By Yovanna Madhère, LMSW, LGSW
Stillness is a need, not a luxury.
Our bodies are carrying stories our minds have chosen to ignore: tight shoulders whisper of survival mode… a clenched jaw signals unfinished conversations with stress. The racing thoughts that visit at midnight? They’re the echoes of a nervous system that never got permission to power down.
Burnout isn’t simply mental fatigue. It is the body’s SOS. It’s what happens when our survival response has been left on “high alert” for months or years. Women, especially, who have been taught to push through pain, perform under pressure, and wear strength as a badge of honor, exhaustion can masquerade as productivity. But beneath the surface, the body is pleading: Please be still and listen.
The Physiology of “Push Through”
When the brain perceives constant threat—deadlines, caregiving, social pressure—it triggers the stress response. Adrenaline floods the system, cortisol rises, and muscles tighten to prepare for action. Yikes! That mechanism was never meant to stay on indefinitely. Chronic activation erodes sleep quality, hormone balance, digestion, and emotional regulation.
The irony is that we often interpret these physiological cries for help: fatigue, anxiety, irritability—as a personal weakness. So we double down. Coffee poured in cute cups replaces sleep. Bedside scrolling replaces rest. “I’m fine” replaces the truth.
