Anxiety often isn't a brain chemistry issue but a physical stress response. A blood sugar crash or caffeine can trigger a physiological state of emergency, and the mind then invents a psychological narrative (like work stress) to explain the physical sensation.

Burnout isn't a single condition. Emotional exhaustion needs a break (vacation). A lack of self-efficacy requires skill development (upskilling). Cynicism, the hardest to fix, demands rediscovering your 'why' (inspiration). Misdiagnosing the cause leads to ineffective solutions.

For Type-A personalities and entrepreneurs already operating in a high-stress state, intense exercise can be counterproductive. It spikes cortisol levels, exacerbating stress on the nervous system. Gentle movement like walking is often more effective for genuine regulation and recovery.

Instead of obsessing over "fixing" issues like fatigue or bloating, reframe them as signals from your body. Listening to these cues allows you to understand and address underlying root causes, rather than just masking the symptoms with temporary solutions.

Instead of medicating or ignoring symptoms like fatigue or mood swings, view them as your body's way of signaling an underlying issue. By treating symptoms as messages, you can focus on the root cause (like glucose spikes), which makes the 'messages' disappear.

Frame your health as five interconnected 'personal wells': physical, mental, emotional, social, and spiritual. According to Christine Platt, the depletion of just one well is enough to make you feel unwell, as it restrains the health of the other four. This model provides a targeted framework for self-assessment and restoration.

For two weeks, nightly log the five activities that energized you and the five that drained you. This simple practice reveals your core strengths and "gifts." By analyzing these patterns, you can intentionally redesign your role and responsibilities to spend more time on energizing tasks, actively combating burnout.

Burnout can manifest as "multitasking brain": working constantly but being unable to identify any meaningful achievements. This state is characterized by focusing on low-impact tasks, like clearing an inbox, which creates the feeling of being busy and frazzled without moving the business forward.

Instead of asking, "Have I worked enough to deserve rest?", ask, "Have I rested enough to do my best work?" This shift reframes rest from a reward you must earn into a necessary input for quality, compassion, and higher-level thinking. When in a fight-or-flight state, you lack access to the brain regions required for your most meaningful work.