The Silent Signs of Burnout We Don’t See
We think burnout looks like collapsing in a heap.
We think it's an obvious breakdown.
But in truth, burnout often looks like being "fine."
It hides behind smiles.
It hides behind productivity.
It hides in these silent signs:
Numbness. You don’t feel joy like you used to.
Shortness. You snap at the people you love.
Disconnection. Your body feels like a stranger to you.
Constant racing. Even when you sit down, your mind won't.
Emotional absence. You’re there — but you’re not there.
I wasn’t on the floor. I was on my phone. I was building. I was performing. And I was slowly bleeding out my soul, one notification at a time.
What Real Resilience Looks Like
Resilience isn’t pushing harder.
Resilience isn’t ignoring the warning signs until you collapse.
Resilience isn’t sacrificing your heart at the altar of success.
Real resilience is the courage to slow down.
Real resilience is the strength to listen to the whispers before they become screams.
Real resilience is putting the phone down when your child says, "I need you."
Real resilience is redefining success — on your terms.
I didn’t leave my old life to create a shinier version of burnout.
I left because I wanted a full life.
A life where there’s room for joy.
A life where success is measured not by how much I achieve,
but by how deeply I stay connected to what matters most.
How to Catch Yourself Before You Break
(5 Powerful Practices)
If any part of my story feels like yours, please hear this:
You are not broken.
You are not weak.
You are just tired of living disconnected from your soul.
Here’s how you can catch yourself before you fully burn out:
Create Daily Sacred Pauses
Before you rush into your day — pause.
Before you pick up your phone — pause.
Before you say yes to another request — pause.
Ask yourself:
"Is this moving me closer to the life I actually want?"
Even a 60-second sacred pause can change the whole course of your day.
2. Watch for Emotional Red Flags
Pay attention not just to exhaustion — but to:
Irritability
Numbness
Emotional withdrawal
Feeling "meh" about everything
These are not personality flaws.
They are silent alarms.
Listen when they start whispering — not when they start screaming.
3. Redefine Success
What does success mean for you really?
More clients?
More money?
More followers?
Or:
More evenings laughing with your child?
More mornings without anxiety flooding your chest?
More weekends spent barefoot, heart full, phone forgotten?
Your definition of success will either save you or destroy you.
Choose wisely.
4. Protect Your Energy Like It's Sacred (Because It Is)
You can build the business.
You can serve the clients. Y
ou can make an impact.
But not at the cost of your body, your mind, your family, your joy.
Boundaries are not selfish. They are necessary. They are survival.
Learn to say:
"Not right now."
"Not today."
"This doesn’t serve my highest self."
And mean it.
5. Come Back to Your 'Why' Every Day
The world will pull you in a thousand directions.
Notifications. Expectations. Hustle culture.
But every day, come back to your WHY:
"Why did I choose this path?"
"What truly matters to me?"
"What kind of life am I building, moment by moment?"
If the answer doesn’t feel like truth in your bones — stop.
Redirect.
Reconnect.
Choosing Life, Not Just Survival
You don’t have to wait until everything falls apart.
You don’t have to wait for your child to grab your phone and say, "I need you."
You don’t have to wait for your body to collapse from exhaustion.
You can choose to listen now.
You can choose to soften now.
You can choose a different way now.
If you need a space to rebuild, to reconnect, to rise into the life you were actually born for — that's why I created The Wellness Portal.
That's why I run sacred retreats where women come home to their souls.
Not to add more to your to-do list.
But to remind you what was already yours: Freedom. Joy. Connection. Truth. Life.
🌿 You are not here to survive. You are here to LIVE.
Come back to life.
The world — and your heart — are waiting.
With all of my Love, Lenka x x
Comments