In 2019, I thought I was healthy. I was running marathons.
Working in a senior leadership role at ANZ.
Productive. Driven. Capable.
From the outside, I looked like someone managing life well.
But looking back now, I can see something I completely missed at the time:
I was surviving on stress.
Like many women in high-performing environments, I had normalised running in constant “go mode.”
I woke up thinking about work. Fell asleep thinking about work.
Pushed through exhaustion.
Ignored the signs my body was giving me.
I didn’t think I was stressed. I thought I was ambitious. Strong. Successful.
Then, at 33, I was diagnosed with aggressive Triple Negative Breast Cancer.
That diagnosis changed everything about the way I understand health, stress, resilience and performance. Not just professionally. Personally too.
High performing doesn’t always mean healthy
One of the biggest misconceptions in corporate and high-pressure environments is that if someone is functioning well externally, they must be coping internally.
But many high performers are:
- running on adrenaline
- constantly overstimulated
- sleeping poorly
- emotionally exhausted
- disconnected from recovery
- relying on productivity as proof they’re “doing okay”
And because this behaviour is often rewarded professionally, it becomes normalised.
The reality is: The body doesn’t differentiate between a deadline and a threat. When we stay in chronic stress for too long without proper recovery, our nervous system pays the price. Sometimes quietly at first..
Poor sleep.
Brain fog.
Low patience.
Decision fatigue.
Waking at 3am thinking about work.
Feeling wired but exhausted.
Our body speaks before it screams.
The problem is that many of us have become very good at overriding those whispers.
Burnout isn’t always caused by workload
One of the most powerful realisations from my own experience was this:
Burnout is not always about how much you do.
Sometimes it’s about who you became to succeed.
The reliable one.
The high achiever.
The problem solver.
The one who handles everything.
The one who never drops the ball.
These identities often help us build successful careers. But they can also disconnect us from boundaries, recovery and self-awareness.
Eventually, the cost starts showing up somewhere:
- energy
- health
- sleep
- patience
- relationships
- creativity
- emotional wellbeing
I didn’t collapse from weakness. I collapsed from chronic overdrive.
And I know now that many women are much closer to that edge than they realise.
Resilience is not endurance
After cancer, I had to completely relearn what strength meant. I used to think resilience meant:
- pushing harder
- coping silently
- staying productive no matter what
- enduring more than everyone else
Now I see resilience very differently. Real resilience is:
- regulation
- recovery
- energy management
- sustainable standards
It’s learning how to support your nervous system before you hit breaking point.
It’s recognising stress signals earlier.
It’s understanding that recovery is not indulgent. It’s strategic.
And importantly, it’s realising sustainable performance is built through small daily habits, not dramatic overhauls. Things like:
- protecting your sleep
- drinking enough water
- strength training
- stepping away from your screen
- managing stress intentionally
- creating healthier boundaries
- learning how to slow your nervous system down again
Not perfection. Just better support for your body and mind over time.
You deserve a successful career and a healthy body
One of the key messages from my recent workshop with Auto Women was this:
High performance should not require self-destruction. You should not have to sacrifice your health to succeed. And while stress may be unavoidable at times, chronic survival mode should not become our permanent baseline.
The good news is that sustainable health habits can be learned. You can improve your:
- energy
- sleep
- stress management
- resilience
- routines
- wellbeing
- relationship with yourself
No matter how long you’ve been running on empty. Because most women don’t realise how bad they’ve been feeling… until they finally start feeling better.
Auto Women members can also access:
$100 off Elle’s Feel Better Blueprint: A practical step-by-step program designed to improve energy, sleep, stress, habits and overall wellbeing long-term.
20% off Personalised Health Coaching: For women who know what they “should” be doing… but need support turning good intentions into consistent habits that actually stick.
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
ELLE SPROLL
Health & Nutrition Coach, Founder Own Your Own Health
Elle Sproll is a Certified Health & Nutrition Coach and founder of Own Your Health. After being diagnosed with aggressive Triple Negative Breast Cancer at 33 – despite appearing healthy and high-performing – Elle was forced to rethink her understanding of stress, resilience, and success.
She now helps women regulate stress, reduce inflammation, and protect their long-term health without sacrificing ambition – equipping those in high-pressure industries to build careers that are sustainable, not self-destructive.