“Sherry, have you always had such a balanced life?” I was asked the other day.
Workaholic with low level depression
“Hell no. I used to be a workaholic with low level depression, wanting to self-harm and on the edge of burnout. That’s why I recognise those telltale signs of burnout so easily – because 19 years ago, I was that woman on the brink. I was the woman working 8am to 8pm, skipping lunch, working evenings, constantly exhausted and not able to sleep. On the outside, I was extremely successful – being promoted rapidly through the ranks but inside I was struggling, feeling constantly overwhelmed, stressed and suffering with IBS. I wanted to be successful. And in my head, to be successful, I needed to work hard.”
“What happened? How did you get out of that?”
“Intellectually I knew that I couldn’t continue working the way I was. I knew that if I didn’t do something, if I didn’t take action, BOOM! I’m gone. Heart attack, complete nervous breakdown … I don’t know. But something major was going to happen unless I stopped living life that way. A few months earlier I had a nasty racing accident and hit my head. I was out cold for a while. My head injury affected me for several months afterwards – speech impairment, lack of concentration, vertigo. A few months later, I was back on the race track.”
“Weren’t you scared?”
It didn’t occur to me to be scared
“It didn’t occur to me to be scared. It was racing. I got back on the bike as soon as I could. That’s when I realised that I have an inner strength and resilience, a steeliness within.
However that inner strength and resilience had served me poorly at work. It had kept me going but that had done me harm. So I quit my job. I realised enough’s enough. I cried when I handed in my notice. I really cried. My HR manager was worried about me – she offered me a sabbatical instead. But I knew that if I came back to the same job, it would just start all over again. I needed to take radical action.
Inner strength and confidence
Now I use my inner strength and confidence to help other women get the balance they want; to take charge of their life; to know what it is to feel powerful. I absolutely love the work that I do. I love the life-changing transformations that I see in the women I work with. I know what it’s like to be a workaholic but I also know how to balance work with family and life.”
“Do you miss your corporate days?”
“I’ve been running my own business since 2012. I love the flexibility, the creativity, the independence, the autonomy and the balance. I loved my corporate career. I learned so much and I had great fun. Sure, sometimes I feel myself being tempted back to the dark side and feel my stress and overwhelm levels rising. That’s when I know it’s time to stop and take care of my wellness before I take care of my business.”
What about you? Where are you on the spectrum of workaholic to balanced mum? If you identify with how I felt, check out 7 ways to cope with overwhelm. You owe it to yourself and to your family to take action today.
I remember those corporate days! I also left that job when my first child was a toddler and being expected to finish deadlines at the office on a Saturday was just not working. After 8 years of freelancing I’ve found a corporate job again that gives me loads of flexibility so I can be committed at my job and spend some time with my kids. Finding your balance between work and family life is key!
Fabulous that you’ve found the balance you want for your family.
Thatbold inner strength can be a good thing if we keep it in check, but if we’re not careful it can develop a mind of its own and start to cause us problems
Absolutely Mike!
Fabulous post Sherry. Sometimes we don’t see the treadmill we’re on until somehow we manage to get off.
Ps I didn’t know you were a fellow cyclist! (Or did you mean motorbikes?)
Both! I am a cyclist (do more running now than cycling) and also ride a motorbike.
Your story resonates with me. I drove myself like a slave in the corporate world for so long, I didn’t even stop to consider my quality of life. Now life is light, bright, and full of possibilities!
Glad to hear your life is now light and bright!