At 7:00 a.m., I’d wake up, throw on clothes, and by 7:15 be sprinting toward the little Meta shuttle that would take me from San Francisco to Menlo Park.

No breath. No intention. Just go.

Once I got to campus, I’d rush inside, grab a coffee on an empty stomach, and drop into my first meeting, already behind on Slack.

By 9:00 a.m., I’d answered 10 messages, opened three docs, and was halfway through convincing a team to green-light a new feature.

At the time, I thought this was winning. I thought optimizing every moment was the goal.

My grandfather, who raised me after we immigrated to Canada, used to tell me: “You should be fully dressed and ready before a match finishes burning.”

And I took that to heart—turning it into a life of sprints, achievement, and urgency.

But now, I see how much that speed cost me.

Years later, after working on products like VR parental controls and presenting to leaders like Boz, the head of Oculus, I look back and wonder—why didn’t I put my body first? My nervous system? My joy?

Burnout didn’t arrive in one dramatic moment. It crept in slowly, disguised as success.

What saved me wasn’t a sabbatical or a spiritual awakening—it was the shift I made when I stopped treating my mornings like a race and started treating them like a ritual.

Here’s how I now start my week—and the habits that help me protect my energy before the chaos of Monday takes over.

1. The First Five Minutes Sets the Tone for Your Entire Day

I didn’t have a morning. I had a checklist.

No rituals.

No softness.

No time to connect with myself.

Eventually, the cracks started to show. I couldn’t hear my own intuition.

I stopped caring about things that used to light me up.

My body was tired, but I kept pushing.

Until I couldn’t anymore.

That’s when I realized—burnout doesn’t happen all at once. It builds slowly, in the moments we rush past ourselves.

So…

Before you open Slack or scroll, take five minutes for you.

Close your eyes. Breathe into your belly. Imagine your day going smoothly—calls flowing, tech working, no last-minute fires.

Visualize yourself feeling calm, steady, and in control.

This isn’t fluff—it’s neuroscience.

Visualization activates the same neural networks as real experience. It also shifts your brain from reactive (fight-or-flight) to intentional mode.

Most people start their day reacting—scrolling, checking emails, jumping into Slack or meetings.

But the first five minutes after you wake up is one of the most powerful windows of your day.

Your brain is still in a theta state—calm, open, and deeply impressionable.

What you do in that window either grounds your energy or scatters it.

⏰ My 5-Minute Reset Practice

👉🏽 This is the ritual I began after leaving Meta. It’s simple, adaptable, and you can do it from anywhere.

1. Sit upright. No phone. Just you.

👉🏽 Even 30 seconds of stillness can shift your energy. Place your hand on your chest and breathe.

2. Breathe in through your nose for 4 counts. Hold for 4. Exhale for 8.

👉🏽 Do this 3–5 times. It signals your nervous system that you’re safe.

3. Ask yourself: What energy do I want to bring into today?

👉🏽 Let the answer come naturally—focus, ease, connection, clarity.

4. Visualize your day unfolding with intention.

👉🏽 Not in a hyper-productive way—but in a “what matters most” kind of way.

5. Close with a mantra or intention.

Something like, “I have enough time for what matters,” or “Today, I choose presence overpressure.”

2. Energetic Presence in Your First Meeting

This one is subtle—but powerful.

In your first meeting of the week, especially if you’re just listening in:

• If you’re remote, gently place your hands at your heart or out of frame.
• If you’re in person, rest them in your lap.

Without closing your eyes, soften your focus.

Imagine a golden-white light entering through the top of your head and flowing through your body.

Then imagine that light extending to your coworkers, the room, or even your laptop.

Silently repeat:

“May this week flow with clarity, ease, and connection. I’m here, ready to create something meaningful.”

You don’t need anyone else to know what you’re doing.

👉🏽 You’re setting the energy—not just for you, but for the people around you.

1. Schedule Your Breaks Before the Day Begins

👉🏽 If you’re remote, no one’s going to tell you to pause. You have to build the structure yourself.

• Block off time on your calendar for a 10-minute walk.
• Choose one day a week to be “no meetings” (mine is Wednesday).
• Set a reminder to check in with your body mid-afternoon: Have you eaten? Breathed? Moved?

Burnout is a Disconnection from Self

Looking back, I don’t blame Meta or tech or any specific job. I take full responsibility for the ways I abandoned myself.

Burnout wasn’t just about work—it was about forgetting my rituals, numbing out, and disconnecting from the practices that anchor me.

Now, even when I’m busy, I start slow. I create space before the day takes it from me. I’ve learned that success isn’t about how fast you move—it’s about how grounded you are while you move.

Because here’s the truth:

If you don’t create space for yourself in the morning, the world will take it from you all day long.

📅 Build an Anti-Burnout Buffer Into Your Calendar

You don’t need to overhaul your life. Just one tweak can shift everything:

✅ Choose one “no meeting” day—or at least a lighter day.

For me, it’s Wednesday.

That’s when I recharge. I journal. I walk. I create. It’s a soft landing in the middle of the week that makes everything more sustainable.

✏️ Try it: Block your calendar now. Guard that day like your nervous system depends on it—because it does.

⛔️ Audit Your Week Before It Begins: What Can You Say No To?

Before your week starts, scan your calendar and commitments.

Ask:

• What am I doing just out of obligation?
• What can be moved, simplified, or deleted?
• Where am I leaking energy?

This 10-minute audit can save you hours—and prevent resentment before it builds.

✏️ Try it: Each Sunday night or Monday morning, look at what you’ve said yes to. Then practice saying no (kindly). Boundaries are self-respect in action.

⚓ Anchor Into Purpose, Not Performance

I remember the week I presented to Boz on parental controls in VR. It was my whole world at the time. I skipped meals. Lost sleep. My identity was wrapped in that project.

But now? I barely remember the feature.

It’s a sobering reminder: the thing that feels urgent now may not matter in a year. But how you feel, how you show up, and how you treat yourself—that lasts.

So I’ve stopped measuring success by outputs. Now I ask:

• Did I honor my body today?
• Did I feel grounded and connected?
• Did I create from a place of truth—not pressure?

🍃 Eastern Wisdom: Burnout Recovery Is Energetic, Not Just Behavioral

Traditional Chinese Medicine teaches that exhaustion isn’t just physical—it’s energetic depletion. When your wei qi (protective energy) is weak, your body is more vulnerable to stress, illness, and burnout.

Ayurveda echoes this. Burnout is often a sign of vata or pitta imbalance—too much air (overthinking) or fire (overworking) without grounding, nourishment, and rest.

Eastern traditions have known for centuries what science is just starting to catch up on:

Your body moves in cycles.

⏰ According to the Chinese Body Clock:

• 5–7 AM: Large Intestine → time to eliminate physically and emotionally.
• 7–9 AM: Stomach → ideal time for nourishment.
• 9–11 AM: Spleen → time for mental focus and productivity.

In Ayurveda:

• 6–10 AM: Kapha time → heavy, grounded energy. Best used for movement and nourishment.
• 10 AM–2 PM: Pitta time → high fire, ideal for deep work.

✏️ Try this:

• Sip warm herbal tea (tulsi or ginger) in the morning instead of cold brew.
• Avoid overstimulation before 10 a.m.—light, screens, noise.
• Practice gentle breathwork (inhale 4, exhale 6) to signal safety to your nervous system.

🌞 Ritualize Your Week’s Start—So Life Doesn’t Just Happen To You

Most of us wake up reacting. But what if Monday morning was a ritual, not a rush?

Here’s how I start mine now:

• Wake up without grabbing my phone.
• Light incense or open the window—invite freshness. Or if I have grass and land near me, stepping outside for some sunlight.
• Visualize the week going well.
• Anchor into one word or intention (e.g., “Ease” or “Clarity”).
• Play soft music while making tea.

Neuroscience: Morning rituals activate the prefrontal cortex and reduce cortisol. Breathwork also stimulates the vagus nerve, helping regulate emotional responses before the stress even begins.

It’s not perfect. Sometimes I still skip it. But when I do this, I show up differently. My meetings are smoother. My work is clearer. My body is calmer.

Final Thought: You Deserve a Morning That Heals, Not Hijacks You

✏️ Try This Tomorrow:

• Wake up 10 minutes earlier.
• Don’t touch your phone.
• Sit. Breathe. Ask yourself what energy you want to bring into your day.
• Start there. Let it be enough.

Burnout doesn’t just come from overworking. It comes from disconnecting—from your body, your breath, your boundaries.

You don’t need a full spiritual practice to recover.

You need five intentional minutes.

You need to say no once.

You need one lighter day.

You need to remember: that you’re not a machine.

You are a whole being. You deserve to start your week with care.

And trust me—the work will still get done.

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