Burnout: Why High-Achieving Women Feel So Drained… And What To Do About It

by Kathryn Regganie | Resilient Woman Leadership

Let’s be honest: high-achieving women are exhausted.

Not because they aren’t capable. Not because they aren’t strong. But because they’ve spent years—or even decades—succeeding in systems that reward disconnection.

Disconnection from their bodies. 

Disconnection from their emotions. 

Disconnection from their values. 

And often, disconnection from their own truth.

I know this because I lived it.

For 15 years, I thrived in corporate America. I led cross-functional teams, built bridges between tech and non-tech, and earned my reputation as a high-performing, go-to leader. On the outside, I looked like the picture of success. 

But on the inside? I was operating in constant go-mode. Exhausted. Depleted. And quietly wondering if this was all there was.

It wasn’t until I hit a personal low point, navigating a divorce, burnout, and a complete recalibration of my identity, that I finally understood: Resilience isn’t about bouncing back. It’s about coming home to who you really are.

That realization changed everything. And it became the foundation for the Resilient Woman Leadership pathway I now teach.

Burnout isn’t just about stress. It’s what happens when you spend too long abandoning your own needs in service of a system that doesn’t see you.

High-achieving women are often praised for their stamina, their strategy, their stoicism. But behind that praise is a pattern:

“Don’t show emotion.” 

“Push through no matter what.” 

“Lead like a man—or don’t lead at all.”

These are myths. And they’re costing us our health, our clarity, and in many cases, our joy.

Here are three of the most damaging myths I see—and what we can do instead:

Corporate culture teaches us to toughen up. To lead from logic. To hide our hearts. But in truth? Emotion is data. Emotional intelligence is leadership intelligence. Women aren’t too emotional—we’re deeply attuned. And when we have tools to regulate—not suppress—our emotions, we lead with presence and power.

That kind of resilience leads to breakdown.

True resilience is sustainable. It doesn’t come from caffeine, hustle, or powering through another round of deadlines. It comes from what I call embodied wisdom, the ability to stay centered, grounded, and whole in the face of pressure.

This one’s sneaky and it shows up in women who feel like they have to “armor up” just to be taken seriously.

But real power isn’t performative. Feminine leadership is strategic, relational, intuitive—and it gets results. The world doesn’t need more performative toughness. It needs more women who lead from their center.

I believe leadership doesn't have to hurt.

It can be a magical, empowering experience, one where you thrive and uplift others as you grow. But first, we have to heal.

Healing from burnout is essential. If we don’t, we carry it with us—to the next job, the next promotion, the next opportunity. But when we do the work to reconnect with our embodied wisdom, we lead from a place that’s rooted, clear, and sustainable.

That’s why I created the Resilient Woman Leadership Pathway. It’s not a one-size-fits-all program. It’s a map designed to meet you where you are and guide you toward the leader you were born to be.

The Resilient Woman Leadership Pathway:

Because success should feel good. It should honor your body, align with your values, and light your soul on fire. And leadership? That should come from your whole self, not just your performance self.

You are not too much. You’re not too emotional. You’re not doing it wrong.

You’re just waking up to a deeper truth. 

Let’s lead from there.