In this episode our guest Rim shares her story about how a burnout led her moving to Portugal. She opens up about how her burnout affected her life and when she realized something needed to change. We talk about her decision to move to Portugal and how she experienced the process of coming here. Also we discuss how she sees the future, now that she’s left her job and homecountry behind and is still recovering from burnout. Last but not least Rim has some advice for anyone who feels stuck, but is scared to make a big change.
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With love, April Betts & Anna Jirina.
About From Lisbon With Love
Welcome to From Lisbon With Love! A podcast about real stories of love, laughter, and life in Lisbon — from women who have left it all behind. We share real stories about moving to Lisbon, starting over and figuring life out along the way. We talk love, dating, friendships, breakups, healing, growing, all of it. Basically, the stuff we usually talk about over coffee ☕️ or vinho 🍷. If you’re thinking about moving to Lisbon, already here or just love honest conversations with heart: you’re in the right place! Learn more about our story here.
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How burnout affects your life
For many people, getting a burnout is a lifechanging event. It humbles you and changes your perspective: You have to figure life out again (and figure out who you are without a job title). Burnout leds you to both physically and mentally being exhausted. It is very important to take good care of yourself to battle chronic fatigue and to strengthen your immune system, that suffers immensely from chronic stress. It can be very hard and take a long time to find your spark again, as we also discuss in this episode.
Starting over after a burnout
It’s necessary to reduce your responsibilities, delegate tasks and to say “no” more often. This can be very hard, especially if you’re a people pleaser. A therapist can also help you with this. Firm boundaries will definitely help to not get burned out again in a new environment or at a new job. Also it’s important to regularly checkin with yourself to make sure you’re still maintaining a healthy balance and you’re gaining energy from what you do, instead of feeling drained.
It’s extremely important after burnout to focus on thing that bring you joy – even if it’s just little. In most cases professional help is needed to help you build trust in yourself and your intuition again and to create healthy boundaries. Starting over after a burnout is scary, but needed. First of all it’s important to disconnect from stress factors and to step away from what caused the burnout.
Moving to Portugal after a burnout
Our guest Rim made the very brave decision to move from her homecountry (Morocco) to Portugal after her burnout. Leaving family and friends behind is never an easy choice, no matter your situation: whether you’re moving for love, for work or alone. Even though you might feel in all your bones that you need a change, moving abroad is challenging, especially when you’re recovering from burnout. In the episode Rim shares in detail how her burnout led her moving to Portugal.
Right now she’s focusing on resting and recovering from years of stress at her job. She’s trying to find out what lights her fire and what makes her happy.
Portugal: the country for balance seekers?
Portugal became an attractive place for those who are looking for a healthier work and life balance. Under the comfort of the Portugese sun, in the quiet, nostalgic streets and parks where locals gather, it’s no longer about chasing productivity, but about enjoying a fulfilling and balanced life.
It’s no surprise for us that Portugal ranks 4th out of 52 destinations in the Quality of Life index, since one of our main reasons to move to Lisbon was finding peace. Moving to Portugal helped us to move in a slower pace and to flourish in all areas of life, instead of working 24/7.
