Welcome to Meaningful Work Remarkable Life*. I’m your host, Brook McCarthy, a business coach, trainer, and speaker living and working on the unceded lands of the Camargo people here in Sydney, Australia. In this podcast, we explore the paradoxes inherent in working for love and money, magnifying your impact, and doing the work you feel born to do. We explore the intersections of the meanings we bring to work and the meanings we derive from it.
Trigger warning for this episode: if you’re feeling utterly and totally burnt out, this episode may not help. Additionally, there is some mention of suicidal ideation, so please feel free to skip this episode if it’s not what you need right now.
In early 2022, I caught myself fantasising about running my car into a tree. This kind of fantasy bubbled up a few times over consecutive days. It was clear to me after a while that this wasn’t good. So, I got myself to the GP to talk about it. I want to clarify—I didn’t want to die. It wasn’t about wanting to end my life. What became obvious after some reflection was that I was in desperate need of a good, long rest. What I was really fantasising about was having an accident that would force people to recognise that I needed a break, granting me the rest I craved—without running my business or even thinking about it.
This episode was one of many burnout episodes over my 16 years in business. You can’t be in business that long without skirting the edges of burnout. Thankfully, I’ve always been able to recognise the signs early and make changes before it became serious. Recently, I shared this story during my Amplifier event and received an overwhelming number of messages asking how I managed to get myself out of burnout. Clearly, this is a topic that needs discussion.
Every time I share my blog post, *The Year I Lost My Business Mojo*, I get private messages saying, “Thank God, it’s not just me.” So, rest assured, it’s not just you. In that moment, it was obvious something had to change. And let’s face it—things that used to work, like waking up early for a walk or journaling, may not always work as they once did.
If you’re doing all the “right” things—exercise, sleep, yoga—and still don’t feel better, take this as encouragement to try something new. Change your routine, but most importantly, recognise that self-care is not a solo pursuit. This is one of the great tragedies of Western civilization—the emphasis on individualism, as if self-worth only comes from doing things alone. This is a fallacy. We are all interconnected, and self-care requires others and community support. It’s not a personal failure if you need help.
Preventing burnout and reigniting your spark begins with basics like eating well, sleeping, and exercising. I don’t handle sleep deprivation well. One night is okay, two nights I can power through, but after three nights of poor sleep, I’m at my breaking point. Now, I make sure to take action after two bad nights, and that’s non-negotiable.
Your food and exercise choices are equally important. As we age, especially women, hard exercise—like lifting heavy weights—becomes crucial for mental health and resilience. I didn’t come to exercise early in life; I hated it. But now, I’m a firm believer in its benefits.
Beyond the basics, you need to embrace selfishness. Being selfish means objectively evaluating what you need to succeed. Whether that’s hiring help at home, quitting unnecessary volunteer work, or cutting back on obligations, it’s essential to set boundaries.
Next, comes profit planning. You must determine if your business model is sustainable. It doesn’t matter how hard you work—if your business model is broken, you won’t reach your financial goals. Once you reevaluate, you might realize the way you deliver your services or your pricing needs to change. Burnout often leads to epiphanies when we are honest and open with ourselves.
Your business should allow space for creativity and joy. Inside my mastermind program, we emphasise prioritising health and creativity. Creativity doesn’t have to be traditional art; it could be content creation, making something with your hands, or following a passion.
When we’re busy, the first things to go are the basics—sleep, turning off work, and exercise. Yet, these are the times when we need them the most. In 2020, I naturally started practicing yoga every morning, just because it felt right. Sometimes, following your curiosity without overthinking is the best path.
When I think about success, it doesn’t look like someone stressed and making money but with no joy. Success to me is about living a full life, where work doesn’t dictate my identity. So, if you’ve found anything in this episode helpful, I’d love to hear from you.
Before you go, if this episode has inspired or helped you in any way, could you do me a quick favour and leave a short review? It helps other values-based business owners find the show, and it means a lot to me.
