Do what lights You Up!

Finding more meaning and fulfilment at work

A lot of my coaching work centres around supporting people who feel unhappy or unfulfilled at work. People who are working hard, pushing on and doing what is expected of them, but finding very little meaning or satisfaction in their careers.

If that’s how you’re feeling, it can be difficult to know what needs to change, especially when you’ve spent years building your career.

This work is close to my heart, because it is how I found my way into coaching myself.

Before becoming a coach, I spent 15 years working in corporate marketing. There were moments of joy, exciting projects and some fantastic relationships. I learned tonnes! And there is plenty from that time that I still value.

But many of the environments I worked in weren’t well suited to me. The fast pace, high pressure and complicated workplace dynamics often felt overwhelming, and as a sensitive person, an empath, a perfectionist …and an overthinker, I often found it all too much.!

I would wake up with a belly full of anxiety, mindlessly choose my clothes and move through the day on autopilot. Physically there, but rarely present. Often thinking about the next thing I needed to do, or worrying about something I had already done.

I kept telling myself I needed to push on, work harder and cope better.

I was trying so hard to fit into those environments that I never stopped to consider whether they were a good fit for me.

Overworking, drinking too much, withdrawing and avoiding things became ways of coping. I felt detached, stuck and very lost. I was surviving and certainly not thriving!

Eventually, I sought support from a coach.

When feeling unfulfilled at work turns into self-doubt

Something I recognise from my own experience, and often hear in sessions, is how easily unhappiness at work can turn into doubt about ourselves.

You begin to wonder why you can’t cope and why something that seems manageable for someone else feels so difficult for you. You start to question whether you are capable enough, confident enough or resilient enough.

In my experience, sustained pressure can make those doubts louder and the possibilities harder to see. When so much energy is going into getting through the day, there can be very little left to step back and consider what you need.

You can lose sight of your gifts and strengths, what matters to you and what you enjoy.

If you recognise yourself in this, you are far from alone. I was shocked to read in Mental Health UK’s Burnout Report 2026 that 91% of UK adults surveyed had experienced high or extreme levels of pressure or stress in the preceding year.

This breaks my heart a little, because behind each number is a person trying to get through their day and often being very hard on themselves for finding it difficult.

You might need better soil

There’s an analogy I often use in coaching sessions. Those of you who’ve worked with me may already be thinking, “Oh, here she goes with the plant again…” Bear with me, because I think it’s a useful one 🌱…

When a plant is struggling, wilting or losing its leaves, we don’t berate it. We don’t tell it that it is failing, or expect it to try harder.

We look at what it needs.

Does it need more light? Less water? Some plant food? A different pot, or a different place to grow?

We consider its surroundings and give it the care and conditions that will help it thrive.

We humans are no different.

A workplace culture, team dynamic or role can suit one person beautifully and leave another feeling depleted. You might need more autonomy, more connection, a different pace or work that feels more meaningful to you.

If you are struggling, I’d encourage you to look at the conditions around you before deciding that there is something wrong with you.

Sometimes that involves a change of environment, or it involves recognising your needs and finding ways to support them where you are. Even looking at things through a different perspective can help you see possibilities that weren’t visible before.

Making room to recover

At the height of my own burnout, I attended a breathwork session. It was an unfamiliar concept, and I remember wondering, “How on earth could breathing possibly take work? It is the most basic human function!?”

During that session, I became aware of how small and shallow my breathing had become. I breathed, cried and, at one point, screamed like a banshee. I felt a little unhinged, but it also felt like I was finally letting out so much of what I’d been holding in.

I hadn’t realised how much of the strain I’d been carrying was physical too.

When you’re living with ongoing stress, it can feel like your brain’s alarm system is screaming at you all day. Your body can go into fight or flight, with your heart racing, your breathing quickening and your muscles tensing.

For me, it felt like my nervous system was shot to pieces. I was constantly braced for the next thing, rarely able to fully relax.

That experience is one reason I feel so strongly about making room for rest and recovery. When you are exhausted, even thinking about your future can feel like another task you haven’t got the energy for.

Sometimes the first thing you need is a little breathing space, compassion, support and permission to acknowledge how you are feeling.

How career coaching can help you understand what matters

In my career coaching sessions, I offer a calm, compassionate space to step back from the noise and pressure, say things out loud and begin to untangle your thoughts.

We spend time understanding what matters most to you: your values, your strengths, your needs, what energises you and what drains you.

There can be such relief in beginning to make sense of your experience. You start to see why you feel so drained, or why work you’re good at can still leave you unfulfilled.

What might have felt like a failing in you begins to make more sense.

Perhaps a strength you love using has very little room in your current role, or something you value deeply is missing from the way your workplace operates, or you have been working at a pace that leaves no space for the rest of your life.

Understanding those things gives us something useful to work with. We can begin to consider what a more aligned and fulfilling working life could look like for you.

Turning clarity into realistic action

I appreciate that “do what lights you up” may sound a little whimsical when you have bills to pay, responsibilities to consider and a career you’ve spent years building.

Finances matter, so does your lifestyle, the people who depend on you, and the time or cost involved in changing direction. Of course, these deserve careful consideration.

We bring all of that into the conversation, and turn the clarity you are gaining into realistic action.

You might begin by speaking to someone in a field that interests you, researching a course or looking more closely at the skills you could take into another role. You might explore changes within your current job, or work towards a longer-term transition at a pace you can manage.

You really don’t have to know the whole route before taking a first step! With someone alongside you to think things through and break them down into manageable steps, options that once felt out of reach may become more possible.

My own experience of feeling lost and unfulfilled is part of why this work means so much to me now. I get how hard it can be to imagine anything different when you are in the middle of it.

I also know the value of having someone alongside you while you begin to work out what you want and how you might get there.

If you’ve seen a little of yourself in what I’ve shared, take a moment to ask yourself:

“What have I come to accept as normal in my working life that is costing me more than I realise?”

You don’t have to turn your life upside down to make meaningful changes, just recognising what needs your attention can be a powerful place to start.

And if you would like some support, I’d love to help you find more calm, clarity and confidence as you work towards a life and career that feel more aligned with you, with more room to DO WHAT LIGHTS YOU UP!

You can book a free discovery call here.