You’re Not Failing—You’re Just Running on Empty

You’re not broken—you’re just running on empty. Learn the three hidden ways burnout shows up—and how to rebuild with clarity, calm, and confidence.

There was a time I looked successful on paper, but inside, I was unravelling.

Most days, it felt like I was trying to run a marathon in steel-toed boots. Heavy. Exhausting. Everything felt harder than it should’ve. I thought maybe I was the problem. I worked harder, masked better, and smiled bigger. But nothing shifted—at least not in a way that lasted.

What I didn’t know then - but I do know now - is this:

I wasn’t broken or lazy—I was burned out.

And the systems I was using didn’t fit how I was wired.

The Truth? I’ve Lived This Work.

I make no secret of the fact I’ve navigated mental health challenges for most of my life—or at least, the parts I can remember. Through years of work with my psychologist, psychiatrist, and team of specialists, I’ve opened doors I didn’t even know were there.

Depression. Anxiety. OCD. These weren’t just background noise—they shaped every chapter. From performance anxiety as a young hockey player and golf professional to dating, relationships, employment, and ultimately entrepreneurship.

And while being my own boss has served me well over the past 25 years, it hasn't been without collateral damage. I’ve gotten things done, sure—but not without cost.

In 2012, chronic pain entered the picture—sudden, relentless, and unexplained.

For someone with an autistic brain—highly sensitive to pain, overwhelm, and unpredictability—it pushed me to the brink. But it also became a catalyst. A wake-up call. A chance to learn a new rhythm.

The photo in this post was taken seconds before the IV was flipped on and I was put under for one of my treatments...it means more than words can say. It was taken during a moment I felt both grounded and exposed. Loved and cared for. Safe and assured. Vulnerable yet calm. Not because life was easy, but because I was no longer pretending it had to be. I was learning to show up fully, even in the discomfort.

That’s the version of me I trust the most.

The Three Core Challenges That Keep Us Stuck

If you’re someone who pushes through, takes care of everyone else, and wonders why it’s all so damn hard, you’re not alone. Here are the three traps I see over and over in high-achievers, and lived through myself:

🔹 Challenge 1: You’re Stuck in Your Head
The inner critic won’t shut up. You second-guess everything.

The shift: When you build self-trust, that noise starts to quiet. You speak with clarity. Act with confidence. Trust yourself—even in the messy middle.

🔹 Challenge 2: Everything Knocks You Off Balance
One weird convo. One hard day. One curveball, and your week’s off the rails.

The shift: With emotional steadiness and mental clarity, you stay grounded and bounce back faster, without losing full days to stress spirals.

🔹 Challenge 3: Your Habits Don’t Work for You
You go all-in, crash, and burn. Or you wait for the “perfect time” that never comes.

The shift: When habits are designed for how you work, you build momentum without burning out. Your systems finally fit your life—and your brain.

Here’s the thing most success advice forgets:

Clarity, confidence, and resilience aren’t personality traits. They are skillsets.

Skills you can build. Sustainably. Without grinding yourself into the ground.

This Is Just the Beginning…

In the next post, I’ll share how finding clarity became the turning point in my story—and how it helped me finally move from chaos to calm.

But for now, I want to leave you with this:

You’re not behind.

You’re not broken.

You’re building.

And that matters more than you know.

Be well, and have the best day you can.

—Trev

About the Author: Trevor Moore is a mental health and wellness speaker, resiliency coach, and chronic overthinker turned clarity-creator. He helps high-performing humans stop spiralling and start leading—with more energy, less burnout, and way better coffee. He’s also a mental health advocate, chronic pain warrior, kindness crusader, and self-proclaimed above-average podcast guest, with below-average spelling.

Categories: : Burnout Recovery, High-Functioning Anxiety, Life & Resiliency Coaching, Lived Experience, Mental Health & Burnout, Nervous System Regulation, Neurodivergent Leadership, Self-Trust & Sustainable Habits