Burnout is a growing challenge, especially for high-achieving women. Through my personal journey and years of coaching and research, I've developed the BRAVE framework to help you achieve lasting balance, prevent burnout, and thrive both personally and professionally.
Despite the global self-care movement and the rapid growth of the wellness industry—now valued at $4.5 trillion—burnout rates are steadily rising, particularly among women. While burnout among men is decreasing, nearly 50% of women are battling burnout today.
Many people feel overwhelmed by chronic stress, trying to balance careers, family, and societal expectations. This stress has only been exacerbated by blurred work-life boundaries post-COVID, the demands of home life, economic uncertainty, and constant digital noise.
Burnout isn’t just fatigue. It’s a state of mental, emotional, and physical exhaustion caused by prolonged stress without relief from healthy coping mechanisms. Fortunately, burnout is preventable, and that’s where the BRAVE framework comes in.
My Personal Journey Behind BRAVE
Burnout prevention became personal for me after nearly 20 years in corporate environments driven by fear and pressure. Constant fear of saying the wrong thing, underperforming, or being “pushed out” left me riddled with self-doubt, anxiety, and depression. I use to over compensate, working late, neglecting self-care, and my marriage and children suffered as a result. Eventually, I relied on alcohol to cope with the stress, which led to severe alcohol addiction.
After reaching burnout and rock bottom, I made the decision to rebuild my life. Sobriety was the first step, followed by developing healthy habits: setting boundaries, prioritising rest, exercising, and focusing on nutrition and mindfulness. I also left my corporate career and became a coach, creating a successful sobriety coaching business that I later sold.
Today, I help others achieve sustainable success—without burnout derailing their journey—using my BRAVE framework.
Understanding Burnout: What Happens When We Keep Pushing?
Burnout occurs when stressors consistently outweigh coping resources. It often shows up as exhaustion, cynicism towards work, and reduced effectiveness. You may feel like you’re constantly running on empty, disconnected from loved ones, and overwhelmed by even simple tasks.
Unchecked burnout can lead to serious health consequences, such as anxiety, depression, chronic illness, and in extreme cases, heart problems or autoimmune conditions. In Japan, "Karoshi"—death by burnout—illustrates the dire consequences of chronic overwork.
The good news? Burnout is preventable!
Introducing the BRAVE Framework
Working with hundreds of over-stressed, exhausted women, I began noticing recurring patterns. Burnout shows up in many different ways and can be triggered by a variety of factors. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to addressing it—it’s much broader than that, which makes it difficult to know exactly how to prevent it. Rest is essential, but without firm boundaries, we’ll continue to be pushed beyond our limits. Similarly, while exercise is critical for releasing healthy hormones, boosting energy, and improving sleep, it won’t solve the issue if we’re stuck in toxic work environments where bullying is the norm.
I identified the five most important areas that must be addressed to effectively prevent burnout and developed simple, memorable tools and strategies for each. These can be implemented right away and adjusted daily, without adding more overwhelm to an already full plate.
The BRAVE framework provides a practical, actionable path to prevent burnout by focusing on five essential areas:
B: Boundaries
R: Rest
A: Authenticity
V: Vitality
E: Empathy for Self
Putting BRAVE Into Practice
The BRAVE framework encourages small, sustainable changes that can make a big difference over time. Even spending just 5 minutes a day focusing on one of these areas can help you build resilience and prevent burnout.
I have created a FREE Download to help walk you through each of the element of BRAVE.
Living BRAVE requires courage, but the rewards are worth it. With balance and intentionality, you can achieve your goals without sacrificing your health.
If you’d like to dive deeper into the BRAVE framework, I invite you to download my free BRAVE guide. For additional support, explore my 1:1 coaching, keynote speaking, and workplace training programs.
Success, wellbeing, and happiness are not mutually exclusive—you can have all three. Be BRAVE, Be Balanced, Be Burnout Free!
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