The Depression Escape

𝗔 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗸, 𝗮 𝗳𝗲𝘄 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗠𝗲𝘅𝗶𝗰𝗼, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮 𝗹𝗼𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀: why taking time away from work and your daily life is so helpful

💡 𝗜 𝗟𝗢𝗩𝗘 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁. I traveled with just a small backpack (nowadays known as a ‚personal item‘ to airlines) for the first time on such a long trip, and it’s been amazing! I don’t think I’ll ever go back to bigger luggage. Everything feels lighter (literally) and easier, and I have so much more flexibility.

💡𝗦𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 (𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲) 𝗿𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽𝘀 𝗺𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱. I kept up my gym routine, daily meditation, and a healthy, nourishing breakfast—and it made me so happy! It really is the little things in life. The older I get, the more I am realizing that.

💡𝗜 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗮𝗱𝗺𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗮𝘀𝗸𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘂𝘀𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗱𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗯𝘆 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲. Things like investing money, figuring out the best health insurance, and organizing my workload better finally got the attention they deserved.

💡𝗜 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗺𝘆 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝗺𝘆 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀. Talking to my coach gave me amazing clarity. It’s a bit scary, but I know it’s the right move. If we try to do everything, we end up doing nothing well.

💡𝗜 𝗮𝗺 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝟮𝟰/𝟳 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗹. I’ve traveled with a dear friend and I’ve realized how much I am used to doing everything according to my own rhythm and my own rules in my everyday life.

💡𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗮𝗹𝗹, 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗽 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗺𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗜 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝗟𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻 𝗔𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮—and how grateful I am to speak Spanish. It made me feel even more at home in this side of the world.

What’s one thing you’ve learned from traveling that has shifted your perspective?

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝟱 𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗧𝗼 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘆 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗠𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵𝘆
We all know prevention is easier than repair. But when it comes to mental health, most people ignore the early warning signs—until they’re deep in burnout, anxiety, or depression.
The issue with this? The deeper you fall, the harder (and longer) it is to climb back up.

1️⃣ 𝗦𝗹𝗲𝗲𝗽: 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻’𝘀 𝗗𝗲𝘁𝗼𝘅 & 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝘁 𝗦𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺
We all feel more irritable, stressed, and less focused when we haven’t slept. But sleep isn’t just rest—it’s repair. Your brain detoxifies, processes emotions, and restores itself overnight.
📌 Aim for 7-8 hours per night—anything less can increase stress and lower resilience.
📌 It’s true what they say: the best sleep happens before midnight because our body is wired to recover during the night and be active during the day.

2️⃣ 𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗟𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝗠𝘂𝘀𝗰𝗹𝗲
We can’t remove all stress from life, but we can train ourselves to handle it better. Meditation strengthens the nervous system and improves how we process emotions and daily challenges.
📌 A consistent practice (even just 5-10 minutes a day) rewires your brain for more calm, focus, and resilience.
📌 Think of it like exercise: The benefits compound over time.

3️⃣ 𝗗𝗮𝘆𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗼𝗼𝗱 & 𝗘𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿
Exposure to daylight is non-negotiable for mental and physical health. Even if it’s cloudy, your body still benefits.
📌 10-15 minutes of direct daylight daily (without sunscreen) helps regulate mood, energy, and sleep by syncing your circadian rhythm.
📌 Vitamin D, produced through sun exposure, is essential for brain function and immune health.

…read more in the comments👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻

Here’s how you can accelerate on reaching your goals WITHOUT a coach:
𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴-𝗱𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿.

Every Sunday, I have a call with my dear friend Bram 📞 , who’s currently exploring Asia. It’s been a while since we last lived in the same place, as we’re both nomading around the world.
Last January, we started scheduling weekly calls to stay connected while living far apart. 𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗮 𝗳𝗶𝘅𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝘀—no need to remember or find time to check in can be hard in everyday life). And it’s amazing!

Here’s the real game-changer: 𝘄𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸𝗹𝘆 𝗴𝗼𝗮𝗹𝘀.

After sharing how our week was and how we’re feeling, we check in on last week’s goals, then set 2–4 goals for the upcoming week.

𝗔𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗶𝗻, 𝗜’𝘃𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗯𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗳𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀:

✨ Simply setting a goal and writing it down brings focus to it and makes us more likely to achieve them —consciously or unconsciously (science backs this up).

✨ Sharing my wins makes me actually celebrate them—I take the time to recognize what I’ve accomplished.

✨ Instead of having my time and energy pulled in a million directions, I have more focus—and actually get things done.

✨ Having an accountability partner adds just the right amount of pressure to follow through.

✨ We are more connected and are actively supporting each other, despite being miles apart.

I love these weekly calls so much that I’ve started doing them with another friend, too. 💜

I invite you to try it out for yourself! And if you’re looking for structured guidance and accountability on a deeper level (or don’t have a long-distance bestie), let’s talk.

𝗕𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝟭𝟬𝟭: 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝗮𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗡𝗼 𝗮𝘁 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸

High workload is one of the main reasons for burnout and work-related stress. While we can’t always lower the workload itself, we can focus on what’s in our control to protect our peace and energy. And one crucial skill for that is learning how to say no effectively.
So, how can we do that at work?

1️⃣ 𝗕𝘂𝘆 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 When someone comes to you with a request, it’s easy to feel pressured to say yes (or no) on the spot. But you don’t have to. Take a step back and give yourself time to assess your capacity. Try saying something like: „𝗟𝗲𝘁 𝗺𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸 𝗺𝘆 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗼-𝗱𝗼 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜’𝗹𝗹 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂.“ This gives you breathing room to figure out if you actually have the bandwidth to help—and prevents knee-jerk decisions.

2️⃣ 𝗦𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 If your manager assigns you something new, saying “no” can feel like it’s simply not an option. Instead, ask for clarity on priorities to make it clear that taking on more isn’t about willingness—it’s about feasibility. You could say: „𝗦𝘂𝗿𝗲, 𝗜’𝗱 𝗯𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝗻. 𝗪𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝘆 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗜 𝗱𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀?“

3️⃣ 𝗦𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 One of the hardest things about saying no is worrying it might damage your relationship with the person asking. But here’s the thing: saying no to the task doesn’t mean rejecting the person. You can phrase it kindly and respectfully, like: „𝗜’𝗱 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗜’𝗺 𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗮𝗻’𝘁 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲𝘀.“ By keeping the tone warm and focused on your limits (not their request), you can protect both your boundaries and your relationships.

If you’re looking for more tips on how to focus your time and energy, follow me.

𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗜 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘀𝗼 𝗱𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜 𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗻’𝘁 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗳𝗼𝗿.

My therapist at the time gave me a simple homework assignment: write down three things I’m grateful for every night.

(By the way, this is an excellent exercise to train your mind to focus on the positive. As you probably know, our brains are wired to notice what’s wrong or missing much faster than what’s good in our lives.)
Back then, when I first started doing this exercise, the only thing I could write down was:

„𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘷𝘦.“

𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗶𝘁. 𝗔𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁, 𝗺𝘆 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗯𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗸.

But I stuck with it. And over time, I cultivated a mindset that sees beauty in everything—one that’s filled with love, gratitude, and appreciation, instead of negativity.

𝗦𝗼, 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗴𝗴𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻:

✅You have a roof over your head.
✅You have clothes to keep you warm.
✅You have running water (hot and cold!).
✅You have a cozy bed to sleep in.
✅You have someone who loves you.
✅You have two legs to move from A to B.
✅You have electricity at the flip of a switch.
✅You have ears to hear your favorite music or the sound of nature.
✅You have eyes to witness sunrises and sunsets.

What else would you add?

📸 Me having A LOT to be grateful for in Tulum, México

𝗪𝗲 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝗮 𝗹𝗼𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗯𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗼𝘂𝘁, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘄𝗲 𝗿𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗼 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝘁𝗼𝗼 𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲—when you’re feeling exhausted, depleted of energy, and completely stuck, unsure of how to move forward.

So if you find yourself in that place right now, here are the first steps to take:

1️⃣ Remove Yourself from the Stressor

Most often, that’s work. You cannot heal in the same environment that made you sick—at least not until you’ve learned how to navigate it differently. If you keep pushing through, things won’t magically get better. Take time away, even if it feels uncomfortable. The longer you wait, the longer will the your recovery period.

2️⃣ Recharge your Batteries

If your batteries are completely drained, it’s time to refill them. Right now, your priority is recharging, not being productive.
Re-engage in hobbies you once loved.
Spend time with people who make you feel good.
When everything feels heavy, joy is the antidote.

3️⃣ Take Responsibility for Yourself

I know it’s tough to hear, but: nobody is coming to save you.
Your manager won’t suddenly notice how burned out you are.
Your doctor won’t magically put you on sick leave.
You have to step up for yourself.
If you’re wondering, „Am I sick enough to step back?“—the fact that you’re even asking that question is your answer.

4️⃣ The Most Important Step: Get Therapy

To heal from burnout sustainably, you will have to look at how you contributed to getting to this place you’re at right now. Sure, you may be in a toxic work environment but why are you still there? Why have aren’t you able to set better boundaries? In most cases, nobody is forcing you to work constant overtime.

These are some first steps to pulling yourself out of burnout. If any of this resonates with you, take it as a sign to start making changes—small ones count, too 💜
And please remember, there is a way out, you do not have to live like this!
👇🏻Let me know in the comments what small step can you take today?

This is your reminder to let emotions be there without identifying with them. They come and go, they hop on and off of a bus. Let them drive with you for a little bit, they’ll eventually always step out.

On bad days, it’s enough to do the next best thing to take care of yourself. Listen inwards, what do you need right now? Maybe it’s some soul food, maybe it’s a nap, maybe a cry, maybe to talk to a loved one, a meditation, watching your favorite series or something completely else. Try not to judge yourself for “unproductive” days, we need rest to recharge! Try to give your body and mind what they need by just doing one thing that feeds your soul 💜