Rafael Alonso, HR expert: “You are exhausted because you have pushed your body and mind to the limit”
Alonso admits to having experienced burnout, a state of constant work-related stress. "When I finally did it, that's when I really started to recover."
Rafael Alonso knows burnout from the inside out. A human resources expert and popular content creator, he says the constant exhaustion many professionals feel today is often the result of pushing both body and mind past their limits—without ever stopping to reassess.
“You’re exhausted because you’ve pushed both your body and mind to the limit,” Alonso warns. “If you don’t start making decisions, it will eventually take its toll.”
Burnout—sometimes called “employee burnout syndrome”—is the result of prolonged workplace stress. It shows up in many ways, from physical and mental fatigue to a deep hit to self-esteem that can quietly undermine confidence and motivation.
Why resting for a few days isn’t enough
According to Alonso, reaching this point means it’s time for a real reset. That can involve changing habits, rethinking social dynamics, and sometimes even switching jobs altogether.
In a TikTok post that has resonated widely, Alonso urges people to take mental health seriously. “Overcoming burnout isn’t about resting for a couple of days or getting more organized,” he says.
He speaks from personal experience. Alonso admits he went through burnout himself—and only began to recover once he truly faced it. The key, he says, lies in two things that sound simple but are anything but: time and meaningful change.
What burnout recovery actually requires
“When I went through it, the hardest part wasn’t stopping,” Alonso recalls. “It was accepting that my brain wasn’t going to work at 100% again in two weeks.”
He explains that burnout leaves the brain drained and the body running on autopilot. Even if you hide it well, something inside is often deeply broken. Real recovery takes real time.
Forget micro-breaks or weekends spent “recharging.” Alonso says those quick fixes barely scratch the surface. You need time to sleep, disconnect, slow down that internal chaos, and simply be a person again—not a machine.
Rest is essential—but it’s not the whole solution
Still, Alonso is clear: rest alone won’t solve the problem. Without deeper changes, burnout tends to come right back.
“You can take time off, but if you return to the same routines and the same expectations, it’s impossible,” he says. “You end up exactly where you started.”
To truly move forward, Alonso calls for “deep adjustments”—structural changes in how we work, what we expect of ourselves, and the limits we’re willing to set. Without them, exhaustion becomes a cycle that’s hard to escape.
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