This is why.

After fifteen years representing UK interests into the United Nations, travelling to more than thirty countries across every continent, I burned out.

Burnout was gut-wrenching, humbling, and badly timed. It occurred one year into my marriage, just after the birth of our first child. I couldn’t understand what had gone wrong. I enjoyed my job, loved the people I worked with, had given it my all, and was highly qualified to Masters level in International Policy.

Now I was a wreck. Mentally, I hit an all-time low. Physically, I couldn’t walk around the block, let alone jump on a plane.

But from that long, dark period of despair, three seeds took root.

First, an understanding: I don’t have to work so hard at being me. I thought I had to be more than who I was, be different somehow – which is the reason for pushing myself so hard until it almost destroyed me.

Second, a desire to help others, which led to retraining as a coach with some of the best teachers in the world. I discovered a talent for uncovering a stronger foundation of resourcefulness in people, that went much deeper than willpower. In most cases this involves listening and asking questions that point towards when you are at your best. Then doing all I can to help unlock that for good across other areas of life.

Third, a guiding question: what does it mean to thrive? In the twenty years since burnout, I have explored this question with hundreds of leaders as a coach, former trainer at the Academy of Executive Coaching, Director of Business Improvement in industry, and Chair of Governors at my local school.

Thriving, it turns out, comes more from leaning on an understanding than powering through. The how is in learning to use the mind in a way that supports the beautiful partnership between wellbeing and resourcefulness. It is not trying to fix, but letting go of the noise of unhelpful thinking that obscures a natural ease.

If you want to know more, I’d love to help.