Danielle’s Burnout Story
The very first story, from chapter one of the Anti Burnout Bible comes from Danielle, the founder of the organic skincare brand, Jierra Beauty. She set up the business in response to her own burnout, after she noticed the therapeutic effect that caring for her skin had on her mental wellbeing she wanted to share the joy. With Jierra, Danielle aims to bring that calm into our daily routines and help us make self care a priority.
What’s your experience of burnout?
My childhood was somewhat troubled, which led me to leave home at an early age (17) and fend for myself. That’s when my stress and anxiety progressed. I had an enormous amount of pressure to make ends meet and provide for myself financially, which led me to stay in jobs that depleted my mental health and drained me physically.
Were there any warning signs before you burned out?
When aren’t right, my body lets me know. I frequently struggled with shortness of breath and nervousness, not to mention I lost all of my hair, which is why I wear wigs at the moment. Overall, I lost confidence and the motivation to do anything.
How did you recover from burnout?
I had to remove myself from situations that weren’t productive for me. That meant choosing not to stay in jobs that were affecting my mental health. I also started to talk about how I was feeling with my spouse and we agreed that I should take time to stay at home and RELAX. As someone who is prone to stress, I purposefully have to take time out to switch off, be present with my emotions and also do things that make me happy. After 10 years, I’m still on the road to full recovery but it took the last few years to get to a better place.
Any tips to manage stress and overwhelm?
For me, I constantly work on my breathing because whether it’s a happy emotion or a negative one, adrenaline tends to make me short of breath. It’s also amazing to come off of your phone and stay away from social media at times. The most important is being able to express what’s going on within you, so talking to a loved one, praying and even journaling often helps and is backed up by studies.
If you could go back, would you do anything differently?
I would SPEAK up about needing support. I would go to my doctor, I would explain to my family, I would go for therapy, whatever could help me at the time. I also pushed myself way too hard in work and education and it was damaging, but I don’t know if there was any way around that as I was depending on myself to survive at that time.
Final words of wisdom…
Happiness and success are subjective. Don’t pressure yourself to keep up with somebody else’s standards. I’ve made peace with the fact that to me success is different. I’m not here to chase money and win the accolades of ‘important’ people. Success and wealth to me is being able to have peace of mind, love in my home and live in the healthiest way possible.
If you’re feeling the effects of stress and burnout and would like some support – whether that’s for you, your team or your business – drop me an email or book a free call, no strings attached.
I’d love to help you with tailormade 1:1 Anti Burnout Business Coaching or Mental Wellbeing Workshops or talks.