Why High Achievers Crash and How to Recover
We do, do, do and go, go, go.
And then crash.
Maybe you recognize this pattern: the relentless pursuit followed by complete collapse. The ‘achievement high’ followed by the inevitable low.
The doing cycle held me in a firm grip for years, leading to utter exhaustion and health crises.
The Cost of Powering Through
Working as a high achiever meant being hyper-vigilant and hyper-responsible for me. It meant trade-offs, sacrifices, and concessions that I told myself were temporary.
I was the poster child for powering through—I even got on a plane to Cannes, France, the day after I married the love of my life, not for a honeymoon, but for a business trip! 🙈
This was my normal. Always telling myself:
"It'll be better when..."
"If I could just hit this goal, things would let up..."
"Once I get more support, I can finally..."
Here's what I learned the hard way: every decision we make has a cost. And sometimes that cost is our health, our relationships, and our ability to sustain the very success we're chasing.
The Science Behind the Crash
Have you ever worked your tail off the days and weeks leading up to vacation, only to get sick two days into your time off?
There's actually a name for this: leisure sickness.
When you're hustling nonstop, your body floods with stress hormones. These chemicals temporarily elevate your immune system, allowing you to power through.
But once you finally stop—vacation, weekend, any break—those hormone levels drop fast. With them, your immune defenses crash, leaving you vulnerable to whatever bug is waiting in the wings.
This is your body's way of saying: "You can't keep this up."
Stress isn't inherently bad—it can be a source of energy. But there's a tipping point where stress laced with hustle becomes a depleter. When hyperactivity becomes your new normal, it's not normal at all.
Building Transition States
If you want a long and successful career and life, you must manage your transition states. This means paying attention to what your body and mind need, not just what your schedule demands.
After I facilitate a full-day workshop, I often find myself on the couch for hours the next day. I love what I do, but my body and mind require recovery time.
I used to judge this as laziness.
Now I recognize it as necessary, needed, and very ok recovery time.
I'm now very intentional about transitions to help minimize the crashes.
Power Up
I prep my mindset ahead of high-stress times.
Before a keynote I recently gave, I used visualization to prepare for the experience. I visualized prepping in my hotel room, walking on stage, and blocking out how I would give the presentation. I also visualized the ‘imperfect’ speech and decided ahead of time how I would react if my mind went blank.
This prep lowered my stress and likely improved my presentation.
Power Through
In high-stress moments, I take micro-breaks to settle. Box Breathing is always an easy warm blanket for me--it reduces my racing heart when I need it most. Like when I walked up to the stage thinking it was time to give my keynote, only to discover there was one more presenter in front of me! 😲 🙈 😁
Power Down
I have a toolkit for the comedown that begins with reflection and the three prompts I shared last week. I plan for ‘couch time.’
When you need to downshift and return to baseline, try these practices:
Deep breathing (Box Breathing: 4 counts in, hold 4, out 4, hold 4)
Meditation (I'm currently trying Binaural Beats)
Journaling to process
Walking without technology to let your nervous system settle
Listening to music to soothe rather than energize
Putting your hand on your heart and saying: "I am safe to slow down"
Start by giving yourself permission for the downtime (Even binge watching Housewives if that's what works; it does for me 🙈).
The goal isn't to eliminate stress—there will always be intense periods. The goal is to have practices that help you calibrate before and after these hits. It requires being intentional, deliberate and consistent.
All three phases are equally important—you can't sustain peak performance without proper preparation and recovery.
And, the intensity of the Power Down should match the Power Through—bigger pushes require longer recovery periods.
Do this not as a luxury, but as personal strategy for your health and well being.
You're not lazy when you need to rest.
You're not weak when you need to recharge.
You're not failing when you need to slow down.
You are human.
The most successful people aren't those who power through everything—they're the ones who know how to power effectively.
Sustainable success comes with rest.
No more leisure sickness. Plan ahead for the Power Cycle.
Let's make it the most amazing summer! ☀️
Have you listened yet? Email me and let me know if Sunday Sunshine recording is something you'll listen to.
📓 Journal Prompts for the Week Ahead
What advice would your Future Self give you about your current work situation?
I give myself permission to slow down when...(answer 10 times!)
Who do you want to BE in June? What’s one core area of focus that will make the biggest impact?
Who am I when I’m decisive?
