Start Here: A practical guide for the overwhelmed

by Kerry Makin-Byrd

Burnout results from chronic stress and when we experience it, we can feel exhausted, hopeless and ineffective. Our performance suffers and we can feel disconnected at work and at home. Over time, stress and burnout can lead to even more significant physical and mental health problems.

Many of us yearn for a map which will guide us from languishing to flourishing, narrated by an expert who has climbed the same mountain. This book is that map - distilling a century of science into a three-step recipe for treating Soothe, transcend, then move.

Research is supported by relatable personal stories, practical real-life lessons and beautiful illustrations. This is the emotional life manual that the overwhelmed reader needs; just Start Here.

165 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 20, 2025

Reviews

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

With Start Here, Kerry has (as always) shown up with warmth, humanity and generosity, with a strong foundation of science and clinical experience. This book is structured to appeal to the burnt out (e.g. clear, simple, compassionate), is interspersed with beautiful illustrations and each section briefly covers the research behind the recommendations. I like that Kerry included her own experiences at times, and her own examples help readers know how to use each exercise/practice. I would recommend this book to anyone wanting a framework and tangible ways to navigate burnout or overwhelm. I also highly recommend Kerry's previous book on burnout Ballad of Burnout: a helper lost and found.

[Ben Sedley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kerry Makin-Byrd is one of the most insightful and wise psychologists I know and she has shared her whole heart and wisdom in START HERE. This is a book you'll reach for time and time again as life throws you new challenges, each time a different exercise or heart-felt sentence will hit the spot for you.

[Sandi James · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fabulous and gentle book. Feeling overwhelmed is so common in the world today and this book is a beautiful way to acccess strategies and exercises to help untangle the overwhelm and find a calmer space in which to exist. Do yourself a favour and make this small investment in your mental health and ability to function in todays hectic and hard world.

[Phoebe Oneill · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully crafted, simple yet powerful book. I found so helpful going through my own traumatic event. The chapters are short, the information is delivered in bite size pieces, and I found I could pick it up easily because it did not feel overwhelming. The art is also beautiful and fits the book perfectly.

[Mikaela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Start Here is a wonderful, highly practical book—your wise therapist friend in book form. It’s warm and relatable, offering genuinely useful advice and strategies that are easy to put into practice. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, definitely Start Here.

[Kate (Kate the book nerd) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting and insightful. Has given me a few things to consider when I'm feeling overwhelmed.
I'll be passing this on to my youngest, who suffers from quite severe anxiety, to see if this book can help.

[Kathryn Whitehead · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kerry has created a beautiful, accessible book that has the clarity and guidance I would most want when overwhelmed. Inviting, encouraging and gently pushing the reader towards caring more deeply for themselves, "Start Here" is what the world needs more of.