Your Brain's Warning Light Is Flashing: Are you Paying Attention

When Your Brain Is Trying to Tell You Something

There is something that I want to say very clearly, especially to the brilliant, high-functioning, high achievers out there:

You’re not failing.

You’re not behind.

You’re not bad at coping.

But you might be running on empty.

Tired. Wired. Over-functioning.

And your brain? It’s trying to help. Even now.

Because your brain is doing exactly what it was designed to do: Keep you safe. Keep you going. Keep you alive.

Let me explain....

Imagine your brain is a computer.

Not one of those shiny new Macs with infinite RAM, more like an overworked laptop with 47 tabs open, 15 programs running in the background, and a spinning rainbow wheel that just won’t stop.

That wheel?

That’s overwhelm.

The cognitive equivalent of: “Please give me a minute. I’m doing my best.”

When your computer freezes, what do you do?

You close the tabs. You shut it down. You let it rest.

You don’t shame it, you reboot it.

Or let's try this...

Imagine your brain is a phone.

When it rings, you answer, because something needs your attention.

Now imagine your emotions are that ringing phone.

Those moments of anxiety, irritation, overwhelm?

They’re not flaws.

They’re signals. Your brain’s way of saying: “Hey… something’s not working. Please check in.”

And yet, what do most high-achievers do when the warning lights come on?

We override. We minimise. We push through.

Because we can.

Until...

🖤 The screen goes black.

🖤 The whole system shuts down.

🖤 And we call it burnout.

Burnout isn't just being tired.

It’s a full system crash.

A brain depleted of dopamine and serotonin.

An amygdala stuck in overdrive.

A prefrontal cortex that can’t prioritise, focus, or make clear decisions.

It’s your body saying:

“I’ve been whispering. You didn’t listen. So now I’m yelling.”

But what if burnout isn’t weakness or failure…What if it’s just feedback?

What if your brain is saying:

“You’re asking too much of me… and I love you too much to keep going like this.”

That reframe? It changes everything.

Your brain only has so much energy.

Your brain uses around 20% of your body’s total energy every day, which is wild, considering it’s only 2% of your body weight.

Once it’s gone, you don’t push through. You reset. You recover. You re-energise on purpose. You sleep.

And once you understand how to work with your brain (instead of constantly overriding it),

You can reclaim the energy, clarity and calm you’ve been missing.

That's why I created the The Thriving in 2025 Toolkit.

Not as a productivity hack.

But as a lifeline, for brilliant, exhausted women who’ve spent too long performing wellness but never really feeling it.

Inside the toolkit, I’ll show you how to:

✅ Understand your emotional warning lights

✅ Reset your brain’s energy using evidence-based strategies

✅ Build habits that stick, without overwhelming your nervous system

✅ Start feeling like yourself again (on your terms)

This is a reminder. 

You are not failing.  You’re just tired.

And maybe now… it’s time to stop ignoring the warning lights. And start listening to what your brain has been trying to tell you all along.

Ready to reboot instead of burn out?

Download the Thriving in 2025 Toolkit‍

Or if you’re ready for deeper support: 📞 Book a discovery call with me

‍

With heart and science,

Julie

‍Chief Hope Officer