Burnout is not just feeling tired. It’s a slow unraveling, a fire that consumes from the inside out, leaving only embers of the person you once were. It steals your joy, your energy, your sense of self—until all that’s left is the hollow shell of someone who used to thrive.

I know this, not just because I’ve guided women through it, but because I’ve lived it.

I remember sitting in my car, waiting for a client meeting, and suddenly, the tears came. Not the quiet kind—the kind that flood through you like Rome’s Trevi Fountain, relentless and bold. My body was weeping exhaustion beyond my conscious control, a rebellion against years of pushing too hard. And it didn’t just happen once. It kept happening. Again and again, until I could barely function. Until I was no longer just tired—I was broken.

And I see that same pain in the women who log into my online sessions, their voices shaking, hands gripping the weight of impossible expectations. Women who have achieved so much, yet feel like they are drowning. Here are their stories—and how, together, we found a way back.

Rachel*: The CEO Who Couldn’t Breathe

Rachel was at the peak of her career, leading a global consulting firm. She had spent years climbing the corporate ladder, breaking barriers in a male-dominated industry. But at home, things were unraveling.

She had two young children, a partner who also had a demanding career, and no family nearby to help. Every morning, she felt like she was sprinting through the day, from board meetings to school pickups, answering emails at midnight, and waking up exhausted. The moment she realized something was deeply wrong was when she had a panic attack—right in the middle of a client presentation.

When Rachel joined our online session, she was drowning. She felt trapped, like she had no choice but to keep pushing forward, even though her body and mind were begging for rest.

We started by unraveling the narrative she had built around success. Through therapy and coaching, we worked on:

• RTT using hypnosis to help her identify and release the unrealistic expectations she had placed on herself.
• Mindfulness techniques to teach her how to slow down and recognize the early signs of stress before they escalated.
• Redefining boundaries so she could protect time with her family without feeling guilty.

Rachel learned that taking a step back didn’t mean she was failing. It meant she was finally choosing herself. Today, she still leads her company, but she no longer burns herself out in the process.

Maya*: The Diplomat Who Felt Like a Stranger in Her Own Life

As a high-ranking diplomat, Maya’s career took her across the world, negotiating policies, building relationships, and making decisions that shaped entire communities. But behind closed doors, she was exhausted.

Living as an expat in a foreign country without her extended family for support meant that she had no safety net. She was the sole parent most of the time, managing international crises while missing her child’s milestones. The turning point came when she realized she could no longer remember the last time she felt joy—real, unfiltered joy.

Maya needed to reconnect with herself, beyond the roles of diplomat, mother, and leader. Our work together focused on:

• Identifying burnout triggers and recognizing how isolation and high expectations were depleting her.
• Creating a personal support system by finding expat networks, coaching her to ask for help, and building meaningful relationships outside of work.
• Restoring joy by carving out space for small, intentional moments of happiness—whether it was through travel, creativity, or time with her child.

Maya didn’t leave her career, but she did redefine it. She started setting limits on how much she gave to her work and began prioritizing her life outside of it.

Sandra*: The Lawyer Who Couldn’t Say No

Elena had always been ambitious. As a top corporate lawyer, she had built a thriving career, working in an international law firm that demanded everything from her. When she and her husband first had kids, they made a joint decision: she would be the breadwinner while he stayed home. It made sense at the time—Elena was making good money, and they wanted their children to have a full-time parent at home.

But as the years passed, the weight of that decision began to crush her. She was the one who always said yes—to clients, to extra hours, to solving problems no one else wanted to touch. At home, she felt like she had to keep pushing because her family depended on her income. The pressure to succeed, to never show weakness, to always be “on” became unbearable.

She entered our online session in tears after realizing she hadn’t had a full night’s sleep in over a year. She was losing her temper with her kids, feeling disconnected from her husband, and secretly wondering if she should just quit everything.

Elena had to learn how to reclaim her time and energy. Our work included:

• Practicing radical boundary-setting—learning how to say no without guilt and letting go of the fear of disappointing others.
• Unpacking the pressure of being the breadwinner—understanding that financial responsibility didn’t mean she had to sacrifice herself completely.
• Rebuilding her identity beyond work—rediscovering who she was outside of being a lawyer and a mother.

It wasn’t easy, but with time, Elena started delegating, stepping back from the constant pressure, and prioritizing her own well-being. She and her husband also had honest conversations about the possibility of shifting their financial dynamic, exploring ways to bring balance back into their lives. She’s still a powerhouse in the legal field, but she’s no longer sacrificing herself for it.

Burnout is more than exhaustion—it is the body’s way of waving a white flag, of begging you to stop before you completely fall apart. I’ve been there. I know what it’s like to sit in a car, waiting for a meeting, feeling the exhaustion creep up like a tidal wave, unable to hold back the flood of tears. I know what it’s like to feel like you have no control over the exhaustion that consumes you.

But here’s what I also know: burnout doesn’t have to be the end of the road. It can be the turning point where you choose to reclaim your life. These women found their way back. And so can you.

If you see yourself in any of these stories, know that healing is possible. You are not alone, and you don’t have to navigate this storm by yourself.

Lexie xx

* names have been changed for purposes of confidentiality

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