In recent years, layoffs have become an uncomfortable reality across industries, particularly in the technology sector where rapid hiring has often been followed by equally rapid workforce reductions. While losing a job is usually seen as a setback, some professionals have found that being forced to pause has led them to rethink their priorities. One woman recently shared how a layoff from the tech job she had spent years pursuing ultimately helped her recover from burnout and rebuild her life on healthier terms.Writing in a first-person account for Business Insider, the woman said she spent most of her 20s trying to break into the technology industry. Although she enjoyed her work in higher education and believed in its mission, she was drawn to the idea of building products that could influence how people learn and live.She described tech as a place that offered faster-paced work, bigger challenges and an opportunity to prove herself in a field often viewed as difficult to enter. Despite repeated rejections, she continued pushing toward that goal and believed that once she landed the right role, she would stay in it for the long term.When she finally secured a tech job, she said it felt like validation after years of effort. Looking back, however, she realized she had entered that role at a time when other pressures in her life were already becoming overwhelming.Burnout Began to Take a Physical TollAccording to her account, she started the new position while also completing her MBA. From the outside, it appeared she was moving forward professionally, but she said the reality was far different.Her days were spent learning a new industry while evenings were filled with assignments and deadlines. She convinced herself she could manage everything at once, but her health started showing signs of strain.She recalled that her hair began falling out, she constantly felt exhausted regardless of how much she slept, and she experienced persistent tightness in her chest. At the time, she dismissed those symptoms as temporary stress and viewed them as the cost of achieving her ambitions.A Difficult Choice Changed Her DirectionThe turning point came when her manager informed her that the company was restructuring and that her role was at risk. She was given a choice between accepting a layoff package or remaining with the company.She said staying did not feel like a realistic option because she had already recognized that the workload and environment were unsustainable while she was trying to finish her degree.The moment forced her to confront a difficult question she had avoided for months: whether the career path she had worked so hard to reach was actually the one she wanted.Finding Relief After the LayoffAlthough accepting the layoff package initially felt like watching her dream disappear, she said the experience soon brought something unexpected — space to rest.For the first time in years, she allowed herself to slow down without feeling guilty. She said her health gradually improved, her hair stopped falling out, her energy returned and she began reconnecting with parts of herself that had been neglected during years of relentless career pursuit.The break also changed how she approached work. Rather than returning to a traditional full-time role, she began taking on projects that aligned more closely with her values and created a schedule that prioritized her well-being.Reflecting on the experience, she wrote that she eventually realized she did not need to sacrifice her health in order to build a meaningful career. The layoff, while painful, gave her the chance to rethink success and understand that careers can evolve over time rather than follow a single fixed path.Layoffs Continue to Rise as AI Reshapes the WorkplaceHer story comes at a time when layoffs remain a major concern, particularly in the technology industry. According to data from outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, artificial intelligence has become the leading reason cited for job cuts in the United States this year.The firm reported that employers announced more than 97,000 job cuts in May 2026, the highest May total since the early months of the Covid-19 pandemic. AI-related layoffs accounted for nearly 40% of announced job cuts during the month, with 38,579 positions linked to automation alone.The technology sector recorded the largest share of workforce reductions. US-based tech companies announced 38,242 job cuts in May, while year-to-date layoffs in the sector rose 66% to around 123,000 positions.The growing role of AI in the labour market has also sparked debate among industry leaders. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei recently warned that artificial intelligence could significantly reshape employment and eventually force policymakers to support worker retraining and mobility programs. He argued that the scale of change could become so large that traditional political divisions may give way to practical solutions for affected workers.At the same time, other technology leaders have questioned the most severe predictions about AI-driven job losses, arguing that human creativity and adaptability will continue to play an important role in the workforce.