I used to be the queen of burning out – the cycle of it became predictable and expected. I would continue to push, push, push, strive, strive, strive and crash and burn. Then, I discovered that I was a projector in human design, and it all started to make sense. When I began to optimize my life around what I learned about being a projector, I was able to ‘break up’ with burnout once and for all!
Let’s make one thing super clear: Burnout doesn’t only come from overworking… we can also “burn out” when we are doing misaligned work, have poor energetic boundaries, or are under the weight of immense internal pressure.
As creative souls – whether we run our own business, have a flourishing full-time creative career, or spend each of our spare hours creating – we care so deeply about our ‘art’* – and that’s a beautiful thing… but it can also mean that we bypass our energetic capacity and crash!
In this post, we’re reframing burnout and looking at how to approach it through a lens of energy optimization – not simply time management.
*When I refer to ‘art’, please know that I purposely speak of ANY way of creating of ‘art’ that is meaningful for you- creating beautiful relationships, physically making art, writing or creating music, etc.
Redefining Burnout
One of the biggest misconceptions that we can fall into when we’re working through a period of burnout is that we’re lazy – lacking motivation and just needing to push through it. This is not true!
Even though you may think that ‘pushing through’ is the solution… it’s usually not and will only prolongue the burnout.
Signs you’re feeling ‘burnt out’ as a creative include feeling emotionally numb, struggling with making decisions, having trouble sleeping, feeling like you’ve lost your ‘creative spark’ or not being able to get yourself excited to do anything (even the things you love).
Especially for us entrepreneurs or self-employed creatives, we can put alot of pressure on ourselves to do, do, do – but if that action isn’t coming from a place of energetic alignment it will drain us and make it so we’re not as seen and heard by others when we share our message. Let me explain…
It’s About Understanding Your Energy & Capacity
This is the sustainable way to heal your pattern of burning out over and over again… by understanding your energy and actual capacity.
We don’t all energetically function in the same way! According to human design, each of us has a unique way we are designed to move energetically throughout the world.
Don’t know what Human Design is or what your type is? START HERE.
Burnout often happens when we ignore or bypass our natural energetic capacity by trying to operate like others around us. This can easily occur, as human design suggests that we absorb and amplify the energy of those around us, which in turn conditions us. Add this to the societal conditioning we all face as we grow up, and it’s easy for us to become removed from who we really are.
Capitalist conditioning has us believing that we must work in strict 9-5, Monday-to-Friday confines (which does not work for everyone!). It leads us to confuse consistency and frequency, making us feel like we must always be available and present to those around us.
Here’s the good news: once we become aware of the ways we’ve been conditioned, we can start to release the layers that don’t feel right to us. Human design supports us with this process.
Energetic Capacity & Human Design
Human design is a self-awareness tool that helps us see and recognize our unique gifts… but it also teaches us what our individual energetic capacity is.
Our human design type provides the first clue. If you are a generator or manifesting-generator, you have a powerful defined sacral centre in your human design chart. The sacral centre is one of the 9 energetic centres in our ‘bodygraph’ (also known as a human design chart). This centre is our LIFEFORCE centre, responsible for providing the energy to build. Only generators and manifesting generators (MGs) have reliable and consistent access to this centre… the rest of us (projectors, manifestors and reflectors) have inconsistent access to this energy.
What this means is that if you’re a generator or MG, you typically will awake with the same level of energy each day. So long as you’re in alignment and pursuing what lights you up inside, you’ll awake with a full ‘battery’ that’s ‘recharged’ while you rested.
On the other hand, if you’re a projector, manifestor or reflector, you will typically feel a different level of ‘life force’ energy each day, and simply have some lower energy days.
That’s why long workdays and hours and strict confines especially do not work for projectors, manifestors or reflectors… who we call “non sacral” beings.
Recognizing Your Early Burnout Signs
When you’re attuned to your actual energetic capacity (and know about your human design), you can start to cultivate the awareness that allows you to recognize your early ‘warning signs’ of burnout.
This is different for each person, but one of my favourite human design tools to apply here is our ‘not-self theme.’ This is a feeling we experience when we’re not following our human design.
The Not-Self Themes for Each Human Design Type:
- Manifestors = Anger*
- Generators + MGs = Frustration*
- Projectors = Bitterness
- Reflectors = Disappointment
* It’s important to recognize that these may not be outward, loud or aggressive expressions of these emotions – they may be felt more internally or self-directed
I personally am a Projector, and some of my personal warning signs that I’m burning out really do root themselves in a feeling of bitterness… of feeling unseen and invalidated, and often they’re a sign that I need to take a step back to not just rest, but also self-validate my value.
Other “Early Warning” Signs of Burnout Can Include:
- Physical symptoms like fatigue, headaches, changes in appetite and frequent illness
- Feeling withdrawn and detached
- A lack of internal satisfaction
These are just a few of the ‘early warning’ signs of burnout, but of course, it will differ person to person and case to case. Try to remember too that simply raising awareness here is the first step to moving forward with healing your burnout.
Pause here to journal on: “when I feel the most depleted I am...”
Tools to Work With Your Energy (Not Against It)
When navigating a healing period post-burnout, nervous system regulation, rest, and creative play are essential for grounding yourself back home to yourself. Until you feel safe and grounded in your body, any personal development work you wish to do from there won’t be effective. Taking the time to heal, rest, recalibrate and take care of your energetic hygiene and nervous system is the first step to healing.
Based on your human design type, you could also…
- MANIFESTOR – Spend some time completely alone, enjoying your solitude
- GENERATOR OR MG – Let go of the ‘shoulds’ on your plate right now
- PROJECTOR – Surrender to deep rest and await an invitation before acting
- REFLECTOR – Prioritize finding an environment that puts you at ease
Truly Healing From Burnout
It’s essential to remember that recovering from burnout takes time. Surrender the timeline and allow yourself the time and space to come home to yourself. When I burned out from my corporate marketing career, it took me time to make my body feel safe again and get out of the fight-or-flight state. Yoga, breathwork, meditation, reading, walking, therapy and art were all essential for my own healing. Healing from burnout is about focusing on one thing at a time. But here’s the thing… once I healed from that massive burnout and began my own business… I burned out over and over again!
That’s because I hadn’t fully pulled back the layers of the conditioning that I was working under. Learning I was a projector and actually living attuned to my energetic capacity and gifts allowed me to break up with the burnout cycle once and for all.
I encourage you to look at your human design if you’re in a period of burnout… it is truly a transformational tool for coming back home to yourself, understanding your actual energetic capacity, and breaking up with the toxic relationship to burnout once and for all.
It’s also helpful to remember that true success has to be sustainable for it to be meaningful and impactful… to paraphrase the late great Louise Hay, this is your life’s work – you’re not simply here for a single season – so you need to be able to sustain it! It’s helpful to remember that creativity cycles like the seasons – we can’t be in the fresh, invigorating ‘spring’ energy all year – honouring the quieter ‘winter’ seasons of our creativity is just as important.
Above all else… remember that burnout isn’t your fault. We’ve all inherited and absorbed layers and layers of conditioning that have made burnout something many creative souls face. Try not to be so hard on yourself and see this as a sign to switch up how you’re attuning to your own energy.
Ground in Your Human Design & Stop Burning Out
It’s time to come home to your own energy… If you’re ready to break up with burnout once and for all, by finally working with your energy (rather than against it) book a human design reading. Rather just tip your toes in first? This free guide dives into how you are actually designed to energetically function so that you can stop burning out and start owning your natural energy and gifts.
Please note that this article is not intended as medical or psychological advice. All information is for educational purposes only and does not substitute for professional medical advice.
