The Day I Realized Burnout was Harming My Business
Hey-lo, everyone! Welcome back to another edition of Bharat.Inc, where we discuss how ‘Bharat does Business.’ But before we dive deep into that, let’s start our day with a positive thought:
“Growth is uncomfortable because you’ve never been here before. Keep going”
When you're doing something new—whether it's learning a skill, changing habits, or facing unfamiliar situations—it can feel awkward or difficult. But that's precisely when growth happens. It encourages you to see discomfort as a sign of growth rather than something to avoid. It motivates you to keep pushing through hard times, knowing that these experiences will lead to personal transformation and greater achievements.
Now let’s get started…
🎯 Top Headlines of the Day
India's economy is projected to reach $30-35 trillion by 2047
UBS Securities predicts a 20% drop for Tata Motors
Tata Consumer shares have surged 40% over the past year
📊 Market Pulse
My Journey With Exhaustion
It was a Wednesday—one of those mornings where everything feels heavier than it should. I’d been up until 3 a.m. responding to client emails, editing presentations, and trying to get ahead on a pitch that was due later in the week. My alarm went off at 7 a.m., and it felt like my body weighed a thousand pounds. Still, I dragged myself out of bed, grabbed a cup of coffee, and sat down at my desk, ready to repeat the same cycle I’d been stuck in for months.
I told myself, This is the hustle. This is what it takes to succeed.
But the truth is, I had been running on fumes for a long time. I just didn’t want to admit it. My mind would constantly jump between tasks, my focus was scattered, and the joy I once found in building my business had long faded. Each day, it felt like I was putting out more fires than making any real progress.
That Wednesday, I had a major client call scheduled. I was prepared—or so I thought. As the call started, I noticed something was off. Words escaped me. My pitch, which I had rehearsed in my head a hundred times, came out clunky and disjointed. I could hear the frustration in my client’s voice, but I couldn’t bring myself to fix it. By the time the call ended, I felt like I had botched the entire thing.
I stared at the blank screen in front of me, trying to gather my thoughts, but I had nothing left to give. It was like my brain had shut off, refusing to cooperate. Panic crept in. What is happening?
Then it hit me.
Burnout.
I’d heard of burnout before, but I always thought it was something that happened to other people. People who couldn’t manage their time or weren’t passionate enough. I thought I was immune because I loved what I did. I thought I was strong enough to push through the exhaustion, strong enough to handle it all.
But here’s the thing—burnout doesn’t care how much you love your work. It doesn’t care how passionate or driven you are. It sneaks up on you slowly, and before you know it, you’re in a place where even the smallest tasks feel overwhelming.
For months, I had been running my business like a machine, convinced that if I just worked harder, everything would fall into place. I was juggling too many responsibilities—marketing, client management, finances, content creation, product development—doing everything myself because I thought no one else could do it better. I couldn’t remember the last time I had taken a break. Even weekends were filled with work.
As I sat there, staring at my laptop screen, I realized that the very thing I had been working so hard to build was slipping through my fingers. My clients had started noticing the cracks. I missed deadlines, made avoidable mistakes, and no longer brought the creativity and energy they expected. I could see the shift in their emails—what used to be friendly exchanges now felt transactional and short, as if they were losing confidence in me.
But the worst part? I wasn’t just hurting my business. I was hurting myself. The stress had taken over every part of my life. I was constantly irritable, snapping at friends and family for no reason. I wasn’t sleeping, and when I did, it wasn’t restful. My health was declining—persistent headaches, anxiety that gripped me at random moments, and a constant feeling of being on edge.
That was the day I knew something had to change.
📌 I started by accepting that I couldn’t do everything. I made a list of the tasks that were draining me the most and outsourced them. Hiring help felt like a hit to my pride at first, but once I saw how much mental space it freed up, I realized it was the smartest investment I could make.
📌 Next, I set boundaries—real ones. No more emails after 8 p.m., weekends were off-limits, and I carved out time in my schedule for rest. Not just sleep, but rest. It was time to recharge, step away from the business, and reconnect with the things I loved outside of work. I learned to say no to clients who weren’t a good fit instead of bending over backward to accommodate everyone.
Slowly but surely, I began to recover. My creativity returned. I started making better decisions. Clients noticed the difference, too—my energy was back, and my business began to regain the momentum it had lost.
Looking back, I wish I had recognized the signs earlier. I wish I had understood that burnout isn’t something to be proud of or a badge of honor to wear in the business world. It’s a signal that something is wrong—a reminder that you can’t pour from an empty cup.
Burnout nearly cost me everything I had built. But in the end, it gave me something more valuable than success—it taught me the importance of balance, of self-care, and of understanding that the health of your business is directly tied to your own well-being.
So, if you’re feeling that creeping sense of exhaustion if you’re waking up dreading the work you used to love if you’re losing your spark—don’t ignore it. Take a step back, reevaluate, and give yourself permission to rest.
Your business will thank you for it.
BTW, if you want to do something productive during your time off, check this out 👉
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That’s it for today, folks! We will be back again tomorrow with more valuable insights about ‘Bharat in Business.’
