This exercise helps you take a step back and check in on how your energy is distributed across different areas of your life. You'll explore what's draining you, surface the beliefs that may be keeping you stuck in overdrive, and define one small shift to help restore balance.
Burnout doesn't just come from doing too much - it often comes from doing too much for too long without enough recovery, support, or control. Sometimes it's external: a demanding role, caregiving load, or unsustainable pace. Sometimes it's internal: a belief that rest must be earned, or that worth is tied to output. This exercise helps you check in on where your energy is going, what's fueling depletion, and what small shift could help you begin to restore balance.
This exercise is great for clients navigating burnout, overwork, people-pleasing, or a season of imbalance. It is also helpful for those seeking a clearer connection between their values and how they spend their time and energy.
Burnout results from chronic energy depletion without adequate recovery. Tools like cognitive reframing, self-assessment, and visualization support greater self-awareness and proactive behavior change. Research in values-based behavior and narrative psychology shows that even small shifts in mindset and time use can significantly improve well-being and motivation.
Neenan, M., & Dryden, W. (2002). Life Coaching: A Cognitive-Behavioural Approach. Routledge.
McAdams, D. P. (2001). The psychology of life stories. Review of General Psychology, 5(2), 100–122.
