In a world where productivity and the pursuit of success often overshadow self-care and wellbeing, it’s no surprise that burnout has become a huge issue. As the demands of modern life increase, many people find themselves trapped in a cycle of stress, exhaustion and less motivation.
However, I discovered an unexpected antidote that saved me from the brink of burnout: travel.
By Lucy Thorpe
2022 was a stressful year for me, with a huge amount of upheaval and significant life changes, including leaving an incredibly long-term relationship that had run its course.
I’m definitely not the only one that post-pandemic life hit with a bang, but at the time I needed headspace and new experiences to stop me from feeling so burned out with my day-to-day life. Travel seemed the best way to put some space between myself and my complicated living situation.
I chose to do that with a solo trip to Vietnam. It was a country I was aware of and had heard great things about, but it wasn’t completely on my bucket list. However, I got a great deal and managed to book some tours that looked absolutely amazing, so I went for it.
I’m so glad I did. I had amazing experiences and met some fantastic people – including friends I speak to regularly and have travelled to their home country to visit. I experienced new cultures and languages, tried new foods and saw things I would never, ever have seen at home.
This trip stopped me from experiencing burnout and helped me to think about what I wanted next, and what I needed to do. I’m not the only one either.
Jenna, 32, quit her job after a bout of ill health had left her feeling overwhelmed, drained and burned out. She reconnected with an old friend, who had quit her job in similar circumstances. They both decided to visit somewhere they’d never been before, and settled on touring around Australia and New Zealand.
“I never did the gap year thing as I was kind of on the treadmill of college to career. I didn’t really stop, working long hours and feeling tired all of the time. Everyone I knew kind of felt the same, so I didn’t think anything of it. It was only when I collapsed at work that I went for tests and discovered a whole host of health issues that I’d been completely ignoring. “
Jenna added: “Once I’d acknowledged that no, I wasn’t actually ok, my health got worse and I ended up agreeing with my boss that I’d leave my job. I was really struggling with my health and the demands of the role, so it made sense – I was definitely teetering on the edge of burnout, whether or not I wanted to admit it at the time. I’d put everything into my career so the fact that it felt like it had ended felt terrifying.
“I then got diagnosed with depression, probably as a result of my health and leaving a job that I’d been working towards forever. I started talking to a friend who was going through something similar, and we made the decision to take our delayed gap year and travel to Australia and New Zealand together.”
“What a beautiful trip. From taking in the sights in Sydney to driving seemingly-endless miles through the outback and taking impromptu trips to the beach, mountains and forests, the trip was everything I wanted and more. And yes, I saw a million kangaroos and koala bears en route.”
“I came back home feeling refreshed, revived and regenerated. It also gave me a completely different outlook on work. I jumped out of the rat race and moved into something slower-paced that doesn’t impact my health issues or my wellbeing. I’m not earning the salary I was before but I feel healthier and happier. That was the whole point of it for me.”
Sarra, 28, celebrated taking some time out from her newly-founded business to reconnect with her family overseas, feeling burnout making its way into her daily life.
“I’d worked really hard on setting my business up, and looking back, I was doing way too much. I’m a bit of a perfectionist so I struggled to trust anyone to pick up the reins for me. I ended up in a cycle of just working all hours, panicking and working a bit more. It was a stressful, awful way to be working. I actually didn’t realise how bad it was, but I think my family did.”
“My mum gently took me to one side and mentioned that she was planning to visit my brother in Norway and that maybe I should go too.”
Sarra’s first thought was that there was no way she could take a week off. She worried about who would pick her work up and what would happen to her clients. Her mum stepped in again, reiterating the importance of taking time out.
Sarra said: “She gently reminded me that the whole reason I’d founded my business was to have more balance and more say in what I did at work. She told me that I could choose when I took time off and, to be honest, she was right.”
She booked her flight that night and told her brother she’d be visiting with their mother.
“That trip to Norway was stereotypically life-affirming. We spent a ton of time outdoors, even though it was really cold. We stayed out in the middle of nowhere one night, in a cabin, and took in nature and the stars. I ate amazing food and reconnected with my family, including my brother and his kids who I hadn’t seen that much in recent years. The highlight of the trip was heading to the fjords by boat – seeing them up close was totally awe-inducing, as was spotting whales on the trip.”
Despite the trip only being just over a week it completely changed the way she felt about her business and the way she worked.
“I came back feeling refreshed, ready to settle back into my business and to keep things balanced. And the best part was that I’d managed to plan my work beforehand to actually take the time off. No panicked clients, no missed deadlines and no cracking my laptop open once on the trip. It’s not a life-or-death situation, and everyone deserves some time off. The trip completely helped me gain perspective and opened my eyes to just how crazy the way I’d been working was.”
About the writer
Lucy Thorpe is a beauty, fashion and lifestyle writer from the UK who loves to travel and experience new destinations.
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August 2023 | Life Lovers Magazine.
Life Lovers Magazine® 