Maria Connolly, LPC
Do you feel like you’re always battling against the clock and there’s not enough time to do what you need to get done, let alone what you want to do? And since your long to-do list is never finished, maybe you’re always nagged by a feeling of failure. Here’s a secret that can help: the best time management tips are built not on being task oriented but upon creating a mindful state of mind.
Have you ever tried to calm a room full of excited children waiting for a treat? The more you shush them, the more they wiggle, giggle, and chatter. But if you channel their energy into an engaging activity, they settle down. This is a key takeaway for learning how to stay calm under pressure.
Because our adult emotions work the same way! Trying to suppress anxiety, stress, or frustration is like forcing those excited children to sit still — it’s exhausting and ineffective. Suppressing emotions often leaves you feeling like a powder keg, ready to explode.
You’ve checked all the boxes of a high-performance mindset — an impressive career, a relentless work ethic, and a reputation for getting things done. Yet behind closed doors, the pressure is unrelenting. Work demands never slow down, home feels more like an obligation than a sanctuary, and deep down, you wonder: Is this really the success I worked so hard for?
Success isn’t just about hard work — it’s about working smarter. Some women think that a high-performance mindset requires them to push themselves relentlessly, believing that sheer effort will lead to the success they crave. But at a certain point, force alone reaches its limit. Intelligence must lead the way.
Feeling stuck, overwhelmed, in a rut, overlooked, out of control? That’s what happened to Samantha…until she learned to tune in to her somatic intelligence. She sat at her desk, staring at an endless to-do list. Her shoulders were tight, her jaw clenched, and despite the third cup of coffee, exhaustion weighed her down. She prided herself on being a high-achiever — always pushing, always performing — but lately, she felt like she was running on fumes. When a friend suggested she start paying attention to her body’s signals, she laughed it off, “Somatic intelligence? That’s just a fad. I need a real-world solution!” She didn’t have time for her friend’s nonsense. But one day, in the middle of an important presentation, her body made the decision for her — a pounding headache, shallow breath, and a sudden wave of dizziness forced her to stop. It was a wake-up call.
What she learned: the key to sustaining her success wasn’t doing more but tuning in more. Her body had the wisdom she needed to thrive!
Australians have a term — the Tall Poppy Syndrome. Have you heard of it? It’s the idea that poppies should all grow at the same height and speed. If one becomes taller than the others, it should be cut down to size, to maintain the uniformity of the crop. Do you recall a time when you were feeling on top of the world because you accomplished something wonderful; then someone threw a wet blanket on your joy, cutting you down to size? You’ve experienced the Tall Poppy Syndrome.
You deserve to be proud of yourself, so let’s examine how you can more fully build your self-esteem to withstand this pervasive attitude!