I landed my dream job, and everything looked perfect, but on the inside, I was really struggling. Moving to a remote Scottish island helped me heal.

• Mel Macintyre landed her dream occupation astatine a finance institution successful Edinburgh successful her 30s.
• She became burned out, and her firm manner of "work hard, statement hard" made her ill.
• Macintyre near nan metropolis and lives connected an land successful Scotland, wherever she's much connected to nature.

This as-told-to effort is based connected a transcribed speech pinch Mel Macintyre, a business and life coach surviving successful Eriskay successful nan Outer Hebrides, Scotland. It has been edited for magnitude and clarity.

I've been a business coach for 25 years and climbed nan firm profession ladder successful a typical, eager way.

I began my profession astatine HSBC erstwhile I was 20 and went connected to activity pinch section and cardinal governments and past arsenic a senior leader successful financial services.

I was very driven, and successful 2011, I joined nan Edinburgh-based institution Standard Life for what I thought was my dream job: caput of learning and improvement for nan UK and Europe, which came pinch a important salary.

On nan outside, everything looked perfect. I was ticking each nan boxes of nan life I thought I wanted.

But connected nan inside, I was struggling. I had this real, palpable emotion that I needed to do much and make a bigger difference. My activity revolved astir getting nan champion retired of people, but only to thief a institution succeed.

I struggled pinch emotion inauthentic and for illustration I had to put a disguise connected astatine activity each day. The firm world didn't lucifer my values, and I felt constrained.

I suffered a breakdown

In 2014, a cleanable large wind was gathering: I was 36 pinch chronic IBS and a suspected tummy ulcer; my dada was diagnosed pinch cancer; and I was struggling pinch my intelligence wellness and depressive anxiety.

On reflection, my coping mechanisms were unhealthy: I was surgery from years of a "work hard, play hard" lifestyle. I wasn't eating good aliases exercising, and I was drinking excessively much.

The measurement I was surviving my life was fundamentally making maine ill, but I didn't want to fto group down.

I ended up having a breakdown. I'd aftermath up not knowing really I would get done nan day. I was miserable. Something had to give.

One day, I was taking my dada to nan infirmary to get half a lung removed. I planned to spell to activity aft I dropped him off, but nan sound successful my caput said: "No, springiness yourself astatine slightest a time off." After that pause, things unraveled very quickly.

In nan summertime of 2014, location were redundancy processes taking spot astatine work. They wanted maine to recreate my role, but aft a speech pinch my manager, we agreed I should leave.

I had 1 of those car clang moments that led maine to locomotion distant from nan life that I'd built.

I near my firm job, gave up my flat, and utilized my savings to return a twelvemonth retired to travel. I had nary scheme different than to inquire myself: "Who americium I, and why americium I really here?"

After 5 months, I came backmost excited to commencement my ain coaching business and thief business leaders who were disillusioned and wanted to find a much sustainable measurement to succeed.

I invested my savings into starting nan business. It was registered successful May 2015, and I made it location-independent because I emotion to travel.

Stepping disconnected nan firm hamster instrumentality and moving to nan Outer Hebrides

Before my dada died, I had bought a location pinch him connected Eriskay, an land wherever he grew up successful nan Outer Hebrides successful Scotland.

When I near my firm job, I knew I had Eriskay to return to if needed, but I thought of it arsenic a vacation home. At nan time, my partner was moving his campervan business and we were surviving betwixt Ayrshire, wherever he is from, and Eriskay during nan summertime months.

After having a babe successful 2018, we decided to put our roots down and move permanently to Eriskay. It was a awesome spot to raise our child. Since then, it's been a never-ending project. We're perpetually renovating to move it into our dream house.

In Eriskay, it's truthful overmuch easier to beryllium "me" arsenic I don't consciousness for illustration I'm spinning connected a hamster wheel.

The organization is astir 130 people, nan land has its ain breed of pony that lives wild, and location is simply a azygous pub. Friends driblet disconnected lobster for free erstwhile they've caught excessively much.

Generally, nan costs of groceries is higher because they person further to travel. But you walk little money present because there's thing to walk it connected — you don't fritter your money astatine section java shops.

I unrecorded much successful tune pinch quality and my individual goals connected Eriskay

I consciousness for illustration modern nine has go disconnected from nan onshore because truthful galore of america are successful nan rat title successful nan city.

In Eriskay, we spell hillwalking, paddleboarding, and kayaking. My partner has moreover learned really to spearfish. Two minutes from home, we person a formation wherever my boy gets connected and disconnected nan schoolhouse bus.

On a beautiful day, we tin locomotion consecutive onto nan sand.

My boy is getting a unsocial upbringing: We don't fastener our doors, he does each of his schooling speaking Gaelic, and he's truthful connected to nature. Eagles unrecorded astatine nan backmost of nan house, and owls stitchery astatine our windows.

It's not without challenges, specified arsenic nan upwind and carrier links.

Sometimes, I return to nan mainland to tally in-person events, but I do this connected my position and schedule. I bask visiting nan metropolis for a bully repast astatine a restaurant, but I cognize I will ne'er unrecorded location again.

My caller dream is to tally retreats present successful Eriskay for different leaders and besides section business women. I'm seeking backing from nan Scottish Government to create a Hebridean Women's Business Centre.

I get 1 chance astatine life, and I don't want to discarded it surviving to personification else's expectations. You person to ask, "What is it that I really want?" Then, uncover nan reply and perpetrate to a scheme to make it happen.