In my first blog, I shared a period in my life where I spent four months away from full-time work after burning myself out completely. In this blog, I want to build on that experience and share what I’ve learned since about burnout.
When Life Is Full — and Still Too Much
At that time, my plate was overflowing. I’d just returned from International WorldSkills, I was working full-time, teaching at a women’s shed, doing public speaking, mentoring girls online, and still trying to show up for family, relationships, and life in general.
Everything felt hard. It was like walking through water. No matter how much I slept, the exhaustion wouldn’t lift. Jobs that should’ve taken an hour were taking all day. My mental health was struggling, and I felt overwhelmed constantly.
The hardest part? I loved what I was doing.
I loved being a mechanic.
I loved teaching and mentoring.
I loved encouraging women into the trades.
But love alone wasn’t enough to keep me going.
Burnout Doesn’t Always Come from Hate
Burnout isn’t always about hating your job or your life. Sometimes it comes from caring deeply and giving too much of yourself without enough rest.
We talk a lot about burnout, but not enough about how to recognise it early or how to recover from it. You don’t catch burnout like the flu. It builds slowly, especially if you’re capable, driven, and used to pushing through.
And burnout is especially common for women in trades.
Why Women in Trades Burn Out More Often
As women, we’re often trying to prove ourselves. We brush off comments that bother us. We work harder when we feel like we have something to prove. Add customer-facing roles, running a business, full-time work, parenting, or home responsibilities, and it all adds up.
I see this with my clients too.
One client told me she was exhausted all the time and falling behind in life. When we unpacked it, she was working all day and then socialising every single night. Even when you don’t drink, even when it fills your heart, you’re still on. You’re still giving energy.
When Your Body Forces You to Stop
If burnout goes unnoticed, it usually ends one of two ways:
- Anxiety, depression, and overwhelm
- Or your body forcing you to stop
One of my clients pushed herself so hard that her coordination was off. She opened a car door and gave herself a concussion. I don’t recommend getting to that point.
I’ve been there too broken bones, injuries, mistakes all because I was too tired to slow down.
What Recovery Actually Looks Like
If you’re at total burnout, you need to wipe the calendar. Sleep. Properly rest. Then slowly ease back into life and work with a reduced load.
If you’re not there yet, but you can feel it coming thin out everything:
- Work hours
- Overtime
- Family events
- Social commitments
Sometimes even family events feel like work after a big week, and that’s okay to admit.
Burnout prevention isn’t about quitting everything. It’s about sustainability.
Sustainable Is the Goal
Sustainable might look like:
- Not working every Saturday
- Saying no to overtime
- Setting limits on social commitments
- Rescheduling when you need rest
We often fear that if we say no, opportunities will disappear. They don’t. But your health might if you keep ignoring it.
We’re not machines. We can’t run at full capacity forever, even when life is good, and opportunities are exciting.
Rest Is Not a Failure
As I am writing this blog, I had to stop and lie on the floor staring at the ceiling and thinking. I even delayed writing this blog because I needed rest.
There’s no shame in rescheduling.
There’s no shame in saying no.
There’s no shame in resting.
That’s why I always say: take a nap if you need to.
If you’re a tradeswoman or tradesperson who’d like some help navigating this journey, I’d love to chat. You can book a coaching consultation with me here:
https://calendly.com/louise-azzopardi/coaching_consult
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