A real story from a client who turned survival into recovery.
For many years, I was suffering from burnout—and I didn’t even know it.
I just thought this was who I’d become. Tired. Foggy. Snappy. Struggling to keep everything afloat but still pushing through because I had to.
There are years of my children’s lives I don’t even remember. I was walking through them in a fog, just trying to keep all the balls in the air.
From the outside, people told me how “amazing” I was—raising two young children alone, all three of us dealing with a genetic condition, endless hospital and specialist appointments, and somehow running a business too. What they didn’t see was how fragile it all was behind the scenes.
I started my business when my son was barely over a year old and still being tube-fed, awaiting surgery. A woman at the job centre told me I’d be better off claiming Carer’s Allowance than trying to work for myself—but I didn’t want my kids growing up thinking I’d given up. Whether that was the right decision or not, I’ll never truly know. But it’s the one I made.
Behind closed doors, though, I wasn’t coping.
I snapped at my kids over the smallest things. I’d lose it. Cry. Shout. Apologise. Then repeat it all again the next day. I bought things we didn’t need, just to try and feel better. I buried the guilt in debt. I thought the toys, the clothes, the stuff would make it all OK. But what they really needed was me—and I didn’t have anything left to give.
Then Covid hit. My children were high-risk, so we stayed home. That’s when everything started to fall apart.
In the years that followed, I broke my ankle and couldn’t walk for months. I temporarily lost my vision after needing three eye surgeries. I felt more trapped, more helpless, more exhausted than ever.
I began working with Charles. We started with things like my productivity, my weight, my business. I didn’t even realise I was burnt out. I just thought I was failing at life. That this version of me—depressed, anxious, tired all the time—was who I had become.
There was no lightning bolt moment. No magical fix. But when I look back now, the difference between where I was in 2023 and where I am today is almost unbelievable.
My children tell me I’m different. Kinder. Calmer. They have happy memories I don’t even remember. I used to shout all the time—now they say I’m a better mum. That stings, but it’s also healing.
I just got married. Something I never thought I’d be able to do—I didn’t think I had anything left to give another person, I couldn’t imagine adding another ball into the air. My business, somehow, is still going 13 years later. And for the first time in as long as I can remember… I feel rested when I wake up.
I used to think I had to work twice as hard to prove I was strong. Turns out strength is knowing when to stop.
What changed? A lot of things. Charles worked with me on boundaries—something I didn’t even realise I was missing. I’d been operating under the belief that I always had to be achieving, always doing, always performing. My body was screaming for help: my blood pressure was high, my anxiety was peaking, and I was having panic attacks regularly. But I still wore the mask. I had to keep it together… except in front of my children, who saw me unravel every day.
It’s hard to describe the impact Charles has had on my life. There wasn’t one pivotal moment—it was the consistency, the space he held, and the way each session chipped away at the beliefs that were keeping me stuck.
And I will never be able to thank him enough for the changes he’s helped me make.
It wasn’t hard work—at least, not in the way people expect. The real hard work was what I’d been doing for years before: fighting to survive every day, running on empty, pretending I was fine. Working with Charles was different. Sometimes emotional, yes—but also relaxing, gentle, and surprisingly easy. And the changes? Truly unbelievable.
Burnout doesn’t always look like a collapse. Sometimes, it looks like a capable woman doing everything… and silently breaking inside.
That was me.
And now, I’m healing.
Does this resonate with you? Are you ready to get the old you back?
Book a free 30-minute call to find out if the Burnout Recovery Kickstart is the right fit for you. It’s private, pressure-free, and could be the moment things start to shift.
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