How Burnout Changed My Business (And My Life)

(✨More of an audio/visual biz boss? Want to dive deeper into this topic and see how it can help you with your business? Check out the YouTube video here)

Let’s talk about burnout.

Not in a fluffy, surface-level way—but in the real, raw, “this nearly broke me” kind of way. Because burnout isn’t just about being a bit tired. It’s a full-body, full-life shutdown. And it happened to me.

In this post, I want to share my personal story of burning out, what caused it, how I recovered, and the biggest shift I made that not only saved my business—but actually made it better.

The Breaking Point: Burnout in My Business

In January 2023, I burnt out. Like, really burnt out.

I woke up one morning covered in hives—something I’d never experienced before. I was losing my hair, I was constantly angry, and I was working late into the night, every night. I was running a big launch for my previous business (a music education platform), and even though the launch was technically successful, I was terrified.

I was scared it wouldn’t work.

Scared I’d lose everything.

Scared I couldn’t keep up.

And I wasn’t sleeping. I’d wake up in the night with anxiety, work all day, skip meals, ignore the fact I needed to pee—and just keep going. Because that’s what I thought success required.

The Lie I Believed

I believed I had to hustle my way to success.

I believed I could rest later.

That once I hit my goals, I could finally take a break.

Spoiler: that break never came.

Even when I had money in my account, I didn’t feel secure. I felt panicked. I was so deep in the cycle of toxic productivity and hustle culture that I couldn’t see the way out.

The Turning Point

When I finally realised what was happening, I took two weeks off and flew back to Scotland. I stayed with my dad. I asked for help. I cried. I started to reassess everything—what success really meant to me, what I wanted from my life, and what I was willing to sacrifice to get it.

Spoiler: I wasn’t willing to sacrifice my joy anymore.

I realised I hadn’t roller skated (something I loved) in months. I hadn’t truly enjoyed my business in even longer. And that hit me hard.

The Shift: Moving to a 4-Day Work Week

After recovering from burnout, I made one big change:

I moved to a 4-day work week.

And guess what?

• I didn’t earn less.

• I didn’t lose clients.

• My business didn’t fall apart.

In fact, I maintained my income and created more space, more joy, more clarity, and more fulfilment.

This shift gave me the space I needed to actually think strategically about my business again. It helped me reconnect with myself and the things I love outside of work. And it helped me become a better business owner.

You Deserve Better Than Constant Stress and Overwhelm

You didn’t start your business to be chained to your laptop. You started it to do meaningful work—and still have a life.

I now help overwhelmed freelancers, solopreneurs, and heart-led business owners move to a 4-day work week—without losing revenue.

Want to Learn How to Do It?

🎉 I’ve created a free workshop for overwhelmed and exhausted solopreneurs, freelancers and small business owners

👉 How to Move to a 4-Day Work Week Without Losing Revenue

Inside, I’ll show you the exact strategy I used to shift from burnout to balance—and how you can start making changes right now to break free from feeling trapped inside your business and to make more space and freedom in your life.

Rosie x