Being Self-Employed and Managing Burnout

Nearly a year into being self-employed, I can confidently say this has been the scariest and best decision I’ve ever made. Taking the leap at the start of the year felt like jumping off a cliff and hoping I’d grow wings on the way down. But I’m a firm believer that if you’re not happy, you can do something about it—change isn’t easy, but staying stuck hurts far more.

Rewind to 2022

Fresh out of university, scribe in hand, I was officially a Sports Therapist. The world should have felt wide open—but instead, it felt heavy with uncertainty. How would I ever find a job? How would I even begin to treat clients? My confidence was at an all-time low, especially after years of COVID restrictions that kept us from being hands-on.

When I finally landed my first full-time role in a clinic, it felt like winning the lottery. I learned more in those first six months than I had in three years at university. Working in a team was exciting—seeing a wide range of cases, learning from others, and growing my practical skills fast.

Yet behind the buzz of it all, I began to notice cracks in the healthcare system—over-reliance on medication, burnt-out practitioners, and people who had lost faith in the system altogether. I wanted to help everyone. The people-pleaser in me took that as a personal mission.

The Perfect Storm

The combination of perfectionism, people-pleasing, and long, relentless days created the perfect recipe for burnout. I ignored the warning signs—fatigue, brain fog, loss of joy—because I didn’t want to admit I was struggling. I told myself that if I just pushed harder, I could handle it.

But the truth was, I couldn’t. By the end of the day, I wasn’t giving my best to anyone. My care, attention, and energy had run dry. I felt like a shell of myself—confused, exhausted, and questioning the very career I had worked so hard for.

The Turning Point

Eventually, I reached a point where I couldn’t ignore it anymore. Handing in my notice was terrifying. It felt like I was giving up, disappointing people, and walking away from something I’d fought for. But deep down, I knew that if I stayed, I risked losing my passion altogether.

And here’s the surprising part: once I made the decision, I didn’t feel sad. I felt free. It was like exhaling after holding my breath for far too long.

Starting Over

With Christmas to reflect and reset, I decided self-employment was the way forward. It felt daunting but exciting—a chance to rebuild on my terms.

So, I got to work. I set up a clinic room at home, registered for insurance, sorted out the tax side, and researched everything I could about running a business. Slowly, clients began to find me—through local connections, word of mouth, and a little online presence.

One evening, my dad said something that stuck with me:

“If you can work this hard for someone else’s dream, imagine what happens when you work that hard for your own.”

Then, not long ago, he followed it with something that hit even deeper:

“George, I never would’ve said this to you at the time, but I was worried it may be the wrong thing or timing... but oh how I was wrong. You’ve done very well.”

Hearing that solidified what I’ve achieved in this time. Looking back on the last ten months, I’m proud to say I’ve built a client base of over 150, launched two large classes, carried out mobile visits, delivered talks, attended networking events, hosted wellness days, won a female entrepreneur course, and was featured in my local paper. I’ve led a stretching class, worked at an employee appreciation day, built a website, created merchandise, attended a three-day business event, launched a TikTok, grown to nearly a thousand followers on Instagram, and expanded onto LinkedIn—all while treating an incredible variety of injuries, illnesses, and post-surgery recoveries.

To say I’ve been non-stop is an understatement.

I genuinely believe that if you have passion for something and you’re willing to work hard, you will be successful. If I’d gone into this half-heartedly, I’d probably still have four clients a week and be wondering if I’d made the wrong choice. Instead, I can say with full certainty that leaving my full-time job with no plan or direction was the best decision I’ve ever made.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

Georgia :)