Lessons from Justin Welsh and My Own Story
Burnout does not only happen to people who dislike their jobs or who lack ambition.
It often strikes those who appear to be thriving, the people with impressive titles, growing incomes, and outward signs of success. From the outside, everything looks perfect, but inside, the foundation is collapsing.
That is why the burnout story of Justin Welsh resonates so deeply with me, and why I want to share both his experience and mine.
Before his breakdown, Justin was a rising star in the world of startups.
He led large sales teams in high-growth healthcare and software companies, driving massive revenue and achieving the type of success that others only dream of.
On paper, he looked unstoppable
Yet on December 16, 2018, he ended up on the floor of his home in the middle of a massive panic attack. He was hallucinating and yelling for help. His wife had to call 911, and the EMTs rushed in, explaining that although he was not dying, his body and mind had broken down.
This was not an isolated event but the inevitable result of years of pushing too hard, ignoring warning signs, and living in a way that left no room for recovery.
I know the feeling of living that kind of double life
I, too, was once an ambitious professional who looked strong and capable to the outside world. I handled international clients, built strategies across borders, and always looked like I had control.
But behind the scenes, the cost was mounting.
The exhaustion built up until my brain simply stopped being able to think clearly. I went from being the woman who could always see opportunities to being unable to even plan the next day.
Burnout overtakes you
That is how burnout feels when it overtakes you completely.
Justin’s collapse was not about laziness or lack of drive. It came from the very opposite.
His habits included long hours, very little sleep, nightly drinking, poor eating, and constant pressure. He has since explained that the real cause was not simply how many hours he worked but the growing sense of losing control.
Problems stacked up faster than he could solve them, and with every new challenge, he felt less agency.
Loss of control is at the heart of burnout
In the months after his collapse, Justin began to make changes.
He cut down on drinking, adjusted his diet, and improved his sleep. He also took the radical step of leaving his corporate role in August 2019. Walking away from a prestigious title and a powerful career path was not easy, but it was necessary.
For me, the same was true when I had to stop working with export clients.
I had built years of expertise and networks in that field, yet my burnout made continuing impossible. Letting go of an identity is painful, but survival requires it.
Recovery does not happen overnight
Even after stepping away from corporate life, Justin has admitted that he sometimes came close to burning out again.
Old habits return easily. The difference was that he began to enforce boundaries, protect his calendar, and redefine what success meant.
Instead of measuring himself by titles and corporate milestones, he started valuing autonomy, health, and meaningful impact. This shift allowed him to build a new career as a solopreneur. His newsletter, courses, and content reach hundreds of thousands of people today, but he continues to emphasize that guarding against burnout is a daily practice, not a one-time fix.
My own journey has been similar in that recovery is slow and uneven.
Burnout does not disappear in a month or even a year. It lingers in brain fog, in difficulty planning, in mornings that feel heavy. I have had to design my work carefully, creating projects that allow peace and protecting myself from the kind of stress that used to destroy me.
Just like Justin, I have learned that clarity, ambition, and success are still possible but only when balanced with rest and boundaries.
There are several lessons in these stories
1.First, lifestyle basics matter more than many professionals admit. Sleep, food, alcohol, and movement determine resilience.
2. Second, the real danger is not just working long hours but feeling that you have lost control.
3. Third, the body will force you to stop if you refuse to listen.
4. Fourth, recovery takes time and requires patience.
5. And finally, success must be redefined. If you measure success only by external recognition, you may miss the hidden costs until it is too late.
Today, Justin Welsh is known not just for his business success but for his honesty about burnout and his willingness to share how fragile life can become when you ignore the signals.
His story shows that collapse can become a turning point. For me, my collapse was also a reset. It stripped away what no longer worked and forced me to design life differently.
If you are a high achiever, do not assume burnout cannot happen to you.
It often comes for people like us precisely because we believe we can carry everything. The warning signs are real. The good news is that collapse does not have to be the end.
It can be the beginning of a healthier and more meaningful path.
