Alicia Journey – Lawyer and Advocate on Overcoming Burnout

Alicia shares her story:

There I was—a rock star attorney with my own law firm—whose personal life was in total disarray.
Perhaps I wasn’t cut out to be a lawyer after all… but it was all I had ever wanted.

By the time I hit 30 I had hit a wall. I was exhausted inside and out. I had pushed myself to the limits physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

I had been fighting my way to the top. Been fighting for the rights of victims and my clients. Been taking on the weight of the world and I felt like I was being crushed under the weight of it.

Make no mistake—I loved being a lawyer. In many ways, I was built for it. I hustled hard, aimed high, and took no guff from anyone. I spoke my mind and stood up for myself. And though I could play the game like a man, I advocated for women, victims, and justice, as so many struggles to find their rightful place at the top.

In the span of 3 years, I spent more time in hospitals being analyzed, tested, and assessed than most people do in their adult life.

My health had become a part-time job (and some years, my full-time job), and my body had become a story about injury, illness, disease, diagnosis, being different, not belonging, not being enough, not being capable, and most definitely NOT being strong.

As you can imagine, this led to a lot of soul-searching. I knew something had to change, but I didn’t know what.

My wake-up call came when I was diagnosed with uterine cancer.

When I got the diagnosis I was at peace. It felt so good to know there was finally an answer and a path. But it was only the beginning.

And I knew at that moment two things.

One, I was never going to betray my body as I had for the first 30 years by not listening when it was telling me something.

Which lead me to…

Two, it was time to let the practice of law go. I LOVED the law. But I was done practicing law in the conventional sense.

It was in the crisis that I found the answers and I knew I wanted to help others in professions similar to mine avoid the same crisis.

Just like the peace of the diagnosis, the peace of that decision washed over me. I felt it in my bones. I knew it the way your blood knows which way to flow, and your heart knows when to pump next.

Now, I could focus on what excites me far more:

Helping high-achieving women and men transform the way they treat themselves, their clients, and the law through the practice of mindfulness, wellness, choosing balance over burnout, and resilience.

Learn more about Alicia and book her to speak on her website
aliciajourney.com