BEYOND BURNOUT: MY JOURNEY FROM TOTAL COLLAPSE TO HEALING AND EMPOWERING OTHERS

Updated: Aug 14

August 1, 2024

Written by: Georgia Lee Arts

It started with a failure—my failure to pivot. I didn’t see the warning signs. Or maybe I saw them but chose to ignore them because burnout and a toxic work environment became normal and I hoped they would pass. My shadow self bound me to old programs and roles, along with the inability to set good boundaries or say ‘no’ to work and family demands. I was chasing ‘not enough, do more, be more, and achieve more.’ Does this sound like you? Hormone imbalances crept in, followed by Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), and soon, I was unable to work. By the time I realized the severity of my situation, I was beyond stage 12 of burnout. It was too late to pivot. The icing on the cake was toxic environmental exposure which was a contributing factor in health issues and CFS.

There was a final ring of fire to jump through to evaluate my Olympic survival skills. I was competing in a death-defying act to either be a winner or face my demise by becoming one of the 40,000 to 80,000 medical deaths from a treatment that excluded the studies of women from clinical research trials.

“From my article published on August 21, 2023: “Women are more likely to wait longer for a health diagnosis and to be told it’s ‘all in their heads.’ That can be lethal: diagnostic errors cause 40,000-80,000 deaths in the US alone. One of the most pervasive implicit biases in the medical system regards gender. The tendency to attribute women’s physical complaints to mental illness has roots in the word ‘hysteria’ – that mythical female disorder… has remained alive and well in medicine.” This sentiment is echoed by Maya Dusenbery in her May 29, 2018 article, “Everybody was telling me there was nothing wrong.” The Health Gap.

Looking back, I see now that I had plenty of opportunities to pivot. I lost my dream. It took years to heal my body, mind, and soul, but in that journey, I developed a program with Promethean solutions to help others avoid the same fate so they can live a high-quality, aligned, and optimized life.

If you're experiencing burnout, there are steps you can take to regain your health and wellness. It’s crucial to recognize the signs early and take action. My journey from burnout to recovery was long and arduous, but it was also enlightening. I've learned that healing requires an integrated approach—addressing the body, mind, soul, and depth.

The 12 Stages of Olympic Burnout: Know the Warning Signs

Compulsion to Prove Oneself
Working Harder
Neglecting Needs
Displacement of Conflicts
Revision of Values
Denial of Emerging Problems
Withdrawal
Behavioral Changes
Depersonalization
Inner Emptiness
Depression
Burnout Syndrome

These stages illustrate how burnout develops and deepens over time. If you land on stage 12 of burnout your Olympic flame will be extinguished and the pay raise you were chasing will be turned into a hard struggle to rise from. The financial burden of unemployment and mounting medical expenses is a hard lesson that I share with you in the hopes that I motivate you to action.

Healing and Moving Forward

Healing from burnout is possible, but it requires a conscious effort to rebalance your life. This means setting boundaries, prioritizing self-care, and seeking support when needed. My program is designed to help you live a valuable life, and guide you out of burnout toward alignment, improved health, and wellness. Don’t wait until it’s too late to pivot. Take the first step toward healing today.

For more information on recognizing the stages of burnout and finding support, visit my blog article: The 12 Stages of Burnout: Know the Warning Signs at elysiandream.net.

Remember, you are not alone. Together, we can navigate the path to recovery and build a life that honors your well-being and aspirations. Coaching is a partnership to help you find your best answers. Going deep isn’t always comfortable, but the way out is through.

Contact me for personalized support and start your journey to recovery today.

Join the Elysian Dream Wellness Community.

In sharing my story, I hope to shed light on the realities of burnout and the importance of early intervention. Let's create a world where work-life alignment for high-quality living is the norm, not the exception, and where everyone has the opportunity to thrive without sacrificing their health and financial stability.

Reclaim your energy, wellness, and dreams today.

Georgia Lee Arts

Elysian Dream

elysiandream.net

References:

July 6, 2020, Wellandgood.com, “Women were left out of clinical trials until the ‘90s-this is how it impacted our health.”

May 29, 2018, Maya Dusenbery, “Everybody was telling me there was nothing wrong.” The Health Gap.”

#transformational journey