What Your Exhaustion Might Be Trying to Say
- Liza Engel
- Feb 2
- 2 min read
“I’m just tired.”
I’ve heard this so many times lately.
I wish I could magically give you energy.
But what I can do is invite us to slow down, listen, and reframe.
Because if we really want to understand exhaustion, we need to take a few steps back — to where it begins.
Exhaustion usually shows up like a heavy weight.
A body that won’t cooperate.
A mind that feels dull or foggy.
A quiet dread at the thought of “keeping up.”
We’re taught to treat this as a problem to solve.
But what if exhaustion isn’t only a warning sign?
What if it’s also a message — not just of alarm, but of direction?
The most common misunderstanding about burnout
Burnout is often framed as a personal failure.
I pushed too hard.
I didn’t manage my time well enough.
I should be more resilient.
These narratives sound responsible — but they miss the point.
Burnout doesn’t usually come from doing too much.
It comes from doing too much of what no longer fits.
Staying in roles you’ve outgrown.
Saying yes long after your body says no.
Performing competence while quietly abandoning yourself.
Over time, your system rebels.
Not because it’s weak — but because it’s wise.
When exhaustion is actually a form of intelligence
I see this pattern again and again in leaders, caregivers, high performers, and deeply responsible humans:
Burnout isn’t random.
It’s patterned.
And it’s purposeful.
It often appears when:
You’re holding everyone else together, except yourself
Your worth has become tied to output
You’ve normalized self-betrayal in the name of responsibility
Rest is used to recover — not to realign
Eventually, the body intervenes.
Not as punishment.
But as protection.
Exhaustion becomes the last boundary you can’t override.
Exhaustion isn’t asking you to try harder. It’s asking you to live truer.
The reframe: exhaustion as a pivot point
What if exhaustion or burnout isn’t something to “get over” so you can return to life as it was?
What if it’s a pivot point — a threshold moment asking you to choose differently?
Not, how do I get my energy back?
But:
What am I no longer available for?
Where am I leaking energy out of habit, not choice?
What truth has been waiting for stillness to be heard?
This isn’t about fixing your calendar or to-do list.
It’s about telling the truth about your life.
A quieter, braver invitation
Instead of pushing through, try listening.
Sit with your exhaustion — past or present — and ask:
What are you trying to protect me from?
What version of me is ready to be released?
What would alignment feel like, not just productivity?
You don’t need answers right away. Your attention is enough to begin.
Exhaustion is not the end of you.
It’s often the end of a way of living that asked too much and gave too little back.
And sometimes —
It’s the most honest beginning.
Comments