It was 2021 when I felt like I had hit a slump in my career. We were working long hours during the pandemic because the demand for content had skyrocketed and I was handling multiple accounts in the agency I worked for then. After moving cities for studies and jobs, house hunting, surviving personal struggles, and intense overwork during the pandemic, I was burnt out.
 
Words evaded me and structures became rambling every time I attempted to write an article. I sought help for my brain fog and as expected, I was advised a complete break from all professional activities. I had just received a promotion and it wasn’t easy to confront the reality that my body needed rest.
 
For almost a decade, my career had been my identity and I couldn’t imagine spending months without the designation and salary that had defined my career growth. How would I validate my worth to myself? How would I explain myself to parents who had worked all their life that their adult daughter wouldn’t be earning for some time? I decided to finally embrace the situation and have honest conversations with people around me. I freelanced for the next year and was transparent to all recruiters that I had taken a mental health break. Some were sceptical about whether I could work under pressure while some were compassionate, sharing their stories of taking a breather.
 
Many people had suggested that I lie about my break, but I wanted to be authentic about my vulnerability. Being vulnerable meant I opened myself up to others’ love, kindness and support. While most could relate to my situation, it was a journey where I learnt to accept my limitations.

A break doesn’t mean weakness and it does not negate our professional or personal growth in any way so why should we be scared of being vulnerable? Vulnerabilities make us human and it is where our meaningful connections begin.