Finding Clarity Through Burnout

We’re raised to believe success means constantly pushing—always available, always responsible, always switched on.
But we were never taught what that kind of pace really costs.

For me, the cost was everything:
my peace, my health, and the joy I felt for my work.

Seven years in, and the love I had for the social enterprise I built from scratch had been lost in the chaos.

When Busy Stops Being Productive

Back in 2019, life was noisy—fast days, late nights, endless pressure. I loved my business, but somewhere along the way, the creative work I thrived on was replaced with people management, finance, and firefighting.

Jobs that would fill whole departments in a bigger organisation were sitting on my desk, waiting for my already-overloaded, 'neurodivergent' brain.

I’d get home at 7pm, drop my bag, and immediately feel the weight of everything I still hadn’t done. Evenings blurred into work. Nights blurred into overthinking. My mind never stopped humming.

The buzz that once felt like passion slowly turned into constant anxiety and overwhelm.

At the same time, my personal life was collapsing: supporting a loved one in recovery, navigating a partner’s addiction, grieving pregnancy losses, and dealing with an employee who defrauded the business. Add early menopause to the fertility complications caused by a genetic condition—and something was bound to give.

Eventually, it did.

The Moment Everything Went Quiet

My “escape” didn’t come from drama—just a clean, instinctive decision to step away. I booked a flight to Chile. I didn’t have a plan. I just knew I needed distance.

I still remember the moment things shifted: sitting in my friend’s apartment in Valparaíso, warm cup of tea between my hands, the sound of street dogs howling in the neighbourhood, and—for the first time in years—silence in my mind.

No buzzing. No lists. No pressure.
Just stillness.

The realisation landed hard:
It wasn’t me. It was the environment I’d been surviving in.

A few weeks later, sitting on the warm rocks of the tiny, remote island of Rapa Nui, looking out over the Pacific with tropical winds washing over me, clarity hit again—deeper this time, unmistakable. 

Within days of leaving my life behind, I felt calm and grounded. The sensation was meditative, and utterly restorative—like the ocean itself swept away years of stress that had clung to me. In that moment, I had a deep knowing that I could return to this stillness anytime the world felt overwhelming.

I knew I couldn’t go back to the way things were.

A week after I returned home, lockdown began. And I never had to.

Rebuilding From the Inside Out

I held the business together through the pandemic, then handed operations to a manager. With all the best intentions, it didn’t go to plan. We nearly shut down. But that period forced me to anchor into what mattered: my wellbeing, my values, my purpose.

I started therapy. I dug into trauma, grief, stress, the nervous system, somatic work. I learned how the body copes, and how it heals.

And then coaching found me.

After years of being supported by coaches, I began training to become one. It felt like a missing piece—giving me language, skills, and permission to finally slow down and really listen.

The Birth of The Clarity Lab

The Clarity Lab came from one simple truth: most of us are living without clarity—pulled by expectations, responsibilities, and old patterns we never chose.

I wanted to build something rooted in lived experience, not hustle culture.

My work now centres on:

• Nervous system regulation

• Emotional resilience

• Slow, intentional living

Through coaching, resources, and a curated wellness shop, I’m creating a sustainable way to support others while honouring my own pace.

This journey cracked me open. I want to share what helped me come back to myself.

For Anyone Feeling Overwhelmed

If you’re burned out or stuck, please know: you’re not alone, and there is a way through. It starts with honesty, tiny shifts, and a willingness to dismantle the patterns that are draining you.

Change begins with your daily habits. Your boundaries. Your defaults.
That’s where the healing starts.

The Clarity Lab is my commitment to slow, intentional living—and to supporting you as you find your direction again.

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