It’s Friday morning and our first text reads “TGIF”. It’s Monday morning and we think “Do I have to?”
In between those days we’re in this race with ourselves to meet the unrealistic expectations we set while we neglect the needs that fuel us.
And when we hear the question “How are you doing?” we feel the exhaustion deep in our bones… “tired”.
I know this girl well – and so do you.
I had all the classic symptoms of burnout: digestive issues, brain fog, insomnia, emotional exhaustion.
Then came the shocking diagnosis that changed my life: Lyme Disease. I was placed on a long-term antibiotic and the pain quickly progressed. “You’ll feel worse before you feel better” they’d say, and I became terrified not knowing just how much worse it would get. Then four weeks in, I lost the ability to walk. With no immediate answers, I laid in bed shaking uncontrollably, feeling a wave of extreme physical and emotional pain, in complete disbelief that this was my story.
After countless doctors’ visits and endless testing, doctors determined I had suffered a severe allergic reaction to the medication that caused extreme inflammation resulting in loss of function and lasting damage to my legs. To make matters worse- I was ultimately misdiagnosed. Even though I was overcome by feelings of defeat, frustration, and uncertainty, I chose to focus on what I could control and started my healing journey. The next year became about reducing inflammation, rebuilding my health, and learning to listen to the signals I had ignored for so long.
I’d be wrong to think the moment I spiraled was when I couldn’t walk because the question we choose to ignore in the face of our exhaustion is, how did we get so burned out in the first place? For years, I was stuck in a cycle of staying busy- always doing, always filling my schedule with more. While it felt productive and even empowering at times, it was depleting my energy, throwing my hormones out of balance, and disrupting my gut health.
So, how do we recover? For me, it started with acknowledging what my body had been trying to tell me all along. I began focusing on small, intentional changes: eating foods that supported my gut health and stabilized my energy, building routines that worked with my natural rhythm, and managing stress in ways that didn’t leave me feeling drained. These steps weren’t just about feeling better- they helped me balance my hormones, regain control over my energy, and allowed me to start showing up as the best version of myself.
After regaining about 80% of my mobility, I was ready. I cannot wait to get my back to my old life, I thought. Then eight months into my new job, I quit. And this is where the last piece of recovering from burnout came into play, are we aligned with our careers? When I felt the familiar symptoms of stress creeping back in, a result of “persistent disconnect”, I knew I needed a real shift. That’s when I made the decision to rebuild my life in a way that supported both my ambitions and overall well-being. I went back to school to study integrative health & nutrition and started my own business where I could help women find that same balance.
Do I secretly wish we could all travel and sip coffee from cute cafes full time? Yes. Until then, let’s break the cycle, balance our hormones, and feel exceptional and energized at the same time. After all, the “B” in Boss Babe does not stand for burnout.
Alessandra
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