A Vulnerable Tale About Burnout

This presentation is about the speaker's personal journey through burnout and depression, and the importance of discussing mental health in the workplace.

• Burnout is a prolonged period of physical and emotional exhaustion caused by stressors that are not being dealt with or integrated.
• Mental health is often stigmatized and taboo, but it can affect anyone.
• Recognizing the symptoms of burnout and depression is important in order to seek help and support.
• The speaker's burnout led to a period of self-discovery and ultimately a shift in career paths.
• Maintaining a healthy work-life balance is crucial for preventing burnout and prioritizing mental health.

The speaker describes feeling disconnected from the world, cynical, and apathetic during her burnout, which led to a sense of personal and professional ineffectiveness. She recognized that something was off when she was no longer motivated to keep trying, and began to feel annoyed by requests at work that were not typical of her personality.

This vulnerable tale is a personal journey through the unpredictable world of depression and burnout. It could have been easily predicted because Julia was "doing it all". Yet it was totally unexpected because she assumed her mental health was strong and stable; she could handle anything. Until she couldn’t and everything became unbearable. She made the impossible and necessary decision to stop working in order to recover, setting out on what became four months of self-discovery. Julia will talk about what what led her to this state, what it looked like, and how she was able to get the necessary help to feel strong enough to not only go back to work, but to shift career paths all together as a hopeful and positive outcome that arose out of dark times. Julia will talk about key takeaways that allow her to maintain a healthier balance at work and in life.