Stress doesn’t always look like falling apart. Sometimes it looks like a brilliant job done on empty. Heidi Horne, a stress speaker and author of One-Minute Reset, explains how to spot invisible burnout – and what to do in the minute before it builds.
You’re probably the person everyone turns to when something goes wrong. Can’t find a meeting room? Ask you. Executive running late? Call you. Last-minute travel changes? That lands on your desk too.
And somehow, you make it all happen.
But when was the last time you checked in with yourself? Not your boss, your inbox or the diary you’ve rearranged six times this morning.
You and and the stress nobody sees
Stress doesn’t always look like someone falling apart. Sometimes it looks like someone doing a brilliant job, smiling through another impossible day and saying, “Of course, no problem!” while running on empty. I call this invisible burnout.
I recently asked an audience: are you a super-spreader? And no, I’m not talking about viruses!
Two people walk into every room. You, and your nervous system. Your executive comes out of a difficult meeting, clearly under pressure. Before they’ve said a word, you sense something’s wrong. Their urgency becomes your urgency. Next thing, you’re racing around with your shoulders near your ears. And that tension can follow you into the next conversation.
Then there are the warning signs. Forgetting why you walked into a room. Snapping at your partner over something ridiculous. Lying awake mentally rearranging tomorrow’s diary. Your body is trying to tell you something. Are you listening?
What’s your stress signature?
When pressure builds, where does it show up first?
Physically, with tight shoulders or shallow breathing? Mentally, with brain fog and overthinking? Or emotionally, when your patience disappears and you feel a bit off?
Mine used to go straight to my shoulders. We all have our own stress signature, and learning to spot yours early makes a difference. You can’t reset what you haven’t recognised.
The minute before matters
We don’t really pause anymore. We move from one demand to another, carrying the last conversation into the next. Even when we stop, we’re usually checking our phones.
That’s why I created a one-minute reset. No app, no meditation cushion. And definitely no extra meeting in your diary! Just one minute to stop carrying everything into the next moment.
Try it tomorrow:
- Before opening your inbox, take a breath and ask yourself: what actually matters right now? Not everything needs solving before morning tea.
- Between meetings, notice your shoulders and breathing. Are you still carrying the last conversation? Give yourself a moment before the next one.
- Before walking through your front door, pause and ask, what can I leave behind today? Because the people you love deserve more than whatever energy is left after work.
And so do you.
One last thing
A one-minute reset won’t fix an impossible workload or a boss who expects you to be available around the clock.
Sometimes you need a boundary, an honest conversation or a real change at work. And if stress is constant, it’s worth talking to your GP or another professional.
But noticing stress before you’re completely exhausted is a good place to start. So while you’re looking after everyone else’s priorities, remember one more person – you.
heidihorne.co
