BBQ, Burnout & Back-To-School!
- Janine Bowen
- Sep 1
- 6 min read
It's Labour Day! The perfect time to wrap up our journey on the path to Radical Self-Love. The summer is a time for rest, relaxation and the loosening of the strict routines. Even those of us who don't have kids let our hair down this time of the year. As we return to our commitments and obligations, it's important to be intentional with the way we orchestrate our lives. I have dedicated a whole session to mitigating burnout and self-care in the Success Blueprint Method 🌸. As someone who is recovering, I implore you to take note.

Burnout is a sneaky little devil that flies under the radar until it – in my case – is sitting on your chest. Taking inventory of your life, including your mental health and how it weighs up against your responsibilities, there needs to be harmony and balance. I would argue that you need to be operating from a slightly higher degree of Self-Love and Care.

September: The Real New Year for Self-Care
Here's what I've learned through my own healing journey: September is the start of the new year. While January gets all the hype, September carries that back-to-school energy of fresh starts and new beginnings. It's when we naturally want to get organized, set intentions, and create structure. But if we don't centre ourselves in that structure, we're just building another pretty prison.
As we move into September's energy, we're also preparing to wrap up this year and transition gracefully into 2026. This makes it the perfect time to zero in on our self-care goals – not as another item on our to-do list, but as the foundation that makes everything else possible.
The Burnout I Didn't See Coming
Looking back at my journey this year – from ignoring chest pains in Istanbul to that breaking point in the doctor's office – I realize burnout wasn't just about being tired. It was about being tired of being everyone else's solution while being my own last priority. It was the physical manifestation of years spent prioritizing everyone else's needs while neglecting my own.
The stress wasn't just from work commitments or daily responsibilities. It was compounded by personal losses that I pushed through without properly processing – losing Milo, my best friend, and all the trauma that surrounded this loss, I tried to maintain my usual pace and meet everyone else's expectations. I didn't give myself permission to grieve, to slow down, or to acknowledge that some losses require us to pause and honour what we've experienced.
The signs were there long before my body forced me to pay attention:
Feeling exhausted even after rest
Irritability over small things
Loss of motivation for things I used to love
Physical symptoms, I kept pushing through
The constant feeling that I was running on empty
But the biggest sign? I had completely lost touch with what I actually needed because I was so focused on what everyone else wanted.

Practical Steps to Mitigate Burnout
As we transition into fall routines, here are the practical steps I wish I had implemented before my body decided for me:
1. The Daily Check-In (2 minutes) Every morning, ask yourself: "How am I feeling today, and what do I need?" Not what everyone else needs from you – what YOU need. Write it down. Honour it.
2. The Energy Audit: Your Life's Most Important Assessment
This goes beyond just listing your weekly commitments. The energy audit is about honestly evaluating every experience, relationship, and obligation in your life to understand how they affect your emotional, mental, and physical well-being.
Start by listing your weekly commitments and rate each one:
Energizing (+)
Neutral (0)
Draining (-)
Don't stop there. Extend this audit to the people in your life. Notice how you feel before, during, and after spending time with different people. Some relationships will consistently leave you feeling uplifted and valued, while others might consistently leave you feeling depleted or anxious.
Pay attention to environments too – certain spaces, social media platforms, or even types of conversations might consistently drain your energy. The goal isn't to eliminate everything that challenges you, but to become conscious of what genuinely serves your growth versus what simply depletes you without purpose.
Once you have this awareness, you can plan accordingly. Maybe that means scheduling energizing activities after draining but necessary commitments, or setting boundaries around how much time you spend with people who consistently leave you feeling diminished. If you have more minuses than pluses, something has to change – and now you have the data to make informed decisions about what needs to shift.
3. The Non-Negotiable List: Create 3-5 non-negotiables for your well-being.
Mine include:
8 hours of sleep
One meal eaten without distraction
10-20 minutes of morning quiet time
Saying no to one thing that doesn't serve me
Moving my body in a way that feels good
4. The Boundary Practice: No Is a Complete Sentence
Here's something I had to learn the hard way: "No" is a complete sentence.
You don't need to justify it, explain it, or for it. You don't owe anyone a detailed explanation for protecting your energy and well-being.
Start small: Practice saying "Let me check my calendar and get back to you" instead of automatic yes responses. This gives you space to consider if something aligns with your energy and priorities. Then, when you do need to decline, practice these responses:
"That doesn't work for me."
"I'm not available for that."
"I can't commit to that right now."
Feel empowered to use "no" when necessary. It's not rude – it's responsible. Every time you say no to something that doesn't serve you, you're saying yes to something that does. Your energy is finite and precious; treat it accordingly.
5. The Support System Activation: Identify 2-3 people you can reach out to when you're struggling. Not to fix you, but to remind you that you're not alone in this journey.
Cementing Your Self-Care for 2026
September's energy is perfect for establishing rhythms that will carry you gracefully into the new year. But here's what I know to be true: self-care isn't something you add to your life – it's something you build your life around.
The September Self-Care Challenge:
Week 1: Assessment
Complete your comprehensive energy audit
Identify your burnout warning signs
Set your non-negotiables
Week 2: Implementation
Start your daily check-ins
Practice one boundary-setting conversation using "no" as a complete sentence
Schedule self-care like you would any important meeting
Week 3: Adjustment
Notice what's working and what isn't
Adjust your approach without judgment
Ask for support where you need it
Week 4: Integration
Reflect on your progress
Plan how to maintain these practices through the busy fall season
Celebrate the small wins
The Truth About Self-Care and Success
Here's what the Success Blueprint Method teaches: you can't build a sustainable success plan on a foundation of self-neglect. Every goal you set, every dream you chase, every commitment you make needs to be filtered through this question: "Does this honour the person I'm becoming, or does it require me to abandon myself?"
As we wrap up this year and prepare for 2026, the most radical thing you can do is make yourself the priority in your own life. Not in a selfish way, but in a sustainable way. Because the world needs what you have to offer – but only if you're healthy enough to offer it.
Your September Self-Love Action Plan
Choose one self-care practice to implement this week
Schedule it like you would any important appointment
Tell someone about your commitment for accountability
Notice how it feels to put yourself first
Adjust as needed without abandoning the practice
The Invitation
As we transition from summer's ease into fall's structure, I invite you to carry the lessons of radical self-love with you. Remember that healing isn't a destination – it's a daily choice to centre yourself in your own life.
The signs are always there, beautiful. The question is: Will you listen to them before your body has to scream to get your attention?
This September, let's choose differently. Let's choose ourselves. Let's build lives that honour who we're becoming, not just what we can produce.
Your future self is counting on the choices you make today. Make them from a place of love, not obligation. Make them from a place of wisdom, not guilt. Make them from the centre of your own story, where you belong.
Here's to a September filled with intentional choices, graceful transitions, and the radical act of putting yourself first. 💕
What's one self-care practice you're committing to this September? Share in the comments below – your commitment might inspire another woman to choose herself too.

#RadicalSelfLove #SeptemberSelfCare #BurnoutPrevention #BackToSchoolSelfLove #HERCollected #SelfCareIsntSelfish #ChoosingYourself #SuccessBlueprintMethod
Comments