🎂 48 and Reborn: Burnout, Midlife & the Power of Starting Over

Today I turn 48

That number once sounded far off-middle-aged, settled, maybe even stuck. But standing here now, 48 feels more like a beginning than an end.

For the past two years, birthdays haven’t just marked my age, they’ve celebrated something deeper. A quiet but powerful transformation. A personal reboot. If you ask me, I’m really two years old-because that’s when I finally stopped pretending, and started living life on my terms.

🧨 Burnout Recovery: How Hitting Rock Bottom Led to a Personal Reboot

I remember that feeling of no longer knowing my mind or body. It was like something had taken over, and I didn’t know what to do. I was so obsessed with work, it felt like an addiction. I still remember tossing and turning in bed, knowing something was about to change and that I had to surrender. Taking my wife’s advice, I got out of bed, opened the laptop, and wrote that all-important email to work saying I was going off sick. As soon as my head hit the pillow, I was out cold. The towel had well and truly been thrown in, and the journey of recovery was about to begin.

Burnout didn’t show up as one big explosion, it crept in, disguised as ambition, performance, and loyalty. But eventually, it cracked me open. What looked like a breakdown was actually the beginning of being reborn, starting over with a different set of values. I was ticking all the boxes: career, home, family, foreign holidays. Living the textbook life. But underneath, something was eroding. I was burning myself out just to maintain the image. The statistics show it’s here to stay, unless something drastic changes.

Burnout by the Numbers:

• 66% of employees report feeling burned out in 2025, with middle managers most at risk (Gallup, 2024).

• Burnout increases the risk of cardiovascular disease by 21% and type 2 diabetes by 84% (Salavecz et al., 2010).

Eventually, my body forced me to stop. My mind followed. After months of pushing through the pain, I finally gave myself permission, to stop hustling, to stop hiding, and to stop living someone else’s reality.

That was my real turning point.

🔄 Midlife Awakening: Redefining the Midlife Crisis as a Turning Point

Midlife gets a bad rap. We joke about it, red sports cars, hair dye, sudden divorces. But for many of us, midlife is more than a cliché. It’s a reckoning, and an invitation to pause, reflect, and consider starting over with purpose.

It’s the moment we realize the life we’ve built might not reflect who we truly are anymore. And if we’re brave enough to face that, it can be the doorway to something extraordinary.

The U-Curve of Happiness

Psychologists like Jonathan Rauch describe this phase as the “U-curve of happiness”, a natural dip in life satisfaction that often hits in our 40s and early 50s. It’s not a sign of failure. It’s biology.

The good news? The curve climbs again. Once we’ve questioned the path we’re on, we can begin to build one that aligns with our true values (Rauch, 2018).

As I begin what feels like the upward arc of that curve, I’m filled with optimism and hope. Life isn’t simple, of course, but with this newfound mindset, I feel better equipped to face the challenges ahead.

🧠 Midlife Mental Health: Gender Differences in Burnout and Emotional Stress

As I’ve gone through this transformation and started Where I’m At, I’ve done some research (disclaimer: I’m no expert, just sharing for information purposes) and spoken to a few people who are going through something similar. One thing I’ve noticed? Men and women often experience midlife differently, not because we’re wired that way, but because of what society teaches us.

👨 For Many Men

• Emotions stay buried beneath performance.

• Asking for help is seen as weakness.

• Identity is tied to achievement and stability.

There’s this quiet fear of becoming irrelevant. So instead of reaching out, we double down—more hours, more responsibility, more pretending everything’s fine.

👩 For Many Women

• Emotional overload from caregiving, parenting, and career pressures.

• Perimenopause or menopause can amplify physical and emotional stress.

• More openness to community and vulnerability—but also guilt about wanting more.

Society has never made space for women to have ambitions and be tired. But at midlife, the desire for something deeper often becomes impossible to ignore.

Research Insight:

Women in midlife are more likely to seek support and community, while men are more likely to internalize stress—raising their risk of depression and burnout (APA, 2023).

According to this research, maybe I’m bucking the trend. But let’s be honest, pretending everything is fine is a dangerous and outdated strategy for men. A modern man can be brave enough to be vulnerable, gaining strength and resilience as a result.

Long-term suffering eats away at you. All that buried anger and resentment? It will make you sick; emotionally, mentally, and physically.

I know which path I prefer. I only wish I’d changed course sooner.

✨ Building a Burnout Recovery Community: The Story Behind “Where I’m At”

I didn’t set out to build a community.

I just wanted to feel human again.

I remember lying in bed, thinking, I will do everything I can to make sure this never happens to me again. At the same time, I felt the urge to share my story—but I didn’t really know how.

Determined to dig deep and figure out what I was meant to do with the rest of my life, I enrolled in an eight-week systemic coaching program, once my baseline energy levels allowed for it. I revisited what brought me joy, what sparked my interest, and where I felt curious.

Without going into details, one day I just joined all the dots, and Where I’m At was born, a space inspired by my own burnout, recovery, and the feeling of being reborn into a life I actually chose.

The name came naturally.

Where I’m At represents radical honesty. It says: I might not have it all figured out. But I’m here. I’m present. And I’m no longer pretending to be someone, or somewhere, I’m not.

This community will be a safe space for people in transition—burnout survivors, seekers, midlife questioners, and anyone ready to stop hiding. It’s not about having the answers.

It’s about asking better questions—together.

Where are you at?

🔥 Life After Burnout at 48: Finding Meaning and Starting Over in Midlife

Two years ago, I was lost.

Now, I’m building something that lights me up.

Back then, I felt like everything was against me, but the truth is, I was in my own way. Honestly, it was my ill health and the quiet signals from those closest to me that nudged me in the right direction. Looking back now, I’m grateful it happened. But I also see it as a lucky escape.

There’s a kind of freedom that comes with midlife, if you lean into it.

You stop chasing what doesn’t matter.

You care less about optics, and more about meaning.

And finally, you start showing up as yourself.

48 feels like permission.

Permission to slow down.

To be more deliberate.

To build a life with space for connection, creativity, and contribution, not just coping.

I’ve stopped fearing change.

Now, I welcome it.

💡 Midlife Reinvention: Why It’s Never Too Late to Start Living Authentically

If you’re reading this and something inside you feels restless, I want you to know: you’re not broken. You’re not behind. You’re just being called to go deeper.

Burnout isn’t failure. Midlife isn’t a crisis. They’re turning points, calls to wake up, shed the mask, and be reborn. Whether you’re burned out or questioning everything, you’re not alone. You’re just starting over. and that’s a powerful place to be.

You don’t have to quit your job tomorrow or move to a cabin in the woods. But you do have to pause. You have to listen to what’s underneath the noise. That’s where your real self is waiting.

And when you’re ready, you don’t have to walk the path alone.

💬 Join the “Where I’m At” Community: Burnout Recovery and Midlife Support

Where I’m At, will be a community of real people who’ve walked through burnout, midlife uncertainty, and identity shifts-and chosen growth over autopilot.

Whether you’re at the beginning of your burnout recovery or knee-deep in midlife questions, we’re here to help you:

• Recognize – without judgment, what’s really going on beneath the surface

• Reset – without pressure to perform or pretend

• Reinvent – on your own terms, in alignment with who you truly are

👉 Come find your place with us at www.whereimatcommunity.com

You have permission to slow down. To question everything.

And to finally build the life you were meant to live.

References

1.        Gallup. (2024). State of the Global Workplace: 2024 Report. Link

2.        Salavecz, G. et al. (2010). Work stress and cardiovascular disease risk. Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health, 36(5), 394-401.

3.        Rauch, J. (2018). The Happiness Curve: Why Life Gets Better After 50. Thomas Dunne Books.

4.        American Psychological Association (APA). (2023). Midlife Mental Health: Gender Differences and Trends. Link

5.        Maslach, C., & Leiter, M. (2016). Understanding the burnout experience: Recent research and its implications for psychiatry. World Psychiatry, 15(2), 103–111.

6.        Brown, B. (2012). Daring Greatly. Gotham Books.