I know first-hand the damage that fatigue and stress, whatever its cause, can do to your life.
I’ve always been a tenacious person, a real ‘go getter’. I worked hard and played hard, travelling the world in a successful career that spanned military, corporate and charity sectors. I loved keeping fit and skiing and was happiest when I was on, in or next to the sea!
Over a number of years my body slowly began to struggle, almost everything that I loved and that lit up my world was taken away from me and I felt like a shadow of my former self.
Although on the outside I looked like I was thriving, on the inside I was barely surviving. I’d gone from being a ‘go getter’ to spending most of the day in bed or on the sofa, and was eventually diagnosed with CFS/ME (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/ Myalgic Encephalomyelitis).
Looking back now I can see that for years my body had been whispering to me “Kara, all is not well”. But I was so disconnected from my own body that I didn’t hear it, until it screamed at me and gave me no choice but to stop, listen and take action.
I took the decision to leave my job to focus on my health and wellness. I needed to give my body time to properly rest without the pressure of trying, and failing, to return to a job that I knew was contributing to burnout.