Chronic Stress: Why my burnout was inevitable

I was a perfectionist and a people-pleaser. I didn't feel empowered expressing my emotions. I had no idea of the true value of communication and authenticity. 

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Working full-time as a lawyer, my stress levels continually rose. From defending clients on criminal charges in court, to making compensation claims for clients who suffered childhood abuse in state care, I unknowingly accumulated vicarious trauma in my early 20s.

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In an already heightened state of stress, the final domino to fall was the death of my dad when I was 26. From there it was a downward spiral, with my nervous system functioning in survival mode. 

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In 2022, I reached burnout. While I was forced to stop, I chose to heal.

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Since then, I've learnt so much about what I went through, including:

• chronic stress and what it does to the body;

• how my personality played a huge part in why I ended up burnt out; and

• that heightened stress levels have become scarily normal in society.​

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In this keynote speech, I will share how my personality type meant I was primed to experience chronic stress and reach burnout. But I will also share how I have healed- and stand to tell the tale today.