Stressed? Here’s How to Stop Feeling Like a Rabbit in Headlights
I see you.
You’re doing everything, being everything and managing everything. You’re keeping the house running, making sure the kids have what they need and smashing it at work, and yet, somehow, it still never feels like enough.
And how’s that working out?
You’re stressed. Completely and utterly frazzled. The kind of stress that makes you feel like you’re seconds away from snapping at the next person who dares to ask you for something.
And do you know what all that pressure is doing? It’s turning you into a rabbit in headlights, frozen by stress.
That never-ending to-do list. The relentless juggling act. The feeling that, at any moment, you’re going to drop the ball and everything will come crashing down.
I get it. Because I’ve been there too. And so have the high-achieving working mums I coach.
Life doesn’t have to feel like this. You don’t have to stay stuck in a cycle of rushing, reacting and running on empty.
You do have a choice, even if it doesn’t feel like it right now.
You can either keep going as you are, accepting the stress as part of life or you can decide to stop, drop the balls and take control of how you live.
I know which one your future self will thank you for.
Why This Matters
You might think that stress is just part of life. Something you have to put up with. That being constantly overwhelmed is just the price you pay for keeping everything together.
It’s not.
Stress doesn’t just make life feel harder. It chips away at your confidence, your self-esteem and your health. It stops you from thinking clearly, making decisions and actually enjoying the life you’ve worked so hard to build.
If you don’t deal with the stress, it doesn’t just disappear. It builds. Until one day, you realise you’re not just stressed, you’re completely burnt out.
This is why coaching matters. This is why taking action matters. Because you deserve better than just surviving.
Why Stress Feels Like a Setback
Stress isn’t just an annoying feeling. It affects everything. Your patience, your decision-making and your confidence. It creeps into your work, your relationships and even your sleep. The more you ignore it, the more it builds, until one day, even the smallest thing, like the kids arguing over who got more cereal, pushes you over the edge.
And yet, stress doesn’t have to control you. You can take back your power.
As Professor Cary Cooper, an expert in workplace stress, says: “You can’t always control what happens, but you can control how you respond to it.”
This is exactly what I help my clients do, shift from feeling overwhelmed to feeling in charge. Because when you stop letting stress run the show, you start living life on your terms.
Here are 5 ways to break free from the stress trap.
Get Ruthless with Your Priorities
Not everything is urgent. Not everything is important. So why are you treating everything like it’s life or death? Start asking yourself: Does this really need to be done right now? And more importantly, Does it even need to be done by me?
Give Yourself Permission to Pause
High achievers like you don’t like stopping as it feels unproductive. And yet, rest isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity. Even a five-minute pause can reset your brain. As Dr Rangan Chatterjee says: “When you prioritise rest, you don’t just feel better—you perform better.”
Stop Being So Damn Hard on Yourself
Would you speak to a friend the way you speak to yourself? I doubt it. So why do you expect yourself to handle everything perfectly, without ever needing help? Lower the bar. You don’t have to prove anything to anyone.
Use Stress as a Signal
Instead of seeing stress as the enemy, use it as a sign. It’s telling you something isn’t working. What needs to change? Where do you need more support? Where do you need to start saying no?
Get Help Before You Hit the Breaking Point
You don’t have to figure this out alone. Coaching helps you step back, see the bigger picture and make real changes. It’s about reclaiming control so that stress no longer dictates your life.
You Have More Power Than You Think
I see this with my clients all the time. They come to me feeling overwhelmed, convinced that stress is just part of being a working mum. And yet, by the time we’ve worked together, they’ve shifted from surviving to thriving.
They stop living on autopilot. They start making decisions that serve them. They build confidence, rediscover who they are and start leading their lives instead of just reacting to them.
And it all starts with a decision and one you can make today.
So, if you’re ready to stop feeling like a rabbit in headlights and start taking charge of your life, get in touch. Book a call with me to see how I can help you get back to feeling like you. Just click the LINK.
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