I can confidently say this was the year I healed my relationship with work. For so long, I kept telling myself I only needed to work “x” number of years before retiring. That mindset of simply trying to “get through” work lingered for weeks at a time, especially during my first two years as a physical therapist. I felt burned out a few months into my first job—something that surprised me because I had just begun.

 

I love physical therapy. I love helping people heal, connecting with them, having real conversations, and getting to know them as whole humans rather than just an injury. The work itself did not burn me out—the structure did. Seeing patient after patient for eight straight hours, with only a 30-minute lunch that I spent catching up on paperwork, left me drained. On top of that, having only 10 days of PTO meant I was essentially working 50 out of 52 weeks a year.

 

As a physical therapist, I am fully present every minute I am with someone. There is no zoning out behind a Zoom screen. My brain is constantly analyzing movement, processing new information, adjusting exercises on the fly, and responding to pain or setbacks in real time. My mind is always “on.”

 

I realized I needed to restructure my work in order for it to give me life. I needed different hours, intentional breaks, and fewer patients per day so I could give the kind of focused, high-quality care I value. I needed more time off to support the physical demands of the job. I needed variety in my caseload to keep my mind engaged and challenged. I needed to schedule patients during the times of day when I was naturally most alert. It all came down to restructuring.

 

Once I saw that I could reimagine the structure of my workday, everything shifted. Work became life-giving again. I ended my days feeling more energized, more present, more alive. I found myself cherishing conversations in a way that was not possible in my old schedule. When your work structure supports your well-being, you show up differently. You are calmer. You move slower. You listen more fully. You sit with your patients, get curious about their lives, and build genuine rapport.  Because at the end of the day, they are human too—and you get to meet them from a place where you feel fully human as well.

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Leaving a job does not automatically fix your relationship with work. We are always working in some form, whether it is paid or unpaid. What matters is building rhythms that support the kind of life you want to live—structures that recharge you instead of drain you. With this new structure in place, the Sunday scaries have disappeared. I actually look forward to beginning a new week with my clients. My conversations leave me feeling inspired and encouraged. I have stopped obsessing over how many years remain until retirement.  I have begun to see retirement not as an age, but as a lifestyle—one that will also require its own rhythms. Instead of thinking, “I have to work,” I truly feel, “I get to work.”

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So if you are feeling burned out in your work, reimagine the structure of your day. It does not have to be a major overhaul—small shifts can make a huge impact. Maybe it is stepping outside for 10 minutes of sunshine between meetings, eating lunch outdoors, or adding a quick two-minute stretch after each bathroom break.  It could be setting firm boundaries around your work hours and avoiding meetings before or after that window. Or reducing visual and digital clutter at your desk. I have noticed that when I minimize stimulation, my mind feels clearer and my whole body feels calmer.

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Here are ways I have restructured my work:

• I have intentionally structured my schedule so I see only four clients a day—my ideal balance.

• I chose in-home physical therapy because it allows me to enjoy fresh air and time outdoors between sessions.

• I give myself a 30-45 minute break between clients to unwind and reset.

• Most of my client visits fall between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m., the hours when I feel the most energized.

• I performed a digital detox: I silence all phone notifications to avoid constant interruptions and task-switching.  I have removed apps that encourage mindless scrolling. Now I keep only the essentials—email, iMessage, Google, phone, maps, clock, and notes.

• I give myself a 1–2 hour lunch break each day and spend that time relaxing at a park.

• I take at least 5–6 weeks off each year to fully step away from work.

• I work with a diverse mix of clients to keep my mind engaged and energized—including orthopedic, pelvic floor, geriatric, and personal training clients.

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Of course, restructuring your work is a lot easier as an entrepreneur, but as someone who works a typical 9 to 5 job, there are also ways you can restructure your work so it is life giving again!

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💬 How can you reshape your work in a way that brings you energy and life?

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Thank you so much for reading ❤️  

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Check out my other blog​ posts!