#108 ✍🏼 Visual Framework to manage burnout
Know when your psychological hunger is not satisfied
Burnout doesn’t always show up as exhaustion.
Sometimes, it sneaks in quietly — through lack of motivation, low focus, or feeling emotionally checked out.
Recently, I came across a powerful way to see burnout before it takes over — and of course, it’s visual.
Rooted in Transactional Analysis theory by Canadian psychiatrist Eric Berne, this sketchnote-friendly framework helps you spot what’s missing: not just time or sleep — but essential psychological fuel.
Let me walk you through it.
👋 Hello visual learners, I’m Kumar and welcome to my weekly newsletter.
Each week I share Sketchnote(s) on product, leadership, personal growth, and anything that helps you get started on Sketchnoting.
🔁 Burnout Isn’t Just Overwork — It’s Undernourishment
According to Berne, we all need three core psychological nutrients to feel energized:
🧠 Stimuli (Head) — Intellectual challenge, learning, growth
❤️ Recognition (Heart) — Praise, appreciation, meaningful feedback
✋ Structure (Hand) — Predictability, rituals, clear roles or calendars
Burnout happens when one or more of these are depleted — even if the work isn’t overwhelming.
📊 Visualizing Energy with the 3-Axis Framework
To make this visible, try a simple sketchnote tool:
a tri-axis radar chart where each axis represents one of the three needs (head, heart, hand).
Every week, rate key activities — work projects, parenting tasks, personal goals — on a scale of 0 to 100% in each area.
🔴 Red flag: Any axis dropping below 50%
🟢 Ideal zone: Roughly 80% across all three
🌀 Imbalance insight: Overstimulated but under-recognized? Structured but bored?
🧠 Try This: The Weekly Energy Check-In
Sketch a triangle. Label the corners:
Recognition
Stimuli
Structure
Now map your energy levels for one task (e.g. “Leading Q3 project” or “Helping my child with exam prep”).
Ask yourself:
Did I feel seen and appreciated (recognition)?
Was I mentally challenged and engaged (stimuli)?
Did I have a predictable structure to operate within?
This becomes your weekly self-awareness snapshot — far more intuitive than a long-form journal.
👥 Team Applications Too
You can even use this as a conversation tool:
Check in with team members visually
Identify where they may feel depleted
Adjust roles, rituals, or recognition practices accordingly
🎨 Your Turn
Draw your Burnout Triangle for the week.
Pick one activity and rate it on Recognition, Stimuli, and Structure.
If you spot a low corner — that’s your signal to course-correct before burnout hits.
Prompt:
“Sketch one activity that’s draining you — and find which need it’s starving.”
With intention,
Kumar
Sketchnoting my way through the mess, one block at a time
Thank you for reading Letsketchin. 🥧
