Burnout Doesn’t Exist
Burnout doesn’t exist.
It’s a myth we’ve bought into—and it’s holding us back.
I know you’re tired. I know you feel stretched too thin. I’ve been there too.
But here’s the truth: burnout isn’t about how much you’re doing.
It’s about how you’re doing it.
And right now, the numbers tell us the belief in burnout as inevitable is spreading fast:
In April 2024, 57% of New Zealand employees were categorised as at high risk of burnout—more than double the rate from just four months earlier (25% in December 2023).
For those who felt their job security was under threat, the risk skyrocketed: they were 14.5 times more likely to experience burnout symptoms.
In some sectors, the picture is even starker: 87.9% of clerical workers, 86.6% of education professionals, and 63.5% of health professionals reported high burnout levels.
These numbers are sobering. But they also prove something critical: if over half the workforce is at “risk,” then burnout isn’t just about workload. It’s about alignment, clarity, and recovery.
We’ve been taught to believe burnout is the inevitable cost of ambition. But it isn’t.
Burnout isn’t your destiny. It’s your wake-up call.
What if you don’t have a time problem—you have a meaning problem.
Stress doesn’t come from a lack of hours, but from where your attention is directed.
Burnout isn’t about hours. It’s about meaning.
You don’t have a time problem—you have a meaning problem.
Stress doesn’t come from not having enough hours in the day. It comes from where your attention is pulled. And when most of your week is spent in the wrong “zones,” you end up feeling depleted no matter how hard you work.
Let’s look at the four zones that quietly shape your experience of leadership.
I like to think about time in four zones. The first is the Dimension of Distraction—the place we go when we’re tired, bored, or avoiding what matters. Scrolling, numbing out, procrastinating, checking out. It keeps you busy, but it’s not the kind of busy that moves the needle.
Then there’s the Dimension of Delusion. This is the sneaky one. It’s full of things that feel urgent but aren’t actually important—like unnecessary emails, admin, or interruptions. You walk away thinking you’ve ticked boxes, but really, it just steals your energy.
The third is the Dimension of Demand. This is where crises, deadlines, and constant reactivity live. Some of this is inevitable—leadership always brings pressure—but if this is where you spend most of your time, stress and burnout become your normal. The key is to put boundaries around it, instead of letting it own your entire week.
And then, there’s the sweet spot: the Fulfilment Zone. This is where the magic happens. The important but not urgent stuff—your health, family, meaningful goals, visioning, those conversations that light you up. This is where clarity, purpose, and energy live. My challenge? Aim to spend at least half your week here. Name the tasks that matter, guard time for them before everything else, and then close your day by noticing how much you invested in what truly counts. That’s how you stop managing time and start managing fulfillment.
This is based off the Urgent–Important Matrix, popularised by Stephen R. Covey in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (1989), distinguishes between tasks based on urgency and importance to guide effective time management.
Where do you spend your time?
Three Shifts to Move Beyond Burnout
Shift 1: From Hours to Alignment
Stop measuring your worth in hours worked. Start aligning effort with what truly matters and measure aligned effort.
Shift 2: From Boundaries Ignored to Boundaries Honoured
Protect your time, your energy, and your presence. Boundaries aren’t selfish—they’re leadership.
Shift 3: From Busyness to Recovery
Schedule recovery with as much intention as you schedule meetings. Rest fuels resilience.
Andrea’s Turning Point
When Andrea first stepped into coaching, she was caught in the churn of leadership—juggling crises, staff challenges, and endless demands. Like many leaders, she thought burnout was unavoidable, the price of caring deeply about her work.
But Andrea discovered something powerful: it wasn’t that she had too much to do. It was that too much of her effort was misaligned.
By anchoring in her values and clarifying her purpose—to be positive, engaged, connected, and joyful—Andrea gained a new filter for her decisions. She delegated more. She created boundaries that protected her energy. She reconnected with the moments of leadership that actually lit her up.
Today, Andrea leads with authenticity and balance. She no longer sees burnout as a threat but as a signal to reset, realign, and rise.
Reflective Prompts
Take a moment to pause and reflect:
What’s draining your energy right now that doesn’t align with your deeper purpose?
Where in your week are you ignoring your own boundaries?
What would change if you treated recovery as non-negotiable?
Write your answers down. Your clarity is the first step out of burnout.
Burnout isn’t your story anymore. You get to write a new one—one defined by clarity, energy, and intention.
If you are ready to stop leading on empty and start showing up with clarity, confidence, and energy, the Inside-Out Leadership Lab is for you. This 6-month group coaching program helps you reset, realign, and reclaim the joy of leadership—so you can influence change without burning out. We have the next cohort sarting mid September.
Click here to find out more and take the first step toward thriving from the inside out.
Click Here to download the Inside-out Leadership Lab Infomation Sheet
Because you don’t have to live tired. You don’t have to lead depleted. You can thrive—fully, freely, and fearlessly.
Covey, S. R. (1989). The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Free Press.
