Happy to provide some inspiration. Keep the momentum going and listen inward; it took me 5 years of hard work and saving to pull the plug and I knew when the time was right. Best wishes Amroj.
Depression and anxiety forced me into early retirement.
Not something I ever imagined would be part of my story, but here we are.
Looking back, I understand when things began to unravel. It was subtle at first, a creeping self-doubt that seemed to materialise out of nowhere in the middle of a successful career. Questions I’d never asked before suddenly became constant companions: Am I good enough? What if I make a mistake? What if I fail?
Sleep abandoned me. Nights became battlegrounds where anxious thoughts waged war against rest. Days blurred together in a fog of exhaustion and uncertainty.
But the real revelation came much later, when I finally had the space to reflect on what had happened.
I had forgotten the most fundamental rule of caring: you cannot pour from an empty cup.
While I was busy ensuring everyone else’s needs were met, colleagues, students, family, friends, I neglected the person who needed attention most. Me.
No self-care routines. No boundaries. No recognition that my own well-being was not just important but essential.
I share this not to dwell in regret, but as a reminder to you , reading this right now:
Make time for your own well-being. It’s not selfish. It’s necessary.
Yes, something I have learned recently is that burnout happens everywhere, regardless of our profession. The good news is, most of us have an opportunity to reset and after that reset, we can apply the hard lessons learned to create a more beautiful chapter for ourselves. And those around us can benefit in an even greater capacity.
Adversity often forces us to pause, reassess, and realign our priorities and in doing so, it deepens our empathy and expands our capacity to help others. As Napoleon Hill aptly put it, “Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit.” I find meaning in that truth, and it inspires me to keep teaching and writing about health so others can learn, grow, and take better care of themselves.
Motivating story Kristen. I am in a job trying to find a way out of. Keep sharing your stories. 🙂
Happy to provide some inspiration. Keep the momentum going and listen inward; it took me 5 years of hard work and saving to pull the plug and I knew when the time was right. Best wishes Amroj.
I can identify with your story.
This is my story.
Depression and anxiety forced me into early retirement.
Not something I ever imagined would be part of my story, but here we are.
Looking back, I understand when things began to unravel. It was subtle at first, a creeping self-doubt that seemed to materialise out of nowhere in the middle of a successful career. Questions I’d never asked before suddenly became constant companions: Am I good enough? What if I make a mistake? What if I fail?
Sleep abandoned me. Nights became battlegrounds where anxious thoughts waged war against rest. Days blurred together in a fog of exhaustion and uncertainty.
But the real revelation came much later, when I finally had the space to reflect on what had happened.
I had forgotten the most fundamental rule of caring: you cannot pour from an empty cup.
While I was busy ensuring everyone else’s needs were met, colleagues, students, family, friends, I neglected the person who needed attention most. Me.
No self-care routines. No boundaries. No recognition that my own well-being was not just important but essential.
I share this not to dwell in regret, but as a reminder to you , reading this right now:
Make time for your own well-being. It’s not selfish. It’s necessary.
Take care of yourself. The world needs you whole.
Yes, something I have learned recently is that burnout happens everywhere, regardless of our profession. The good news is, most of us have an opportunity to reset and after that reset, we can apply the hard lessons learned to create a more beautiful chapter for ourselves. And those around us can benefit in an even greater capacity.
You are so right.
Adversity often forces us to pause, reassess, and realign our priorities and in doing so, it deepens our empathy and expands our capacity to help others. As Napoleon Hill aptly put it, “Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit.” I find meaning in that truth, and it inspires me to keep teaching and writing about health so others can learn, grow, and take better care of themselves.