Three Honest Signs You’re Stuck in the Middle of Life, Work, and Burnout
I talk to a lot of women who are in the middle of… well, everything.
They’re in the middle of their careers, the middle of their families, the middle of caring for kids and parents, or managing households and ministries and teams.
They’re also often in the middle of some kind of personal shift—an identity crisis they didn’t sign up for, a season of transition, or a whisper in the soul that says, “This isn’t working anymore.”
These women are smart. Compassionate. Capable. Deeply committed. But often they’re carrying more than anyone realizes—and they’re tired in a way that no nap can fix.
And over time, certain phrases start to echo.
They come up in coaching conversations. In texts from friends. In the quiet moments when someone finally says what they’ve been thinking but didn’t have words for.
Here are three of those phrases. Maybe you’ve said them, too.
1. “I wish my life was my own.”
This one usually comes out with a sigh.
It’s not about not loving the people they care for. It’s not about wanting to quit everything and move to a tropical island (although, hey, that’s tempting).
It’s about the sheer relentlessness of living a life that feels like it belongs to everyone else.
I think of women like Donna, a devoted mom and daughter who’s been sandwiched between caregiving roles for most of her adult life. She’s good at holding it all together—but it’s exhausting to be the glue.
When she started Real Life Refresh, she said, “I’ve rarely had a day where I had choices.”
That sentence stayed with me.
Because here’s the truth: when every hour is about someone else’s needs—your kids, your parents, your team at work, your church or community—it’s easy to forget you even have needs of your own.
Over time, your sense of agency slips away. Even little things—what to eat for lunch, whether to take a walk, how to spend a Saturday—stop feeling like actual choices. They’re just dictated by the next task on the never-ending list.
But little by little, Donna started to shift. She didn’t overhaul her whole life overnight. But working through the Real Life Refresh program, she made small, deliberate choices to show up for herself, too.
As she put it recently, “I’m starting to run my life instead of letting life run me.”
It didn’t make her less caring. It just made her more whole.
2. “As soon as…”
This one wears a lot of disguises.
“As soon as the kids are back in school…”
“As soon as this big project is done…”
“As soon as we get through Easter… or graduation… or onboarding the new person…”
“As soon as I’m not so slammed at work…”
“As soon as I can catch my breath…”
I get it. Life comes in waves. Sometimes we really are in a season that requires more from us. There’s wisdom in acknowledging our limits.
But here’s the catch: if you’re always deferring your needs, that’s not just a one-time season—it’s a pattern. And patterns are worth paying attention to.
Because when everything is always on hold—your rest, your creativity, your clarity, your peace—you start living in survival mode. Moment to moment. Urgent thing to urgent thing. And even when the season does let up? You’re too tired to enjoy it.
I see this pattern most clearly in the women who don’t sign up for Real Life Refresh—at least not yet. They say, “This sounds exactly like what I need… as soon as…”
But here’s what I’ve learned: The life you want doesn’t start “as soon as.” It starts when you decide to stop waiting.
Even if it’s just one small step.
3. “I’m not burned out… yet.”
This one usually comes with nervous laughter—or a weary look that says, “Ask me again next week.”
I think of Jenn, a nonprofit leader and single mom of two. She’d been through burnout before and had fought her way back from it. She knew the signs. She knew how slippery that slope could be.
And one day she said, “I’m dangerously close to being swallowed up again.”
It wasn’t just exhaustion. It was over-functioning. Over-giving. Over-performing. She was capable enough to keep all the plates spinning, and no one was really worried—except her.
Because even when you’re doing everything “right,” you can still feel the slow erosion of your identity. Jenn knew she was fading again. The joy was leaking out. The clarity was gone.
She didn’t want to let anyone down. And she usually didn’t.
Except… she was letting herself down. Over and over.
Joining Real Life Refresh wasn’t some magic fix—but it gave her the space and support to draw a line. She began setting boundaries. She said no more often (without guilt). She made time for the things that filled her back up.
And guess what? She’s still leading her team and loving her people—maybe even more effectively. But she’s doing it with herself in the picture now.
Because whether you call it being burned out or just plain worn out, it deserves attention before the crash.
If you’ve whispered one of these…
You’re not alone.
These phrases don’t mean you’re failing. They mean you’re human—and probably doing too much of it in isolation.
They’re signals. Soul-whispers. Little red flags from your body, your spirit, your deeper self.
And maybe they’re your invitation to begin again.
To make space.
To find yourself.
To choose a life that feels like it actually belongs to you.
I believe in slow, sacred change. The kind that’s sustainable. The kind that sticks.
Ready for a bold, brave step?
If you saw yourself in these stories, I hope you see hope.
It means that you’re not the only one—and you’re not stuck.
Donna and Jenn didn’t just feel these things and keep suffering in silence. And they didn’t wait until the chaos cleared or life got less full. They decided to take just one step toward something different. And that step changed everything.
Donna and Jenn (and others just like them) joined Real Life Refresh—my signature coaching experience designed to help you reclaim your time, energy, and sense of self. It’s where women move from overwhelmed and overextended to calm, clear, and connected to what matters most.
Doors officially open for the fall cohort of Real Life Refresh in September. But I’m opening a limited-time pre-enrollment window just for early birds.
If your soul’s been whispering, “I need this,” I want to honor that with a special invitation.
You’re here early. You’re paying attention. Here’s a grace-filled head start, with a little gift.
→ Join before August 15, and you’ll save $300 with early bird pricing.
This might be your moment. Let’s have a no-pressure conversation before August 15 to explore whether this reset is the next right step for you.
This isn’t just a program. It’s a reset for your whole life—and a return to your real self.
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