If you’re a high-achieving woman feeling exhausted, irritable, and stretched impossibly thin, you might start to wonder if something’s wrong with you.

Maybe you’re burning the wick at both ends, snapping at the people you love, or getting unreasonably agitated over small things (like that email marked “high priority”). You’re checking boxes, hitting deadlines—but everything feels flat, joyless, and disconnected.

You used to love this work. Now you’re just surviving it.

This isn’t a failure of character or a sign that you’re not “tough enough.”
This is burnout. And it’s your nervous system’s way of waving a red flag:
You’re overloaded. You need support—not shame.

Burnout Is a Human Response to an Inhuman Load

Burnout isn’t just a mental health buzzword. It’s a physiological state that happens when your body and brain are stuck in chronic survival mode—constantly scanning for danger, trying to keep all the plates spinning, without a moment of real rest.

For women—especially those who are used to being the responsible one, the reliable one, the “go-to”—burnout often shows up quietly at first. You stay up late to get it all done. You say yes even when your gut says no. You carry emotional labor no one sees.

Until one day, you hit a wall. And instead of resting, you blame yourself for not being able to climb it.

Here’s the truth:
You don’t need more discipline. You need more compassion.

Finding Hope: What If You Could Drop Anchor?

In Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), we use a practice called dropping anchor—a grounding technique designed to help you steady yourself when everything feels like too much.

Imagine your mind as a boat caught in a storm. Your thoughts and emotions are the waves—choppy, unpredictable, and overwhelming. Dropping anchor won’t stop the storm, but it will keep you from getting swept away.

It’s a practical, in-the-moment way to help you move from spiraling stress into solid presence.

And for women who’ve been taught to power through, this shift—from doing to being—isn’t easy, but it’s essential.

How to Drop Anchor When Stress Takes Over

When your brain feels scrambled and your heart’s racing, try this:

1. Acknowledge what’s happening inside.
Pause and name it:

“I’m feeling overwhelmed.”
“My stomach is in knots.”
“I’m having the thought that I can’t handle this.”
Labeling your inner experience creates just enough space to breathe.

2. Come back into your body.

Press your feet into the floor. Roll your shoulders. Take three deep breaths into your belly. These small movements send a message to your nervous system: You’re safe enough right now.

3. Engage with the world around you.

Notice what’s here. Say out loud:

“There’s a blue pen on my desk.”
“I hear birds outside.”
“This chair feels sturdy.”
Anchoring yourself in your senses keeps you grounded in the present moment—where choice lives.

Transformation: Reclaiming Your Energy and Presence

When you practice dropping anchor regularly, things begin to shift.

You stop getting pulled under by every wave of overwhelm.
You start to feel a little more grounded, a little more clear.
You respond instead of react.
You remember who you are outside of the stress.

This isn’t a quick fix or some overnight miracle.
It’s a return—bit by bit—to your own presence, clarity, and strength.

Burnout may have made you feel numb or disconnected, but you can reconnect with what lights you up: time with your kids, creativity, friendships, laughter, rest.
Burnout loses its grip when you start showing up for you again.

✨ Want a Guided Walkthrough?

I created a short video to walk you through the Dropping Anchor exercise in real time.
It’s less than 10 minutes and can shift your entire day:
👉 Watch it on YouTube

💛 You’re Not Broken. You’re Burnt Out. And That Can Change.

Burnout doesn’t mean you’re weak or lazy—it means your mind and body have been trying to protect you from too much for too long.

Let’s rewrite the story: You are not the problem.
The system that told you to never stop, never rest, and never ask for help? That’s the problem.

Dropping anchor is one small but powerful way to begin coming home to yourself.

You deserve a life that doesn’t just look full—but actually feels nourishing, connected, and whole.

Burnout is a sign—not a flaw. And you don’t have to keep carrying this alone.
Let’s talk about what healing could look like for you.
👉 Reach out today

Exhausted, Snappy, and Overwhelmed? It Might Be Burnout, Not You