My Year of Recovery: From Burnout to Reclaiming My Life
And lessons Simonette learnt along the way
Panic attacks. Constant exhaustion. Insomnia. Persistent headaches. None of these things scream "living my best life," do they?
But for months, that was my reality. My body was screaming at me to make some changes. And I kept ignoring the signs, convinced I was just "too busy" to deal with my health. After all, I was building my dream life, right?
Wrong.
What I was actually doing was spiraling into burnout.
Well, ignore your body for long enough and it’ll start to scream louder. I can’t even begin to explain the pain that I was in just from the tension in my muscles alone. I couldn’t sleep because my mind would not stop racing, my neck would be so tense that I couldn’t find a comfortable position, my eyes hurt constantly, and worst of all, my hair started falling out. The emotional toll hit hard too - trapped in a cycle of anxiety that I struggled to leave the house, I felt completely disconnected from my body and overwhelmed by depression. You know… normal stuff…
Looking back now, it’s hard to believe I let it get that far. I always told friends to take care of themselves and to avoid toxic work environments for the sake of their health. Yet, I was doing exactly the opposite. I thought if I worked hard enough, my dreams would manifest. But in the end, those dreams weren’t waiting for me. Instead, I was faced with the long, challenging road of recovery.
Admitting burnout felt like admitting defeat. When I had to tell my manager I couldn’t continue because I was at the end of my rope, I felt like a failure. But that conversation was the beginning of a much-needed change.
I have been on a healing journey for over a year now. While I am so grateful for the time off to recover, I can guarantee that it was not all fun and games. People thought I was chilling at home and enjoying a vacation. It felt like anything but that. I felt trapped and could not understand what was happening to my body. My mind screamed “go” while my body begged me to slow down. And for the longest time, I couldn’t make sense of it.
My doctor told me it would take double the time I’d been burnt out to recover fully. My mind could not fathom feeling so terrible for so long. I tried to rush the process, but that only made things worse. It took a complete change of mindset to properly start recovering- to slow down and not rush onto the next thing. After months of sleeping for 16 hours a day, I started taking a course to become a health & wellness coach so that I could learn how to aid my recovery through healthy food and habits. Only after a year did I feel less anxious about leaving the house or meeting new people.
That was when I found & The Table. I saw a post about a “New Chapters” table, and something about it clicked. It felt like the moment I needed to step outside of my comfort zone. I had been living in a bubble of isolation, and I was craving the connection. It was my first event with strangers since my burnout, and I was terrified. But it was here that I met a group of incredible women, and their warmth changed everything. They made me feel seen, heard, and accepted in a way I hadn’t felt in so long.
I used that brunch as my turning point to start trying new things, to explore what makes me happy, make connections, and to document my journey on Instagram along the way. While I am not fully recovered from my burnout, I can finally say that I am on a steady upward trajectory.
Through all the ups and downs, I had some clear takeaways from this burnout experience that I hope to pass on to the next person going through it:
Your health comes first. No job, no dream is worth sacrificing your well-being.
You’re the only one who can protect your health. People will push your boundaries - learn to say no.
Recovery isn’t linear. There will be good days and bad days. It’s part of the process.
A toolkit of self-care is essential. Find what helps you recharge - whether it’s exercise, meditation, or simply taking time off.
Community makes a world of difference. Finding a space where you can share your experiences and lean on others is invaluable.
The most surprising part of my recovery was how many people I met who had also experienced burnout. It turns out, I wasn’t alone in this, and instead of hiding it, we should be sharing what helped us heal.
If you’re in the midst of burnout - whether you’re just starting to feel it, you’re deep in the trenches, or you’ve come out the other side - I’d love to hear from you. I want to welcome you to my table to share what we’ve learned and support each other in this journey of recovery. Let’s talk about the power of setting boundaries and the lessons we’ve all learned from burnout.
If you would like a seat at the table, you can sign up here in Alkmaar on 7 June.