Burnout Culture: When Being Exhausted Becomes Normal

February 15, 2026.Reading time 6 minutes.

Somehow, being tired has become a badge of honour. Working late.Skipping breaks.Running on caffeine.Pushing through illness.Being constantly “on”. We’ve normalised exhaustion. And that’s not healthy.It’s harmful. What Is Burnout Culture? Burnout culture is the belief that productivity equals worth. That resting is lazy.That slowing down is weakness.That struggling means you’re not trying hard enough. It […]

When Everything Feels Too Much: The Weight of Stress

August 17, 2025.Reading time 5 minutes.

Stress doesn’t always look like panic. Sometimes it’s quiet. Sometimes it’s exhaustion. Sometimes it’s staring at a pile of washing and feeling like you might cry. We talk a lot about trauma, grief, and hardship here at the Mark Hewitson Foundation — but underlying all of it, more often than not, is stress. Big, heavy, […]

The School Holidays Struggle: Surviving Summer and Preparing for Back to School

August 6, 2025.Reading time 3 minutes.

Summer holidays can be a strange time. They’re meant to be a break — a chance to breathe, spend time with the kids, maybe even enjoy a bit of sunshine. But if I’m honest, they often feel more like a pressure cooker. The cost of keeping children entertained, fed, and kitted out for the next […]