From Burnout to a New Beginning: My Journey to Choosing Myself

For over 36 years, I worked in the same industry. It shaped much of my adult life, my identity, and my sense of purpose. I was committed, conscientious, and deeply invested in doing a good job.

What I didn’t realise for a very long time was how much of myself I was quietly giving away in the process.

This is my story - not as a warning, but as an invitation. An invitation to pause, reflect, and perhaps to recognise parts of yourself.

How I Reached Burnout

For years, I believed that being dependable meant always saying yes. Yes to extra responsibility. Yes to working harder. Yes to worrying more than was ever expected of me. Underneath it all sat a deep fear of letting people down.

That fear slowly turned into a pattern of people-pleasing. I pushed myself to meet standards that were often unspoken and, in hindsight, largely self-imposed. I carried pressure that wasn’t mine to hold and ignored the quiet signals from my body that I needed to slow down.

After 36 years, that way of living caught up with me.

The constant striving, overthinking, and emotional labour eventually took a toll on my health. What began as tiredness became exhaustion. What felt like stress became something far more serious - I was diagnosed with burnout.

Burnout isn’t a sudden collapse. It’s a gradual erosion - of energy, of joy, of self. It happens when capable, caring people give and give without replenishing themselves. And often, they don’t see it coming until their body forces them to stop.

Recognising the Signs of Burnout

One of the reasons burnout can be so damaging is that many people don’t recognise it while they are in it. Looking back, the signs were there long before my diagnosis.

Some of the most common physical and mental signs of burnout include:

Physical signs: - Persistent fatigue that rest doesn’t relieve - Headaches, muscle tension, or frequent aches and pains - Changes in sleep patterns (difficulty sleeping or waking exhausted) - Digestive issues or frequent illness due to lowered immunity - Feeling physically drained before the day has even begun

Mental and emotional signs: - Constant overwhelm or anxiety - Difficulty concentrating or making decisions - Increased irritability or emotional sensitivity - Loss of motivation or enjoyment in things that once mattered - Feeling detached, numb, or disconnected - A persistent sense of self-doubt or inadequacy

Burnout doesn’t mean you are failing. More often, it means you have been coping for far too long without enough support or space to recover.

Journalling, Workshops, and Meeting My Imposter

When I began to slow down, I realised burnout wasn’t the whole story. Beneath the exhaustion sat something else that had quietly driven me for years: Imposter Syndrome - a common but often hidden contributor to workplace burnout, chronic stress, and low self-confidence.

Despite being trusted and highly thought of by my colleagues and employer, I lived with a constant fear of being ‘found out’. I told myself I needed to work harder, do more, and prove myself again and again -  even though there was no evidence that I was doing anything wrong. This constant self-doubt fuelled my stress levels and played a significant role in my eventual burnout.

One moment stands out clearly. Earlier this year, I was asked to speak at a conference, in front of a room full of people. On the surface, it was a sign of trust and recognition. Inside, my Imposter was in full control. She told me I wasn’t good enough, that I didn’t belong on that stage, that it would only be a matter of time before everyone realised.

So strong was that fear that I very nearly quit my job on the way to the event! The cancelled and delayed trains were just another sign that I shouldn’t be doing this…

But instead, I chose to sit with the discomfort. I pushed through the pain barrier, stood up in front of the room, and spoke  - while consciously ignoring my inner critic. And something unexpected happened.

Not only did I get through it, but I also began to glimpse a new possibility for myself. That experience planted a quiet seed: perhaps there was more available to me beyond the industry I had always known.

Through journalling, I began to explore these moments more deeply. Writing allowed me to untangle fear from fact and recognise how often my Imposter was driving my decisions. Seeing those thoughts on paper helped me challenge them with evidence, compassion, and perspective.

Our workshops added another layer of clarity. Being in a space dedicated to reflection, personal growth, and emotional wellbeing made it clear how widespread Imposter Syndrome really is — particularly among capable, conscientious women. The shared conversations and guided exercises helped me name my inner critic and learn how to respond rather than react.

Over time, I learned that confidence doesn’t arrive before action - it grows because of it. By learning to quieten my Imposter, even briefly, I created space for confidence to build and for new opportunities to appear.

Journalling helped me hear her. The workshops helped me understand her. And together, they helped me realise that when we soften the voice of the inner critic, new and often unexpected possibilities can emerge.

That clarity became the turning point.

Choosing Myself and Beginning Again

With that understanding came a difficult but necessary decision.

I chose to step away from the industry I had spent 36 years in. Not because I wasn’t capable. Not because I had failed. But because staying was no longer aligned with the life I wanted.

Leaving was both frightening and freeing. It meant letting go of certainty, routine, and a role I had long identified with. But it also meant choosing rest, wellbeing, and authenticity.

This wasn’t an ending rooted in burnout. It was a beginning rooted in self-respect.

Today, I see burnout not as something that broke me, but as something that redirected me. It taught me the importance of listening sooner, resting without guilt, and valuing myself beyond productivity.

If you recognise yourself in any part of this story, I hope you know this:

You are not weak for feeling tired. You are not failing because you need rest. And you do not have to reach burnout to choose yourself.

Sometimes, the bravest thing we can do is pause - and allow yourself the space for a new chapter to begin.

Our workshops are designed to create space to slow down, reflect, and reconnect with yourself through guided journalling, gentle discussion, and supportive connection with others. They offer time to listen to your own needs, quieten the inner critic, and begin making changes that feel aligned and sustainable.

If you’d like to take that next step:

January - New You! Tues 20th Jan

£15.00

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