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Vassia Sar, Schipholweg 103, Leiden (2025)

20/11/2025

We love perfectionism because it feels like a strength.
It helps us excel, improve, grow, and produce beautiful work.
But there is a paradox inside it.

𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗺 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗽𝘂𝘀𝗵 𝘂𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱.
𝗜𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱𝘀 𝘂𝘀 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸.

It keeps us revising, tweaking, fixing tiny details that do not matter.
It keeps us hiding behind “almost ready.”
It keeps us chasing a standard that no one will ever reach.

And slowly, it becomes a shield 🛡️.
A way to avoid risk.
A way to avoid judgment.
A way to avoid being seen before we feel flawless.

I once worked with a client whose product launch was delayed for more than 18 months.
Not because it was not ready.
But because she was afraid it would not be perfect.

𝗦𝗼 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝗸𝗲𝗽𝘁 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴.
𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗺 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗼𝘅.

It looks like ambition.
But it quietly avoids your real potential.

If this resonates, you are not alone.
💙 Perfectionism can be healed.
And your work has value long before it is perfect.

With bravery and vulnerability,
Vassia Sarantopoulou
Head Psychologist - Founder of
AntiLoneliness and The Therapy Business Circle
Specialised in Recovering from Burnout & Healing the Wound

12/11/2025

Have you been canceling plans lately?
Avoiding friends?
Feeling like socializing is “just too much”?

You might wonder if you’re becoming antisocial - or even turning into a hermit.
But what if it’s not your personality that changed…
What if it’s 𝗯𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗼𝘂𝘁?

When your system is in survival mode, your brain starts to conserve energy.
It labels everything non-essential, even joy and connection, as “too expensive.”
So it quietly removes them from your life.

You’re not pushing people away because you don’t care.
You’re protecting yourself from one more demand on an already depleted system.
So please… don’t shame yourself for needing space.

You’re not broken, and you’re not antisocial.
You’re just tired.

Start small: a short message to a friend, a low-pressure coffee, or even a smile exchange with someone safe.
Connection doesn’t need to be big to be healing.

🩵 Burnout doesn’t make you bad at relationships; it just makes your brain tired of surviving.

➡️ Download my free guide with the hidden burnout symptoms here: https://vassiasar.kit.com/burnout-symptoms

With bravery and vulnerability,
Vassia Sarantopoulou
Head Psychologist - Founder of AntiLoneliness and The Therapy Business Circle
Specialised in Recovering from Burnout & Healing the Wound

05/11/2025

You might think you’re recovering from burnout - but without realizing it, you might be keeping it alive.
After years of supporting professionals through burnout, I’ve noticed three common traps that quietly make it worse.
If you recognize yourself in any of them, please know - you’re not alone. These patterns are human, not personal failings.

🔹 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗽 𝟭: 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘇𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝘆𝗺𝗽𝘁𝗼𝗺𝘀
You feel tired, but you blame the weather.
You’re overwhelmed, but you tell yourself it’s just a busy week.
You think, “It’ll pass after a weekend away.”
We minimize because we want to stay strong.
But denial doesn’t protect us.
When you downplay your exhaustion, your body has to scream louder to be heard.

🔹 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗽 𝟮: 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀
You think: “If I just finish everything, I’ll finally relax.”
So you push harder, hoping completion will bring peace.
But stress doesn’t live in your to-do list — it lives in your nervous system.
Your body stays in fight-or-flight, even after you’ve “caught up.”
Rest is not a reward for finishing.
It’s the medicine that makes finishing possible.

🔹 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗽 𝟯: 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗶𝘁
We avoid opening up — at work, at home, even with people we love.
We think silence saves energy. But suppression costs energy.
It takes effort to hold it all in.
Talking about your stress isn’t weakness. It’s relief.
Every time you name what you feel, your nervous system relaxes a little more.

So, which of these traps have you fallen into recently?
For most of us - it’s all three at some point.
Burnout isn’t a personal failure. It’s a signal.
And when we learn to listen instead of minimize, push, or hide, we begin to heal.

🩵 Be gentle with yourself. Healing doesn’t start with doing more — it starts with doing differently.

➡️ 𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗺𝘆 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗴𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗶𝗱𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗯𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘀𝘆𝗺𝗽𝘁𝗼𝗺𝘀 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲: https://vassiasar.kit.com/burnout-symptoms

With bravery and vulnerability,
Vassia Sarantopoulou
Head Psychologist - Founder of
AntiLoneliness and The Therapy Business Circle
Specialised in Recovering from Burnout & Healing the Wound

31/10/2025

I’ve worked with hundreds of high-achievers who didn’t realize they were burned out…
…until they were completely depleted.

They all had something in common:
They were minimizing, overworking, and staying silent.
And not because they didn’t care about their wellbeing.

But because they’d learned to be strong.
Strong for the team.
Strong for their families.
Strong for their clients.

They told themselves:
💬 “It’s just temporary.”
💬 “I just need a break.”
💬 “I can handle it.”

𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗵:
𝗕𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗽𝘀𝗲.
𝗜𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳.

When you dismiss your symptoms, your body compensates. Until it can’t.
When you “work through the stress,” your brain stays in fight-or-flight.
When you don’t talk about it, your emotions go underground and drain you even more.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆.
You spend more trying to hide your pain than you would if you shared it.

✨ 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗱:
Take every small signal seriously. Fatigue is information.
Stop treating stress with more work; treat it with rest.
Speak. Even a small conversation with someone safe brings relief.

You don’t have to earn your rest.
You don’t have to prove you’re strong.
You just have to start listening - before your body forces you to stop.

➡️ Download my free guide with the hidden burnout symptoms here: https://vassiasar.kit.com/burnout-symptoms

With bravery and vulnerability,
Vassia Sarantopoulou
Head Psychologist - Founder of
AntiLoneliness and The Therapy Business Circle
Specialised in Recovering from Burnout & Healing the Wound

23/10/2025

You’re drained at the end of the day - but if you look back, you didn’t even do that much.
You answered some emails, sat in meetings, scrolled a bit.
And somehow, you’re completely wiped out.
So what is it? Burnout?
Or something else that no one talks about - boreout?

I recently spoke with a client, let’s call her Sophie
She was convinced she was burned out: exhausted, foggy, unmotivated.
But when we looked closer, she wasn’t overwhelmed.
She was underwhelmed.

Her role had changed. Less challenge, more admin, no spark.
She wasn’t drowning in work - she was starving for meaning.
Our brain doesn’t only get tired from doing too much.
It also gets tired from doing too little of what matters.
It needs challenge, focus, novelty - stimulation.
Without it, we lose dopamine, motivation, joy.

That’s why burnout and boreout can look the same on the surface:
😞 Low energy
🧠 Brain fog
💭 Dread or disconnection
But the cause is different - and so is the way out.

Burnout happens when your system is flooded with stress.
Too many demands, not enough recovery.
You feel wired and tired. You can’t stop. You feel guilty for resting.
Your worth feels tied to productivity.

Boreout happens when your system is starved for purpose.
You feel flat and unmotivated.
You procrastinate, feel ashamed for wasting time, and crave something meaningful — but don’t know what that is.

The question to ask yourself is simple:
“Am I exhausted from too much… or from nothing that excites me?”

And whichever it is - burnout or boreout - please remember:
You are not lazy. You are not broken.
You are simply out of alignment.

✨ If it’s burnout → rest before you’ve earned it, say no without guilt, stop proving your worth through productivity.
✨ If it’s boreout → add small challenges, learn something new, create, stretch, reawaken curiosity.

Both paths lead to the same place: coming back home to yourself.

➡️ Download my free guide with the hidden burnout symptoms here: https://vassiasar.kit.com/burnout-symptoms

With bravery and vulnerability,
Vassia Sarantopoulou
Head Psychologist - Founder of AntiLoneliness and
Specialised in Recovering from Burnout & Healing the Wound

22/10/2025

I just finished it. And I'm in shock...
..To realise how and might wear different clothes, but deep down they share the same wound:
"I'm not enough unless I'm needed."

I, like millions of women, used to believe my worth depended on how useful, compassionate, or understanding I was.
No wonder why I was running on empty every now and then... 🪫hashtag

But what actually happens is that we feel we will be accepted based on how many of our own feelings and needs we abandon on a daily basis in order to focus on others.

And there is a point in our life that we clearly see that it was just our way of securing acceptance.

How perfectionism and codependency run parallel?

1. The illusion of control ⚖️

When we feel unworthy, control becomes our safety net.
Perfectionists (want to) control outcomes.
Codependents (want to) control emotions, other people’s emotions.
Both are ways of protecting ourselves from rejection and unpredictability.

2. The distraction from our own pain 🎭

Fixing others keeps us busy.
So busy that we don’t have to feel our own pain, fear, or loneliness.
It feels noble to help, to rescue, to be the strong one.
But often, it’s just a sophisticated way of running away from what hurts inside.

3. The conditional self-worth 🔒

We only feel worthy when others approve, appreciate, or admire us.
When they don’t, we collapse; our sense of worth crumbles.
Because our sense of worth was never rooted within, but in how well we could perform "love", "success", "productivity", "unconditional care".

4. Acceptance vs. performance 🎯

We think, “If I do everything right, they won’t leave.”
We keep auditioning for a place in other people's lives through our perfection, our kindness, our usefulness, our hashtag .

In reality, though, it's "If they need me so much that they depend on me and I'm irreplaceable, they won't be able to leave me".

But in the process, we leave ourselves.

I promised to myself that I will read this book again.
And again, if needed.

Next on my nightstand: Codependent No More.
We’ve learned love wrong.
Boundaries wrong.
Kindness wrong.
It’s time to begin again.

❓QUESTION FOR YOU
Who are you still trying to “fix,” hoping that when they change, you’ll finally feel peace or acceptance?

Maybe the invitation isn’t to fix them, but to meet the parts of yourself that never felt safe to just be.

Stay tuned for more insights on Breaking Free from Perfectionism and Burnout. 🧡

With warmth,

Vassia Sarantopoulou
Head Psychologist - Founder of AntiLoneliness and The Therapy Business Circle
Specialised in Recovering from Burnout & Healing the Perfectionism Wound

21/10/2025

Two weeks ago, I had the honour to join the panel of Designing Your Life 1-year Anniversary and share my reflections about about how this workshop has facilitated my own... redesign.

To be honest, I have found myself in the midst of redesigning my life many times: personal, professional, career, relationships, values, hobbies - you name it.

And as a recovering perfectionist, I know very well the polarity in that kind of thinking:

Either we are doing something completely right...
Or completely wrong.

All-or-nothing thinking.
Black or White.
No grey zone.

So when I joined the workshop, I was carrying the illusion that I'd finally find a definite answer about my life.
That, after that, I'd have to take drastic measures and start over.

However...
The surprise came through one simple sentence that I heard over and over during the workshop:

"There is no perfect life; only many beautiful ones"
🧡
What a relief that was!

The world is not here to judge my life.
I don't need to radically change it.
Contrariwise, I can have a life with parts that need change AND parts that already feel like my dream life - without one cancelling the other.

💭For all the perfectionists out there:
-How would it be if you didn't completely reject the life you have now, but simply added more colour to it?

-If you dislike your job, avoid saying "I hate my life".
Instead, allow yourself to recognise the things you already love in your life and at the same time allow some space for these you don't, without one erasing the other.

-If you are not ready to quit, just experiment for 1-2 hours a week with something that excites you: a hobby, an activity, an idea.

You will be amazed by what happens when we are not looking for definite, certain answers, but for just an open door to try the next step.

Warmly,

Vassia Sarantopoulou
Head Psychologist - Founder of AntiLoneliness
Specialised in Burnout Recovery and Healing the Perfectionism Wound

✔️

21/10/2025

✨ Exciting news! ✨

I’m thrilled to share that I’ve officially joined Insight Timer as a teacher, one of the world’s largest platforms for and .

My first two tracks are now live 🎧

🟡 Breaking Free From Comparison And Finding Self-Worth

🟡 From Inner Critic To Inner Supporter: A Gentle Practice

Both are close to my heart.

Why?

Because they speak to the , overthinkers, and self-critics among us who are learning to replace pressure with compassion and rediscover their worth beyond achievement.

You can listen to both talks for free on the Insight Timer app (no premium account needed).

If you’re already there, follow me so we can continue this journey together. 💛

👉 https://lnkd.in/eZ2CsZtH

With warmth and compassion,

Vassia Sarantopoulou

Head Psychologist - Founder of AntiLoneliness and The Therapy Business Circle Circle

Specialised in Recovering from Burnout & Healing the Wound

17/10/2025

Do you know that feeling when you finally sit down after a long, productive day,
and yet - something still feels unfinished?

The to-do list is complete.
The inbox is cleared.
You’ve been “on” all day.

And still, there’s a quiet pressure inside that says: *You didn’t do enough.*
I know that feeling too well.
In my past, I could be incredibly productive - yet never at peace.

And the truth is: it wasn’t about my tasks. It was about my worth.
For many of us, productivity became the proof that we are valuable.
We learned it early.
Growing up, we were praised for being helpful, responsible, smart, high-achieving -
but not for being joyful, creative, silly, or kind.
And so, we began to chase praise instead of peace.

What nobody told us is that this pattern wires our nervous system to feel *unsafe* in stillness.
So even when we rest, our mind keeps running.
We’re not lazy - we’re simply not used to calm.

This is what I call the 𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗹:
That voice whispering, “Just one more thing - then you can rest.”
But the finish line never comes, does it?

The shift starts when you recognize that voice.
Name it. Talk to it.
For me, it helps to literally say: “Ah, there you are again - the treadmill.”

Because once we name it, we can tame it.
We can step off, even if only for a few minutes.

✨ Your worth is not in how much you do.
✨ You are allowed to rest before you’ve earned it.
✨ You can be proud of being, not just doing.

Remember: 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘦 - 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘵.

16/10/2025

I asked ChatGPT to take a photo of me now and a photo of me when I was 6 and to make a new image of me hugging the young version of me.

And this is what it created. 🥲

For years, I was disconnected from this little girl inside me.

Like a "true" , I would focus on getting the job done, achieve, do more, push more, study more, focus on my responsibilities, goals and duties, and show up as strong and resistant.

But what about that little girl?

The one who was sensitive, playful, curious, but also scared.

To be honest, she was a really funny and carefree girl.

And she loved getting lost in her favourite books and stories. 📔

That girl...
..I silenced her whenever she felt tired or overwhelmed.

I thought pushing harder would make me feel worthy.

It didn’t.

It just made me more exhausted and disconnected.

It brought me one step closer to .

In my work as a , Inner Child work is often the turning point for my clients.

And in case this sounds too "woowoo" or "touchy-feely" for you, let me explain what we mean by the term in :

When therapists talk about the inner child, we don’t mean something mystical or imaginary.

We mean the part of you that learned early on how to survive
..the one who figured out that being quiet, perfect, helpful, or strong was the way to be loved and safe.
..the one who held all the vulnerable emotions: sadness, loneliness, fear, etc
..the one who knew what you really needed: acceptance, belonging, protection, safety, connection, etc

That part still lives in you. 🧡

It shows up when you feel small and after criticism, when you crave approval, when you feel , or when you push yourself to exhaustion just to prove your worth.

It’s not childish.

It’s human. 🫂

Inner child work is simply the process of listening to that younger part of you instead of silencing it.

😁And that's why it makes me super happy to see my clients finally meet that child inside them.

It's the moment they start enjoying life.🏃🏻‍♀️‍➡️🤸🏻

Or feeling ok with "being silly", as one of my high-achiever client told me the other day.

It's the moment they stop fighting themselves.

They release themselves from the hook of , pressure and overwhelm.

It's the moment they experience pride, not from doing more, but from being more themselves.

It's the moment of reconnecting who with they really are, and that's the biggest achievements of all.

True word, coming from a recovering perfectionist. 😉

If you’re ready to stop fighting with yourself, and start healing from , anxiety, burnout, or that heavy “never good enough” feeling...

just stay tuned.

I’ll be sharing more tools and insights on how to find peace, joy and balance again. 💛

Warmly,

Vassia Sarantopoulou

Head Psychologist - Founder of AntiLoneliness and The Therapy Business Circle

Specialised in Recovering from Burnout & Healing the Wound

06/10/2025

❓“Is the idea of just a sanitised form of self-abuse?”

❓“What’s an ugly truth about reinvention?”

❓“How important is it to learn to say no and set boundaries when recovering from ?”

❓“What habits can help me find my True Self?”

These were some of the powerful questions the audience asked me last week during the incredible Ventures event “Life as a Woman” where I participated as one of the panelists.

I loved every minute of it! 💛

Because all of us (panel, facilitators, moderators, and audience) slowly transitioned into a space of raw authenticity and safe vulnerability.

There were no masks and no one was pretending perfection.

We shared stories of change, identity, burnout, and bravery with honesty and respect.

For a moment, it truly felt like we were all in an emotional group hug. 🫂

I’m keeping one of these questions here because it deserves its own spotlight:

💬 “What’s an ugly truth about reinvention?”

Here’s mine:

Reinvention isn’t as glamorous as it sounds.

It’s lonely at times.

It’s confronting.

It brings grief; grief for the old patterns we’re leaving behind, and for the years we spent disconnected from our true self.

It’s full of moments when you doubt everything and yet keep going anyway.

It has happened to all of us and it will happen again many times throughout our lives.

But it’s also liberating.

It’s the path back home to yourself.

It's NOT about becoming someone new, but about REMEMBERING who you always were and what always mattered for you, and reconnecting with that part.

And yes, it’s totally worth it. 🌱

If you want to read more about this magical evening, check out the Female Ventures' blog article here: https://femaleventures.nl/life-as-a-woman-the-art-of-reinvention/

🙏🏻A heartfelt thank you to Ana Maria Mitrofan for organising this event on behalf of Female Ventures, Nuthan Manohar for her beautiful facilitation, and my fellow panelists Tessa de Flines and Karla Calinawan for the inspiring conversation.

😁And of course, I am full with gratitude for the vibrant audience who brought such thoughtful questions — and my dear friends and colleagues Velina Veleva, Dagmar Hopf, and Alexandra Ciuca-Verweij for being there and cheering me on.

It was truly a night to remember. 💫

Warmly,

Vassia Sarantopoulou

Head Psychologist - Founder of AntiLoneliness and The Therapy Business Circle

Specialised in Recovering from Burnout & Healing the Wound

02/10/2025

"The Dalai Lama said that if every 8-year-old was taught , there will be no war in the next generation, but we can start with any age and increase the possibility of both inner and outer peace in the world."

😁 I'm so happy to have completed this introductory course on becoming a Mindfulness Teacher, through Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield's Radical Compassion Institute.

Mindfulness has always been a core part of my work, especially when supporting people struggling with , , .

🧠 After years spent on overworking, overthinking, overworrying, the chronically overwhelmed brain is desperate for deep rest, the kind of rest that only mindfulness can truly bring.

That's why in my first sessions we focus purely on restoring the brain and body, gently reversing the negative impact of stress and making space for peace, joy, and balance again.

😇 My clients often tell me they already feel calmer and less foggy after just one session, especially when practicing the simple, practical mindfulness exercises I share with them for in-between sessions.

And I make sure to keep these practices stress-free, because my clients already carry enough pressure.
The last thing they need is one more reason to feel like they're "failing" when practicing mindfulness.

I am excited to keep expanding my Mindfulness training even further;
there is always more to learn, and more ways to bring this gentle yet powerful practice to those who need it most.

Warmly,

Vassia Sarantopoulou
Head Psychologist - Founder of AntiLoneliness and The Therapy Business Circle
Specialised in Recovering from Burnout & Healing the Wound

Vassia Sar

20/11/2025

12/11/2025

05/11/2025

31/10/2025

23/10/2025

22/10/2025

21/10/2025

21/10/2025

17/10/2025

16/10/2025

06/10/2025

02/10/2025

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Dinsdag	10:00 - 21:00
Woensdag	10:00 - 21:00
Donderdag	10:00 - 21:00
Vrijdag	10:00 - 18:00
Zaterdag	11:00 - 16:00
Zondag	16:00 - 21:00