I thought burnout was for other people until…
After nearly 15 years of climbing the corporate ladder, I landed what should have been a dream job – an exciting leadership role with a global manufacturing giant.
It was fast paced. High stakes. International.
- On paper? Impressive.
- In reality? Relentless.
I was a co-leader on a major technical rollout while helping launch a cost-saving regional operating model. That meant nonstop travel, often overseas for weeks at a time, and no margin for rest. I liked the work. I was good at it. But slowly, it began to cost me everything else.
- Sleep? Fragmented.
- Nutrition and exercise? Gone.
- Happiness? Replaced by the gnawing pressure to keep up.
My inner dialogue was punishing:
“Your boss expects perfection. Don’t let anything drop.”
And the better I performed, the higher the bar was raised. No finish line. Just more. More. More.
And at home? I was trying to be superhuman there too – wife, mom, daughter to a mother battling Stage 3 cancer, neighbor, volunteer. I wasn’t just showing up – I was striving to excel. But under the surface, I was running on fumes.
Until my body said: “Enough.”
Almost overnight, I couldn’t bend my elbow. My feet swelled so badly I couldn’t wear shoes, much less walk.
After months of testing, I was diagnosed with a “permanent” autoimmune disease. The treatment? Weekly injections – just to reduce the inflammation so I could function… and yes, keep working.
That was my wake-up call. Burnout wasn’t just a buzzword – it had taken up residence in my body.
And strangely, I’m now grateful for it. Because the pain forced me to face what I had been too proud (or too scared) to admit: I was breaking. And I had to change.
That reckoning became the beginning of something better.
This is the story behind my new eBook: Your Personal Guide to Burnout and Recovery.
I wrote it for people like me – high-achievers who don’t know how to stop until they’re forced to.
The guide walks you through what burnout really is and how to recover. It includes reflection activities and a template for your own recovery plan.
If you would like your own copy, just fill out the Contact Us Form and we’ll send it right over.