I walked away from a 20-year nursing career after experiencing years of burnout.

I know what it’s like to feel trapped.

But there is hope.

After working as a registered nurse for over 20 years, I’ve now reignited my passion for those experiencing burnout. To be honest though, when I left my career I had worked so hard to establish, I wasn’t passionate about nurses or helping others. I couldn’t even help myself. It took me a year to work through my own burnout and trauma before that flicker of passion returned.

For the five years before I finally quit, I felt like I was trying to plan a prison break. I was constantly trying to figure out how I was going to escape nursing. When I started my career, I never envisioned myself as doing anything else but this profession. When I left, I didn’t want to tell anyone what I had been doing for the last 20 years.

As nurses, we impact a lot of people’s lives positively, but we don’t always think about how their trauma impacts OUR lives. We are so used to pushing through and not dealing with the emotional effects of what we experience with patients and their families. Quitting gave me the time and space to bring my humanity back into my life.

Now that I have worked through the factors that led to my burnout, and the tools and practices that helped me recover, I’m on a mission to help healthcare workers recover from burnout without feeling like they have to quit their career they’ve worked so hard to create. 

There is a way out of burnout. Whether you choose to stay in healthcare or find another career, learning tools to keep you out of burnout is important no matter which path you choose. 

One tool that I have leaned on during my burnout and recovery is herbal medicine. In 2020, I learned how to make herbal body oils. St John’s Wort oil was my first oil and the fates knew I needed that oil in my life. It is a nervine, relaxing the nerves in the shoulders, neck, lower back, legs, wherever you massage it in. I now make a blend specifically for tense muscles and herbal teas. All of my herbal products (under the label Moon & Mountain Herbal Apothecary) target the nervous system and to nourish the body. Whether you are massaging in the herbal body oil after a long day or sitting down sipping a cup of tea, take a moment to breathe deep and bring yourself back into your body. It’s these small consistent sustainable moments that can break the cycle of burnout.

I am deeply committed to creating a safe space for all and not perpetuating harm or trauma onto my clients no matter who they are or they’re background. I have been holding space and guiding friends new and old for over 10 years.