Goa Fest 2025: Luke Coutinho offers a burnout cure for creative brains

On Day 3 of Goafest 2025, a reflective pause from the high-energy atmosphere came in the form of a fireside session titled “The Burnout Cure for Creative Brains”. Hosted by Babita Baruah, CEO of VML India, the session featured Luke Coutinho, an expert in holistic nutrition, integrative health, and lifestyle medicine. Together, they addressed a growing concern in the advertising and creative industries: burnout and mental well-being.

Coutinho opened by distinguishing burnout from stress and depression. “Burnout is not just feeling tired, it’s chronic emotional exhaustion, numbness, and a loss of joy,” he said. He warned against casually using the term without understanding its implications, urging clarity in recognising and addressing its symptoms.

In a sector fuelled by deadlines and constant output, Coutinho critiqued the glorification of hustle culture. “Constant busyness doesn’t mean effectiveness. Purposeful urgency is far more sustainable than endless rushing,” he noted, adding that the cost of this culture is often long-term creativity, health, and productivity.

Nutrition, sleep, movement, and emotional well-being, he argued, are not wellness luxuries—they are the foundation of creative output. Poor sleep and processed foods, he said, directly impair focus and energy, while consistent movement boosts brain function. Emotional stress, on the other hand, “numbs creativity,” he warned.

Coutinho also touched on the emotional fallout of modern success. “Disconnection happens when success feels hollow and joy fades,” he said. His prescription? Reconnection through stillness, presence, meaningful relationships, and moments in nature. Daily balance rituals such as breathwork, gratitude journaling, and digital detoxes were recommended as ways to stay grounded.

The session struck a chord with agency leaders and young creatives alike, especially as Coutinho highlighted the expectations of Gen Z and millennial employees. “They expect workplaces to support mental health, not just with token measures, but with real policies and emotional safety,” he stated.

He urged workplaces to foster cultures of empathy, where therapy, mindfulness, and open conversations are normalised. “Managers should be trained to spot distress and respond with care, not criticism,” he said. Vulnerability, emotional intelligence, and regular check-ins must become the norm in leadership.

Coutinho concluded with a call for organisations to treat mental health as a key pillar of business, not a side note. “Psychological safety drives not just well-being but retention and performance,” he asserted. “Trust, empathy, and emotional support aren’t soft skills, they’re strategic imperatives.”

In an industry that thrives on ideas, protecting the minds behind the work is no longer optional. Luke Coutinho’s session at Goafest 2025 was a timely reminder that sustainable creativity begins with self-awareness, balance, and emotionally intelligent leadership.