The Beliefs That Burned Me Out (and the Ones That Brought Me Back)

1. What Burnout Felt Like for Me

I know my version of burnout. It came after I left my senior government role — a job that had consumed me for years. I thought I’d simply walk away, take a breath, and dive straight back into coaching. Easy, right?

Wrong.

The universe (and let’s be honest, my own nervous system) had other plans.

2. The Wake-Up Call I Didn’t Expect

First, my mother became seriously ill. I flew to be by her side in hospital, and ended up helping both her and my father transition into a rest home. It was an emotionally exhausting time.

When I finally came home, ready to “start fresh,” I felt… completely stuck.

Coaching, something I’d once loved, suddenly felt unreachable. My energy was scattered. I was anxious. Overwhelmed. It was like I couldn’t get past the starting line — no matter what I tried.

I walked. A lot. Up and down the neighbouring farm track — sometimes ten times a day. I was searching, though I wasn’t quite sure for what.

And then, one day, mid-walk, I stopped dead in my tracks.

What if the thing I thought was keeping me stuck… wasn’t really the thing at all? What if something deeper was running the show?

3. The Layered Truth About Limiting Beliefs

That’s when it clicked.

What I was really stuck in… was an old belief structure.

By that time, I’d already started developing what’s now known as The BS Shift (yes, that can stand for “bullshit” — but it also stands for “belief structure,” which feels a bit more polite 😉).

The truth is, we all carry belief structures — most of them formed before the age of 7 or 8. They come from tiny moments: a teacher’s comment, a parent’s reaction, a playground humiliation. And they quietly shape how we see ourselves and the world.

For me, it wasn’t just burnout from work. It was the weight of years of feeling like I had to prove something to be worthy.

And those beliefs? They don’t shift all at once. They move in layers.

You shift one, and you rise a little. Then life offers you another moment, another nudge, another layer to peel.

4. What Helped in the Interim

Let’s be honest though: in the middle of a stuck moment, peeling away childhood conditioning isn’t always realistic.

So what do you do in the meantime — while you’re still in the thick of it?

That’s where interim shifts come in. These are simple, daily tools I started using to quiet the little voice in my head that told me:

• “You’re not good enough.”

• “You should be further along.”

• “Everyone else has it together but you.”

Sound familiar?

Here’s what I believe now: almost all of our limiting beliefs come back to one root feeling — I’m not enough.

So I needed tools that worked in the moment. Not years from now, not after months of therapy — but today.

5. 10 In-the-Moment Mindset Shifts (For When You Feel

Stuck or Not Good Enough)

Try one of these mini resets the next time self-doubt, comparison, or anxiety creeps in:

1. Name the Noise
💬 Say the thought out loud. It’s just a thought — not the truth.

2. Ask “Whose Voice Is This?”
👂 Is this really your belief? Or someone else’s?

3. Flip the Script
🔄 What’s the opposite of that belief? Say it — even if you don’t believe it yet.

4. The 10% Braver Question
🔥 What would I do if I were just 10% braver right now?

5. Ground in the Senses
🌿 Use the 5-4-3-2-1 grounding technique to return to the present moment:

• 5 things you can see

• 4 things you can touch

• 3 things you can hear

• 2 things you can smell

• 1 thing you can taste

6. Call in Evidence
📚 Can you think of one time this belief wasn’t true?

7. “What If” Reframe
🤔 Try: “What if this works?” instead of “What if I fail?”

8. Tiny Task Reset
🧹 Complete one small task. Feel your energy shift.

9. Borrow Belief
🧡 Think of someone who believes in you — see yourself through their eyes.

10. Breathe Like You Mean It
💨 Inhale for 4. Hold for 4. Exhale for 6. Repeat three times.

6. When You’re Ready to Go Deeper

The shifts above are powerful — but sometimes, you need something with more structure and soul. That’s why I created The Courage Cards: my signature toolkit for breaking through belief blocks in a truly embodied way.

Each of the 10 Courage Cards comes with:

• A guided video lesson

• A downloadable instruction guide

• A real-life case study to show how it works in action
  

These aren’t just tools — they’re transformational patterns for those moments when you feel like you’ve hit a wall.

🎁 Want to learn more or get your Courage Cards set?
👉 Click here to explore the Courage Cards

Final Thoughts

The day I realised that burnout wasn’t just about being tired — but about the beliefs I was carrying — was the day everything began to shift.

If you’re in that space right now, know this:
You’re not broken. You’re not behind. You’re just carrying beliefs that no longer fit the life you’re meant to live.

Start where you are. Use the tools you have.
And when you’re ready to peel back the deeper layers — I’ve got you.