I knew I was tired, but there was still too much to do. The pace had already been insane, but we kept telling ourselves that we were “almost there.” We stayed late. Then we stayed later.
By midnight, no one was joking anymore. The emails kept coming in like a firehose. At 2 a.m., we regrouped. Everyone looked wrecked. Heading home didn’t make sense. By the time we commuted, slept a couple of hours, and came back, we’d have lost even more time.
I proposed what felt logical: we just stay. Power through. Shower in the office. Grab breakfast. Keep going.
Somehow, it sounded reasonable. Everyone agreed. In the end, we had worked 42 hours straight.
This was my life as a lawyer during one week of a major multi-state real estate closing. Looking back, I see exactly what was happening. It wasn’t just a long week. It was burnout.
My instinct was to stay in control, stay productive, stay numb. I thought I could avoid the crash if I kept moving and solving problems. In a way, I did. But the cost was ignoring what my body and emotions were trying to say.
When I reflect on this story now, I realize how deeply conditioned I was to solve instead of feel. My response to the overwhelm with strategy and suppression is what we call in our Burnout to Balance program, the Intellectualized Response to burnout. It’s logical, efficient, and looks productive, but it leaves no space for rest.
Even exhaustion became a task to manage. But burnout isn’t something you outthink. It eventually demands to be acknowledged, in one way or another.
Over time, I found there was something that helped.
Power Down Breath
It wasn’t about “calming down” or forcing myself to relax. It was more a way to let off some steam.
The longer exhale signals the nervous system that it is okay to stop holding so tightly. The mouth exhale helps release tension, just enough to bring awareness so you have a chance to respond differently.
If you’re someone who tries to push through burnout by powering up, this breathwork practice is a way to power down without needing to analyze or explain what you’re feeling.
Over the next two weeks, I’ll be exploring the top three responses to burnout here and in our Prasada Talks: What's your Burnout Style? on April 15th. I started with the Intellectualized Response because it is the one I know best.
I’m curious. How do you respond to burnout?