Burn Out to Brilliance. Recovery from Chronic Fatigue | Linda Jones

Burn Out to Brilliance. Recovery from Chronic Fatigue | Linda Jones | TEDxBirminghamCityUniversity

In 2001 Linda Jones’s world changed. As a young and successful business woman she was living a happy and fulfilled life; working long hours travelling the country, a fitness fanatic who enjoyed a full social life. Looking back there was recognition that this was unsustainable. Early recognition signs and symptoms were ignored, and led to complete burn out. Linda’s journey to full recovery sparked a passion to help others as she set up Salus Fatigue Foundation In 2001, after illness, Linda Jones, CEO Salus Fatigue Foundation & Life4Changing was diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. She lost everything. Her relentless attitude, which caused her burnout in the first place, meant she wasn’t going to just accept that diagnosis and become a statistic. Determined to recover and get her life back she took a holistic approach and coached herself back to health.
In the last 10 years, her journey to full recovery sparked a passion to help others and this idea became the Salus Fatigue Foundation. To date 15, 000 people have been helped to create a self-managed path to recovery through raising awareness and support programs. Linda also heads up Life4Changing helping organisations boost employee engagement, productivity and performance. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

in 2001 my whole world changed I thought I was dying my life had completely shattered into tiny pieces of broken glass I lost six whole years of my life I lost my home I lost my business I lost my marriage and I lost me to chronic fatigue syndrome I was completely burned out at the time I was in my early 30s but I actually felt more like I was a hundred and thirty that's what it felt like every single day it was like I've been injected with poison my body was shutting down my family and close friends couldn't see behind my smile what was going on I called it my world so what's my world feel like I want to take you to that place now put your handle up here who's had flu before put your hands up if you've had jetlag put your hands up honestly who's had a severe hangover to the point you'll say you'll never ever drink again but we all do don't we feel what that's like to remember it the headache the sickness everything aches in your body you feel disconnected from life and all you want to do is go and live breathe in a dark room and go to sleep and knowing after coupling you're gonna feel better Papa nurofen maybe an alka-seltzer and you're good to go well times that by 10 and 10 again and that's what it's like to live with chronic fatigue and also after having a couple night sleep it never ever leaves you it stays with you who here's a perfectionist people please them yes person doesn't like saying no the martyr strives to do the best and wants more out of life does this sound like you could this be you so what did my life look like before I was a very busy person I lived my life to the full I used to push myself I've got a bit of spare time do you know what I do I'd fill it and fill it again and finish again this was me I lived off that adrenaline loved it bring it on give me more more more more MORE I was a young businesswoman very successful driven by targets lived of chocolate any chocoholics here that was me living off coffee and these were my coping strategies to live off that high energy I'd wake up in the morning I'd leave the house at 5:00 a.m. most mornings her makeup suit on heels on and off I'd go for my day raring for that pressure to keep me running on that adrenaline knowing that I'd come home into the evening very late but that was okay I enjoyed it I thrived of it I then got married and was blessed with my two children Edwyn Emily life felt good I felt complete for me and then I started to feel that my tiredness my normal tiredness didn't feel quite right something was wrong I became more and more tired the timer's became deeper but I just kept going on it was fine I can keep this life going I guess what my first warning sign came in and I chose to ignore it because I'm the perfectionist I can keep going on this adrenaline so we had a family holiday we went off to Florida and our do tool and I had the solution 18 headache pain I had never ever experienced in my life my head felt like it was going to explode and I felt just very very well we landed arrived at the airport I was delirious I was completely out of it next minute I remember team of paramedics around me gave me a big shot of injection knocked me out for two weeks end of the holiday which returned back home life became normal again kept striving pushing myself guess what happened next second warning sign and this was a warning sign that could not be ignored this time I went to New York for a long weekend with my girlfriend what do we do in New York two girls leads party party party time we had great fun we shocked her we dropped we did a lot of sightseeing still kept pushing myself arrived back home and I contracted a virus for three months that never ever left me I couldn't even raise my arm to brush my hair the pain in my joints and muscles was excruciating the palpitations in my heart I felt my heart was going to explode memory loss I couldn't string a sentence together things were seriously going wrong and getting worse but I didn't know what was happening to me I would crawl on my hands and knees out of bed to get to the bathroom to have a shower we'd be like pins and needles the final straw was sitting a set of traffic lights – Mummy Mummy Mummy wake up we're on Green you've gotta go so my life I'd hide away nobody could see inside my world and nor did I want them to two years when I eventually I was told by a consultant you've got depression do you know you're making this up I believe that and I thought I was going mad at that point but I wanted to beat this I wasn't gonna accept that so I did a lot of research Benchley I went to seeing him knowledge East and I had a diagnosis of chronic fatigue and it was great in a funny kind of way fantastic we've got ants or to know what to do to them be told the hope that I had was taken away we don't know what to do with you you're gonna have to live with this the rest of your life these were dark dark days for a long time I felt isolated lonely in my world nobody understood and at that point I was going to take my life I then had a lightbulb moment after the long dark days and actually I'd written Emily needed me they needed them and these two children gave me my meaning and purpose back in my life they kept me going so I took action I had a choice I could create change to my life I accepted what was happening and thought right I just need a magic wand that's all I need is a magic wand to get my life back so I became my magic wand I worked with my positive mind not be a people pleaser anymore nurture me much – and I also worked my nutrition I start off every day with the smoothie or a juice and also work with my pacing so if I want to do what I want to do throughout that day I'd have it and have it again I worked with pain management to hot and cold showers and also worked with movement I was in so much pain I didn't want to move so I started with gentle walks and built up to yoga and it was okay to go and ask for help it's okay not to be okay so I worked with an app and a hypnotherapist and this all became my magic wand life's good now I'm fit healthy and well I'm in a really good place I'm still rebuilding and it's hard work but I believe in me and you can recover so I often tell people it's like living on the cliff edge you've right on my edge of that cliff edge if you drop over that cliff edge it's a long way back up so why do we live our lives on that cliff edge all the time pushing ourselves under so much pressure we all do it it's okay to take a rest why do we feel guilty to take a rest so I was in Wales recently and I was standing underneath this cliff and looked up and thought my god that's a long way and boy do I know it because I've been there but actually I started taking those steps at the other side of the cliff and you can do it you can get there a people to a part of my recovery was I was so passionate about helping other people who were going through a similar journey that I was going through so I decided to start from a single little thought I started a charity called Stella's fatigue Foundation and along with passionate committed team we have helped over 15,000 people start to change their lives and know they've got hope my other passion is about early intervention prevention so I go into workplaces and I help people with their strategies giving them knowledge and education of how to take better care of themselves so they don't make mistakes that I made and burnout so who here is living 24/7 under a lot of pressure if that sounds like you I'm giving you a thirst warning sign today you can't sustain that take better care of and I'll leave you with a message today what will you change today because it starts with you [Applause]

#Burn #Brilliance #Recovery #Chronic #Fatigue #Linda #Jones #TEDxBirminghamCityUniversity

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@kim-ys2fs 19 March 2025 at 06:04

i also was diagnosed with ME/CFS in 2014.
Combined, ive spent 2 years being a non-verbal vegetable.
Pushing yourself to meet some 'essential' yet arbitrary cultural or self-imposed achievement, perfection, worthiness goal is NOT worth the cost to your health!
It took 4years to be able to leave my home
Ive just started my 11th year and i still have no social life other than mum and step-dad and 3 online mates.
I havent given up on healing. My perfect storm was induced by myriad psycho-social traumas since i was 4yrs old, so its just taking me longer because i also have to heal from all that 38.5yrs worth of various micro traumas, including the trauma of mecfs and then healing the mecfs hehe!!
@spacecraft___n66 19 March 2025 at 06:04

I had been in this for a month , before that I was pushing myself way beyond my limits , I had exams every day , I wasn't getting enough sleep ,I used to lie to me saying ….it's all gonna end soon , but the exams were not coming to an end , and then I started seeing signs of burnout , I was making silly grammar mistakes , I wasn't able to make a sentence, I was forgetting my exam materials and my performance was getting worse , my parents started blaming me for these poor marks
I didn't know whom to blame , I thought , if I sleep it will be ok , but it didn't. We all need rest …. If we don't take it in time , it really takes away a lot of time from us in the long time . I'm still trying to heal myself now , I'm happy that she came forward to share her soulful journey ,
I was a 24/7 people pleaser, I used to think of people's emotions and neglect mine , that's how I actually fell victim to burn out , I was indeed a perfectionist, used to think how to impress teacher with a brilliant score so that they'll notice me …. I ended up being drained
@shcxatter2 19 March 2025 at 06:04

To all the people here, there is sure way to recover fromt this, it's just the fact that we have gone so far away from natural living, that we don't even know what we need when fatigue gets to us. The mucclasse indians have a tradition, where they burn all of their material possesions, fast for three days, and they don't satisfy any desire they have, after that they consider themselves purified. This is something like a snake shedding it's skin, you have to let the old you completely die, and then you can continue into the future without being suffocated by the past.
Feed your soul, don't let anyone tell you what you should do, say your truth to absolutely everyone, and you'll heal fast. Keeping up this fake persona modern society requires of us, suffocates us, and drains all of our energy, it is ok to be selfish sometimes, when you have been too good for the longest time.
@SG-xi3ln 19 March 2025 at 06:04

The symptoms and signs are allI over. The solution ain't.
@CST1992 19 March 2025 at 06:04

Is it just me or does this video not have any sound from the right speaker?
@luciaprandlova 19 March 2025 at 06:04

Useless, self serving, no actual information on anything.
@candzbrad 19 March 2025 at 06:04

Audio not working on this video any more?
@suenzhong7891 19 March 2025 at 06:04

I'm in my late twenties. I had a severe burnout and injured my hands at my previous job from overworking. I'm not sure if the reason why I still feel tired and find my new job difficult (despite being a lot less demanding than my previous one) is because I never fully recovered from my burnout.
@BillSutton 19 March 2025 at 06:04

I want those 13mins back please
@nsawatchlistbait289 19 March 2025 at 06:04

So what's the solution
@aartithaur4768 19 March 2025 at 06:04

"Thanks for the tips! I’ve been using the ANTI-FATIGUE PACK from Planet Ayurveda, and it’s like I’ve found a new source of energy!"
@stevenlee2484 19 March 2025 at 06:04

So basically nothing. What a waste of a talk
@casscanine 19 March 2025 at 06:04

I'm glad she recovered from her burnout, but it's harmful to equate burnout fatigue (which is curable) with ME/CFS (which isn't). Chronic fatigue is not the same as chronic fatigue syndrome, also known as ME.

Doesn't sound like she even had post-exertional malaise, excluding her from an accurate ME/CFS diagnosis. If exercise cured her rather than making her worse, she didn't have ME.

Please don't take away from this talk that people with ME/CFS haven't tried hard enough and just need better nutrition, walks and yoga. Trust us, we've tried it all.
@Blackmambau 19 March 2025 at 06:04

I cant
@naiguennarrainen1126 19 March 2025 at 06:04

Hi, I am like this since 3 years. Please anyone help me, please, please, please 🙏
@danieltuffour3594 19 March 2025 at 06:04

I suffer same!! I am fine one moment another time I become so malaise and weak 😢
@georgekingceramics 19 March 2025 at 06:04

Im 3 years in with cfs after covid. .. people get it unless you have experienced it 💯
@writervictoria 19 March 2025 at 06:04

I got CFS badly, people notice as well, i started taking sleeping pills and it didnt fix it. I am not getting energy from nothing, the world sounds too loud everywhere,y eye balls feel like sagg wet socks, i am breathing like i have smoked cigs all day foe years, my hair is turning super white faster, i ran for coffee and chocolate so much that i gag thinking of having it now, i am getting 3 hrs of sleep, staring in space like a robot on stand by is the only time i get any relief from this burn out.
@mariazamora4595 19 March 2025 at 06:04

One of the biggest lessons life thought me is when to step back, and when to rest. It’s okay to feel bad we are humans being what we have to learn is to take care of ourselves. When we need to rest, the recovery of the energy of a chronic fatigue takes so much time to recover and if you have chronic fatigue you have be patient with yourself, small positive steps in order to recover the energy you have to recover. The love that you have for yourself is the reason, the magic 🪄 that is going to push you forward.
Helping people feeds your soul, it’s a magical feeling that increases your energy, feeds your soul and helps you to recover the energy that is lost.
Be patient, small positive steps with love and understanding your heart and soul makes the inner light to start shining.
@hawaslianas 19 March 2025 at 06:04

is there a reason why she speaks 3 words per minute?
@whynot5757 19 March 2025 at 06:04

I'm not feeling guilty to take a rest. I'm just too poor to do it.
@beckyreithmayr5281 19 March 2025 at 06:04

To anyone who’s dealing with this, please check out CFS Health, a recovery group specializing in cfs, long covid, pots, etc. You CAN get better. You can be ok and have life back.
@chilefantasma 19 March 2025 at 06:04

13 minutes to say nothing.
@julielinares7925 19 March 2025 at 06:04

I wasted 10 years of my life before getting any medication but still have my ups and down it's awful feeling without any energy
@Mind-Vue 19 March 2025 at 06:04

Linda Jones' talk on recovering from chronic fatigue is truly inspiring! Her journey from burnout to brilliance offers so much hope and practical advice. Thanks for sharing your story! 🌟🙌
@LD-er5zy 19 March 2025 at 06:04

Very Powerful Rapid Recovery- Miraculous Experience with ME/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. NO MORE SYMPTOMS

The symptoms were: 1. Severe Small Fiber Neuropathy, 2. Constant Fatigue, 3. Not able to stand up and walk more that few steps for almost 2 years, 4. Heart Function was at 20-30% 5. Brain Function was severely affected 6. Two hours of sleep maximum due to sevre constant neuropathy pain 7. Zero stamina to do anything 8. Muscle weakness and pain 9. On the Opiods and Morphene for very long time 10. Infections in Kidney and Pancreas 11. On Gabapentin for 2 years. Finally the Solution Came from a Scientist who has developed Two Novel Nano-BioAcive Oral Capsules – In ONE WEEK most of the above TEN symtoms are GONE. Now walking for 5 miles a day – No fatigue – No Nerve Pain – Brain Function Normal – Heart is recovering – Sleeping for 8 hours or more. Amaging MY LIFE IS BACK.
@katwartooth 19 March 2025 at 06:04

This is a very small percentage of people with CFS/ME and other people get hit in outbreaks relating to infections & injuries. This is terrible misinformation that does not align with what the latest research has uncovered. This is extremely irresponsible. Pacing has negatively effected most CFS ME patients that tried it & nutrition can't fix CFS ME. This is really poor on behalf of TED Talks.
@alingkarina2979 19 March 2025 at 06:04

The key is "What will you change today?"
@OnlyCitrus 19 March 2025 at 06:04

my left ear enjoyed the speech
@ItsMefromSnuffys 19 March 2025 at 06:04

If you recover long term, THEN YOU DIDNT HAVE IT TO BEGIN WITH.. IVE LOST 40 yrs
@haloyefosho4752 19 March 2025 at 06:04

What a blessing testimony that is. God bless you Sister.
Only Jesus heals, He is our purpose🙌
@johnCjr4671 19 March 2025 at 06:04

The world requires us to do much more than we can handle because of constant $ pressures , Its been getting worse for the past 50 years in the US with no end in sight . That equals enough anxiety for all ! 😢
@limalikat4652 19 March 2025 at 06:04

I was hoping for more than “I did it for my kids.”
@katejones2172 19 March 2025 at 06:04

Don't mean to be rude but this is one of those great success stories but instead of being inspiring it just makes you feel worse about yourself or is it just me!
@wzupppp 19 March 2025 at 06:04

You could tell us what you actually did to recover