From Burnout to Balance: A Cold’s Wake-Up Call

This past week, I’ve been recovering from a cold—a not-so-fun reminder that my body has been pushed to its limits. After multiple tests ruled out COVID, I realized this cold was my body’s way of telling me that the stress, burnout, constant travel, and lack of rest were finally catching up to me. This experience got me thinking about how I ended up here and how I managed to pull myself out.

My job offers plenty of opportunities and challenges, and over the last few months, I’ve been working hard on a big project for one of my clients. The culmination of this work was a major presentation at their office on July 31st. Alongside this, I lead a team of four incredibly talented project managers, two of whom are new to the team. I’ve been putting in extra time to ensure they’re comfortable with the account and have the support they need. I take these responsibilities seriously, treating each task with the same care and attention as if it were a personal request from the CEO. This level of commitment means I carry a lot of stress, and unfortunately, I’m not the best at decompressing after the workday ends—I tend to dive into more tasks, even when I should be resting.

Typically, I manage to keep a routine. Even with the occasional 10-12 hour workdays, I maintain my regular bedtime and wake up at 5:15 AM for my workouts. However, the end of July was different. The workdays were consistently long, and on top of that, I had social obligations and back-to-back trips—one for work and a personal one the next day. Travel days always spike my anxiety, and this time was no exception. I’m not a fan of being at the mercy of airline schedules, and wearing a full face of makeup and work clothes during travel didn’t help. But despite these challenges, things went surprisingly well once we landed and began our last-minute preparations for the meeting. The only hitch was not having time to eat between all the chaos, which, for someone with PCOS, is far from ideal.

Not having consistent meals can wreak havoc on blood sugar levels, metabolism, and hormone balance—all of which are crucial for managing PCOS. Despite the less-than-ideal situation, I managed to stay composed during the presentation, hit all my points, and felt balanced with my partner. After the meeting, we grabbed an early dinner—my favorite kind!

Following the presentation, I headed to my hotel near the airport so I could be ready to catch the flight back home, where I’d connect to my pre-booked flights to Chicago. I had to wake up at 3AM the next day to make my flight back, and the day only got longer from there. A delay with my Chicago flight left me stranded in the airport for eight hours, which didn’t help my anxiety.

If you read last week’s blog, you know my trip to Chicago was incredible—lots of sightseeing, walking, and enjoying the city’s humidity. By the time I got back home at 5PM on Sunday, I was thankful for the long weekend, which gave me a day to rest before diving back into work. Unfortunately, my gratitude was short-lived. By Sunday night, I had a tickle in my throat, which quickly turned into a full-blown cold. Despite the exhaustion, I pushed through the workweek because I thought, “It’s not that bad, I can handle it.” But as the days passed, the congestion, cough, and fatigue only worsened, and I had a wedding to attend that Saturday.

Ultimately, I didn’t recover in time and had to miss the wedding. Telling the bride I wouldn’t be there was heartbreaking, and watching my husband leave in his suit while I stayed home was tough. Seeing all my friends’ fun photos on social media only made it harder, but I knew staying home was the right choice—not just out of respect for the other guests, but because I’m trying to prioritize my health.

Learning to say no to activities is my way of saying yes to myself. Just because I’m starting to feel better doesn’t mean my body is fully recovered. This experience reminded me of one of my favorite mantras: “Sometimes showing up for yourself means disappointing others.” We all need to learn how to put our health first. It’s not always as obvious as a cold forcing you to take it easy, but regularly checking in with yourself and recognizing when your body needs a break can make all the difference in your recovery.

So, next time you’re faced with an after-work activity or a busy weekend, check in with yourself first. Your body will thank you for it.