Sacred Stories | Sydney's Journey From Burnout To Balance: 'How Small Rituals Helped Me Reclaim Myself'
Introducing Sacred Stories: a new monthly series sharing real experiences from our HOLY CACAO community.
The challenges, the lessons, the rituals, and the gentle reminders that help us return to ourselves. We believe in the power of shared connection, and there’s nothing more inspiring than hearing your stories and the wisdom within them.
This month, Sydney opens up about her experience with burnout, and the small but powerful rituals that helped her find her way back.
I think I was living in burnout for much longer than I realised. I’ve always had a busy, high-stress lifestyle, with work, personal commitments, long-term anxiety, and a to-do list that never really ends. I always found that work was the one thing that kept me grounded - I love what I do, and I’ve always thrived on structure and chasing success.
But after a couple of years of increased stress in my personal life, something started to shift. I wasn’t functioning in any part of my day. Hours would pass and I’d achieved nothing. My mind felt cloudy (I call it “busy brain”), and my memory, usually razor-sharp, started to fail me. I felt like my brain was playing tricks on me, and it scared me.
I’ve always struggled with sleep, but now it was worse than ever - fluctuating between wanting to sleep for hours in the middle of the day, or not at all when it came to bedtime. My anxiety skyrocketed, and I ghosted my friends because even the smallest interaction felt overwhelming.
I felt like life was happening all around me, but I couldn’t keep up. I’d heard of burnout, but I don’t think I ever realised quite how bad it could feel - every day felt like an endless cycle that I couldn’t “snap out” of.
At first, I put it down to “stress,” but deep down I knew it was more than that. I became forgetful and withdrawn. I’d forget the most basic things and had real gaps. I lost all motivation and stopped looking after myself. Even the simplest things felt like hard work: leaving the house, brushing my teeth, getting dressed.
On top of that, everything felt urgent, outstanding, and on fire. That was the moment I realised I couldn’t go on like this. I didn’t feel like myself anymore, and something had to change.
My First Step Towards Healing
I’m grateful every day for the incredible people in my life - people I could lean on and talk through my “busy brain” with, without feeling judged or crazy. I took the leap and found an incredible therapist, which became the turning point. I’d tried different approaches before, but this time I chose traditional talking therapy. It’s not for everyone, and I definitely think you have to be ready for therapy, but for me it turned out to be the best decision I could’ve made.
It gave me the tools I needed to get back to myself - reintroducing time blocking, habit stacking, and working out daily priorities, both in work and in my personal life, and helping me rediscover my values and healthy boundaries.
Back to Basics
When you’re burned out, even the smallest things feel impossible. So I stripped it back to basics with a morning and evening checklist, almost like you would make for a child: wake up, hydrate, make the bed, get dressed. It wasn’t that I wasn’t doing these things at all before, but I’d often roll straight out of bed and open my laptop. Working from home can blur the lines between bed and desk, but I realised my “future self” wouldn’t do that. She wouldn’t work in her pyjamas until 3pm, having not eaten or spoken to anyone all day - she’d move with intention. So I started finding ways to show up as her. Ticking off these simple things gave me small wins early in the day and completely shifted my mindset.
Evenings have now become my favourite time of the day. Where I used to struggle to relax and switch off, I’m learning to embrace this sacred time, prioritising self-care and getting back to the things that bring me joy. Journalling, reading, meditating, and Mimi Bouchard’s Activations - it’s a gamechanger if you want to get into meditation and mindfulness. I love that they’re active meditations, so some days I listen to them instead of music.
At the centre of my evening routine is my cup of HOLY CACAO Calm. The five minutes it takes to make, and then enjoying every sip slowly while I dim the lights, light a candle, and offload my day, has become my signal to slow down, and I feel ready to rest.
Movement, Mindfulness, and Sleep
Another shift I’ve made is my approach to movement and exercise. Before, I’d sign up to every high-intensity class. Being short on “me-time,” I thought this meant I was optimising my time - doing as much as possible, as quickly as possible. But I’d end up exhausted, skip classes, and spiral into guilt. (I think we’ve all been there!)
Now, I mix it up with different ways of moving my body that feel good. I’ve gone back to yoga, pilates, and swimming - things I’ve always loved, but that felt too frivolous when I was in deep burnout. Having variety in my week has massively improved my consistency, and these practices now nurture both my mind and body.
When I plan my days, it’s morning and evening rituals first, exercise second, work third. They say you can’t pour from an empty cup, and I feel that so deeply. Switching things around has improved my mood, my sleep, and my productivity. I feel more in control of my days, I’m socialising more, and I feel more present.
My HOLY CACAO Rituals
Introducing HOLY CACAO into my wellness routine has been a total gamechanger. I discovered the brand through a dear friend - the kind who knows everything there is to know about supplements and ingredients. She’d spoken a lot about cacao in the past, but I’d never really understood the benefits. I started with Nourish, then quickly purchased Focus and Calm, because the potency of the adaptogens in the blends was undeniable. I honestly wish I’d known about HOLY CACAO sooner. The shift I’ve felt within my mindset and body was immediate, and now these blends are essentials in my day.
Morning: I swapped my coffee for Focus. It keeps me energised and clear-headed without the crash (and iced, with a little honey - it’s ridiculously good).
Afternoon: If I need a sweet pick-me-up I’ll reach for Nourish. I also like blending it into my protein shakes for an extra boost of nourishment, protein, and minerals.
Evening: Calm is my daily non-negotiable. It’s my cue to slow down, switch off, and actually let myself rest.
It’s not just the blends themselves - it’s the act of pausing, making them with intention, and giving myself those little resets throughout the day that has created such a shift.
The Results I’ve Felt
The difference has been huge. I recently said to my boyfriend that I wished he could feel what it was like to be in my body when I was in total burnout, compared to now. I don’t feel scattered anymore. My brain is clearer, my cravings and hormones are balanced, and I feel nourished rather than depleted.
I’ve noticed my skin glowing, my hair and nails growing quickly, my workouts improving, and my sleep transforming. Mentally, I’ve tracked my mood, and this is the longest stretch I’ve consistently felt “good” in a really long time. My anxiety has eased, I have more energy, and I feel like I’ve finally got my spark back.
If You’re Burned Out Too
If you’re struggling right now, I know how impossible it can feel. And I know that hearing “it will be okay” doesn’t help. So instead, I’ll say this: start celebrating what you are doing, even if it feels tiny, because what you are doing is your best, and that is enough.
Making your bed, brushing your teeth, drinking water - they’re not small when you’re burned out. They’re the first promises you keep to yourself.
I once read that confidence is simply keeping the promises we make to ourselves. At my lowest, that felt like pressure. But when I flipped it, when I started with the smallest promises - like taking a bubble bath or letting myself watch an episode of my favourite show without guilt - that’s when everything started to shift.
What Balance Means to Me Now
For me, balance isn’t about doing it all at once. It’s about not feeling guilty for prioritising myself and my needs. It’s knowing and accepting that I can’t be everything to everyone all the time. Balance, for me, is protecting my own happiness - putting on my oxygen mask first so I can show up better in every part of my life.
Living well now means listening to my body, caring for myself as I would a child, and remembering that I can love both sides of life - bottomless brunch with the girls on Saturday, and Sunday morning yoga. Balance isn’t perfect. Balance is presence.