🌀 From Push Through to Pause: Rebuilding Work, Energy & Identity from the Ground Up

🌀 From Push Through to Pause:

Rebuilding Work, Energy & Identity from the Ground Up

Most days, I feel completely present and in flow—🎧 usually when I’m working one-to-one.
And then there are days like today.

Days where I can be fully there for others…
And then find myself needing to lie on the sofa for a full hour.
No screens. No planning. Just… still. Shut down. 🛋️

It’s not something I’m used to needing—but today, it hit me.
I’d forgotten what it felt like to need to switch off.
And in that stillness, it landed:
I’ve been pushing through again. Quietly. On auto-pilot. 🤖

It’s a pattern I thought I’d left behind—
A life of carrying on regardless.
(Somewhere, 🎶 The Beautiful South lyrics echo.)

But this time was different.
This time, I noticed it.
This time, I stopped. ✋

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What struck me was this:

Even though I haven’t yet fully removed myself from the familiar dynamics and daily chaos,
I’ve made progress in moving my situation forwards—
and created enough space in myself to pause.
To listen.
To honour what I need. 🌬️

That’s not something I could do before.

I used to only take action when I was completely burnt out 🔥—
So dysregulated I couldn’t even articulate what I needed, let alone ask for help.
And just like the furnace of menopause I’m now navigating, I used to bolt. 🚪

But now? I’m learning to catch it earlier.
And for that—I’m giving myself credit. 💛

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Because it’s only in the pause that I can recognise and celebrate the fruits of my labour. 🍎✨

Even on low-energy days, I take comfort in how far I’ve come.
💡 I’ve changed my routine and upgraded my lifestyle.
🛠️ Tweaked my environment and replaced old habits with healthy boundaries.
👥 I’ve become more intentional about the energy of the people I surround myself with.

They’re small shifts that make a massive difference.
It hasn’t been easy—but it’s been necessary.
And it’s working.
🌱 Progress isn’t always loud.

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I lived in survival mode for so long, I didn’t realise the stress I was putting on my body.
Breakdowns became my body’s only language—after a lifetime of systemic failures. 💔

I’ve had to learn how to rebuild amidst the chaos:
🌊 After burnout.
😷 After COVID.
💔 After deep personal and professional losses.

I’ve unravelled identities, systems, and strategies that once helped me “keep it together”—but no longer fit who I’m becoming.

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I’m not going back to work.
I’m rebuilding from the ground up. 🔁

These days, I work best behind the scenes—
And occasionally, I do the things I love. 🎙️

Some days, I can hold space for others. 💬
Other days, it takes everything I’ve got just to show up for me. 🧍‍♀️

And in between?
I’m learning what sustains me—
And what slowly drains the life out of me.

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💌 If you’re navigating your own return to work—after burnout, diagnosis, trauma, or transition—this is your permission to pause.

The space you create to breathe, reflect, and recalibrate?
That’s not weakness.

It’s wisdom. 🌟

You’re not falling behind.
You’re healing.
And healing counts as work, too. 🧩

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🗣️ I’d love to hear from you:

What have you learned to pause for lately?
Where are you gently rebuilding from the inside out?
👇 Drop me a message or comment if this resonated with you.

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