Each week we unpack the latest intersections of neuroscience, business, self worth, presence and productivity. (Yes, it's a bit of the kitchen sink but I promise you nothing is more beautiful than recognizing that this combination is a symphony singing the song of a life well lived.)
Cognitive Dissonance Is Quietly Burning You Out—Here’s How to Fix It
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Truth is, most people don’t change when they have to. They don’t change when they need to. They don’t even change when fear or opportunity knocks. People change when they choose to. And there is no in-between. Burnout isn’t caused by doing too much—it’s caused by trying to live in two different realities. One where you’re doing what you could be doing… And another where you’re chasing what you think you should be doing. This tension—this dissonance—is exhausting. It eats away your energy, clarity, and confidence. Here are 3 strategies to help you get clear on where you’re at, where you’re going, and how to think through your burnout: ⸻
One of the biggest patterns I see in high performers is this: They’re spread so thin, they don’t have the capacity to make real change—even when they want to. Instead of asking “How do I do more?” Ask: “Am I investing energy in the part of my life that actually needs it?” If you’re building a business and raising a family, you need boundaries—not balance. Set clear expectations: • When you’re working, work fully. • When you’re with your kids, be with your kids. Extraordinary results come from focused presence. Not perfection. Not sacrifice. ⸻ 2. Happiness isn’t a reward—it’s a requirement. In The Happiness Advantage, Shawn Achor lays out the data: Happy people don’t just feel better. They think more clearly, act more decisively, and get more done. But most people get happiness wrong. They try to add happy moments to a stressed life. The truth? Happiness comes from removing stress, not piling pleasure on top of chaos. So here’s your prompt: What are your 3 biggest stressors right now? And how can you begin to phase them out—or integrate them differently—over the next 2 weeks? ⸻ 3. Get your thoughts, feelings, and actions on the same page. Someone close to me recently dropped a truth-bomb I can’t forget: “When people show you who they are—believe them.” That applies to you, too. Everything you have—or don’t have—in your life is a reflection of your current alignment. Are your thoughts going one way, your feelings in another, and your actions scattered somewhere else? This is the real work: • Taking inventory. • Getting honest. • Reconnecting with your own inner compass. Start with simplicity: • Prioritize your physical, mental, emotional, then social energy—in that order. • If your self-care only supports your body and ignores your mindset, focus, and values, you’re not regenerating. You’re just coping. You can be the fittest person in the room… But if you hate yourself in silence, you’ll never access your full potential. ⸻ If you’re ready to stop trying and start choosing, these are the first steps. Follow them. Reclaim your clarity. And if you’re ready to go deeper—I’d love to connect. Apply here to work together and explore what’s possible. |
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Each week we unpack the latest intersections of neuroscience, business, self worth, presence and productivity. (Yes, it's a bit of the kitchen sink but I promise you nothing is more beautiful than recognizing that this combination is a symphony singing the song of a life well lived.)
Under unregulated stress, our nervous system chooses familiarity over truth—often sacrificing what we need for what we want. One of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do is let people I love suffer knowing I could “save” them. The more that life goes by and the more I learn about myself, it was never about saving them, it was about protecting myself from loss and abandonment. People cannot be saved. They can only see, hear and experience reality from their perspective, NEVER from yours. “If...
Burnout is a nervous system and self expression problem. "You don’t need more motivation. You need regulation and self expression." Here are 3 simple regulation and self expression habits. Early morning routine. The first 60 minutes of the day sets the tone of the rest of it. Often we wake up reactive with the todo list from yesterday already burdening us. Treat yourself how you want to be treated. It’s a great time for self care or self expression. Low stimulation living. Live like the 90’s....
Guilt is just another form of our system sustaining the status quo and while it's super easy to read online that "self care isn't selfish" that doesn't actually address the core problem or help create a solution. When stress comes into our lives we lose function to the prefrontal cortex, this part of the brain really controls a lot of our inner thoughts and feelings. The information doesn't just dwindle and go away however it gets moved to different areas of the system where we often have...