Between Healing and Ambition: Life After Burnout

The past two years have been, so far, some of the hardest of my life.

Coming to terms with the fact that I was experiencing burnout took time. Admitting it to myself was hard enough, but facing the consequences has been even harder.

Mental health is still a taboo topic in many circles. I felt ashamed even to ask my own family for help, mainly because, at the time, I saw the failure in the business that I thought was going to generate my future income and business dream. My family saw me as strong, someone who could figure things out alone. But I’ve come to realize that true strength isn’t about doing everything on your own. It is about recognizing when you need support and having the courage to ask for it without shame. It is a contradiction, I know, but it is also the truth.

Rebuilding, One Step at a Time

Last summer, I found myself back in my hometown managing the family relais after we had to let go of our receptionist. At the same time, I was looking for a full-time job in Zürich. Since the job market recently has been truly bad, I decided to up my game. I launched my personal website while constantly applying to job opportunities, both remote and in person.

Then, almost unexpectedly, an opportunity appeared, and in March 2025 I started working 40% as a communication specialist at t’charta.

It has been two months now, and a lot has changed, both professionally and personally. I have a job where I feel appreciated and encouraged. I am also living a wonderful chapter in my personal life, with someone who supports and understands me in every way.

And yet, something still feels incomplete.

So I have started to reflect and ask myself: what exactly is missing?

The Tug of War Between Drive and Reality

One thing I know for sure is that I am constantly longing for more. More work, more growth, more from life itself. But that hunger can be frustrating, especially when your resources are limited and you are forced to work with what you have. I have never been good at accepting limits, and I think this creates a specific kind of inner tension. For a long time, I called it impostor syndrome, but that is not quite it.

It is something more nuanced, a mix of productivity guilt and inner dissonance.

It is the emotional weight of knowing what you want to do, knowing what you are capable of, but not having the means to pursue it fully right now. That gap between ambition and ability can feel suffocating.

Sometimes I am amazed by how many emotions a person can hold at once. That realization brings me back to something I am learning slowly: we are all human. We are imperfect, and that is okay. Maybe even perfect in our imperfection.

Letting Go to Move Forward

For the past two years, I have been in therapy with a wonderful coach who has helped me see how often I have given too much, for too long.

This morning, during a private phone call, I had another realization. I am still giving energy to projects that, while close to my heart, I need to let go of because they oppress me. And stepping away from them is difficult.

Last summer, I had to let go of a friendship that helped me through a difficult time. But after a while, it began consuming all the energy I had gained back. Although it broke my heart, I needed to put myself first, my own well-being first.

Otherwise, how can I help others if I am not helping myself?

Cutting anything from your life that you care about is hard. But sometimes, it is necessary.

Building Something of My Own

At the same time, I am trying to rebuild something for myself.

Putting yourself out there again after burnout is not easy. You want to grow, to build something that feels yours. But when things do not go as planned, doubt and discouragement can creep in.

It is in those moments that depression often tries to come back. But I am learning how to face it and transform it into something that works for me, not against me.

Just the other day, I read an article about how many young people in the UK cannot find jobs, and I felt seen. That is what I, and some of my friends, have experienced for the past year and a half.

Although now we all have either a part-time position or a fixed contract, we went through the frustration of having the skills to do the job, yet finding ourselves in positions where we were not seen.

Yes, I am incredibly grateful for the job I have, and I truly love it. But right now, it is not enough to make me financially independent. That is why I am working to create something that can help me get there.

It takes time.

It takes courage.

But I know that eventually, I will make it.