I'm an Argentine millennial who's recovering from burnout after 6 years in a job with no boundaries. Therapy and a strict sign-out time have helped my mental health.

A millennial who returned to the office to help his mental health said he used to suffer from panic attacks before fixing his relationship with work.

• Agustin Alturria is a 37-year-old worker living in Rosario, Argentina.
• He's focused on work-life balance after he experienced burnout at his job of six years.
• Alturria cites therapy and working from the office as the key factors to his improved mental health.

This as-told-to essay is based on an interview with Agustin Alturria, a 37-year-old millennial in Rosario, Argentina, who quit his job as a project manager after realizing he was burned out. Now Alturria is learning to set boundaries in his new job overseeing strategy at a tech-recruiting company. The interview has been slightly edited for length and clarity.

Before COVID-19, I was working with clients and coworkers from around the world. I'm in Rosario, Argentina, but I got to travel to the US four times a month and visited Europe. It was fantastic.

When the pandemic hit, trips were no longer available, neither was working from the office. That meant my favorite parts of my job were taken away, so I resigned to find another.

Taking a step back made me realize how much I had been giving to work. 

I never took a full lunch break. I kept my work email and my LinkedIn messages on my phone. And my boss and clients could contact me anytime to let me know there was a problem, even if it was Saturday.

I started working this way when I was younger and was given a lot of opportunities because I was always there. But now that I'm older, I've noticed the toll it took on me: I was exhausted and suffered from extreme stress and panic attacks.

I had given that job so much that when I left, I felt like I had nothing. I was depressed and realized I had to start prioritizing things outside work.

Now I incorporate time away from work throughout my day

About a year ago, I started my current position, and I took the opposite approach. I work from 9 to 5 in the office. And I don't work from home so I don't get my life mixed up with my work.

I start each morning by walking to my office. It's about 15 minutes away, and the commute has beautiful scenery through the downtown area. I grab coffee before arriving at the office. First, I check my emails, which I never open before the workday, like I used to.

At 9:15, I have a check-in meeting with my team and set my priorities. Throughout the day, I have client meetings to ensure everything is on track and that they're happy with the service. I still really enjoy my work.

I'm also active in making sure I don't miss any business opportunities, which is why I spend time on LinkedIn and meeting new people.

I still eat lunch while working. But then I take a half hour of free time to leave the office, walk through the downtown shopping area or by the river — and disconnect.

By 5:30, I go home and decompress. I don't have any kids and I'm single, so I have that flexibility to stop by a friend's barbecue or hang out with my brother, whom I live with.

It's nice knowing there's no chance my boss will send me a message. That's why I set those boundaries, so I can enjoy that time away.

Therapy and having boundaries are helping my mental health

I make sure to have separation from work by socializing with friends and family at restaurants, bars, or the theater. I also regularly go to the gym or for a run.

And I go to therapy. Each week, I have a casual conversation with a psychologist about work and life.

I started going to see a psychologist after the pandemic started. Before, I always thought, "I'm fine." In Argentina, going to see a psychologist has always looked good; it was never a bad thing. Our community saw it as taking steps to make sure that your mental health was going well.

That term, "mental health," is not popular here yet. But it's becoming more of a trend, and I think that's a good thing. Because it's not about whether you tell people "I'm fine," like I used to. More people are now seeing therapy as a benefit because you can go explore things that you don't want to explore on your own.