What If You’re Simply Out of Alignment?
What if the exhaustion you’re feeling isn’t because you’re broken?
What if the stress that’s knotting your shoulders, the burnout that’s making it hard to get out of bed, or the constant dysregulation of your nervous system isn’t a flaw in you—but a sign that your work, your environment, or your life is out of alignment?
So often, when we feel drained, overwhelmed, or out of sync, we assume we are the problem. Maybe we need to be tougher. Maybe we should hustle harder. Maybe we’re just not cut out for this.
But here’s another possibility: what if there’s nothing wrong with you?
What if your body, your intuition, and your nervous system are simply screaming the truth: This isn’t the right place for you. These aren’t your people. This isn’t your path.
Many of us are living out misaligned stories, working in careers that quietly violate our values, sticking with organizations that reward burnout, or tolerating toxic environments because we’ve normalized the grind. Or worse, because we are afraid of choosing different. The cost? Our health, our happiness, and our peace.
Alignment Is Like a Chiropractic Adjustment
Think of alignment like the spine in your body. When a vertebra is out of place, it causes pain, tension, and restriction—not because the spine is defective, but because it needs to be realigned. The same is true with your work and life. If your job, your relationships, or your environment are out of alignment with your values, it creates chronic tension; not just physically, but mentally and emotionally. You can try to push through, but without adjustment, the discomfort persists. Realignment brings relief, clarity, and flow back into your system, just like a chiropractic adjustment restores mobility and reduces pain.
Three Signs You’re Out of Alignment
- Chronic Inner Conflict
You constantly feel stressed and uneasy. You might be doing work that pays the bills but compromises your values. Maybe you’re following orders that don’t sit right with your ethics. The result? A low-grade anxiety that never fully goes away—a hum of inner tension that tells you something is off.
- Exhaustion That Rest Doesn’t Fix
When you’re simply overworked, a good vacation or a weekend off can help you reset. But when you’re out of alignment, no amount of rest seems to help. You come back just as drained because the problem isn’t the hours, it’s the misfit between your soul and your surroundings.
- Nervous System Overdrive
You’re stuck in a constant state of fight, flight, or freeze. You dread emails, meetings trigger panic, or your body stays on high alert even when you’re technically “off the clock.” Your nervous system is trying to protect you from something it perceives as unsafe—whether that’s chronic stress, a toxic boss, or simply not being where you belong.
I’ve helped clients identify what is out of alignment and gain clarity on what they really want. With that clarity, we work on creating goals and plans to get there. Sometimes that means leaving the job or company they are in. Sometimes that means finding new things that light them up. Every time, it means prioritizing their peace and trusting their physical and mental instincts about what good feels like when they are honoring their values.
Five Practical Ways to Realign with Your Values and Regain Your Peace
- Reconnect with Your Core Values
When we’re overwhelmed or burned out, it’s easy to lose sight of what really matters. Start by revisiting your core values. What do you care deeply about? What do you stand for? Write them down. Seeing your values in black and white can quickly clarify whether your current work or environment supports or erodes them.
Action Step: Write a list of your top five non-negotiable values (here’s a list if you need ideas). For each, rate on a scale of 1-10 how well your current work honors that value. Anything under a 7 deserves attention.
- Audit Your Environment
Is your workplace toxic? Are you constantly surrounded by negativity, unrealistic demands, or leadership that contradicts your integrity? Sometimes it’s not about “fixing” yourself—it’s about recognizing that you’re trying to thrive in poisoned soil.
Action Step: Assess whether the culture, leadership, and expectations of your workplace align with who you are and what you value. Do you feel energized by your corworkers or do they leave make you want to scream? If you aren’t excited by the work you get to do, start exploring shifts, whether that’s changing teams, setting firmer boundaries, or preparing an exit strategy.
- Nourish Your Nervous System
Chronic misalignment leaves your nervous system in overdrive. Incorporate small, frequent practices that bring you back to regulation—things like breathwork, grounding, stretching, or short walks in nature. These don’t just help you “cope”, they help you remember what calm feels like.
Action Step: Schedule three daily “nervous system resets”—even just 2-5 minutes each. Breathwork (I like the 4-7-8 method), stepping outside for some fresh air, or gentle movement like a walk or stretching can begin to pull you out of chronic fight or flight.
- Start Having Honest Conversations
Sometimes we stay stuck because we don’t speak up. We pretend everything’s fine because we’re afraid of rocking the boat. But honest conversations with managers, colleagues, or mentors can open doors to changes you didn’t realize were possible. And if nothing changes? You’ll gain clarity that it’s time to move on.
Action Step: Choose one person you can have a real conversation with this week. Whether it’s about misaligned expectations, toxic dynamics, or your desire to work in a way that feels more sustainable, just make the first move.
- Give Yourself Permission to Leave
It’s easy to feel trapped in jobs or environments that aren’t working because we’ve invested so much time or because we fear uncertainty. But staying in misalignment can cost you far more in the long run. You deserve to be in places that nourish your growth and honor your integrity.
Action Step: Explore your options. Update your resume. Network. Even considering leaving can help you reclaim a sense of agency and peace.
The Bottom Line: You’re Not Broken, You Just Need an Adjustment
Your burnout, your stress, your dysregulation—these are not character flaws. They are signs. They are your body’s way of whispering (or maybe shouting) that something isn’t right.
What if you listened? What if there’s nothing wrong with you?
What if you’re simply out of place—and what you need isn’t fixing, but realignment.
Your peace is possible. And you don’t have to earn it by sacrificing yourself.
You can choose starting today.
If you’re ready to get curious about your own misalignments and find your way back to integrity, energy, and peace—this is the work I do. My coaching services can help you navigate this journey. Together, we can uncover where you’ve been out of alignment and map a path toward work and life that actually fit you.
👉 Reach out if you’re ready to explore what’s next. You’re not broken. You’re simply ready for your next adjustment.
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And if you are too burned out and overwhelmed to even begin to use any of these strategies it might be time to get some help. Find a coach, therapist, or doctor who can help you reverse out of the physical, mental, and emotional symptoms of burnout so you can get back to living the life you love.
Remember, Self-care isn’t selfish…it’s required!
Yvonne Lee-Hawkins, IPHM, is a holistic Leadership and Wellness coach, stress strategist, and writer, who spent 20 years in corporate and leadership functions while also being a wife and mom to three amazing kids. You can find out more on her website, or follow her on Instagram, LinkedIn, or Medium. If you want some help beating burnout and all that comes with it, schedule a call here.
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