There’s a unique kind of exhaustion that comes not from doing too much, but from doing too much of the wrong thing.
As a holistic health coach, I’ve seen how my burnout sneaks in – not as an explosion, but as a slow unraveling of your habits, happiness, and sense of self. And I know it firsthand.
I always had a deep connection to holistic living. I practiced yoga since my teenage years, healed from scoliosis through movement, holistic practices, and found joy in mindful living. I’d optimized my diet over time, rarely ate meat, and stayed active. But even the most disciplined habits can’t protect you when you’re living in a way that disconnects you from yourself.
The Cost of Full-Time Work That Doesn’t Fit
I started a seasonal job in the summer before my graduation. It gave me some freedom and skill that later helped me support myself while moving through different countries. But I never truly liked working full-time under someone else’s rules. I always sensed something deeper was calling – but I didn’t know how to answer it.
At 21, I moved to the UK with big dreams – to study, to meet people, to pursue a life of growth, connection, and meaning.
Instead, I found myself commuting through the overcrowded dirt of London, barely seeing nature, having someone to connect with and eating whatever I could grab between shifts. My body began to reflect that imbalance. I gained weight. My skin broke out in painful, persistent ways – issues I’m still healing eight years later. There were months, where I did not practice yoga – and it showed.
Two months after I moved to London, I had won a chance to meet Gwen Stefani, someone I’d admired since I was a teen. It was a once-in-a-lifetime chance in a city of millions. But I turned it down – for a job that didn’t even matter. I was working in a fashion store in the heart of Oxford Circus, and selling their most expensive pieces was not enough. That regret still stings – not because I missed the celebrity encounter, but because I put someone else’s priorities before my own joy. Yes, living my dreams was always more important than wasting my time! – a Sagittarius moon confession ..
The Path Through Struggle
Eventually, I moved to the Netherlands hoping for a better balance. The air was clearer, the energy more grounded. But challenges kept piling on. I enrolled in an international business program with Asian studies, dreaming of creating my own business – something I’d imagined as a child while doing gymnastics, and later as a teen when art became my sanctuary.
But I never fully integrated into the program. Everything felt like it was against me, with no option to grow. The teachers were not favouring me even tiny bit. Despite studying intensely, mind-mapping material, and showing up, nothing seemed to move forward. I was blamed for plagiarism for work that I had done with my own head and two hands. I got a lot of hate from my schoolmates or people, simply by breathing. My annual group project wasn’t approved. The second time it finally was, when I took a gap year – but too late to save the year. I had lost all my points, time and resources. No guidance, no support. Just silence. Even with the most effort.
I was also working full-time to support myself. At one point, I worked six days straight until I finally fainted, stressed and exhausted. One day, I collapsed in the shower and broke a tooth. That was one of the most traumatic moments of my life – physically painful, emotionally humiliating, and a huge wake-up call.
And still, I pushed through. I survived. I made it.
When Kindness Feels Like a Liability
Being genuine, especially as a woman, came with strange consequences. I was often treated as naïve or weak just because I was kind. It felt like people couldn’t grasp that you could be both soft and strong.
In many work environments, I felt unseen, unappreciated – even when I worked my ass off. And socially, I was met with judgment, or inappropriate advances by men who only had one thing in mind. Sadly, sometimes bosses.
The worst moment came during what should have been a joyful night. At a concert by one of my favorite DJs in Amsterdam, I was simply dancing – free, happy, alive. Suddenly, I was attacked by five girls. No reason. No warning. And instead of justice, the police told me to go home.
That same night, I was almost hit by a car and cried my eyes out for a first time in my life.
I asked myself:
What is happening to the world?
Why is kindness met with cruelty? Why does being a good person make you a target?
On Identity and Misunderstanding
Living abroad taught me something I never expected: how often people try to fit you into a box that makes sense to them.
I felt it especially as a Bulgarian. People assumed things without asking. Some even confused our culture entirely – associating us with stereotypes that have nothing to do with who we are or where we come from. Please, do not think I am too inwardly self aware. This is not a social anxiety, but a scary truth.
In reality, Bulgaria is purely and deeply, a European country with a long and often misunderstood history. My mother, though from humble beginnings, raised me to be respectful, proper, and responsible. That mattered more to me than anything others thought. But still – I felt looked down upon, even when it was unspoken.
Eventually, I took a DNA test – not because I needed proof, but because I needed peace. It showed what I somehow already knew: fully European with most of my ancestry traces back to Scandinavia.
Did it help my self-esteem? Maybe.
But what helped more was this: realizing that where you’re from doesn’t define your worth – your actions do.
We’re all human. And nobility isn’t inherited.
It’s chosen – through how we treat others, how we carry ourselves, and how we rise above misunderstanding.
From Breakdown to Breakthrough
Despite the darkness, I kept choosing light. I was fed up with encountering situations I had outgrown and people and things that were bringing me down. Ignoring or playing dumb was not an option. Compete? What for?
I took a holistic nutrition course while still working full-time – partly to heal the severe IBS I developed from the years of stress. Around that same time, I overcame my regular fainting – now I would only get heatwaves episodes where I would not be able to move for hours. Doctors dismissed it, due to perfect blood & heart work. I knew something deeper was wrong. I needed to rebuild my foundation. Eventually, I was diagnosed with high stress and was adviced to work less.
The course of holistic nutrition coaching helped me. I returned to sleep, nourishment, breath. I became a certified yoga teacher. Attending a talk and meditation with Deepak Chopra shortly after was a sacred moment – like reconnecting with the part of me that was always whole. It was also the biggest group meditation I ever attended to. Going back home afterwards and feeling all the pure source of energy flowing through the masses was somehow divine to see.
Then came my certification as a Health Coach through IIN, where I finally started building up a moment and made so many positive changes. I also started studying hormonal health. Through everything – changing multiple jobs, passing my Dutch exam with B1 and multiple other courses, pushing through rejection – I healed. I lost the weight that once felt immovable. The chronic puffiness that haunted me melted away.
How?
Sleep. Nutrition. Daily movement.
Self-care.
And yes – gua sha.
What I’ve Learned
I’ve learned that healing is possible, but it’s not always pretty.
That being “different” isn’t a weakness.
That moving abroad, chasing dreams, and failing spectacularly are all part of becoming who you really are.
And I’ve learned that burnout doesn’t just steal your energy – it steals your joy, your health, your belief in yourself. But only if you let it.
You are not here to work and survive.
You are here to live – fully, freely, and well. Find your passion and place in the world.
If You’re Stuck in the Black Hole
Let this be your reminder: just because everyone else is doing it doesn’t mean it’s right for you. Or good.
You’ll never be “ready.”
But if you want better, you have to choose it. And the price you pay to improve, is much less than to staying stuck.
I choose to follow my dream, always.
I built Faith Frequency to support people just like you – those who feel the pull toward something deeper but don’t know where to start. Whether you’re burned out, stuck, or just craving alignment, I’m here to walk that path with you.
Final Note
Being aligned takes discipline.
It takes courage to step out of what’s expected. To stop outsourcing your worth.
To stop waiting for someone to save you.
Because in the end, there’s no one else who can figure it out but you.
When working full-time feels like a black hole sucking your energy, you know it is time for a change.
I am wishing you lots of luck ahead and good experiences! See you in my sessions & stay tuned for authentic holistic practices from Europe. Namaste. – Victoria, Founder of Faith Frequency