Recovering vs. Rebirthing: The Journey to True Healing

Years ago, when I was 95% better and overjoyed at how far I’d come, my practitioner said something that stuck with me—though I didn’t truly understand its weight at the time. She said, “If you go back to the life you were leading before, there’s a strong chance you’ll get ill again.”

I heard her words but dismissed them. Surely, that wouldn’t happen to me! I felt incredible, like I was standing at the peak of my recovery journey, and there was no way I’d fall back into that dark place. I was ready for bigger, better things. Look at how well I’d done! Look at how great I felt!

But she was right.

No sooner had I reached that beautiful high point in my recovery journey, then life took a turn. I became pregnant, and by the end of my pregnancy, I began to hear faint whispers of old symptoms returning. After my daughter was born, those whispers became a deafening roar. The first six months were profoundly challenging, and my symptoms returned with a vengeance. What started as six tough months turned into years of struggle as I tried to navigate not only my health but my baby’s health, too—she had multiple food allergies, and neither my husband nor I truly slept for three years.

Also, when my daughter was seven months old, my father lost his battle with cancer. I was so busy firefighting at home that I hadn’t allowed myself to process the magnitude of his loss. At his funeral, I cried so hard that even my family looked at me with concern and asked, “Are you okay?”

I wasn’t.

But I kept going. Kept trying to re-enter life as I knew it. Yet, my body kept protesting. And protesting. And protesting some more.

Why? Because I hadn’t truly listened.

Even though my life circumstances had changed, my mindset hadn’t. I was still engaging in the same sabotaging behaviours, still chasing a version of myself that no longer served me. What I didn’t realize was this: the person I was before—the person I was trying so hard to reclaim—was the person who got sick in the first place. Trying to embody her again was only keeping me trapped in the cycle of illness.

Einstein was right: “You cannot solve a problem with the same mind that created it.”

The True Meaning of Recovery

Recovery is an interesting word. It means to “re-cover”—to cover over something again. But what I’ve learned, and what so many others discover, is that true recovery requires more than just putting the pieces back together. It asks you to peel back the layers, examine your old self, and confront the habits, beliefs, and conditioning that no longer serve you. It’s about shedding what’s holding you back and discovering who you are underneath all of it.

The problem is, many people get stuck in the cycle of re-covering. They long to reclaim the life they once had, and who can blame them? When you’re lying there, unable to do much at all, feeling like life is slipping away, your old life can look like paradise. But here’s the truth: if you’ve succumbed to burnout or chronic illness, there’s a reason. That old life—no matter how wonderful it seemed—wasn’t sustainable.

A Rebirth, Not a Recovery

True healing requires more than patching up the cracks. It’s about rebirth—a complete transformation where you reconstruct a life that truly supports you, one that puts your health and well-being first.

This process isn’t easy, and it can feel overwhelming. It requires courage, honesty, and the willingness to look at yourself and your past choices with compassion but also clarity. It often means letting go of deeply ingrained patterns, learning to prioritize your needs, and building a life that aligns with who you’re becoming—not who you used to be.

This kind of transformation brings lasting change. It’s not just about getting rid of burnout; it’s about stepping into a life that feels richer, more meaningful, and more joyful than ever before.

You Don’t Have to Do It Alone

I know this might feel like a daunting prospect, but you don’t have to navigate it alone. Having someone by your side—a guide, a cheerleader, a coach—can make all the difference. Together, we can work to uncover the patterns that no longer serve you, rebuild your life in a way that honours your well-being, and help you move toward a future filled with energy, purpose, and joy.

This isn’t about simply “recovering.” It’s about discovering a life you didn’t think was possible—a life that’s not just free from burnout, but one full of vitality, balance, and fulfillment.