The Truth About Burnout: Why Rest, Reconnection, and Redefinition Matter

Howdy Vibrant Fam,

Welcome back to Mind Over Miles—a weekly blog journey where we dive into topics that live in the depths of mental resilience, impostor syndrome, and the little things that keep us going forward.

This week, it feels fitting to tap into burnout—a state of being that doesn’t discriminate. It crosses every profession, every lifestyle, every passion project. And while burnout and exhaustion may feel the same physically, burnout reaches deeper. Its tendrils stretch into your emotions, your mental state, your overall well-being.

In a culture that glorifies hustle and grind, burnout is becoming more and more of a permanent fixture in people’s lives.

Take my day job—well, my primary and only job. I work in events (I know, shocking that I have a life outside the constant running chatter... but it’s true!). In this industry, it’s so common to always be on. There’s no clear line between work and life—you just exist within it at all times. And that constant state of being ON? That’s the perfect recipe for ending up in burnOUT. (Shout-out to my events fam though—trauma bonded for lifeeeee 😆).

But seriously, that last sentence is the key: the constant state of being on. Whether that’s working nonstop (because you are your work), training without recovery, or just the pressure to keep leveling up—burnout thrives in those conditions.(Also, can we talk about how every scroll on social media now slaps you with some “easy side hustle” nonsense like you’re not already maxed out?)

Sooo… how do we escape the burn? How do we go from completely depleting ourselves in every capacity to slowly rebuilding?

Well, you’re in luck—because I’m learning that right alongside you.

🔔 First: Burnout isn’t failure—it's a wake-up call.

Picture Wile E. Coyote getting clobbered with a cartoon hammer. That hammer? Yeah, that’s burnout. It’s your body saying, “You’ve pushed too hard. Time to regroup.”

So what now? We listen. We rest. We reconnect. We redefine.

💤 Rest (for real).

And I mean truly rest.

Disconnect from the noise of life (delete Instagram for a bit—it’ll still be there).

You're not failing by slowing down. You’re surviving. You’re healing.

This isn’t some trick to get ahead—it’s just honest advice.

Lay the f*ck down if you need to. Your brain needs fuel, it needs quiet, it needs a reset.

Think about it—what's the first thing you do when your computer’s glitching? Turn it off. Turn it back on.

If a laptop needs a break, you sure as hell do too.

🔌 Reconnect

Okay, so maybe you’re thinking,"Thanks Colton, groundbreaking stuff: rest when you're burnt out."

Fair! But sometimes we just need the reminder.

Now it’s not just about stopping. It’s about reconnecting—to yourself, to your people, to your passions.

Burnout can make us feel numb. It mimics the symptoms of depression.

We lose the spark. We lose ourselves.

So here’s what’s helped me: I talk to myself. Yep, full conversations and debates. (Call me crazy, but in my 29 years, it’s never failed me.)

But you don’t have to do that.

Write yourself a letter.

Pick up a forgotten creative project.

Reconnect with old friends or family.

Do something that reminds you who you are outside of the grind.

Because you are more than your job. You are more than the sport or craft or hustle.

You’re a whole-ass person.

🔁 Redefine

So we’ve rested. Maybe we wrote a letter.

Now what?

Redefine.

(Mhmm, you caught the REst, REconnect, REdefine theme, right? Pretty solid if I do say so myself.)

Redefine what success looks like—for you. Societal success doesn’t have to be your metric.

Being good at your job doesn’t mean having no boundaries.

Being a good runner doesn’t mean a sub-2 hour marathon.

Being a great artist doesn’t mean you have to end up in the Louvre.

You get to decide what feels fulfilling and what feels like enough.

And by setting goals that don’t wreck your spirit, you set yourself up for sustainable, long-term success.

Why?

Because you're pushing yourself with care. You're honoring your capacity. You're showing up for your goals—and for yourself.

Woof. That was a lot of words, huh?

If you made it this far, thank you. I truly appreciate you being here.

I’m not a trained professional—I’m just a burnt-out millennial bumper-carring my way through life like the rest of y’all.

Right now, I’m on the very journey I’ve outlined here.

Trying to tap back into my creativity (hello blog, hello photography).

Pushing myself (hello world major marathons).

Prioritizing my health and well-being (hello sobriety).

Some of this is uncomfortable.

(Reconnecting with yourself isn’t always a joy ride.)

But holy sh*t, is the reward worth the discomfort.

If anything in here resonated, I hope you’ll share this with someone who might need it.

Drop a comment: What has burnout looked like for you? How did you pull yourself back from the edge?

And as always, fam—keep seeking that vibrancy.

Even when things feel dull or dark, there’s always a shimmer of light waiting at the end of the tunnel.

Stay Vibrant, my friends.

Until next time.