Burnout, Honesty, And Rest

Send me a Text Message! I am Happy to Hear from You.

Burnout doesn’t usually explode into your life—it fades the lights, one day at a time. I open up about working hard in a stagnant role, feeling the weight of unfairness, and realizing how quietly energy can drain when progress stalls. From there, we map out a practical path to protect your well-being: have the hard conversation at work, take a conscious break, and refocus on the one thing that truly matters. If your battery is at one percent, the solution isn’t to push harder—it’s to plug in with intention.

We talk through the early signs of burnout—waking up tired, joy turning into heaviness, goals blurring at the edges—and how to respond before the crash. You’ll hear a clear script for speaking up with your manager, plus a reframe on rest as a strategic investment rather than avoidance. We dig into the difference between lazy pauses and purposeful recovery, and how pruning your commitments creates space for energy to return. The heartbeat of this conversation is alignment: choosing work and habits that refill you instead of hollowing you out.

There’s also a frank look at guilt, the stealth companion of any break. Guilt tells you to sprint while your spirit asks for air. We replace that voice with compassion and a seasonal mindset—some days are for growth, others are for healing, both are part of a resilient career. Whether your next step is finding a role that fits, doubling down on a creative project, or tending to family stability, the principle stays the same: pick with intention and protect your energy. If this resonates, subscribe, share it with someone who needs a reset, and tell me: what’s the one thing you’ll say yes to this week?

Support the show

Warm regards,
Fabio Posca | Journey to Success
Join the Journey to Success Club Now!

Check out my Podcast
Collaboration: [e-mail]
Listen to my latest episode, socials, and more right here!

Episode Transcript

SPEAKER_00 (00:00):
These past weeks have been uh really intense.
By the time you hear this, guys,I will likely be in a different
state of mind.
As you know, I like to toschedule my podcast about a
month in advance, okay?
So who knows what will havehappened by the time you hear

(00:22):
this.
I guess you're gonna find outnext month.
But let's get back to theprimary focus and avoid maybe
getting too philosophical abouttechnology, okay.
Hi everyone, my name is Fabiofrom Journey2 Success and Work.
Today we're going to talk aboutburnout again.

(00:45):
I know this is not the firsttime we have discussed it, but
this time I would like to sharehow to avoid burnout, recognize
its signs based on my ownexperiences, of course, in these
weeks, and explain why feelingguilty is not a solution in uh
cases like that.

(01:05):
But before we go forward, sobefore going forward, as always,
please subscribe, alright?
So I know this is the rightdirection to lead you guys, to
drive you, to guide you towardsyour journey to success.
And let's get started, alright?
As always.
So, as you know, I haven't yetachieved my financial freedom,

(01:28):
so I'm still working for someoneelse.
However, my days at this jobhave been challenging.
Not because the work itself isdifficult.
I mean, I've been in this rolefor over three years.
No, I can excel at it.
But the real issue is lack ofprogress in my professional

(01:50):
development, which has been uhlethargic, stagnant, you know,
for more than three years now.
While generally I don't mind, Imean, I don't mind this overall,
because my focus is primarily onmy podcast, you know, my
podcast, my Substack project, mymy journey to achieve financial
freedom.

(02:10):
But still, of course, there isuh a sense of frustration.
I feel a sense of frustration,okay, because when you perform
well in your job, I don't seeany financial or career
advancement for more than threeyears, you get frustrated.
Okay.

(02:31):
And I recognize that growingwithin this company is not my
true purpose, of course.
But in terms of energy from whatI should get from my job, from
my work, that's not good either.
And I also dislike unfairsituations in uh in any
situation, but in this case,also when we talk about working

(02:52):
in a company, you know, asentiment many people share, of
course, this feeling ofunfairness has been draining my
energy more and more.
And it is crucial to work in anenvironment where your energy
can be directed toward yourgoal.
You know, it's very crucial,it's very important.

(03:16):
Whatever whether those goalsalign with achievement,
financial freedom like mine, orinvolving progressing within the
company, it doesn't matter.
It's very important to directyour energy towards your goals,
and when this doesn't happen,it's a problem.
Okay.

(03:37):
The truth is that differenttriggers can either boost or
drain our energy.
For example, a promotion or acompliment can uh uplift our
spirits, you know, in the job,while a lack of progress or
unfair treatment can have theopposite effect, okay.

(04:01):
And when you find yourself in anunfair situation, whether it's
the stagnation in your job, likein my case, or if your boss or
colleagues treat you uh badly,this case, an example, your your
energy can decrease, okay?
At this point, you know, themoment that you notice that your

(04:23):
energy decreases more and more,it is just wise to speak with
your manager, with your teamleaders.
You might say, I don't like thissituation.
I don't like this situation,it's affecting my work, my
interactions with clients, myfamily, and my well-being.
This is not what I sign up for.

(04:47):
That's precisely what I did.
That's precisely what I did, andif you are in situations like
mine, that's precisely what youhave to do.
Taking a break to avoid burnout,guys.
Okay.
So I recently took that step,and my team leaders understood

(05:09):
my situation because you knowthe issue originated in in my
company is more at a higherlevel, beyond their control.
So they understand that.
But regardless of themotivation, it is essential to
recharge because, guys, if yourenergy drops completely, right,
it becomes tough to recover.

(05:31):
And that's where burnout comesfrom.
Okay.
You can listen to my previousepisodes actually, where I talk
about how to recognize burnout,so you have a better view.
This video, this I say video, Imeant audio, sorry.
This uh this audio is more thisepisode is more about how to how

(05:52):
to avoid the burnout.
Okay, and so my advice is totake a break before things
become too overwhelming.
So another question is what am Idoing to recover myself?
What am I doing exactly?
A lot of things are draining myenergy more and more these days,

(06:13):
even if I took this break frommy job.
And uh, I'm talking about familyissues, family issues my fiance
and I had to address promptly.
And I'm still in a low energysituation, honestly.
Um, I'm learning from it, so I'msure I'll be able to share more
insight in a month with you.
If it happens, we can uh talkabout again.

(06:34):
But for now, what I can tellyou, my advice, right?
That um I want to offer you thethe advice I'm giving myself as
well.
So, what I can tell you is dowhat matters most.
That's it.

(06:55):
Focusing on what matters most isa magical way to move forward
because it helps you gainenergy, guys.
So it's important to clarifywhat you want to do in a way to
be enabled, you know, to avoidprocrastination.
So that's very important.
And when you prioritize whatmatters most, it's like a tree

(07:19):
changing with the seasons, youknow, it's a natural rhythm that
aligns with a force that movesas it should, becomes natural.
When you do what matters most,you just move naturally towards
your goal, you know, like themoon and the sun to make a light

(07:42):
and to make a dark is the same.
And this also applies to everyhuman being, guys.
So once you decide to take abreak, consider what matters
most for you to move forward.
It might be looking for a job,stay focused on your podcast
like I am, or moving forwardwith your family issues in a way

(08:05):
that will help you regain energylater, for example.
You can uh you can alsorecognize that everything is too
much right now, and that theonly thing you can do is to
relax on the couch.
That's totally fine, it'stotally okay.
As long as this break is aconscious choice in the quest

(08:28):
for something important, ofcourse, because if the break
itself becomes a form ofprocrastination, that's not good
either, okay?
So you have to be careful abouthow you use these golden times
during this low energy periodand during your break, you ask
from uh from your job or fromyour your environment.

(08:52):
So before wrapping up, right?
What did we learn today?
So let's go a little bit moredeep.
Let's go deeper about this uhsituation.
If there is one thing these pastweeks have taught me, guys,
again, it is that burnout is notsome explosion of stress, right?
It is the slow down motion ofyour spirit.

(09:14):
So it begins with small signs.
Maybe you wake up already tired,maybe the thing that used to
give you satisfaction feelsheavy now.
Maybe you stop recognizing thatthe excitements you once had in
your job or in whateverenvironment.
These signs are not a weakness,first of all.
They are your inner voice tryingto protect you.

(09:38):
They are saying, please payattention.
Okay.
And then comes the moment ofhonesty.
You look around you and think,okay, you know what, this
environment is not supportingme.
For me, for example, it was thefeeling of being stuck in the

(09:59):
same role for over three years.
I was doing well.
I was giving my best, butnothing was moving.
And uh if you are giving a lotand receiving nothing in return,
how long can you keep puttingenergy into a place that does
not refill you?
Of course, guys, sooner or lateryou reach a point where silence

(10:20):
hurts more than speaking up,okay?
That is when you must find thecourage to communicate, even if
your voice shakes, even if youare afraid of how people will
react.
Being honest, being honest withyourself, being honest with your
manager, and expressing yourfrustrations and need to change
is an important act ofself-respect.

(10:44):
So that's what you have to do.
And there is no reason to feelguilty about it.
We are discussing our life here,your life, a precious life, and
no one and nothing should havecontrol over it.
Okay, not even a job that paysyour taxes when uh negatively
impacts your energy and mentalwell-being.

(11:07):
Okay, that's very, veryimportant than anything else.
And after that conversation, bythe way, after the conversation
that I have the conversationthat you are gonna have.
Well, the most important things,the most powerful step that you
have to do is rest.

(11:29):
Rest in a way to gain energy,not the lazy kind of rest where
you avoid life, okay?
But a conscious break withintention.
A pause, a break that says, Icare about my future enough to
protect my energy, okay?
That's kind of that's a kind ofmeaning that I want to hear

(11:52):
inside yourself, your innervoice.
That's what you have to hearfrom it, okay.
Think of it like this, okay?
When a battery is running uh on1%, all right, you do not keep
using it until it's shut downbecause it takes more time, you
know, to you know, to take thecharger and uh you know charge

(12:13):
the bacteria again that thephone is closed, so it has to
open.
What you do instead you plug itin, so you give it time to
recharge again.
Okay, humans need the samething, guys.
We need the same thing.
We need space to breathe, toreflect, to feel.
Because when we forget to rest,the burnout becomes deeper and

(12:36):
the recovery becomes longer.
Okay, but even in the middle oflow energy, there is something
that can help you keep going,and that is focusing on what
matters most.
When you strip away, you know,all distractions and all
expectations.

(12:56):
What do we have?
What remains?
What is that one thing thataligns with your purpose and
keeps your heart beating withmeaning?
For me, for example, can becreating content that inspires
you, working on my podcast,working on my substack, growing

(13:17):
something that will one day giveme the freedom I dream about.
But what about you?
For you, it might be somethingcompletely different.
Maybe it is taking care of yourmental health, maybe it is
taking care of your family,maybe it is learning new skills,
maybe it is rebuilding stabilityin your home, you know.
The answer is unique to you,it's unique to anyone.

(13:40):
What matters most is that youchoose it with intention, not
out of guilt or pressure, okay?
And guilt.
Guilt is something we need totalk about here before to to
close this episode.
Because when we take a break,guys, guilt likes to show up.

(14:02):
It whispers things like youshould be doing more, you know.
Things like you are fallingbehind and everyone else is
moving ahead.
You know, guilt can be powerful,but guilt does not help you move
forward.
Guilt only increases the weightyou already feel on your

(14:25):
shoulders.
So you don't need to feel guiltbecause the situation for you is
already heavy, and you need tomove forward with intention of
your purpose and rest.
What you deserve, you deservecompassion.
You deserve to rest withoutapologizing for it.

(14:47):
You deserve to take care ofyourself the same way you care
about your goals, okay.
Life has seasons, guys.
Sometimes we grow fast,sometimes we slow down,
sometimes we shy, sometimes weretreat into the shade to heal.
But every season has a purpose,okay?
Every season carries us to thenext burnout, it's not the end

(15:10):
of your journey, guys.
It's simply a moment asking youto realign with what truly
matters, okay?
So if you are listening to thisepisode and you feel tired, you
feel frustrated or overwhelmed,I want you to remember this.
You are not alone.
You're not alone.

(15:31):
What you're feeling does notmake you weak, it makes you
human.
So give yourself permission topose, you know, protect your
energy, focus on what makes youfeel alive again.
Because success is not aboutrunning, you know, endlessly.
It is about knowing when to pushand knowing when to recover.

(15:54):
Grow without rest is not grow,okay?
It is destruction.
So take this moment to breathe,take this moment to choose what
matters most, take this momentto trust that you will rise
again one day, okay?
Because you will, because that'swhat we do, guys.

(16:14):
We will.
Because we are strong.
And uh because we are beautifulhuman beings.
Now, I want to hear from you.
How do you protect your energywhen life feels heavy?
What is the one thing that helpsyou reconnect with yourself when

(16:37):
burnout tries to take over,guys?
Send me a message, share yourstory, or connect with me on
Substack.
I truly would like to know, Itruly want to know.
Your journey matters, guys, andyour voice might inspire someone
else who is listening right now.
So if you enjoyed today'sepisode, make sure you subscribe

(16:59):
so you never miss an update.
And if you know someone whomight be close to burnout or
struggling to keep their energyalive, please share this episode
with them.
Sometimes one reminder at theright moment can change
everything, okay?
Thank you so much for being herewith me on Journey to Success.

(17:19):
Remember, we're not just chasingsuccess, guys.
We're learning, we're learningto protect the energy that fits
it.
One choice at a time, one seasonat a time.
I will see you in the nextepisode, guys.
Cheers!