Exhausted from Work? You Need to Read This.

When I first started freelancing, I was juggling everything.

A full-time job. Freelance gigs on the side. I’d work 16 hours a day, grab 5 hours of sleep, and somehow convince myself I was “managing.”

Then, when I shifted to full-time freelancing and started building my business, I thought things would get easier. Spoiler alert: they didn’t.

I found myself working around the clock:

• Early mornings for my international clients.
• Afternoons for my business.
• Evenings for my team members.

Rinse. Repeat. Monday through Saturday.

By Sunday, I wasn’t a person anymore—I was a puddle.

I’d spend the whole day in bed, too drained to do anything.

No energy to go out.

No enthusiasm for hobbies.

Books? Nope.

Family? Not happening.

Here’s the kicker: even when I had a free moment—like a quiet Saturday evening—I couldn’t stop myself. If I sat idle for just 30 minutes, my hands would automatically reach for my laptop or iPad.

Sound familiar?

Work Addiction = Burnout

This is what burnout looks like, but no one talks about it.

It’s not just feeling exhausted—it’s becoming addicted to work.

Here’s how you know you’re there:

• Tasks that used to take 30 minutes now drag on for 3 hours.
• You can’t focus for long—your brain feels distracted and sluggish.
• The quality of your work drops because you’re running on empty.

You think you’re being productive, but in reality, you’re just spinning your wheels.

For me, it was a hard pill to swallow: pushing through wasn’t making me more successful—it was breaking me.

How I Took Back Control

Fixing burnout takes work, but it’s possible.

I want to share the exact strategies that helped me reset:

1. Time Block Your Day

I stopped working “whenever” and started working intentionally.

• Mornings: Client meetings and high-priority work.
• Afternoons: Focused personal work—no calls, no distractions.
• Evenings: Team catch-ups and wrapping up small tasks.

Once I call it a day, that’s it.

No more emails. No notifications.

No sneaking back to my laptop “just for 10 minutes.”

And you know what?

I was able to get more done in 6 focused hours than I used to get done in 12.

2. Master Your Week: Meetings vs. Maker Days

This idea changed my life—shoutout to Alex Hormozi for the concept.

• Meeting Days (Monday-Wednesday): I stack all my meetings, calls, and admin tasks.

These days are busy but require less deep thinking.

• Maker Days (Thursday-Friday): These are sacred. No calls. No distractions.

Just focused work on business strategies, marketing plans, or anything that requires my full attention.

By splitting my week like this, I stopped feeling like I was juggling 100 things at once. Maker days are when I actually move the needle on my business.

3. Track Progress Weekly

Every week, I sit down and check:

• What did I accomplish?
• What worked? What didn’t?
• What’s my one big goal for the next week?

This simple habit keeps me grounded.

I’m no longer spinning my wheels—I’m focused on progress, not just busy work.

Your Burnout Isn’t a Badge of Honor

Look, I know what it’s like to wear “hustle” like a badge of honor. To feel proud of working nonstop. To convince yourself that breaks are lazy, or that you can “rest later.”

But here’s the truth:

• Breaks make you better.
• Rest isn’t wasted time—it’s what fuels your best work.
• Your business needs you to be healthy, focused, and on top of your game.

What About You?

Have you ever felt this kind of burnout?

The “can’t stop working even when I know I should” kind?

How did you deal with it—or are you still trying to figure it out?

Hit reply and share your story. I’ll feature some anonymous submissions in a future issue because, trust me, you’re not alone in this.

P.S. Burnout doesn’t mean you’re weak. It means you’ve been pushing too hard for too long. Take a breath—you’ll come back stronger.

P.P.S. I’m sharing these stories because I know how hard it is to run a business as a One-Person Office. If this resonates, let me know—your feedback means the world.