After returning from maternity leave and embarking on a career change, Laura hoped she had finally found the balance and fulfilment she had been striving for. However, the pressure of managing a new role, family life and high personal expectations began to take its toll.
In this blog, Laura shares her experience of recognising signs of burnout and seeking support through Canopi.
“I heard about Canopi through NHS Wales shortly after starting a new role.
I had recently been through a significant period of transition, returning from maternity leave, leaving teaching, and returning to pharmacy through locum work before securing what I felt was my ideal NHS role.
I had put a lot of hope into this next chapter and threw myself into the opportunity.
The pressure to do more
After a period of pushing myself hard, I began to recognise signs that I wasn’t coping as well as I appeared to be and decided to seek support.
I felt exhausted and overwhelmed. I had spent a long time working towards a career change that I hoped would improve my work-life balance and overall wellbeing.
When I found myself still struggling despite achieving what I thought I wanted, I felt confused, frustrated and disappointed.
“I was constantly trying to do more, be more and achieve more, but it never seemed to feel enough.”
Burnout in disguise
My situation was affecting both my role and my personal life. I was trying to balance a new role, a young family and my own expectations of what I should be achieving.
I was investing huge amounts of energy into keeping everything going and had very little left for myself.
Looking back, I was showing many signs of burnout, although I didn’t fully recognise it at the time.
Finding the right support
I contacted Canopi as the initial therapy approach wasn’t what I needed at that point, but I felt able to give honest feedback and my concerns were taken seriously.
“What helped most was that Canopi listened.”
After recognising that my first allocated therapist was not the right fit for me, I felt able to be open about this.
My feedback was listened to, and I was matched with a different therapist whose approach was far better suited to me.
Their knowledge and insight helped me make sense of experiences that had been misunderstood for decades and ultimately supported me in accessing the right help.
“The biggest change has been understanding myself better.”
Therapy helped me recognise patterns that had been present for much of my life but had never been properly explored. As a result, I was able to access further support and gain answers that had been missed for many years.
I now have greater self-awareness, more self-compassion and a better understanding of how to work with my strengths rather than constantly fighting against my challenges.
Why reaching out matters
If you’re struggling, I would recommend reaching out to Canopi.
My experience showed me that support isn’t always one-size-fits-all, and what impressed me most was Canopi’s willingness to adapt when something wasn’t working.
The service gave me access to support at a time when I really needed it and ultimately helped me make sense of challenges I had been carrying for much of my life.
“Be honest with yourself and don’t ignore the signs that you’re struggling.”
Reaching a goal, changing jobs or achieving something you’ve worked hard for doesn’t automatically solve everything. If support doesn’t feel right first time, don’t give up.
“Speak up, ask questions and keep advocating for yourself. The right support can make an enormous difference.”
Thank you to Laura for sharing her story.
Read more
- Canopi blog: Eight signs of exhaustion that you shouldn’t ignore What does it feel like to have ‘burnout’ and what can you do?
- Canopi blog: Finding strength through support – my journey with Canopi Finding strength through support: my journey with Canopi
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