2 days ago
London was making me sick, I was plagued with deep fatigue, anxiety and stress - so I escaped to the countryside and realised you don't have to sacrifice your health to have a career
At 35, Isabella had ticked all the so-called 'success' boxes, a high-flying job, London flat, and a diary packed with Zoom calls and deadlines - but behind the scene her health was crumbling.
Isabella Pastore, who is originally from Brazil, moved to London for work in 2018 and within four years the Sustainability Certification Manager, who settled in Crystal Palace, developed crippling anxiety and was plagued by health problems.
But when the warning signs refused to go away, even after she tried to 'rest', Isabella, who was living with her long term partner, realised she wasn't just tired-she was burnt out from the London rat race.
Despite working remotely and only needing to commute to the office once a week, she revealed the 'mental load was exhausting'.
She revealed the 'constant noise' and 'expensive living' in the capital added to her daily stress levels and she found it impossible to switch off.
Experiencing 'deep fatigue' and constant bloating, Isabella knew something had to change as the classic signs of burnout were not getting any better.
Speaking exclusively to the Daily Mail, she said: 'At first, I thought it was just 'busy season stress' or maybe a bad diet. It wasn't until the symptoms didn't go away - even after trying to rest - that I realised this was something deeper.
'It was very much life in the fast lane. I'd be on back-to-back calls, managing different clients, juggling deadlines, and glued to my screen all day.
'Even though my role as a Sustainability Certification Manager isn't physically demanding, the mental load was exhausting.
'London itself added to the pressure, constant noise, expensive living, and the sense you can never really switch off.
'I started experiencing deep fatigue, anxiety, and uncomfortable bloating on a regular basis. It became my 'normal,' but looking back, those were classic signs of burnout creeping in.
'Even working from home, I'd barely move from my desk. I was drinking three or four coffees a day just to keep going, which I later found out was likely adding to my anxiety.
'And because I still had to go into the office once a week, I never fully escaped the London commute stress.'
Isabella decided to try an at-home health test to try and get to the bottom of her health issues and she was surprised by the results.
She explained: 'I decided to try MyHealthChecked at-home blood testing because I knew something wasn't right inside my body, but I didn't want to wait months for answers.
'The results were eye-opening - deficiencies in vitamin D and iron, plus a lactose intolerance I'd always suspected but never confirmed.'
She revealed the 'constant noise' and 'expensive living' in the capital added to her daily stress levels and she found it impossible to switch off
She realised that she couldn't continue this way and started exploring ways to reset by moving out of London.
She said: 'By the end of last year, I'd come home each day completely drained, even though I was working remotely most of the time.
'One evening, I just sat there and thought, 'I can't do another year of this.' That's when I started exploring ways to reset and moving out of London became a real option.'
Isabella's escape plan took her 50 miles northeast, to the quiet village of Felsted in rural Essex a world away from the relentless pace of London.
She said: 'Felsted, in rural Essex, offered exactly what I was craving, green space, fresh air, and the chance to slow down.'
The move gave her a chance to slow down but it was also close enough to London for work.
'The first thing I noticed was my sleep improving. I was also going for walks every day, which lifted my mood. The bloating started to ease, and I didn't feel like I needed caffeine to survive the workday', she added.
'At first, I found it hard to switch off mentally - I was so used to rushing. It took a while to stop feeling guilty for not being 'productive' every second.
'For me, leaving was essential. I needed physical distance from that environment to break the cycle.
'Now my mornings start with a walk instead of a commute. I work remotely in a calmer setting, eat meals that actually fuel me, and I've cut my coffee intake to one cup.
'Evenings are about cooking, reading, or seeing friends instead of collapsing in front of the TV exhausted.'
A recent report indicates that over one million people under the age of 35 have moved out of London since 2014, according to a study cited by Onrec.
The study found this is largely attributed to the high cost of living, particularly the rising cost of housing, and the desire for a better quality of life outside of the city.
Isabella added: 'I think more people are realising that you don't have to sacrifice your health to have a career - you can redefine success on your own terms.
'Listen to your body, and don't dismiss physical symptoms as 'just stress.' Getting clarity with something like MyHealthChecked's tests can give you the answers you need to make real changes. And sometimes, you have to change your environment to change your health.'
