The Burnout Phase Tracker
Paired worksheet. From Spark to Shutdown: AuDHD Burnout in Business Owners
1Which phase am I in right now, honestly?
Strain, Depletion, Functional Burnout, or Collapse. Pick the one that fits the last week, not the one you wish were true.
2Where did this spark start, and what did I say yes to on the way up?
List the yeses from the launch or idea that kicked it off. The bill was run up here, not at the crash.
3Am I masking a drop in output right now?
If you are hiding that things have slipped, you are likely in functional burnout, the phase that takes down founders.
4What is the recovery move that actually fits this phase?
A weekend for Strain. Weeks off for Depletion. Disclosure plus a real load cut for Functional Burnout. Support for Collapse.
5What can I subtract before I add anything?
Name what can be canceled, delayed, shortened, or handed off this week. The deeper the phase, the bigger the cut.
Your next moves
- Score yourself against the four phases and write down today’s phase.
- Cut one commitment this week that matches the size your phase calls for.
- Tell at least one trusted person what phase you are actually in.
- Set a daily one-to-ten capacity check so you catch the slide earlier next time.
- Write down your two earliest personal warning signs and where you will see them.
What surfaced for you?
Looking back at your last crash, which phase were you really in when you decided the problem was you, and what would have changed if you had named it then?
You are not lazy. You are not unreliable. You are running a deficit nobody trained you to recognize, on a brain that runs hot and drains quiet at the same time. Name the phase, match the move, and let the system catch you where willpower never could.