From Burnout to Balance: How My Healing Journey Inspired Phase

It’s strange how burnout can creep in quietly. For me, it started not with a single breaking point, but a thousand tiny ones, stacked up over time. Looking back, I can see how it all unfolded. And surprisingly, that painful chapter in my life would become the catalyst for something incredible: the creation of Phase.

When It All Started

My story of burnout began about three and a half years ago with the birth of my daughter. At the time, I was a driven executive at a rapidly growing, wellness-adjacent real estate startup. I loved my job. I’ve always identified as a high performer, someone who finds joy and meaning in professional contribution. But even before my daughter was born, I was running at full tilt.

Then came the life shift.

After a complicated birth, including preeclampsia and a hospital readmission, I returned to work just ten weeks postpartum. Mentally, I was navigating the emotional complexity of new motherhood. Physically, I wasn’t healed. I received a postpartum OCD diagnosis and my periods became hemorrhagic (I would later get an adenomyosis diagnosis).  

And on top of it all, our company was expanding fast, with me leading a brand-new consulting division.

The Breakdown

At first, I ignored the signs. My internal rhetoric was driven by ‘once this thing is over, it’ll get better,’ ‘after this project I’ll take a break.’ Spoiler alert: that never happened. Within six months, the cracks became impossible to ignore.

My body started to give out and I was diagnosed with chronic anemia. I needed multiple iron transfusions and my hair fell out to an alarming degree. I had zero energy, often collapsing into bed right after putting my daughter down. 

Emotionally, I was unraveling. Small things would send me into outsized reactions. I couldn’t regulate my stress anymore and every task was like a pressure cooker. 

Then came the intervention. I’m so fortunate that both my family and my boss noticed my decline. They sat me down separately, each saying essentially the same thing: This isn’t sustainable. I’m incredibly fortunate they did, because who knows how bad I would have let things get without their support.

The Climb Back

Healing started with one question: Where can I find support? 

Professionally, we hired a team to run the new division I had built. I got better at delegating and made a conscious effort to limit the amount I was travelling for work. 

Personally, we brought in help for cooking and cleaning at home. I worked with a therapist and psychiatrist to make changes to support my mental health that allowed me to break some of the patterns that showed up in the way I pushed myself at work. 

Physically, I saw doctors and specialists, including a functional dietitian who helped me rebalance my depleted system. One of the biggest turning points for me was discovering cycle syncing. I started aligning my movement, nutrition, and work habits with the phases of my menstrual cycle. It was revolutionary. For the first time, I was working with my body, not against it.

Instead of trying to perform at 150% all the time, I learned to listen, adapt, and pace myself with intention. And though I’m still practicing that daily, the shift has been profound.

The Birth of Phase

In 2023, my family relocated to England, and I left my executive role. My plan was to take a break and rest. But as life would have it, just a week after my last day at my previous company, I met my now co-founder, Georgie. We bonded over wild swimming, the challenges of motherhood, AND how cycle syncing had transformed our lives. Thus, Phase was born.

Our founding team, Sam, Georgie, and I, share a vision: to redefine what work looks like for professional women. We reject outdated beliefs about productivity and the myth of hustle culture, and instead believe that working strategic, focused hours is far more effective than pushing through 60 hour work weeks.

And we walk the talk at Phase. We’ve built a communication culture that honors rest, shared responsibility, and trust. And yes, Georgie and I are power users of Phase ourselves.

Why We’re Building This

I truly believe Phase wouldn’t exist if I hadn’t gone through burnout. That experience, of disconnecting from my body and burning out in pursuit of success, shaped my deepest beliefs about leadership, health, and sustainable performance. And I know there are millions of women just like me. 

Now, I use Phase not just to track and manage my cycle, but to understand myself. I no longer feel guilty for low-energy days. I plan around them. I double down on my high-energy weeks. And I show up as my best self, consistently and compassionately.

That’s the power of self-awareness. That’s the gift of working in alignment with your body.  That’s the gift of Phase.