Like so many of us trapped in high-stress jobs, I didn’t realize I was burning out until I was already scorched. Anxiety wasn’t just knocking, it had moved in, redecorated, and was paying rent with my sanity. I couldn’t relax, even when I was “off.” My nervous system was in full-time fight-or-flight, while I smiled through Teams meetings like I wasn’t unraveling.
This wasn’t stress. This was collapse, slow and quiet and fully normalized.
Eventually, I made the terrifying but necessary decision to take a mental health leave. And while that leave didn’t magically fix everything, it cracked something open. It gave me the space to see how broken the system is. How much we’ve been taught to normalize disconnection, exhaustion, and emotional suppression in the name of “professionalism.”
That’s where The Mental Reset began, what started as a whisper of burnout recovery turned into a platform. And now? It’s evolving into Soft Rebellion Club: a space where we stop glorifying suffering and start building something better.
This isn’t self-help with pastel quotes and fake smiles. It’s real conversations, trauma-informed tools, and a digital middle finger to hustle culture.
You don’t need to be in crisis to take leave.
You don’t need to be falling apart to deserve rest.
You just need to know, you’re not alone.
Welcome to the rebellion.
Let’s take it all back.
Tara
