Last Thursday for the first time in over 6 weeks, I exhaled. The house was empty and finally I was alone and had space to think. And then it hits you. The guilt for even thinking that.

I love my children; I have built my business around having the work-life balance I desire and I also love my work. I’m excited about writing book #2 From Doer to Leader, I love 1-2-1 and group coaching, and being out and about delivering workshops and keynotes. I couldn’t wait to get back to it.

Brené Brown teaches that we live in a world that loves binaries. Good or bad, mum or career woman, exhausted or energised. But life is rarely that clean. I love my children, and I also love my work. I miss them, and I crave solitude. These truths don’t cancel each other out, they complete the picture of what it means to live wholeheartedly.

Coming back to work after a break has a way of shining a very bright light on what’s no longer aligned. The gap between what energises you and what drains you becomes glaring.

If you’ve come back to your role feeling disconnected, uninspired, or even resentful, it doesn’t mean you’re ungrateful. It means your nervous system has had a taste of contrast. And with contrast comes clarity.

Burnout doesn’t always come from working too much, it often comes from working without meaning. When we return from a break and still feel drained, it’s a signal that we’re not just tired, we’re disconnected from purpose. That distinction matters and it invites reflection.

What the Return to Work Might Be Telling You

If you’re feeling stretched between roles, demands, and expectations… you’re not alone. And if the return to work has highlighted the cracks, take that information seriously.

How do you know when your job is the wrong match for you? Put simply, your body will tell you first. Whether it’s full-blown burnout, Sunday night syndrome and poor sleep, the sinking feeling of impending doom after holiday, feeling less than excited, itchy skin, or another physical cue, your body will point to the truth of it.

Perhaps like me you’re noticing the excitement of returning to work? If not, you don’t have to settle for misalignment. You’re allowed to pivot, evolve, and recalibrate; whether that’s improving your current role or making a strategic external move.

When Clients Reflect the Real Impact

As I was reflecting on all of this, I was deeply moved by something else: the support and words from past clients on a recent post I shared about the next cohort of the Career Design Mastermind.

Sarah Thorpe, Chief of Staff at Quotient Therapeutics wrote on this LinkedIn post:

“If you’re wondering whether this is worth it, I can tell you that it is without a doubt the best thing I’ve done for myself professionally and personally this year. The tools and insights Hannah Roberts, Ph.D.’s programme offers are transformative. Take this as the sign you’ve been waiting for to book on to the next CDMM cohort!”

And then the comments came flooding in:

• “Absolutely agree… a truly transformative experience!” – Sonia Ventura, PhD
• “I second that!” – Lisa Kerr, PhD
• “Third from me! Thank you Hannah Roberts, Ph.D.” – Stephanie Ma, PhD

When your clients start promoting your programme on your behalf, unsolicited, unprompted, you know you’ve created real transformation. Not the surface-level, tick-the-box kind. The kind that sticks long-term.

☕ Reflective Journal Prompts

• What has the return to work revealed about what I want more or less of?
• Where am I most energised, and where am I most depleted?
• If I believed it was possible to shift into greater alignment, what is one small step I could take?

As always, I’m just an email away. Whether you’re navigating the back-to-school shift, sensing your next career pivot, or craving more meaning and alignment.

Keep opening up,

Hannah

P.S. Feeling the nudge to explore what’s next? Here are three free ways and one paid way I can support you:

• 📖 Step 1: Take the Career Accelerator Scorecard
• 💻 Step 2: Join the next Intentional Careers™ Workshop
• ➡️ Step 3: Book a free 1-2-1 Strategy Session
• ✨ Step 4: Apply for Career Design Mastermind – Cohort 10 starts in October. Only 4 places remaining.

P.P.S. Now booking keynotes for 2026. Let’s equip everyone in your organisation with the tools to have greater impact with less stress and burnout.