Sign up to save your podcasts
Or
Share E124: The Lies That Lead to Overwhelm: How to Prevent Burnout in the Pursuit of Your Dreams
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Or
E124: The Lies That Lead to Overwhelm: How to Prevent Burnout in the Pursuit of Your Dreams
Tired of feeling overwhelmed and burned out? In his latest episode, Adam Hill debunks 3 common lies that can lead down that path– that you need to compromise on sleep, always give 110%, and convince yourself you're not afraid.
Adam shares why these messages are actually unhealthy and provides alternative approaches to continuously progress toward your goals while preventing burnout. You'll learn how to respect your limits, manage your overwhelm, and use fear as a signal rather than something to suppress.
Here are some power takeaways from today’s conversation:
Avoiding burnout through self-care and setting realistic goals
Burnout and the importance of self-care
The importance of rest and recovery in achieving peak performance
The importance of setting sustainable goals and avoiding burnout
Facing and overcoming fear
Episode Highlights:
[13:29] Rest at Your Best
Rest and recovery are extremely important aspects of achieving peak performance over the long term. Pushing ourselves to the point of burnout is actually counterproductive. Our performance has natural high and low periods, and it's important to respect those cycles. By resting when we're at our best, we allow our body and mind to consolidate gains and come back even stronger. Pushing past the point of diminishing returns leads to injury or overtraining, setting us back further. Therefore, taking regular rest days and not going to failure every time allows the body to adapt without excess stress.
[18:39] Give 80% Effort, Instead of 110%
The second lie Adam discusses is the idea that we need to always give 110% effort. He argues this is an unsustainable and unhealthy approach that leads to burnout. When people say they're going to give 110%, it signals to Adam that they don't respect their own limits and abilities enough to see themselves succeed in the long run. Adam prefers an 80% approach, where we hold some capacity in reserve rather than running on empty. This 20% buffer allows for recovery and adaptation. He shares how many elite athletes train this way, knowing 80% consistently over time will surpass others' occasional 110% bursts. Their 80% becomes everyone else's 110% as their endurance grows stronger. The key is consistency over time rather than explosive short-term effort that burns bright but fades quickly.
[23:01] Get Curious About Your Fear
The third lie Adam discusses is telling ourselves that we are not afraid when fear is a normal and okay human emotion. He argues it's dangerous to try and suppress or deny fear, as this creates an internal pressure that can explode over time. Instead of fighting fear, Adam recommends getting curious about it. View fear as a signal that you're pushing your boundaries, rather than something to be feared in itself. When we feel fear, take time to understand what exactly is causing that feeling and what it may be trying to tell us. Rather than avoidance, face fears with mindfulness - be aware of the fear, get curious about its source, and see it as an opportunity rather than an obstacle. This reframing helps use fear constructively rather than destructively. It also prevents us from overwhelming ourselves by declining the very real emotions we all experience.
Resources Mentioned:
Follow Adam…
Sign up for my newsletter and get my free Foundations of Flow Training:
Follow me and turn fear into flow!
IG: @theadamchill
YouTube: @adamchill
TikTok: @theadamchill
View all episodes
By Adam HillTired of feeling overwhelmed and burned out? In his latest episode, Adam Hill debunks 3 common lies that can lead down that path– that you need to compromise on sleep, always give 110%, and convince yourself you're not afraid.
Adam shares why these messages are actually unhealthy and provides alternative approaches to continuously progress toward your goals while preventing burnout. You'll learn how to respect your limits, manage your overwhelm, and use fear as a signal rather than something to suppress.
Here are some power takeaways from today’s conversation:
Avoiding burnout through self-care and setting realistic goals
Burnout and the importance of self-care
The importance of rest and recovery in achieving peak performance
The importance of setting sustainable goals and avoiding burnout
Facing and overcoming fear
Episode Highlights:
[13:29] Rest at Your Best
Rest and recovery are extremely important aspects of achieving peak performance over the long term. Pushing ourselves to the point of burnout is actually counterproductive. Our performance has natural high and low periods, and it's important to respect those cycles. By resting when we're at our best, we allow our body and mind to consolidate gains and come back even stronger. Pushing past the point of diminishing returns leads to injury or overtraining, setting us back further. Therefore, taking regular rest days and not going to failure every time allows the body to adapt without excess stress.
[18:39] Give 80% Effort, Instead of 110%
The second lie Adam discusses is the idea that we need to always give 110% effort. He argues this is an unsustainable and unhealthy approach that leads to burnout. When people say they're going to give 110%, it signals to Adam that they don't respect their own limits and abilities enough to see themselves succeed in the long run. Adam prefers an 80% approach, where we hold some capacity in reserve rather than running on empty. This 20% buffer allows for recovery and adaptation. He shares how many elite athletes train this way, knowing 80% consistently over time will surpass others' occasional 110% bursts. Their 80% becomes everyone else's 110% as their endurance grows stronger. The key is consistency over time rather than explosive short-term effort that burns bright but fades quickly.
[23:01] Get Curious About Your Fear
The third lie Adam discusses is telling ourselves that we are not afraid when fear is a normal and okay human emotion. He argues it's dangerous to try and suppress or deny fear, as this creates an internal pressure that can explode over time. Instead of fighting fear, Adam recommends getting curious about it. View fear as a signal that you're pushing your boundaries, rather than something to be feared in itself. When we feel fear, take time to understand what exactly is causing that feeling and what it may be trying to tell us. Rather than avoidance, face fears with mindfulness - be aware of the fear, get curious about its source, and see it as an opportunity rather than an obstacle. This reframing helps use fear constructively rather than destructively. It also prevents us from overwhelming ourselves by declining the very real emotions we all experience.
Resources Mentioned:
Follow Adam…
Sign up for my newsletter and get my free Foundations of Flow Training:
Follow me and turn fear into flow!
IG: @theadamchill
YouTube: @adamchill
TikTok: @theadamchill