The Intersection of Career and Mental Health
Let’s be real: Success doesn’t always feel like success.
On paper, you’re crushing it—degrees, promotions, showing up like the dependable one everyone counts on. But inside? You’re barely holding it together. And even when you check all the boxes, it still doesn’t feel like enough.
You’re not lazy. You’re not broken. You’re just exhausted from trying to lead while disconnected from yourself.
This isn’t just burnout. It’s deeper than that, and I see it all the time.
Let’s Talk About Attachment at Work
Most people think attachment is just about relationships, but trust me, your attachment style is sitting in that Zoom call with you. It’s why you panic when someone sets a boundary. Or why you zone out emotionally but still get the job done. It’s why you stay in overdrive, hoping one day you’ll finally feel worthy enough to rest.
Here’s what I mean:
- Anxious at work? You might feel like you're always proving your worth. People-pleasing. Avoiding conflict like it’ll swallow you whole.
- Dismissive-avoidant? You stay cool. But your walls are so high, no one (including you) gets in.
- Fearful-avoidant? You’re the queen of the push-pull. In one minute, gone the next. You want connection, but it feels dangerous.
Is It Burnout or Are You Just Frozen?
You’re functioning, but inside you feel numb. That’s called functional freeze. It’s what happens when your nervous system says, “We can’t afford to feel right now, we just have to keep going.”
Burnout says, “I’m tired.”
Freeze says, “I don’t even know how I feel.”
Sound familiar?
Healing Doesn’t Mean You Lose Your Drive
Healing your attachment patterns doesn’t mean you lose your edge. It means you stop leading from fear and start leading from wholeness.
It looks like:
- Being honest about what you feel without needing a PowerPoint.
- Asking for help before you're drowning.
- Holding boundaries that protect your peace—not just your productivity.
- Taking feedback without it crushing your spirit.
This Is What I Do in Therapy
I work with high-functioning professionals who look put-together on the outside but feel shut down, over it, or like they’re stuck in survival mode.
We don’t just talk, we untangle what’s under the surface. And we build new ways of showing up, rooted in secure attachment and nervous system regulation.
Want More of This?
Every week in my newsletter, The Attachment Advantage, I break down what it looks like to lead from security—not survival. We talk about work, identity, burnout, and how to finally feel like yourself in the spaces you’ve been performing in for years.
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