From Burnout to Breakthrough: Why I Left Education

The Illusion of Success

On paper, I had it all: the title, the office, the endless to-do list that never slept. By every outside measure, I was “successful”.

But here’s the truth: I was silently falling apart.

I was an elementary school principal leading with heart, vision, and deep commitment to my students and staff. I poured everything I had into a job that kept asking for more. Every day, I showed up for others—students, teachers, families.

It wasn’t just challenging. It was unsustainable.

Behind the polished title and the full calendar was a woman who was exhausted, overlooked, and slowly unraveling.

Let me paint the picture:

• 640 kids.
  
  

• 50 staff.
  
  

• 12 urgent emails before sunrise.
  
  

• And a copy machine that only worked when you whispered sweet nothings to it.
  
  

Daily, I ran, literally, through the halls after children in crisis. I made dozens of phone calls to parents explaining situations that were unexpected, emotional, and sometimes scary. Then I rushed home to a family that needed me to be a wife and mom.

And all the while, I was trying to heal from four surgeries in nine months. They were complications from breast reconstruction, my third attempt after a mastectomy and cancer treatment in 2017. I am seven years out and cancer-free, but as a survivor, the shadow of recurrence never really leaves.

I loved my school community with everything I had. But over time, “everything I had” became… everything.

What You Didn’t See

What you didn’t see were the 60+ hour work weeks. The marathon days stretched into 12+ hours, filled with meetings, paperwork, and expectations with almost zero support and even fewer resources.

I fought for more funding. I begged for more mental health support. I asked for help—over and over.

But the stress never shut off. I wasn’t sleeping. I wasn’t eating well. And somewhere along the line, I stopped laughing.

I told myself: “It’s just a season. Push through.”
But the season never changed.

There were days when my body and mind slammed on the brakes, and I found myself sitting in my car, mascara streaked down my cheeks, gripping the steering wheel like it was the only thing keeping me grounded.

Even that didn’t wake me up. I kept pushing. I knew something was going to give.

When Everything Broke

The breaking point came during what I can only call a full-blown mental breakdown.

I had ignored the warning signs too long.  Anxiety, fatigue, tears behind closed doors. My body, mind, and soul were screaming for something different.

After yet another denial of my request for support, I snapped.

Thank goodness for a true friend and coworker who saw the truth. She, along with a few others, urged me to seek real help. And this time, I listened.

That day, I walked into a psychiatric urgent care center. It was the first step toward healing.

The Turning Point and Choosing Me

For weeks, I attended outpatient care, five days a week, eight hours a day. Therapy was grueling and freeing all at once. Slowly, I began to understand how I got here…and how I could move forward.

For the first time, I chose me.

After many heart-to-heart conversations with my husband and close friends, I made the scariest and most liberating decision of my life, I walked away from education entirely.

I left the job, the title, the steady paycheck, and the stack of student behavior referrals. It was messy, it was painful, but in its own way, it was crazy beautiful.  It allowed me to step into something new: a chapter I could build around passion, creativity, joy, connection, and purpose.

Passion Meets Purpose

When I finally let go of the title and the endless to-do list, I had to ask myself: what lights me up, not just what keeps me busy?  And I landed here:

💎 Jewelry Design
Creativity heals. I’ve been making jewelry for nearly 20 years, but now it’s become both therapy and a gift I get to share. Each piece is designed to remind women they are strong, bold, and still shining, even after hard seasons.

After years of spreadsheets and district memos, I needed something that felt…pretty. Now, I get to create work that whispers: life is crazy beautiful, even when it’s messy.

✨ Real Estate
Homes are more than walls and windows. They’re the backdrop for memories, futures, and dreams.

I’ve gone from parent-teacher conferences to open houses and let me tell you, showing a kitchen with quartz countertops is far less likely to end in tears (usually)!

Now, I get to help people find spaces where their own crazy beautiful chapters unfold.

Where I’m At Today

I won’t sugarcoat it, this new season is both scary and humbling. I’m running two businesses, learning everything from scratch, and trying to keep a house semi-clean while raising four kids. And remembering to drink water before 3 p.m., which I struggle with daily!

But here’s the difference: I wake up most days excited. I feel like me again.

I traded burnout for balance.
Stress for sparkle.
And I’ve learned that sometimes, when life feels like it’s falling apart, it’s actually falling into place.

I’m creating again. I’m breathing. I’m resting, sometimes. And most of all, I’m listening to my own voice again.

If You’re There Too…

If you’re feeling stuck, unseen, or unsupported in your current chapter, please hear me:

You are allowed to pivot. You are allowed to choose yourself. You are allowed to rewrite your story.

That doesn’t always mean quitting your job. Sometimes it just means setting a boundary, time-blocking, or finding one small thing that brings you back to you. Everyone’s reset looks different.

But if you’re in the season where everything feels “too much”, I see you. I’ve been you. If any part of my story feels like yours, I made something to help you take your very first step out of the overwhelm:

👉 Download The Burnout Recovery Starter Kit for FREE

Inside, you’ll find calming rituals, journal prompts, and affirmations for the heavy days. It’s not a 10-step program. It’s just a spark. Sometimes that’s all you need to start again.

And if you’re struggling beyond what a mini reset can handle, please, seek professional help. It saved me.

Here’s to Fresh Starts

Whether you need a new home, a new necklace, or simply a reminder that you’re not alone, I’m here. Not just as an agent or an artist, but as someone who gets it.

Here’s to fresh starts, new energy, and building something crazy beautiful from the inside out.

Have you ever had a moment where you realized something had to give? I’d love to hear what your turning point was.  Comment below or email me!

With heart,
Gina Crews Middaugh
🏡 Realtor | 💎 Jewelry Designer | ✏️ Recovering Principal
Helping you find home—whether it’s where you live or who you’re becoming.