ARE YOU DRIVING WITH THE BRAKES ON?
When working with my coaching clients, a theme comes through all too often…
They’re managing a business, leading a team, driving a business forward. A creative leader with huge responsibility.
And now? They’re signed off sick. Burnt out. Completely depleted. Brain in shutdown. Body fatigued. Unable to function.
They’ve hit the wall and something needs to change.
The Breaking Point: When Work Becomes Too Much
Recently, a client had seen the signs for a while. Feeling overwhelmed. Carrying too much.
Responsible for vision, strategy, delivery and people. At home, there were other responsibilities too. And suddenly, the things that once brought joy - creativity, hobbies, even rest - felt like chores.
They reached a moment of truth:
“I can’t keep going like this. Life cannot continue as it was. Something has to give.”
Phase One: Stop, Rest, Reconnect
Our first session wasn’t complex. It was human.
LEARNING to Stop
I told my client: “You can’t keep driving with the brakes on.”
Yes, you could mask it and keep going, but you’re in burnout now. And that’s unsustainable.
We began with:
Stopping: Full permission to stop.
Breathing: Returning to simple grounding techniques.
Reconnecting: Getting out of task mode, and back into feeling and being.
We’re closing down the mental tabs and moving away from constant doing.
We’re gently helping her ask:
How do I feel?
Who am I right now?
What do I need to just be?
Creating a Rest & Recharge Routine
The next few weeks are about recharging. We’re building a simple routine based on three supportive habits:
Small, daily anchors to help them stay connected and topped up. We’re also introducing a new way of managing responsibility, with them at the centre of the plan.
Project Managing YOURSELF
They’re learning how to treat themself like the most important project they’ve ever managed.
We’re using a simplified Eisenhower Matrix to sort through their life:
Do now – Urgent & important
Delegate – Important, but someone else can help
Delete or defer – Not important right now
It’s about learning that not everything belongs to you. And that’s part of taking back control.
Phase Two: Strategy, Boundaries & Clarity
Once we’ve recalibrated, we’ll build out the next phases:
Mental Fitness Blueprint – A personal version of wellbeing
WRAP Plan – Wellness & Recovery Action Plan
Strategy kit – Practical tools & boundaries that are unique to them
Vision reset – Rediscovering the life they want to lead
This isn’t about pushing through. It’s about a controlled stop, avoiding the crash before it happens.
No more driving with the brakes on.
The Crossroads: What Comes Next?
When you’re at a crossroads, sometimes you need to ask the hard but freeing questions:
Do I want to go back to the life I was living?
What needs to change?
What does a peaceful, purposeful future look like?
What does an average day - one I’d actually love - look like?
From this space, we begin to rebuild. Not back to “normal”, but forward, into something better.
If This Feels Familiar…
This is exactly the kind of work I do in my 12-week one-to-one coaching programme.
It’s for leaders who’ve been holding too much for too long. Those who need to stop, reset, and reclaim themselves.
You don’t have to wait for burnout to make a change. You can choose to stop now and move forward with intention.
Let’s talk.
