How to Prevent Burnout in Your Career: A Therapist’s Perspective on Resilience, Ritual, and Knowing Your Limits

Preventing burnout isn’t about working less, it’s about working differently. After two decades as a tech executive and several years supporting clients and clinicians as a therapist, I’ve learned that burnout is best prevented long before exhaustion sets in. Sustainable careers aren’t built on intensity; they’re built on rhythms.

Here’s how I teach clients (and practice myself) to prevent burnout in ways that feel realistic, humane, and grounded.

1. Build a Career Rhythm, not a Career Sprint

When people say, “pace yourself,” they usually mean “work slower.” But burnout isn’t about speed, it’s about continuity.

Human systems aren’t meant to run continuously.

You need:

·       Peaks (focus, productivity, flow)

·       Plateaus (maintenance, integration)

·       Valleys (rest, repair)

Most high-performing professionals live in a permanent peak and judge themselves for needing a valley.

As a Therapist

In my own practice, I sequence my day:

·       Light clients → heavier couples or trauma sessions → grounding sessions. This isn’t indulgence; it’s strategy. It allows my nervous system to remain steady.

Corporate/Professional Example

When I was an executive, my mistake was believing urgency = importance. It wasn’t. Urgency was often just noise.

Creating cycles protects you from operating like a machine.

2. Origin Stories Predict Burnout Patterns

Your burnout is rarely about your job. It’s about your history colliding with your job.

If you grew up in a home where:

·       You had to perform to earn approval

·       You were the peacemaker

·       You carried emotional or physical responsibilities early

·       You learned not to disappoint

·       Rest was seen as laziness

…then burnout will feel strangely familiar.

Not because you “can’t handle stress,” but because over-functioning is your default identity.

Therapists and high-achievers burn out for the same reason: they’ve been practicing self-erasure since childhood.

3. Build Small, Repeatable Rituals

Rituals are more powerful than habits because they carry meaning. They remind your body and mind of what comes next.

My clients often create:

·       A morning ritual

·       A transition ritual between tasks

·       A decompression ritual after emotional labour

·       A weekly ritual that restores identity

Some examples:

·       A 5-minute breathing practice between sessions

·       Stepping outside after a conflict-heavy meeting

·       Listening to music that resets your emotional state

·       A consistent walk at the same time each week

Rituals become anchors in chaotic professional environments.

4. Know Your “Canary in the Coal Mine”

Everyone has an early warning sign when burnout is approaching.

For some, it’s:

·       Irritability

·       Difficulty focusing

·       Feeling emotionally flat

·       Losing interest in things that used to bring joy

·       Tension headaches

·       Digestive issues

·       Resenting even small requests

When I start to feel emotionally numb, that’s my sign. Not tired. Not overwhelmed. Numb.

Knowing this allows me to intervene early.

5. Stop Believing That “Being Needed” Is a Strength

Being needed feels good, especially for therapists, leaders, and high performers. But when your identity becomes tied to being the person who fixes the crisis, burnout becomes inevitable.

Your value cannot depend on:

·       How much you give

·       How available you are

·       How well you absorb the pressure

·       How little you need from others

Professionals burn out when their identity becomes a service.

6. Build Boundaries That Support You (Not Punish Others)

People often misunderstand boundaries as walls. Boundaries are agreements with yourself about how you want to feel and what you need to maintain sustainability.

Examples:

·       Not scheduling emotionally heavy sessions back-to-back

·       Ending your workday at the same time each night

·       Saying “I need to revisit this tomorrow” instead of pushing through

·       Refusing to internalize someone else’s urgency

Boundaries protect your ability to care—professionally and personally.

7. Make Rest Non-Negotiable

Rest isn’t the absence of productivity; it’s the generator of productivity. Most professionals don’t need time management, they need energy management.

Think of your energy like a muscle: The stronger it gets, the more rest it requires to continue performing.

Sustainable careers are built with intentional rest cycles, not occasional vacations.

Quote to Hold Onto

“If you don’t schedule time for rest, your body will schedule it for you.”

If burnout is beginning to surface, or if you’re deep in it - consider speaking with someone who understands both the clinical and professional sides of burnout. You can connect with me through the contact us page.

Next Post in the Series:

The Art of Not Burning Out