I Thought I Was Lazy. I Was Actually Burnt Out.

For a long time, I thought I was lazy.

I couldn't finish projects.
I was constantly tired.
Everything felt heavier than it should have.
Even joy started to feel like a task.

But what I didn’t know back then was that my body wasn’t failing me—it was trying to protect me.
I wasn’t lazy. I was burnt out.
And I had been for years.

We live in a world that celebrates hustle and self-abandonment.
The more you do, the more you're praised.
Until one day, your body taps out and your soul goes quiet.

And even then, the world tells you to push through it.

Burnout Doesn’t Always Look Like a Breakdown

Sometimes burnout looks like:

• Sleeping too much, but never feeling rested

• Avoiding the things you used to love

• Snapping at everyone, then feeling numb

• Thinking, “What’s wrong with me?” on a daily loop

You think you need motivation.

But what you actually need is nervous system repair.

Rest.

Gentleness.

A way back to yourself that doesn’t include a checklist.

You’re Not Lazy. You’re Depleted.

Burnout strips away the parts of you that used to feel steady.
Your creativity.
Your patience.
Your ability to hope.

And healing from burnout requires more than bubble baths and “me time.”
It requires being honest about what hurts, what you’ve been holding, and what you no longer want to carry.

That’s why I created Still Here and the Sacred Start journal series—not to fix you, but to give you space to meet yourself again. Slowly. Gently. With zero expectations and all the compassion in the world.

Start Here

If you're too tired to write full paragraphs, just circle a word.
If you're too overwhelmed to “start healing,” just take one breath.

It counts.

You count.

The Sacred Start was created for this exact season. Seven days of small, meaningful practices to help you come home to yourself—without pressure or perfection.

You can start today. Or tomorrow. Or whenever you feel a flicker of energy.

That flicker is your life saying: I’m still here.

And so are you.

Still healing,
Still resting,
Still here,
Emily