In my last post, Broken Open I shared the story of how my journey from burnout began. I wrote about the shock I felt after my realtionship of twenty years ended and I got divorced.
Initially, I felt broken, but I quickly realised that this was an opportunity to begin a new authentic life and start a new chapter. I discovered the experience of being Broken Open.
The stress of going through a difficult separation and a divorce while looking after two young children took its toll, and I was exhausted. I tried to move forward with my life, but I realised I couldn’t make the changes I wanted if I didn’t fully restore my body and mind.
I started reading about the healing benefits of having a daily mindfulness practice. I’d been trained in formal meditation in the past, but with my busy mind, none seemed sustainable.
In 2018 I discovered the powerful meditation practice Yoga Nidra; I could rest without effort. All I had to do was lie back as I was guided through a gentle meditation where we are taken into one of the deepest levels of relaxation, enabling us to heal.
Finding Yoga Nidra was a turning point for me and had a big impact on my journey from the long-term effects of Burnout. It is more than meditation; it is an ancient philosophy that we can integrate simply into our daily lives.
During this time, I learned the first part of my healing journey was to practice self-compassion and deep self-care. I found that if I allowed my body to rest deeply, I could finally have the energy to embark on a new way of living mindfully.
Initially, finding time for rest was so difficult. I didn’t want to be seen as ‘lazy’; I felt guilty that I wasn’t doing more, achieving more; part of me felt such a failure for not having the life I had imagined in my forties, so I kept pushing myself hard to get to where I thought I ’should’ be.
However, while I'd been 'constantly on the go’ all those years, not giving myself a break, my system was running on overdrive. Living in survival mode, I had been firefighting my symptoms, including fatigue and muscle pain.
It was time to undo the deep-seated conditioning I’d learned growing up and from society. I finally got it ‘self-care wasn’t selfish’, that it was the key to helping my family and the only way I could support others.
Months of Yoga Nidra practice helped me to learn how to relax and let go of my physical and mental exhaustion; I began to reclaim who I was and find my purpose in this Chapter of my life.
One thing I knew was that I wanted to use this in my work, so I completed my training as a Yoga Nidra Meditation Facilitator with the author of Daring to Rest, Karen Brody.
After my training, I felt there was more to unravel in my healing journey. If I was going to help others with their well-being, I knew it was essential to uncover what led me to Burnout and what tools I needed to keep myself from having it again. So I began working with a mentor and coach through a specialist program for people with ongoing fatigue symptoms.
With each week in the program, I uncovered more insights and knowledge. I learned more about myself and the unconscious patterns and beliefs that led me to Burnout.
By gaining support and educating myself on what was happening to my body, I could see what I needed to do to stop the cycle I’d been in for years.
It wasn’t going to be an overnight instant recovery. It would take putting in the work, being consistent with the well-being practices and not giving up.
Over time after making adjustments to my life, I began to see results; the symptoms reduced as my nervous system calmed down.
I started reclaiming who I was before burnout by allowing myself to reconnect to the creative part of myself that had been lost within the overwhelm and exhaustion.
Then the pandemic came, and once again, life changed. I was suddenly homeschooling my children, and the plans I had were to be put on hold.
It was at this time I became aware of the concept of Slow Living. It was just what I had been looking for. I loved the idea of curating a more meaningful and intentional lifestyle aligned with my values.
I knew I couldn’t return to the fast-paced, hustle culture, constantly pushing myself to work harder and faster, as it would only lead me back into the cycle of Burnout.
It Dawned on me that I wanted this calm to be integrated into my life. We may not be able to change the external circumstances, but with the right tools, it would be possible to cultivate a calmer life for myself and my family.
During the 2020 Lockdown, I was out on a dog walk. Instead of rushing about I’d started to slow down enough to notice for the first time the intricate details of changing seasons. Suddenly, at that moment, I felt a deep sense of peace and a knowing that from now on, I just needed to trust and follow my inner guidance.
So the idea for my new business, DawnedUpon Calm, came to me during the pandemic. With the world on pause, many people were experiencing moments of peace in their lives. While some enjoyed it, others did not. After discussing this topic with friends and conducting online research, I realized that a lot of people were reassessing their lives during this time.
We had all become accustomed to the fast-paced and chaotic nature of life without even realizing it. Now, there is a growing movement of people who want to slow down, simplify, and live more intentionally.
As I continued the work on my healing from the effects of Burnout with mindful living practices. I decided I would create a business which would use my experience and training as a coach to support others who also want to slow down and redefine success.
I believe by growing the business organically would give me a solid foundation where my well-being is not being compromised and I could give of myself without being depleted.
Currently, I share calm living inspiration on Instagram, and here on Substack, I will share my story, resources as well as new products and services.
The process of Calm living starts with working on ourselves from the inside out. I’ve learnt there is no quick fix. Nevertheless, there are ways we can make sure we can protect ourselves from Burnout and infuse Calm in our daily lives.
In my next posts, I will share the specific tools and well-being practices that can help you break the cycle of Burnout and give you space to reflect on what success means to you.
Journal Prompt
How do I feel about Rest? What stops me from taking time out for deep, restful self-care?
Go Gently
Dawn xo