Healing Hollywood: A Journey from Burnout to Balance
I used to think a spa day could cure my burnout the way a juice cleanse might shed a few pounds—effective for a moment, but nothing sustainable. True healing from career burnout, and the many illnesses that stem from it, requires ongoing care for both body and mind. The good news? Once you discover your own recipe for health, it becomes a matter of sustaining that routine.
What is burnout?
The World Health Organization defines burnout as an occupational phenomenon, a syndrome resulting from chronic workplace stress that hasn’t been successfully managed. It’s not a medical condition, but rather a state characterized by three dimensions:
- Feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion.
- Increased mental distance from one’s job or a sense of negativity or cynicism related to work.
- Reduced professional efficacy.
I know these dimensions all too well. I was exhausted, overly negative, and felt utterly incapable of being effective at work.
In the past, when stress reached an unbearable level, I would simply change jobs or embark on an adventure like backpacking through Southeast Asia and India—the career equivalent of saying, “It’s not you, it’s me.” Travel soothed my initial bout of burnout, and I returned to work feeling refreshed.
After a life-changing, round-the-world trip, I met my future husband, quit my job again, and traveled until we finally settled in San Diego. Then, in 2008, during the Great Recession, I found myself unemployed for a year. Eventually, my old job came calling, and within a year, I was back at my old desk, feeling the familiar weight of burnout.
Hollywood is a demanding industry, and before long, the burnout returned with a vengeance. Now with a husband and child, I found myself not just stressed about work but feeling trapped, angry, and powerless, with no clue how to fix my unhappiness. I would cry on my commute over Mulholland Drive, overwhelmed by the thought that I couldn’t make the decision to quit. Memories of unemployment during the Great Recession had shaken my confidence, and my misery was beginning to seep into every corner of my life. I needed the paycheck and health insurance, and my lack of self esteem left me feeling like there were no other options.
The anger I felt—stemming from hurt, and isolation—left me feeling unhinged, both at work and at home. Then came the physical symptoms: migraines that would last for days, digestive issues, weight gain, and even hair loss. I couldn’t keep relying on short-term fixes any longer.
Over the years, I had watched so many talented women fall victim to this same cycle—rage, illness, or just sheer exhaustion. One co-worker developed cancer and passed away. Another close co-worker left the company after 20 years and simply disappeared. A close friend retired early due to company politics after a blow up with our executive staff, and the list does continue on. Seeing what happened to these women I glimpsed my own potential future and I didn’t like what I saw. Yet, I also noticed that when some co-workers left the company or retired within six months to a year they seemed healthier, happier, and more at peace. It gave me hope that this burnout could be a temporary situation and that I just needed to find a permanent solution.
I wasn’t ready to abandon everything I had built; I was too close to a great pension to give up and start over. I resolved to find a way through.
I hired a Life Coach I found online who felt like a good fit. Years earlier, a different coach had helped me map out a plan to travel the world. This time, I was hoping to understand how my stress was making me sick—and most importantly, how to heal and reclaim my life and career.
Through visualization and intermittent meditation, I began to realize that I had been letting my work take up too much space in my life. My coach helped me see that I did have the power to change my circumstances if I chose to.
Within just seven weeks of coaching, I started to feel better. The pressure began to lift, and while I didn’t have all the answers about my future, my health was improving. My relationships at both work and home were beginning to heal. I stopped feeling explosive anger and became curious about new practices like yoga and meditation. I initiated conversations at work that went beyond the usual complaints and even invited colleagues to sound baths and retreats. I found solace in podcasts that spoke to me on a deeper, more spiritual level. Yes, they were a bit “woo-woo,” but they felt right.
I allowed myself to take detours, to explore different paths, and yes, even to make a few wrong turns. But each step moved me closer to where I needed to be.
So, where is ‘there’?
I developed a consistent meditation practice and started working out, first with yoga, then moving into aerobic classes with strength training, and now lifting weights. During the pandemic, I became certified as a life coach and have since begun training in energy healing as a meditation teacher, and studying Watsu—a form of aquatic bodywork that harnesses the healing power of water. I love the balance I have created with both cognitive and energetic practices. I love the science and I love the magic of it all.
I learned to manage my mind, my anger, and my resentment. My health improved dramatically, and instead of looking older as I age, people often remark that I look younger. I feel more at home in my skin than ever before.
My relationships with friends and family have flourished, and those that weren’t supportive have naturally fallen away. I no longer hold onto regrets or am overly dramatic when problems arise at work or in my own life. My family is also seeing how to navigate the world with more patience and understanding as they follow my lead. I am so incredibly proud of the woman I am becoming.
When you begin practices that address the mind, body, and spirit holistically, everything changes. Your life starts to align with your true goals, and you find yourself with more love and compassion—for yourself and for others. You rewire your brain, reduce stress, and stop numbing out with food or alcohol. You start creating and living the dreams you once left on the sidelines.
You build resilience, strength, and a profound belief in yourself, becoming available for more creative, meaningful endeavors. You develop the ability to reflect on your thoughts, feelings, and actions, and you no longer feel out of control. That sense of powerlessness melts away.
You will still feel pain. You will still feel anger. You are, after all, still human.
But life on the other side of burnout is so much better. Through meditation, movement, and mindfulness, you can move from burnout, sickness, and isolation to a life of vibrant health and fulfillment.
Healing is not a destination; it’s a continuous, ever-evolving journey. And trust me, it’s worth every step.