The Hidden Roots of Burnout: Why Rest Alone Isn’t Enough

Have you ever noticed that even after a long weekend, you still feel drained—like no matter how many breaks you take, something still feels… off?

Here’s what most burnout advice misses: overwork is often a symptom, not the root cause. For many of us, the cause runs deeper.

I learned this the hard way - by burning out even on vacation.
Yes, you read that right.

I was always busy and had a hard time stopping. When my body finally forced me to slow down, I asked myself, “Why do I keep burning out like this?” If you’ve struggled with overwork and burnout, I invite you to reflect on what I realized about myself and see what resonates.

The Childhood Blueprints That Shape Our Adult Lives

Growing up as the youngest of three, I made some powerful interpretations about what it meant to be “worthy”:

• Busy = worthy. Resting felt “lazy” or "spoiled" unless I was sick.

• Asking for help felt risky. Better not ask.

• Safety = read other people's feelings and needs well. My feelings and emotional needs came second. 

As a child, these were survival strategies. As an adult, they became the invisible script running my life and burning me out. Repeatedly.

And yes, that picture below is me, many years back, standing on a water pump. I could hardly see but yes, still smiling :)

The Hidden Cost of Success

Those patterns helped me accomplish a lot—earning a Master’s degree, starting a new life on a different continent, building a business, and pursuing top coaching credentials.

But they also came with a cost: a cycle of exhaustion and health issues. 

Why? Because I was:

• Working independently to avoid asking for help.

• Over-empathizing with others while ignoring my own needs.

• Measuring my worth by how busy I was.

• Pushing through physical and emotional boundaries.

Sound Familiar?

Do any of these resonate with you?

• Saying yes when your plate is already full.

• Working extra hours to prove your worth.

• Struggling to set boundaries or keep commitments to yourself.

• Chasing perfection to finally feel “enough.”

If so, your burnout might not be about workload at all. It may be about hidden patterns you’ve carried for years.

Breaking Free: The Path Forward

The first step isn’t working less or taking longer vacations (though those help). It’s recognizing the deeper patterns that keep you stuck in cycles of overwork and exhaustion.

Through the Positive Intelligence program, I learned to spot and name these hidden patterns as “saboteurs.” They once helped me survive. But now? They quietly fuel stress, self-doubt, and burnout.

The good news: once you see the saboteurs clearly, you can begin to loosen their grip. I've seen it in myself and in my clients and that freedom to make new choices that lead to new results is what drives me in sharing this work. Coaching others in this area also keeps me accountable to continue working on my own stuff, inside out :)

Your Turn

Take a moment to reflect:

• What childhood lessons about worth and work still drive you today?

• Where do they show up in your daily choices?

• What would change if you didn't question your worthiness?

  👉 Curious which patterns might be shaping your burnout? Take the free Saboteur Assessment and get my weekly newsletter with practical tools to quiet these patterns and strengthen the wiser, calmer part of your mind.

Take the Assessment

Remember: Understanding these patterns isn’t about blame—it’s about freedom.

Freedom to work differently.
Freedom to live differently.
Freedom to finally break free from burnout’s grip.

Because you deserve more than just surviving.
You deserve to thrive.

To your success, inside out

- Lucie