Let go of people-pleasing. Embrace your purpose.
Pull back from the edge of an existential crisis by confronting perfectionism with a trauma-informed approach.
It's been too much. Overwhelmed by the pressures of daily life. Stuck in a rut. Uncertain about the future. A relentless cycle of productivity, a to-do list that never ends. Constantly striving to do more, yet never feeling enough. Navigating the demands of modern life, burnout can suck you into a vortex that affects your entire being: physically, emotionally, relationally and spiritually. Healing from burnout requires more than just rest, it requires a holistic approach to find balance, purpose and fulfillment.
The root of burnout is more than overwork, it is the conflation of worthiness and usefulness. A culture that glorifies the grind masks deeper feelings of inadequacy and fear and what we do informs who we are [instead of the other way around]. Ambition divorced from the wisdom of boundaries is not productivity, it is an addiction to toxic productivity. Ambition, productivity and motivation must be founded in self-knowledge and self-compassion to be generative. And when they are, ambition can be the drive towards actualizing the life you envision for yourself. Productivity isn't something to be banished entirely, but it needs to be wielded well or becomes a cruel taskmaster.
What if you could be motivated by inspiration, instead of stress?
Burnout ultimately is a misalignment with our values - and healing means we must know what our values are. Obligations to fulfill external expectations of life milestones, family commitments and career pressures can isolate us from our authenticity, tying us to what we "have" to do. Even if there are things we want to do for family, in career and life, the pressure suffocates choice. The freedom to choose what to do comes as we create more space in life - with room to breathe and be. Instead, it becomes easy to lose yourself in the pursuit of perfectionism and productivity amid endless to-do lists and endless expectation.
Instead.
Imagine waking up each day excited to live a life that celebrates your creativity and uniqueness, free from the ghosts of who you used to be. You start your morning slowly, savoring a cup of coffee as the first light of dawn filters through your window. You feel the comforting warmth of the cup in your hands, taking a moment to appreciate the quiet of the early hours. As you look ahead to your day, you’re filled with the freedom to choose activities that truly bring you joy.
An authentic life prioritizes your well-being and allows you to romanticize the mundane. You find beauty in the simple things—like the crisp, refreshing air during a walk through the park or the soothing melody of your favorite song playing while you cook dinner. Each moment, no matter how ordinary, is filled with a sense of purpose and fulfillment.
You deserve a life you love simply because you exist, not because you’ve earned it through endless hard work. This life embraces the essence of who you are, letting you live authentically and joyfully, free to explore and enjoy every part of your day.
But in order to get the life you want, you have to know what you want. I’ve found the best way to know what you want is to focus on your values. Your values are the compass that guides you - they are your ethics, morals, priorities, your driving force. If we’re disconnected from our values, there is chaos. When we’re informed by our values, there is alignment.
We don’t discover our values accidentally. It takes intention and reflection to know how we want to orient our lives. And of course, I have a worksheet for that. It also happens to be FREE! It will guide you through the process of identifying your values (and differentiating obligation at the same time) and I personally think it makes for a fun evening to do with partners, friends and family (but that’s what therapists think is fun): https://www.thriveintegratedpsychology.com/products/digital_downloads/authentic-values-inventory