Episode 90: When Your Face Is On Fire, That's A Clue

Your body is not being dramatic. It is being honest. When Viktoria Levenberg’s high-achiever pace collided with family stress and old trauma, her body didn’t just feel “tired” it erupted into a severe skin rash that doctors could not clearly diagnose. That breakdown became the start of a burnout recovery path that blended holistic health, nervous system awareness, and a new definition of success that doesn’t require self-sacrifice.

Kira and Viktoria dig into what “high achiever” really means (hint: it has nothing to do with six-figure income) and why perfectionism and approval-seeking can keep us stuck in a grind we never chose. We also clarify feminine and masculine energy in a practical way: masculine as structure and execution, feminine as rest and intuition, and why a healthy life needs both. If you’ve been trying to power through symptoms, forcing motivation, and wondering why your body won’t cooperate, this conversation connects the dots between stress, psychosomatic signals, and the way unprocessed experiences can live in the body.

The most useful shift is tangible: cycle-based productivity. Instead of living in a linear input-output mindset, we talk about planning with natural cycles, seasons, and energy phases. For women, that can include menstrual cycle planning so you stop shaming yourself for low-energy days. For everyone, it’s a way to work smarter while protecting health, mood, and long-term energy.

About Viktoria:
Viktoria Levenberg, creator of Efficiency Made Easy and host of the Resonance Podcast, has spent 10+ years in high-pressure industries like FMCG and Hospitality – only to realise that the linear productivity system is broken. For years, she was the classic high-achiever: top grades, fast-track corporate career, always chasing the next win.

By learning to work with her body instead of against it, she created a sustainable planning framework that allowed her to launch a business, complete postgraduate study, pass her board-certification NB-HWC exam, and transition to part-time work… all with more energy and balance than ever before.

Join Viktoria’s FREE LIVE Masterclass: Peak Productivity Secrets

 Discover the planning secrets to get your precious time & energy back, so you can get back to doing what you LOVE!

https://www.viktorialevenberg.com/masterclass

Find Viktoria:
Instagram: @viktorialevenberg
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/viktorialevenberg1
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@viktorialevenberg
TikTok: @viktorialevenberg
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/resonance-with-viktoria-levenberg/id1833836666
Website: https://www.viktorialevenberg.com/

Free Gift:
8 Days of Mindfulness: https://www.viktorialevenberg.com/liveinpresence

Transcript

Welcome To Heal Yourself

SPEAKER_00 0:03

Welcome to the Heal Yourself Podcast, where we dive deep into all things healing. I'm Denise, a speech language pathologist and a self-love coach for adults and teens.

SPEAKER_01 0:15

And I'm Kira, a traditional naturopath and functional nutritionist, and we're here to guide you through the transformative process of healing your body, mind, and soul.

SPEAKER_00 0:25

From the latest in functional medicine to nurturing your relationship with yourself, healing trauma, and even transforming your money story. We're here to empower you with the knowledge and tools to create lasting change.

SPEAKER_01 0:39

So whether you're looking to heal physically, emotionally, or spiritually, join us as we explore the many paths to wholeness and wellness.

Meet Victoria And Her Work

SPEAKER_01 0:51

Hello everyone. Welcome back to another episode of Heal Yourself Podcast. You have Kira today. Denise could not join us, but I am here with my special guest, we'll call her special guest, Victoria Levenberg. Victoria, welcome.

SPEAKER_02 1:08

Hello, thank you so much for having me, Kira. It's an honor and a privilege. And while Denise isn't here, hopefully I'll be able to keep your guests entertained in her absence.

SPEAKER_01 1:19

For sure, for sure. Um, and guys, I was a guest on Victoria's podcast too, so we've already had the pleasure of meeting. Um, so I'm gonna let you introduce yourself. Tell our listeners who are you, why should they care? What makes you special?

SPEAKER_02 1:37

Well, it makes me special, except for the fact that my parents told me I was. Um actually they didn't, but we're not gonna go down that rabbit hole. Um, okay, hi everyone. So my name is Victoria, or you know, most people call me Vic, and I am a third culture kid all over from all over the world. I currently live in magical Oteroa, New Zealand, which is just down under many places, leave it off the map. And um, why you should care about what I have to say is I've gone through what probably many of you are going through. It's you know, I've been a classic high achiever for such a big part of my life, chasing the next big role, the promotion, the award, the best grades, you know, all the things you name it. And unfortunately, because of my high achiever tendencies, of course, that then was a slippery slope slope down to Burnoutville. And you know, not having all the tools that I have

High Achiever Habits And Burnout

SPEAKER_02 2:37

in my toolkit now, of course, that manifested as a massive um severe skin rash that no doctor could diagnose, no one could pinpoint. And through my own exploration, plus a lot of the mentors that I was lucky enough to come across, I m managed to realize that it was all stress, it was all overwork, it was pretty much, you know, what would be labeled as burnout without the official diagnosis because it's still how do you diagnose burnout? Like, how do you diagnose it? Like no one and and everyone's like so scared of the word, and and no one really knows, you know, it's like there's so much stigma and shame around it. Um, and so the the cliff's not of it is I took everything that I learned in my own experience and obsessed with health and well-being, and I've always been super productive, and I've always been like an a master in organization, efficiency, and planning. But of course, that was so heavily dominated by my masculine achiever side that when not kept in check, that's where the burnout kicks in. And through my healing journey, I managed to also weave in the feminine pieces and discovered some incredible strategies that are not taught, like you won't find them in the books and the productivity courses, all those things. And now I bring those two worlds together to truly help high performers just like myself thrive, get more done in less time, but without the sacrifice of their health, their well-being, and their energy. So basically call it productivity, but different.

SPEAKER_01 4:02

Yeah. And this is so important because I think people hear high achiever and they're like, oh, I don't think that's me because I'm not earning six, seven figures. I'm not, you know, XYZ. I'm like, but look, look in the mirror. So many women are high achievers, but just have a specific lens looking into it. And it's like type A personality, perfectionist. Like there's so many ding ding ding, start checking them off. There's a lot of women listening that are high achievers, they just don't know.

SPEAKER_02 4:33

Exactly. And and I would also agree with you on the fact that like being a high achiever has nothing to do with the results that you get. Yes, high achievers generally tend to achieve higher results by nature. And unfortunately, there's also so many high achievers who I see and and and work with who are grinding, and it's like they are revving the engine of a park that's of a car that's got their handbrake on park mode. Uh, and so sometimes that's the problem, is that the um superpowers that come with being someone who's really driven and really motivated, they're out of control, they're just running on empty. And that's part of the solution that um I I had to figure out the hard way.

SPEAKER_01 5:18

Yeah, yeah, I feel

Feminine And Masculine Energy Explained

SPEAKER_01 5:20

you on that one. Um so you mentioned feminine and masculine energy, which I'm familiar with, and I know we had a guest talk about this, but it's been a long time. Can you give our listeners a refresher? Because people hear feminine and masculine and they're like, I don't get it. Like, I'm a female, I have feminine energy, and so many of us are just like living in masculine energy. That was like it is a conscious daily battle of like, no, no, no, no, we're gonna allow, we're gonna have some of that feminine energy come in.

SPEAKER_02 5:51

Thank you so much for asking that question. And um, also let me clarify that all of us have both a blend of feminine and masculine energy within us. So when I say the masculine or the feminine, I'm not saying like this is solely reserved for females and this is for males and this is for people who identify here and there. No, like we all have a balance and um look, I could I'm gonna keep this concise, but um, for your listeners who are obviously brand new to me, I also have a background in yoga, you know, like a lot of yogic wisdom and nervous system science, etc. And in yoga, we call these two energies Shiva and Shakti. So think of it as your yin and yang. Think of it as your sun and moon. And effectively, um, your feminine energy is more of your inward, your reflective, your intuitive, your restful, that sort of inner knowing with a capital K, let's call it. And the masculine is more sort of the power, the go, the sun, you know, the active. Let's do it. And unfortunately, you know, it doesn't take a genius to figure out that we live in a linear, masculine-dominated productivity paradigm where it's like every day is input, output, and we're expected to just produce the same every single day. Unfortunately, that's not how human beings are wired. Doesn't matter what gender, you know, you were born or identify with, it's just not how humans work. Look at all of nature. Yeah, nature goes through all of these seasons, the moon goes through these phases. And so when I speak about bringing the balance, the sacred balance of the feminine and masculine, it's about letting them dance and interplay with one another. Because yes, we do have a lot of people, especially high achievers, who tend to over-dominate in the masculine side by nature. Um, and we also have a fair chunk of the population who tend to over-dominate in the feminine side, and you know that can manifest as things like apathy or boredom or um this sort of like wishy-washy. I'm just gonna manifest my dreams and it's gonna happen. And and both of these have a role, but they do need to interplay and interweave. And um, so that's sort of the the cliffs notes of what could be a whole long conversation.

SPEAKER_01 8:09

That's that's perfect, and I think it'll clarify for some, and even you know, maybe some aha's are happening to people who are listening.

Stress Rash And The Breaking Point

SPEAKER_01 8:18

Um, so I want to ask you about the health thing. How like I know you said rashes started manifesting on you. Tell us more about your healing journey because it's funny. Denise and I get very spiritual in this podcast, and we don't talk a lot about clinical. And I don't want to get all clinical. What things did you try? But I'm curious because I want people to see that there is very much a connection. It's not just, oh, this rash appeared, and I it was a high histamine diet I was eating, and I just, you know, that that fixed it. Uh-huh. Yeah. Like how how did this unfold for you?

SPEAKER_02 8:55

Oh my gosh, this is such an incredible question because you know, I also want to cast your mind back to the year 2023. This is like high achiever Victoria, who was still completely in her 3D world paradigm, like totally unaware. I was still starting to tap into it, but I was very much still in the 3D matrix reality. Um, and how this happened was I, as many of us, probably a lot of your listeners as well, have a relatively complex dynamic with some people in my family.

SPEAKER_01 9:28

I don't know what you're talking about. My thing like rainbows.

SPEAKER_02 9:33

So, you know, I I'm sure you speak about stress on the podcast. That's the big stressor. And there's a lot of, you know, sort of trauma and internalized unprocessed stuff that's already sort of in in the system. And I was going, I was doing the therapy, but it was still all pretty surface level. Um, and so I vividly remember the very first time that I had the tiniest 1% smidge of this rash show up. And it was when I got a phone call about a family member um having fallen and basically they were in a coma. And I was like, oh wow, okay. Um this is family member, someone I have a really challenging dynamic with as well. So that kind of elevated some things. And I didn't even put two and two together. It was like my eyes were puffy that next day, I was like, maybe it was something I ate. Maybe it was the histamine. The histamine. And then I didn't think about it. And then a few weeks later, um, things sort of escalated to the point where I traveled um to Europe and uh was sort of imagine being faced with all of your childhood trauma in like a really stressful container of hospitals and surgeries and uh, you know, someone whose skull is like missing, so you're literally the it it was quite horrific. So it was it was stress overload to the point. It was not just the situation in itself, but it was also all the childhood stuff it was bringing up. And you know, this is a sensitive topic, um, but I feel it's important to name out loud is that I was also confronted with my abuser at the time. I was uh, you know, traveled back to my childhood home that I hadn't visited in 15 years. And being the high achiever that I am, I was also still working through that entire time. And for those of you who kind of you know don't know Europe and New Zealand on the map, opposite ends of the world, I was working up till midnight, you know, to just meet time zones and be available for some meetings. So that, as you can imagine, was a really great prerequisite to the flare-up. And again, poor little unconscious me did not realize any of this. Um it manifested as puffy skin. It then got worse to the point where I felt like my face was literally on fire. I was oozing pus from my neck, and the worst part is that I was in Switzerland in hospitals and in clinics, and I was not being taken care of. So imagine that deep inner child wound as well of like, here I am, no one's taking care of me, I have to fix this myself. And I thought, oh, it was something I ate, or maybe it was this cream that I used, or whatever, or I'll it's the humidity because the air is so dry in Switzerland and my skin is so sensitive. And then, long story short, I traveled back to New Zealand, thought it would all go away, and already had that little like inkling that it had something psychosomatic at hand. Um, but I think I just wasn't ready to see it then. So all the specialists, cura, I went to everyone. I went to the GP, I went to the um like immunologist, I had the little, you know, patch tests done of like what food allergies, I even they even did like the back test of like, is it specific creams? Um, went to a dermatologist, no one had an answer. No one. They were baffled. They're like, we have no idea what's going on. And it wasn't until I took things into my own hands and went kind of down the alternative route, working with a naturopath, working with a traditional Chinese medicine specialist, it all started to unfold. And interestingly, that's also when I learned about the nature of cycles and you know the whole female paradigm started to come a little bit more into my life, and that actually played a big part in my healing journey. So it's a big story, yeah.

The Moment Everything Changed

SPEAKER_01 13:27

Um, when did you realize like was it during this insane rash that you were like, maybe I should slow down? Like, where was the burnout in this?

SPEAKER_02 13:39

Um, it was I would say it was like a low grade, slow, ongoing burnout. So it was, you know, contrary to what you might see in like popularize in the media or in social media where you're just like, ugh, yeah, everything sucks. It was just like really slow, and it was like that little whisper. And there were a few specific moments that were a big wake-up call. Um, one was again, same family members. I I went back a few months later to visit them and kind of help take care. At that point, I was already saying my acupuncturist, and I was like, it was under maintenance. I wouldn't say that I had healed myself, but it was already getting so much better, and I had a lot of practices. And yet, four days I reached the absolute lowest of my lows mentally, like to the point where I vividly remember walking down the beach and being like, Oh, wouldn't it be nice to just like walk in and not come back out of the ocean? And that was the like wake up of like, shh, sorry, I don't know if I'm like, shit, okay, this is this is this isn't good. And to be honest, it wasn't so much the work, it was more all the childhood stuff that then I realized I was trying to please my parents and and all these people in my family, which is the sole reason why I was chasing all these big corporate roles in the first place. So it's sort of like there wasn't one specific event, it all started to connect, and in that space, like of healing and rediscovering myself, I started to reconnect with some of my passions and I was like started to remember who I was again, and I was like, who am I doing this for? Why am I grinding so hard? And as I started to reconnect with that feminine side of me, I was like, whoa, there is another way to do this. And so the slowing down came naturally, and yet, because I'm an achiever, I was like, I didn't want to sacrifice my success and my productivity, and like I found the way to have both, and that was a really cool aha realization of like, oh holy moly, I'm getting so much more done than I was before, and I feel so much better now, and so much healthier and so much more complete than I was previously. So it was like I cracked the code.

SPEAKER_01 16:04

Well, and it's funny, you said something that has been so profound in my own healing journey, and I'm not talking physical anymore, and I think it's so important for anyone is who are we trying to please, right? We're in this, I mentioned again like type A perfectionistic because that's me. But why am I who am I trying to be perfect for? Myself? Like, why am I trying to achieve these grand goals? Why is there a um you know a number on oh, when I've made it, who is that for? And I don't think many people ask themselves that question. And when you do, oh my gosh, it's powerful, because it's like, wait, that's not for me, that's for my parents, that's for society, that's for the person that told me in sixth grade I wasn't good enough. Like, yeah, much can come from that.

SPEAKER_02 16:57

Yeah, exactly. And so many people are walking around life blindfolded, just chasing some arbitrary goal or dream, burning themselves out in the process when they don't even know why or for what. And it's completely misaligned with the depth of what they truly want for themselves.

SPEAKER_01 17:15

Yeah, like you're you're living for someone else entirely, you're not living for you, and that that itself is a recipe for physical, you know, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 17:25

Yes, yeah, and and it is heartbreaking because you know, I genuinely and this is why I do what I do, you know. It's like I am so having witnessed this for myself and also not for so many people, I'm like, you know, imagine the world that we get to live in when every single human being gets to tap into their innermost purpose and potential and do what they came here to do in a way that's easy and feels amazing, and they are thriving and also get to do the things they love outside of that while they're at it. Like, isn't that the dream? Yeah, and isn't that like our human birth, right?

SPEAKER_01 18:00

Like, isn't that why we're here? I know. But many don't don't get to that, you know. Like Denise and I have talked about it, and you mentioned 3D, but that it's like they're walking around in a haze, but you're here for something greater, like you're not here to just punch your time card and go home and be like, I guess I'm doing it again tomorrow and live into the weekends. Like, no.

SPEAKER_02 18:26

And even then, like, what are the weekends? Like Netflix and chill, you know. Um, and and that's why, like, despite the depth of sorrow that I had to kind of go into, I genuinely believe that for some people like myself, that's what it takes for you to snap out of that 3D walking around blindfolded, you know. And it's like we we often speak about how the universe or life or whatever you want to call it will give you little clues and little whispers, and you don't listen to that, it's the little nudge, and you don't listen to that, it's the little slap. And if you don't listen to that, you know, for me, it took a massive shakeup to truly realize it. And so, in in a way, I see that as a blessing, and um I'm I'm really grateful for that time in my life because I love the person who I've become as a result, and I genuinely believe that your listeners are likely already on that path. You know, I feel like um you've already there's gotta be some part of you that's starting to realize that there's more to life than this, that you don't just need to be miserable all the time. And then it's just a matter of how and and who's who's the right person to to help you on that journey. Um because I don't know about you, but uh my path uh was pretty lonely, and that was that was hard. That was probably the hardest piece when you're like starting to break out of the matrix and and you're like, Am I just me?

SPEAKER_01 19:54

Yeah, yeah. It's like what there are so many of us, you know, and that's why even podcasts like this exist. Like, there are so many. Yeah. And I love the synchronicity. So I don't know when this is going to air. So, guys, I don't know what day this is when you're listening, but I can say that our episode that just released yesterday, so funny. We were talking about like physical symptoms and how you know, like you get the whispers, but also my living situation and how little hints had been dropped, and then they got louder and louder, and then there's a sewage flood, like it's the same thing. Like exactly have clues all around you, but pay attention.

SPEAKER_02 20:34

Yeah, and it's so interesting you say that because like just before we started recording and you were giving me the context to like your living situation. That was the first thought in the back of my mind. I was like, what's life trying to tell her?

SPEAKER_01 20:47

Well, asking myself that, but you know, I'm like, it's okay, like you'll figure it out. The lessons and the answers come much later. That's it.

SPEAKER_02 20:56

That's it. And also you never know, like why there could be greater, greater things at play. That's what I'm counting on.

SPEAKER_01 21:04

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 21:04

Yeah, absolutely.

Redefining Success As Wholeness

SPEAKER_02 21:06

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 21:06

Well, so success for you years ago, or you know, the 2023 version of you was like, do all the things. What does success look like for you now?

SPEAKER_02 21:16

Oh, I love that question. The word that's coming to mind is wholeness. Not balance, but wholeness, completeness. You know, it is waking up in the morning and first of all, having spaciousness, like and just enjoying the morning rather than you know, the 23 version of me like, get up, snooze the alarm, go to the gym, force myself to train for a marathon that I was running for the wrong reasons, you know, all that sort of stuff. Like, oh god, that's so sad. Um so now it's really that spaciousness, wholeness, alignment to my purpose. And knowing that no matter how big or small, the progress, the steps that I take, that they are moving me in the direction of where I'm going, and that it is serving something bigger than just myself. Um, and and that is really exciting. You know, I think for anyone listening to this podcast right now, if you are unsure of of what that version of success that I'm describing right now feels like, it's when you feel lit up. Is that feeling when you feel energized without the coffee? Is that feeling when you are so excited for the day ahead? Like, I mean, like this podcast, right? Talking about this right now, like I'm gonna be recording an episode after this. I'm like, I love, I could talk about this for days. Um, that's your green flag. And it becomes very, very obvious when you're not in that space. Because if you're feeling heavy and like you're trying to push through and like you're trying to rely on motivation to get through the day, chances are something somewhere is out of alignment. So for me to answer your question, what success looks like, it is wholeness, it is spaciousness, it is alignment, it is purpose and and just pure life force energy.

SPEAKER_01 23:16

I love that. Okay, well, is there anything we did not talk about that you feel like our listeners need to hear, or that you're like, I'm dying to tell people

Plan With Cycles Not Constant Grind

SPEAKER_01 23:28

this?

SPEAKER_02 23:28

Yes, yes, there is actually there is one thing, and and I'll keep it, you know, I'll keep it a point. Um, but just taking it back to what we spoke about, the feminine and the masculine energies and and balancing that and that now specifically getting into like the real tangibility of productivity and planning and in your work, right? Because it's all great to be like, yeah, I want to feel amazing, but I got bills to pay. Um it's like, I know. We're still in this 3D reality for now. So um the thing that honestly changed everything for me was when I stopped operating in this masculine-dominated linear input-output paradigm and learned how to use cycles and specifically the cycles of success in my productivity and planning. And when I say this, if you've got like male or non-cycling listeners right now and they're tuning out, I'm gonna say, no, I'm not talking just about the female cycle, but I'm talking about all of nature's cycles, which also apply to all of your work, all of your projects. Everything has a cycle, and you get to honor every single phase. You don't just need to push through and grind and celebrate, you know, like the spring-summer equivalents of your projects. There is a specific role that the autumn and winter components play, and they're actually the more you honor them, the more productive you become in those in the whole process, but the more action and energy becomes available to you in those peak energy times as well. So again, this is obviously just scratching the surface on something really, really broad. But I just wanted to leave you with this that especially for you know the women listening here who also have that influence of their physical cycle, you're menstruating and you're like, Why am I so exhausted? And I don't feel like I can do anything, and I just want to stay in bed all day, and then my achievers will be like, What's wrong with me? I was so productive two weeks ago, and now I'm not getting anything done. It's like there's nothing wrong with you, it's just a part of the natural cycle. So stop judging yourself, stop shaming yourself, just let yourself be in that moment, and that too will pass. And there's a way you can plan around it, but I just wanted to leave your listeners with that nugget because it changed my life.

SPEAKER_01 25:48

Yeah, I think that can be profound, and we don't pay enough attention to our cycles, but I'm always amazed when I have clients that come to work with me and they're like, Can you tell me about my cycle? Because it has actually never been explained to them. And like, I'm not a hormone expert, but I'm like, they really didn't teach us this in school, did they? And like, I don't remember my mom sitting down and being like, This is your follicular, this is you know what I mean? Like explaining that.

SPEAKER_02 26:16

So yeah, the first time I learned about it was from my naturopath on that whole healing trajectory, and I was like, What? Yeah, how do I not know this? Yeah, women are like in in menopause, like they go through menopause, they go through their entire life not knowing this.

SPEAKER_01 26:32

I know.

SPEAKER_02 26:33

So find find your person, yeah, learn about your body, and whether also if you are not cycling or you are male, the same principle applies to you because you will also have seasons in your life where the energy is a little bit lower, the productivity is a bit lower, and it's just a matter of knowing is that because I'm burnt out and flat, or because that's just a natural part of the season that I'm in.

SPEAKER_01 26:58

Yeah, or in the science. Yeah.

Where To Find Victoria

SPEAKER_01 27:01

Well, for people that want to learn more about you, listen to you, find you on social, where can they go?

SPEAKER_02 27:08

They can find me everywhere. Everywhere you look. Um, so the best place if you just want to like engage with me directly is probably on socials. So Instagram, you know, I'm on all the things: Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, LinkedIn, whatever. It's all just my name, Victoria Levenberg. Um, and I also host a podcast called Resonance, where Kira was just recently a guest on it as well. We can maybe even link that up in the show notes for those who might want to hear um kind of Kira's story. And um, aside from that, you can find me on my website, victorialevenberg.com. I've got a few frebies floating around there, you know. So depending on what you're in for, if you're into like the mindfulness space or if you're into the planning and productivity space, if you're like, I think I'm a type A achiever, but I'm not sure. I have a really cool quiz that's like the Achievement Archetypes quiz that will give you the answer. So there's plenty there for you. Um, but if you just want to chat, just DM me on any of the socials and uh yeah, I'm in the inbox and would love to answer any questions or or just connect for for fun and giggles.

SPEAKER_01 28:16

Awesome. Thank you. And guys, this will all be in the show notes, so don't worry, just look below. Um, it was so wonderful having you on. Thank you for coming on today.

SPEAKER_02 28:27

Thank you so much for having me, Kira, in in your Airbnb, in your new studio apartment. And um, I'm just so grateful for our connection. And I hope you have a wonderful, wonderful rest of your week. And thank you for listening to this podcast.

SPEAKER_01 28:43

Yes. All right, guys, we will see you on the next episode.