Recognizing Burnout Before It Hits

Welcome to Spark Insights! If you're new here, in this newsletter I share tips, tools and resources help you live a more intentional life each day.

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Before we get started …

Today I turn 40 — a milestone that feels like a beautiful opportunity to pause and reflect on the journey so far.

In the past year, I have so much to celebrate and be thankful for. Here are a few milestones:

• Launched my first book, Career Break Compass. Hitting no. 2 on Amazon

• Built this newsletter to over 18K thanks to all of you

• Grew my LinkedIn community to 33K+

• Found a circle of friends who challenge and energize me

• Traveled and made new memories with my family

• Prioritized my joy (play) and my rest (pause)

And the truth is, I feel more grounded and aligned.

It feels optimistic, and it takes consistent work.

In this midlife point, I thought I could share a few takeaways I’ve learned and have guided me.

Maybe they can help remind you of what you already know deep within.

Top Takeaways:

1. Rest is Productive

   • Burnout isn’t a badge of honor.

   • Pausing to recharge your mind and body isn’t a weakness — it’s the fuel that powers sustained success.
     

2. Lead with Empathy

   • Great leadership isn’t about knowing all the answers; it’s about creating space for others to thrive. The way I lead is human-focused.

   • Listening deeply and leading with heart fosters trust and builds stronger teams.
     

3. Clarity Fuels Confidence

   • Knowing your core values give direction to both your personal and professional life.

   • When you're clear on your values, decisions become easier, and fulfillment feels closer.
     

4. Own Your Pivots

   • Americans now average 4.4 years in a job, and younger generations staying even less at 2.5 years

   • Don’t be scared of change, and remember that your time has different value at different stages of life.
     

5. Celebrate Small Wins

   • Happiness isn’t just in the big milestones.

   • Recognizing the small victories along the way creates momentum and cultivates gratitude.
     

6. Protect Your Energy

   • You can’t pour from an empty cup.

   • Learning to say no, setting boundaries, and prioritizing self-care are key to showing up as your best self.
     

7. Connection is Everything

   • Relationships are the lifeblood of a fulfilling life.

   • Whether it’s in business or personal life, investing in meaningful connections creates support, inspiration, and joy.
     

8. Flexibility is Strength

   • Life rarely goes according to plan.

   • Embracing change with an open mind has led me to some of the most rewarding opportunities and experiences.
     

9. Health is Your Superpower

   • Prioritize movement, nourishing foods, and mindfulness.

   • A healthy body and mind are the foundation of resilience and creativity.
     

10. Be Kind, to Yourself and Others

    • The world is tough enough.

    • Extending grace to yourself during challenges and lifting others through compassion creates a ripple effect of positivity.
      

11. Joy is in the Everyday Moments

    • Some of the happiest memories are the simplest ones—a good laugh, a walk in nature, or a quiet moment with loved ones.

    • Seek those moments intentionally.

Download my graphic to accompany my 11 Life Lessons

Here’s to continuing to learn, grow, and create a life that aligns with our deepest core values — and to helping others do the same.

Thank you to everyone who has been part of this journey. Let’s keep moving forward, together.

As a side note and before you call me out for working my birthday, this is a scheduled email. 🙂 

Ok, let’s go!

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Quote

Question

What physical or emotional signals do you notice when you’re nearing burnout?

Action Step

Take 5 minutes to assess your current stress level. Write down one way you can prioritize rest or self-care this week.

Let's practice — reply to this email and share one self-care practice you’ll commit to this week.

Statistic

A Gallup study found that 76% of employees experience burnout at least sometimes, with 28% reporting it "very often."

Here’s a resource that has been helpful to me in understanding the signs of burnout in myself and others. Hope it helps you.

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Resources to Check Out

🎧 Podcasts

I had the chance to jump on a few podcasts to talk about burnout and my book, Career Break Compass. Here are a few for you to enjoy from December!

📚 Books

• Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment without Burnout by Cal Newport — I’m currently reading this one and am really enjoying it! It explores overwork, burnout and offers solutions for a different way of working. Newport deconstructs the absurdities inherent in standard notions of productivity, and then provides step-by-step advice for cultivating a slower, more humane alternative.
  

• Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Emily and Amelia Nagoski
  This was the first book I picked up when I started to ask myself, “Could I really be burned out?” Sisters Emily Nagoski, PhD, and Amelia Nagoski, DMA, help end the all-too-familiar cycle of feeling overwhelmed and exhausted. They compassionately explain the obstacles and societal pressures we face—and how we can fight back.
  

• Do Nothing by Celeste Headlee
  Award-winning journalist Celeste Headlee illuminates a new path ahead, seeking to institute a global shift in our thinking so we can stop sabotaging our well-being, put work aside, and start living instead of doing.
  

• The Joy of Missing Out by Tonya Dalton
  Dalton helps readers by teaching us to focus on the most important things and create our own operating systems that are exclusive to our lives as individuals. By doing this, we can simplify and make life even better- San Francisco Book Review

  
  

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Two Ways I Help

1. Career Break Compass is available everywhere books are sold!​

   Once you order, let me know so that I can give you access to all the online resources! Reply to this email with your receipt, or submit on my website.
   

2. Join the Group Program
   

   I'm bringing together people to support and learn from one another! Plus, you'll get access to expert-led trainings.
   

   I'm launching a brand new group program called Cove & Compass! Our first meeting will be in early February. Be sure to sign up to get the email updates.
   

   • Weekly group calls for community, networking and accountability

   • Care Packages to accompany our monthly programs  

   • Detailed courses to help you design your break or next career move.

   • Online tools, including schedules, budgets, and job search templates.

   • Immediate access to new tools and resources as they’re developed.
     

   Topics we’ll cover include burnout, career breaks, career pivots/transitions and resiliency. Whether you’re planning a break, in a break, transitioning out of a break, or looking for tips to not burnout - there will be a group for you!

The new group program and community launches in February! Sign up to get updates:

Thanks! Until next week.

Thanks
Laura

Certified Executive Coach | Advisor | Author
Visit lauranguyen.co