185. Burnout in High-Achieving Women: How to Recognize It and Break the Cycle with Midore Takada

It is so common for high-achieving women to push through despite feeling drained. We have seen this in our clients and have most likely experienced it ourselves in our careers as coaches. When high achievers feel exhausted, it’s easy to think that another cup of coffee is all they need to keep going. But we know that is not the case at all, and they might actually be on the verge of burnout. We hear about burnout a lot--it's become somewhat of a buzzword in our culture. Today, we discuss what this means specifically and how it affects high-achieving women like ourselves and our clients.

Burnout can be a significant issue! As someone who is ambitious and high-achieving, I understand what it’s like not to see it coming. Women are used to taking on so much that we keep going without realizing the cost: their health, relationships, and long-term career success. When women ignore burnout, they often end up in survival mode–operating on autopilot, disconnected from their passion, and resenting the very work they once loved. This cycle continues because high achievers don't want to feel weak by slowing down. However, we can break this cycle–for us and our clients.

Midore Takada is a trauma-informed, master-certified life coach who specializes in helping career-driven women in midlife who feel stuck, overwhelmed, and burned out, including those navigating professional exam prep while balancing demanding careers and personal responsibilities. In this episode, she offers great insights and helpful tools to understand the signs of burnout and how we can use a holistic perspective to support our clients through it.

What does burnout in high-achieving women look like?

For ambitious, career-driven women, burnout doesn't always look like total collapse–that’s why it can be so hard to identify. When high-achieving women burn out, it is often disguised as over-functioning–they still show up, deliver results, and handle it all, but internally, they are running on fumes. As women, we can be really good at over-functioning. It’s unhealthy for us, but we often do it without even realizing it. We have thoughts like, I have to do this. I have to take care of everything. I’m supposed to hold things together. We don't realize when we've crossed over into that place, which is when resentment can creep in. Instead of slowing down when this happens, women push harder and dismiss the exhaustion as just needing to manage their time better. But deep down, they start feeling disconnected from their work and become irritable, unmotivated, and emotionally drained–even if they are still achieving on the surface. 

The subtle signs of burnout in high-achieving women

Often, when high-achieving women experience burnout, it can feel like it came on very suddenly. There are several signs to watch for to identify burnout before you–or your client–have reached total exhaustion. 

Maybe you’re feeling off but can't point out why. Or the work that you were once really excited about now feels draining. You have brain fog, are forgetful, and make mistakes you usually don’t make. Resentment creeps in, and even small tasks feel like a burden. You overcommit without thinking–saying yes automatically, even when you’re overwhelmed and emotionally numb. You get through the day instead of actually feeling present. 

For high-achieving women, burnout doesn't scream, I can't do this anymore, but instead, it whispers, why doesn't this feel as fulfilling as it used to? When women can recognize these signs, there are shifts they can make with the help of a coach to stop them from hitting that total burnout. Skilled coaches advocate for a high level of self-care and wellness that will help prevent the crash before it happens. Helping them shift the way they engage in the world and what they expect of themselves...