What I missed
I’d spent twenty years helping people stay well while doing demanding work. I still missed my own warning signs: sleepless nights, changes in my appetite, a dull ache in my head, and more migraines than usual, lasting longer each time. I put it all down to being busy.
I’m not saying stress caused my strokes on its own. It didn’t, and I won’t pretend it did. But chronic stress was part of the picture, and I’d been treating it as normal.
What I do differently now
I have boundaries, and I tell people what they are. I’m not willing to carry that stress anymore.
Who cares for the carers?
I gave a lot, and it didn’t feel like anyone was caring for me. That’s common. Burnout often hits the people who care in abundance: the leader who looks after the whole team, the person who truly cares about their work.
Caring about your staff and your work is a good thing. It still costs you, and you usually only see how much when something breaks.
Why I’m telling you
I don’t want anyone else to end up where I did. Burnout is what chronic stress can lead to, and chronic stress affects your body, not just your mood. If this story gets one person to get their symptoms checked, or to set a boundary before their body forces the issue, it was worth sharing.
If something feels wrong in your body, get it checked. If you have a sudden change in vision, speech or strength, or a sudden severe headache, call your local emergency services straight away.