You Don’t Have to Be Broken to Heal: Choosing Wellness Before the Breakdown
Some of us wait until we’re crumbling before we call it “too much.”
We wait until we can’t sleep.
Until the tears come out of nowhere.
Until our patience disappears and our body starts whispering in pain—or straight-up screaming through exhaustion.
I know this story because I’ve lived it.
For years, I was the strong one. The dependable one. The one who kept going, no matter what. I built a successful career in corporate America, showed up for my family, served my community, and still made it to every appointment, deadline, and commitment. From the outside, it probably looked like I had it together. But inside, I was tired in a way that sleep couldn’t fix.
It wasn’t until I had to take a medical leave for burnout and depression that I realized just how far I had pushed myself. I had ignored all the warning signs: the anxiety, the emotional numbness, the sense of disconnection. Like many women—especially Black women—I had been conditioned to believe that rest was a reward, not a right. That healing was something you sought only after you’d hit rock bottom.
But here’s the truth I wish I had known sooner:
You don’t have to be broken to begin your healing.
Burnout is not a badge of honor. It’s a warning sign—and unfortunately, it’s a widespread one. According to the American Psychological Association, nearly 3 in 5 employees reported negative impacts of work-related stress in 2023, including emotional exhaustion, lack of motivation, and cognitive weariness. And Black women in particular face what scholars call “weathering”—the cumulative emotional and physical toll of racism and chronic stress over time.
You don’t need a clinical diagnosis to justify a reset. You need awareness. You need permission. You need tools.
Healing isn’t reserved for the aftermath. It’s something you can—and should—access while you’re still upright, still functioning, still “managing.”
Because just managing is not the same as thriving.
Survival is not the same as wholeness.
Proactive healing is one of the most powerful, loving things you can do for yourself. It’s choosing to pour into yourself before you’re empty. It’s saying yes to tools like sound therapy, meditation, quiet moments, creative expression, or just turning your phone off for the weekend—because your peace doesn’t have to be postponed.
Sometimes my clients come to me because they’ve hit a wall. But others come because they’re learning to listen to their bodies. They’re choosing to honor their energy before the crash. That’s growth. That’s healing.
So if you’re feeling a little off but can’t quite explain why…
If you’ve been holding it together but feel like you’re doing it on autopilot…
If the idea of rest feels unfamiliar but deeply needed…
Let this be your permission slip:
You don’t need to fall apart to begin your healing.
You’re allowed to choose care before crisis.
You’re allowed to nourish your nervous system before it’s fried.
You’re allowed to feel good—without guilt.
Your healing doesn’t have to be dramatic.
It can be gentle.
It can be quiet.
It can be now.
Ready to say yes to yourself—without waiting for the crash?
Book a private sound therapy session or join one of our upcoming group sound baths. Let’s create space for your healing before the burnout.
Book your session here.
Because you are worthy of rest, care, and wholeness—right now.
Resources for Further Reflection:
Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Emily & Amelia Nagoski
Rest Is Resistance by Tricia Hersey
Sisters of the Yam: Black Women and Self-Recovery by bell hooks
APA 2023 Work in America Survey – Stress & burnout data
“Weathering” and Black Women’s Health – NYT Article on Chronic Stress & Racism
