Feeling tired is one thing - but burnout is something deeper...

In this episode of Diet Notes, Susie explores the difference between everyday fatigue and true burnout, particularly for women juggling work, family, caring roles, relationships, health changes and the constant pressure to keep doing more.

Drawing on the evidence-based burnout framework, Susie breaks down the three key signs of burnout: emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation or loss of empathy, and a reduced sense of personal accomplishment. She also explains why so many women in midlife may feel depleted after years of giving more energy than they’re getting back.

Rather than offering quick fixes, this episode focuses on practical starting points for rebuilding energy and creating space to recover. Susie shares why nutrition is often the first and most powerful place to begin, how gentle movement can be more helpful than pushing through another intense workout, and why blood tests for iron, vitamin D and hormones can be an important part of understanding what’s really going on.

She also discusses the importance of creating daily or weekly reset time, giving yourself a longer runway for change, and remembering that difficult seasons do pass - especially when they’re treated as a signal to make small, consistent changes.

In this episode, Susie covers:

• The difference between tiredness, emotional exhaustion and burnout
• The three defining signs of burnout
• Why modern life places so much pressure on women
  How food, walking and rest can help rebuild energy
• The importance of checking iron, vitamin D and hormonal health
• Why recovery from burnout takes time, space and self-compassion
• How small changes can help shift your life in a better direction

This is a reassuring episode for anyone feeling flat, depleted or unlike themselves - and a reminder that the best thing you can do is simply start.