Burnout, Boundaries & The Bounce Back

April nearly broke me.

There’s no other way to say it. I wanted to burn it all down... every client contract, every project plan, even UNPLUGGED(ish).

I was tired. Overwhelmed. Frustrated. And I felt like I had built this incredible business only to find myself drowning in the exact kind of pressure I thought I’d left behind in my 9–5 life.

The final straw? A client I onboarded in March who turned out to be more expensive (in every sense of the word) than the value they brought to the table. The relationship was demanding, draining, and frankly, didn’t align with my energy or my values. I kept making excuses for her (and for me, to be honest). I didn't trust my gut early on, despite the initial feeling that something just wasn't quite right.

That one misaligned decision created a domino effect that cost me more time, money and mental energy than I had to give.

Cue: back-to-back Zoom calls for 8+ hours a day. Sleepless nights. Inbox anxiety. And the worst part? I was living out my “work from anywhere” dream in Florida for 2 weeks and still felt stuck.

I posted about it at the time because I believe in keeping it real. I said this:

“There is such a thing as too much. And last week, while I was in a beautiful place with two people I love so much, was too much.”

And it was.

But I stayed. Talked my husband into an extra week (not a hard sell, let’s be honest) and gave myself permission to slow down. I turned on my autoresponder. I created space on my calendar. And I spent the next few weekends after we got back home catching up... Not out of guilt, but out of a desire to clear the clutter and get back to what lights me up.

Now, as I write this in May, I can feel the shift. The lightness returning.

The right clients, the right projects, the right rhythm.

The truth is: UNPLUGGED(ish) was never meant to promise perfection. It was meant to offer a different way. A reminder that we can work hard without losing ourselves. That we can bounce back. That burnout doesn’t mean failure. It just means we need to reset.

So here I am, back in motion. Wiser. More protective of my energy. Still human. Still learning.

And so, so glad I didn’t burn it all down.