I Didn’t Think Mindfulness Would Be Part of Burnout Coaching… But It Changed Everything

Merly Hartnett
Jul 18
3 min read

I didn’t come into coaching thinking mindfulness would be part of it. Honestly, I thought it was a “nice-to-have” something you get to after ticking everything else off your list. You know, once life admin is done, the to-do list is clear, and the kids are finally asleep (ha!).

But burnout taught me otherwise.

Before I trained as a coach, before I started helping other women navigate their careers and energy, I had to face my own exhaustion.

On paper, I was doing everything “right.” I was ticking boxes, helping people, pushing forward… but I was completely disconnected from myself.

That’s when I started learning about mindfulness. Not in a big, dramatic way. It began with something simple: noticing my breath when I felt overwhelmed, pausing between client meetings and placing a hand on my heart when I felt like I was failing at everything.

And something began to shift.

How Mindfulness Found Its Way Into My Coaching

I didn’t plan to “use” mindfulness in burnout and resilience coaching. But as I practised it in my own life, it started to naturally flow into how I supported others.

Women would come to me burnt out, on edge, barely holding it together, often masking it all behind high performance. I noticed they didn’t need more doing. They needed more being.

What they truly needed was space.Stillness.A chance to slow down long enough to hear their own thoughts.

That’s where mindfulness came in, not as a buzzword, but as a way of being.

Mindfulness isn’t about doing more, it’s about being more present. Here’s how it’s become the heart of my coaching practice.

What Mindfulness Looks Like in Burnout & Resilience Coaching

Sometimes we begin sessions with a grounding breath or check-in, not because it’s “nice,” but because it helps both of us get present. It’s a chance to honour that we’re human first, and everything else second.

Sometimes, I guide clients to tune into their bodies when making decisions:

Does that promotion feel expansive or tight in your chest?
What happens in your body when you think about quitting your job or saying no to an obligation?

Other times, I simply hold space and let silence do its work. And I’ve found that when I’m fully present (which mindfulness helps me to be), my clients feel safer to explore the messy stuff … tears and all.

They get to be real, not perfect.

Hayley, one of my incredible clients, described it this way:

“Since starting with Merly, I’ve noticed a positive shift in my confidence and sense of professional identity. Her extensive experience in workplace culture and recruitment ensures I leave each session with invaluable insights and practical tips. Merly creates a safe, non-judgmental space where I can show up as I am. She tailors each session to meet my needs in the moment, whether that’s sharing knowledge, offering reassurance, providing actionable advice, or celebrating my wins. Through our work together, I’ve gone from feeling low in confidence to reconnecting with a sense of pride in my achievements. I highly recommend Merly to anyone looking for supportive and expert career coaching.”

Mindfulness Isn’t About “Doing It Right”

What I've learnt is that mindfulness isn’t about being calm all the time. It’s not about meditating every morning or having a perfectly curated morning routine.

I mean, let’s be rea,l I work full time, I’m raising two little boys whom my husband and I homeschool, and the house always looks "very lived in."

Mindfulness, for me, is:

Pausing when I’m about to snap at the kids
Taking a breath before I speak
Remembering I don’t need to have all the answers for my clients, just the space for their answers to emerge

I’m Still Learning (And That’s the Point)

I’ve never spent time in a monastery or meditated on a mountaintop. But I’m learning, practising, and weaving mindfulness into my life and work because I’ve seen the difference it makes not just for my clients, but for me.

Mindfulness has helped me become a more grounded coach, a more present mum, and a calmer human overall. And it’s something I plan to bring more intentionally into my coaching practice as I grow.

If you’re curious, I’d love to share more. You don’t have to be “zen” to start. You just need one moment, one breath, one pause, one small act of presence.

That’s where it begins.