Burnout to Brilliance…
Burnout to Brilliance…
I often reflect on my burnout recovery journey (which continues). I think of how far I’ve come and how subtle the the shift into brilliance was; things were changing even when I couldn’t see the change. And I am so unbelievably grateful for the consistency of my Sadhana (personal practice).
Rewind to just three years ago ~ 2021, the height of the global pandemic and I was living a VERY different life! Working a corporate job that I had onced loved, I was fighting now daily for my mental survival. The cost of change that the pandemic demanded on my role was too much and I was living with constant anxiety, exhaustion, brain fog, a complete lack of focus and zero attention span. I moved through life at a mock 10 speed and barely paused to take a breath! My sleep sucked, I dreaded opening my computer, I flinched at the sound of Microsoft Teams calls ringing, sheer panic ripped through my body whenever my boss or a higher-up called. I was in a perpetual state of fight/flight/freeze.
And all of this I kept on the inside! Only a select few saw the deteriorating effects that burnout was taking on my body, mnd, and spirit. I knew I was reaching a critical point when over morning coffee I’d dream of all the ways I could get out of work, which usually involved me falling terribly ill or a car crash…something just bad enough to give me a few days of reprieve. Even as I write this I cringe at how bad it got.
So how did I go from wanting to fall ill to get out of a job I couldn’t stand to living a life I love on my own terms and waking up each day with joy and gratitude in my heart? (Are you in burnout? FREE Burnout Assessment)
I followed a slow and steady practice of connecting back to the things that brought me joy. Things like yoga, meditation, energy work, music and sound, and being in nature. I began adding these things to my day in 5min segments whenever I felt overwhelmed or anxious. And slowly the time I gave to these practices grew and became a non-negotiable and favourite part of my day.
As I began to counter moments of extreme burnout in real time, the immense brain fog began to lift and I could more easily see how I needed to change my day to day to get back my health. Fortunately, opportunity presented for me to leave my corporate job, which was not easy but felt 100% right. And in October of 2022 I left a 10 year career in Financial Administration.
Now the real work was about to being! I’ll expand on this in future posts but I’m often asked how long did it take me to recover from extreme burnout…here is my timeline:
3 months post corporate I begin breathe and move through life at a speed less than mock 10
6 months post corporate I being to regulate my nervous system and actually feel rested after sleep
9 months post corporate I start feeling self-love & practice compassionate self-forgiveness (life changing)
12 months post corporate my body begins to heal and return to my regular weight - my body is no longer in constant survival mode which allows excess weight to drop-off
15 months post corporate I’m waking up each day with purpose, joy, and deep gratitude in my heart
Was it a fast journey? No. Was it worth every moment? Absolutely YES!!!
The effects of burnout are real and impact not only us but ripple out to effect those we love and even those we just encounter in passing. If any of this resonates and you’re feeling the call to make a change either small or big, I’m here to help! Two loving ways to begin your burnout recovery: Join the HIVE waitlist - this is my virtual membership, coming in April 2024, where you can learn the practices I used to heal my burnout. Or work with me 1:1 for a close mentoring relationship where I’ll guide you the whole way through from burnout to brilliance!
Work with Melissa 1:1 - Burnout to Brilliance - book a free consult
