Nearly three years ago, I’d reached the point of total burnout at my job. The situation came to a head after an 8 a.m. fender bender during my morning commute — nothing serious, thank goodness, but majorly stressful. By the time I finished dealing with police and arranging for a tow truck, I had dozens of text messages from my boss and coworkers. They seemed to be collectively reprimanding me for not calling in to the morning meeting while standing on the side of the road next to my wrecked car. To this day, my favorite text is: “You’re really harming the group dynamic.”

As I scrolled through the messages, my chest tightened and I began to feel lightheaded. I knew I needed to regroup, so I walked over to the nearest strip mall parking lot and called a taxi. A few moments later, the cab... Read More