Burnout isn’t just an occasional rough week or a particularly stressful project, it’s a cycle that can consume careers, relationships, and well-being if left unchecked. At SXSW 2025, licensed mental health therapist Nikita Fernandes took the stage to address a room full of high-achieving professionals, urging them to recognize burnout before it takes hold and, most importantly, to invest in their well-being as much as they do their careers.
The Personal Toll of Burnout
Fernandes, a New York-based therapist and supervisor, has seen burnout firsthand. And this is not just in her clients but in herself. Entering the field at the height of the pandemic, she experienced the immense weight of supporting others while trying to stay afloat herself. She was going through the same things as her clients, and she didn’t always have the answers.
She described how, despite finding deep meaning in her work, exhaustion dulled that purpose. Through her own therapy and self-reflection, she began to understand how her personal narrative about productivity was fueling her burnout. That realization now shapes her mission to help others break the same cycle.
What Is Burnout, Really?
Burnout is not just about being tired, Fernandes emphasized. Instead, it’s about prolonged stress, exhaustion, and a misalignment between effort and fulfillment. While people often associate it with work, she pointed out that it’s really about the compromises they make — on rest, relationships, and personal well-being — until we no longer recognize ourselves.
Signs of burnout, she explained, show up in multiple ways:
- Psychological: Low self-esteem, brain fog, lack of motivation, irritability, cynicism.
- Physical: Sleep disturbances, chronic fatigue, frequent illness, changes in appetite.
- Behavioral: Overworking, procrastination, self-isolation, neglecting self-care.
The statistics she shared were staggering — 70% of healthcare workers experience burnout, and 81% of leaders report feeling it regularly. But she was quick to point out that burnout isn’t inevitable. It’s a cycle, and cycles can be interrupted.
Community as the Antidote
One of the most powerful takeaways from Fernandes’ talk was that the key to combating burnout is actually community care. “We cannot heal in isolation,” she said. Having grown up in India before moving to the U.S., she described the stark contrast between the communal culture she was raised in and the individualistic mindset that dominates American work life.
“My goal in life is not to help people be self-sufficient, it’s to help people find community and find people that can celebrate their achievements, because if we’re achieving something and there’s no one in our corner to clap for us or validate us, then it can still feel isolating.”
Research backs this up: Strong social connections improve resilience, lower stress levels, and even impact physical health. Fernandes encouraged attendees to not only cultivate community in their personal lives but also within their professional circles.
How Do You Want to Be Remembered?
One of the most poignant moments of the session came when Fernandes posed a simple but powerful question: How do you want to be remembered?
When people talk about you at the end of your life, will they define you solely by your work? Or will they remember how you made them feel, the relationships you nurtured, the joy you created beyond your job? It was a sobering moment for the audience — one that resonated deeply with the high-achieving professionals in the room.
Fernandes left attendees with a final piece of advice that rest isn’t just a reward for hard work but a fundamental part of being able to keep going. Don’t wait until you’re burned out. Give yourself permission to rest. You are already worthy of it.
