Episode 20 | How I Conquer Burnout | Eleshia Harris
Listen to the Episode
Also available on:
Welcome to The Eleshia Lifestyle Podcast
Have you ever found yourself doing so much for everyone else that you barely have any energy left for yourself?
Between running a business, managing family responsibilities and trying to keep up with everyday life, it can be easy to ignore the warning signs that you are doing too much. You keep pushing, telling yourself you just need to get through one more task — until even the simplest things start to feel overwhelming.
In this solo episode, Eleshia Harris shares her personal approach to recognising and managing burnout. Drawing on her experiences as a business owner, mother and carer, she reflects on the importance of looking after your wellbeing while navigating the demands of work and family life.
Eleshia explores the role of imposter syndrome, social media comparison, sleep, movement, nutrition and relationships in how we feel. She also shares the practical habits she has been developing to create more space for herself, from switching off her laptop in the evening to journalling, laughing more and asking for help.
This episode is a reminder that your wellbeing and your ambitions do not have to compete. Looking after yourself is part of building a life and business that you can sustain.
In This Episode
Eleshia shares practical reflections on:
Recognising the warning signs that you may be doing too much.
Understanding how work, family responsibilities and stress can contribute to feeling overwhelmed.
The connection between imposter syndrome, comparison and social media.
Why sleep and creating an evening wind-down routine matter to her.
Making time for yourself, reading and quiet reflection.
Using morning journalling to clear your mind and organise your thoughts.
Finding joy through laughter, friendships and activities you love.
Nourishing yourself when you don't have much energy.
Asking for help and learning to delegate.
Using movement, Pilates, walking and dancing as part of her wellbeing routine.
Reassessing relationships that leave you feeling drained.
Why your health and wellbeing need to be part of your business foundations.
Quote of the Episode
“You have to invest in yourself.”
— Eleshia Harris
A simple but important reminder: your needs matter too. Making time for rest, reflection and support is not something you have to earn after completing every task on your list.
Episode Summary
In this solo episode, Eleshia opens up about burnout and the importance of noticing when you have been pushing yourself too hard.
She describes how easily we can become caught up in work, family commitments and the pressure to keep moving forward. When we are busy trying to meet everyone's needs, we can overlook our own until our energy, motivation and ability to cope begin to suffer.
For Eleshia, looking after herself has become an essential part of how she approaches both life and business. She reflects on her experience of perimenopause, her responsibilities to her family and the importance of finding quiet moments to reconnect with herself.
Sleep is one of the areas she has been focusing on. Eleshia explains how working late can leave her mind racing even after she has gone to bed. By making a habit of switching off her laptop at 9 pm and avoiding screens afterwards, she has created more time to wind down, read and prepare for sleep.
She also discusses journalling as a way to get thoughts out of her head and onto paper. Rather than trying to make every entry perfect, she uses the practice to capture whatever is on her mind, including tasks, frustrations and ideas.
Another important theme is social media. Eleshia acknowledges that these platforms can be useful for business, but warns against allowing comparison and endless scrolling to undermine your confidence or affect your mood. She encourages listeners to question how they use social media, mute accounts that make them feel worse and take breaks when needed.
The episode also explores the importance of joy. Eleshia recalls watching comedies with her mum during her mum's cancer treatment and reflects on how laughter and shared moments can bring comfort during difficult periods. She encourages listeners to reconnect with the people and activities that help them feel good.
Alongside this, she highlights practical ways to support yourself when energy is low: making nourishing food easier to access, preparing meals in advance, sharing household responsibilities, delegating work and finding opportunities to move your body.
Finally, Eleshia discusses the importance of reviewing relationships that feel consistently draining or one-sided. She recognises that stepping back from relationships can be difficult, but encourages listeners to seek genuine, reciprocal connections.
The central message is that wellbeing needs to be part of the foundation of your life and business. You cannot always eliminate pressure or responsibility, but you can begin to make more intentional choices about how you care for yourself.
⭐ Put It Into Practice
You don't need to implement every idea at once. Choose one or two that feel realistic for your current circumstances and begin there.
1. Notice your warning signs
Think about what happens when you have taken on too much. Do you struggle to sleep, become irritable, lose motivation, skip meals or find it difficult to concentrate?
Recognising your own patterns can help you identify when you need to pause, reduce demands or ask for support. If persistent exhaustion or distress is affecting your daily life, consider speaking with a healthcare professional.
2. Set a time to switch off
Eleshia shares how setting a 9pm laptop cut-off helped her create a clearer boundary between work and rest.
Choose a realistic time to stop working and try to protect it. If you cannot switch off at the same time every day, start by identifying a few evenings when you can finish earlier.
Create a simple wind-down routine that helps you transition away from work, whether that means reading, listening to an audiobook or preparing for the next day.
3. Make space for yourself
Solo time does not have to involve a big activity or a long break away from your responsibilities.
You might spend ten minutes reading, sit quietly with a cup of tea, write in a journal or go for a short walk.
The aim is to create a little space in which you are not constantly responding to somebody else's needs.
4. Try a brain dump
Take a notebook and write down whatever is occupying your mind.
It could be a list of tasks, ideas you don't want to forget, frustrations or things you need to think through. You do not have to organise the information immediately.
Once your thoughts are on paper, decide whether anything needs action today, can wait until later or could be delegated.
5. Review your relationship with social media
Ask yourself why you are opening each platform. Are you researching something for your business, connecting with your community or simply scrolling because you need a distraction?
If certain accounts leave you feeling inadequate or anxious, consider muting them. You could also set a daily screen-time reminder or reduce your use at weekends.
Social media can be useful without needing to occupy every spare moment.
6. Put joy back into your week
Think about the last time you laughed properly or did something simply because you enjoyed it.
Make room for an activity that brings you joy. Watch a comedy, call a friend, dance to a favourite song or spend time with people who help you feel like yourself.
You do not need to wait until every responsibility has been completed before allowing yourself to enjoy life.
7. Make nourishing food easier
When you are overwhelmed, cooking may feel like another task you cannot face.
Think about what would make eating regularly and nourishing yourself easier. You could prepare a few meals in advance, keep simple ingredients available, freeze portions or choose a convenient meal when time and energy are limited.
The goal is to support yourself in a realistic way rather than create another standard you feel you have to meet.
8. Ask for help and share responsibilities
Eleshia openly acknowledges that asking for help does not always come naturally to her. She shares how delegating website tasks and distributing household responsibilities can reduce pressure.
Look at your own responsibilities and ask:
Does this task need to be done by me?
Could someone else help?
Can the task be simplified or postponed?
Would paying for support be worthwhile if it is affordable?
Sharing responsibilities is not a failure. It is a way of making your workload more manageable.
9. Move your body in a way that works for you
Eleshia describes using Pilates, walking and dancing as part of her routine.
Choose movement that suits your preferences, ability and energy levels. It could be a gentle walk, a stretch between tasks or dancing to one of your favourite songs.
You do not need an elaborate exercise plan to begin creating more opportunities for movement.
10. Review the relationships around you
Consider which relationships feel supportive, mutual and authentic, and which regularly leave you feeling drained.
Not every difficult relationship needs to end, and sometimes boundaries or honest conversations can help. But if a relationship is consistently harmful, think about what changes might protect your wellbeing.
Give yourself permission to consider what you need from the people around you and what you are able to offer in return.
🔑 Key Takeaways
Your wellbeing matters now, not just when everything else is finished. Self-care needs to be part of your everyday life.
Boundaries create space to recharge. A consistent stopping time for work can help you protect your evenings.
Rest and quiet time are valuable. Reading, journalling and reflection can give you space away from constant demands.
Social media needs boundaries too. Pay attention to how online comparison affects your confidence and mood.
Joy belongs in everyday life. Laughter, friendships and activities you love are worth making time for.
Practical support counts. Meal preparation, delegation and sharing household responsibilities can help reduce pressure.
Movement can be flexible. Find activities that fit your needs rather than adding another source of stress.
You are allowed to ask for help. You do not have to manage every responsibility alone.
Your business depends on you, but you are more than your business. Building sustainable foundations means taking your health and personal life seriously too.
🌿 Eleshia's Reflection
This episode brings together many of the lessons I have been learning about looking after myself while continuing to show up for my family and my business.
For a long time, I was focused on making sure everybody else was okay. I wanted to meet my responsibilities, get the work done and keep everything moving. But I have had to recognise that constantly pushing myself is not a sustainable way to live.
I have been learning to listen to myself, create more quiet time and pay attention to what I need. That includes protecting my sleep, making time to read, journalling and being more intentional about how I use social media.
I have also realised that asking for help is an important part of the process. I don't need to do every task myself, whether that is work-related or something that needs to happen at home. Sharing responsibilities gives me more space to focus on what matters.
My mum is also a part of how I think about this. I often remember the things she said to encourage me, and taking time to be quiet helps me reconnect with those memories and the strength they give me.
I want to build a business and a life that allow me to thrive, not simply keep going until I have nothing left to give.
My hope is that this episode reminds you to pause, check in with yourself and make one small change that helps you feel more supported.
💬 Conversation Starters
Take a few moments to reflect on these questions:
What are your personal warning signs that you have taken on too much?
Are you giving yourself enough time to rest and switch off from work?
How does social media affect your confidence, energy or mood?
What activities help you feel joyful, calm or more like yourself?
Is there a responsibility you could share, simplify or delegate?
Who could you ask for help if you needed more support?
Are there relationships in your life that need clearer boundaries?
What is one small change you could make this week to prioritise your wellbeing?
You don't need to change everything at once. Choose one action that feels achievable and give yourself permission to start there.
🔗 Helpful Resources & Related Episodes
A Book Eleshia Mentions
Tender: The Imperfect Art of Caring by Penny Wincer
Eleshia mentions this book as something that encouraged her to think about the different experiences and perspectives involved in caring for someone with additional needs.
It offers a starting point for further reflection on caregiving and the people behind the roles they hold.
Continue the Conversation: Mindful Parenting
Continue the Conversation: The Magic Is You
Eleshia recommends revisiting her conversations with Michelle Rohr:
In these episodes, Michelle shares her journey of changing her mindset and behaviour so she could step forward and make an impact. They complement this episode's message about listening to yourself, recognising your potential and making changes that support the life you want to create.
Explore More Wellbeing Conversations
If this episode resonated with you, explore Latest Conversations on The Eleshia Lifestyle website for more discussions about self-care, mindset, women's health and managing the demands of everyday life.
You may also enjoy:
Episode 15: 8 Things to Consider When Life Gets Overwhelming — practical ideas for creating more space, setting boundaries and managing competing responsibilities.
Episode 16: The Things You Need to Know About Perimenopausal Belly Fat with Pamela Windle — a conversation about perimenopause and women's wellbeing.
Continue Listening
Thank you for listening to The Eleshia Show.
If this episode has encouraged you to make more space for yourself, share it with someone who may need the reminder that they matter too.
You can also follow the podcast and leave a rating or review on your preferred listening platform.
Remember, you do not have to be everything to everyone. Give yourself permission to pause, ask for help, protect your energy and build a life that supports your wellbeing alongside your ambitions.
As Eleshia reminds us, investing in yourself is important because you are important and amazing.
Until next time, take care of yourself.
Eleshia Harris
The Eleshia Lifestyle Podcast
Prefer to read? Browse the full transcript below, or listen using the player above.
