How to Stress Less and Achieve More - The Secret to Sustainable Success

In this blog I’m going to write about something I know that every ambitious woman struggles with – how to stress less and achieve more. Achieve more without burning out. So if this blog resonates with you, I see you.

My Story: When stress became my default

Looking back, I sometimes wonder how I made it through certain times of my life.

Almost 6 years ago, when I was pregnant with my son, I was having the BEST year in my business – wanting to hold everything together and deliver my work before I disappeared for a few months.

Even though my body was telling me to slow down, I didn’t. I was leading wellness programmes in big corporate organisations, talking on stage and I worked right up to the day I went into hospital.

Looking back now, I can see that was a mistake, but at the time - even after having my son - I felt a strong need to achieve. I worried that people would forget me if I wasn’t visible, and that drove me to be present for everyone else, when all I really needed, was to be present for my baby boy.

No sleep, no pause, just this deep, constant pressure to keep going, like some sort of superhuman.

From the outside, I looked like I was managing it all but, on the inside, I was completely depleted. My nervous system was on edge all the time. I wasn’t present. I wasn’t enjoying anything - I was just pushing.

So what changed?

It took a second burnout - and possibly a delayed post-natal depression - before I really recognised that I couldn’t achieve more by simply doing more. We think that stress is just part of the deal, but when stress becomes your default setting, even the things you care about start to feel heavy, and that’s when something has to give.

The Science: Why stress feels so normal

Geeking out on the science of stress for a second - our brains love certainty - and they love finishing what they've started. This is called the Zeigarnik Effect. Basically, our mind holds on to unfinished tasks like an open tab on a computer. The more open tabs we have, the more mental energy we burn.

Then add in technology: every ping, every notification gives our brain a tiny dopamine hit - which is the same feel-good chemical that makes things like chocolate and social media so addictive - and suddenly our brain learns: stay switched on, get little rewards.

Over time, we train ourselves to be constantly alert.

When we do this day after day, our stress hormone - cortisol - stays high. Short-term, cortisol is helpful; it keeps us alert in a crisis. But long-term? It’s linked to poor sleep, higher risk of anxiety and depression, even physical issues like high blood pressure and inflammation.

So, if you’ve ever thought “Why can’t I just switch off?” - it’s not you, it’s your brain doing exactly what you’ve trained it to do.

The good news is: you can re-train it.

How can you train yourself to stress less and achieve more?

One word – mindfulness. Mindfulness helps us to retrain our brains by teaching us to focus on the present. It’s an excellent tool to rewire the brain and it really works. For leaders and business owners, burned-out employees are less creative, less productive and less able to make good decisions. They take longer to do simple tasks and are more likely to get sick.

Taking steps to protect your teams' mindfulness, will protect your business in the long run. But know that stress doesn't fix itself overnight. I didn’t suddenly ditch my business and become a yogi sitting on the beach - but by starting small and making better choices, was the key to making progress.

It can be little things like not checking your phone or emails in the evening or blocking time in the day to do a relaxing hobby. By learning to put boundaries around your time, your mind will clear, your patience will increase and you'll be able to get more of the important things done.

Here are some of my favourite strategies for coping with stress and changing the default.

#1 - Be ruthless about what matters

Every week ask the question: What are the top 3 things that, if done well, will really move the needle?

Not just, “what’s on my to-do list”, but whats going to really count.

Once you know that, give yourself permission to drop or delegate the rest.

#2 - Protect micro-pauses

Our brains need breaks to work well. Science says a short pause every 60 to 90 minutes helps reset focus and reduce cortisol. I call these “micro-pauses”.

Stand up and stretch. Make a cup of tea and do nothing for one minute. Look out the window. Take three slow breaths.

If you’re leading a team, role model it - and encourage them to do the same. Pauses aren’t wasted time; they’re fuel.

Try this: before your next meeting or task, put your phone down, close your eyes, and take three slow breaths. It sounds too simple to work - but it does.

#3 — End the day intentionally

One thing that keeps us in stress mode is that we never really finish. There’s always something else to check.

So, invent a simple ritual to end your day: tidy your desk, write tomorrow’s top three, close your laptop, and say to yourself, “That’s enough for today.”

Some of my clients literally play a ‘clock-off’ playlist or take a five-minute walk to mark the shift. It sounds small, but your brain loves a clear signal that work is done.

This helps your brain shift gears and actually rest, so you can show up tomorrow with more energy.

Remember: You are your biggest asset, so protect it

Whether you lead a team or run the whole show, your clarity and calm are worth protecting.

Stress less not because you want to do less - but because you want to do what matters, better.

You don’t need to be superhuman to succeed. You don’t need to hustle harder or sacrifice your wellbeing to hit your goals.

In fact - the calmer, clearer and more present you are, the better you lead, the better you work, and the more you enjoy this beautiful, messy life you’re building.

So - deep breath in, and out.

You’ve got this.