Burnout & Cancer: Learning to Put Me First
- Helen King
- Oct 25, 2021
- 3 min read
I have an unscientific theory that for many people, their cancer diagnosis followed a time of huge stress or burnout. Since my diagnosis of breast cancer in 2018 I've spoken to many people who talk about a major event a few years or just before the big C explodes in their life.
At the beginning of 2018, I was under a huge amount of stress. I was working in a job that had steadily become more and more toxic, I worked shifts, had a boss who played favourites, and was still trying to put my life back together after a divorce.
Not long before I was diagnosed with breast cancer I went on a holiday to a beautiful beachside township. It should have been my time to recover and unwind. Instead, I was riddled with anxiety, my body felt toxic. I was so anxious I couldn't drink coffee (unheard of for me!), was barely sleeping, and dreaded returning to work.
The impact of cancer
When I found the lump I had just started a new job, it was the job that was meant to signal
the start of a new chapter and the end of all the stress. My cancer experience grounded me and in retrospect perhaps that's what I needed to start looking at how to make changes and put my wellness first.
It's normal to ask why did this happen to me when you're dealing with cancer. What I kept coming back to was my body had been telling me to slow the F down for years but I wasn't listening. For me, slowness and relaxation are things that are pigeon holed for holidays. I found it hard to rest or not be constantly busy.
Learning to rest
Before I was diagnosed with ADHD (you can read more about that here) I experienced burnout multiple times. This isn't an unusual experience for neurodivergent people, trying to fit into the neurotypical world is exhausting. After finding out I have ADHD I took a step back and looked at my life, there was an ongoing theme of burning out. Last year I decided enough was enough and I've been slowly figuring out how to prioritise my wellbeing.
What this looks like for me might be different for other people and change over time. Some of the things I have done include; not spending time with toxic people, a change of mindset around exercise, prioritising rest, addressing unprocessed grief and emotions around big traumas like cancer, and finding an income that is ADHD friendly.
My list is fluid, at the moment my focus is on healing my emotions. I've worked with a grief counsellor and am introducing relaxing activities such as painting. I'm not an artist by any stretch of the imagination! But it helps me unlock the playful and creative part of me that was pushed aside many years ago.
Addressing burnout
My guest this week has also experienced burnout. Natalie Woodman is a transformation coach based in London. Her background is in neuro-physiotherapy and rehab which have complimented her work with women wanting to make changes.
Natalie and I had a great conversation about how the pandemic has caused burnout for many people and how we have addressed it in our lives. One of the tools Natalie uses is she regularly checks in with herself to assess where her energy levels are. If they're low she looks at what she needs to do in the day, if there are activities that can wait they are moved to a different day.
Letting go of the need to always be busy is tough, my hope is the pandemic will help people realise busyness is not good for anyone.
Check out my conversation with Natalie and let me know if you've experienced burnout. How did you heal once you were ready?
Natalie's links
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