Feelings of emptiness, unproductivity, pessimism, and worthlessness
Depression
High anxiety
Tight chest or chest pains
“Why can’t I breathe?”
If these sensations resonate with you, you may be experiencing burnout.
Burnout, as defined by Psychology Today, is “a state of emotional, mental, and often physical exhaustion brought on by prolonged or repeated stress. While typically associated with work, burnout can also affect other areas of life, such as parenting, caretaking, or relationships.”
For Black women, the experience of burnout presents unique challenges. Often, we are the anchors of our families, navigating the intersections of racism and sexism while carrying the weight of the world on our shoulders. There’s constant pressure to be perfect, to not only succeed, but surpass expectations. Every decision feels deliberate; every word is carefully chosen, because any mistake feels like a collective failure for those who came before us and those who follow.
According to the2022 Black Women Thriving Report by Every Level Leadership, “88% of Black women sometimes, often, or always experience burnout.” I am part of that 88%.
In 2020, amidst a global pandemic and the unjust murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, the world was thrown into unprecedented turmoil. As a young Black woman navigating corporate life, dealing with microaggressions, code-switching, masking, feeing the need to tone down my Blackness while starting a new role deeply impacted me. Five months into my new role, the pandemic hit. The fear of contracting the virus, coupled with the continuous cycle of racial injustice, triggered severe anxiety and panic attacks—something I had never experienced before.
It took a TV commercial for me to realize what I was truly experiencing after months of worrying I might be having a heart or pulmonary issue. Doctors dismissed my concerns, attributing them to my weight. When I realized what I was experiencing were panic attacks, I started therapy for the first time, confronting the stigma that often surrounds mental health care in the Black community.
At the same time, I co-founded an employee resource group at my workplace, which became a vital space for authentic conversations about the injustices we were witnessing. This experience helped me find my voice and advocate for meaningful change. Inspired by Maya Angelou’s words—”Words mean more than what is set down on paper. It takes the human voice to infuse them with deeper meaning”—I gained the courage to speak up, knowing my voice mattered. This group gave me and others a sense of community, a space for empathy, and an opportunity to learn, grow, and invest in one another.
Entering 2021 and 2022, I appeared to be thriving professionally. I became a well-recognized advocate in my company, received opportunities for stretch projects, and was deeply involved in my local community and church. These efforts earned me accolades like the Rising Star and DEI Changemaker awards.
Yet behind this success, I was becoming deeply unhappy and unwell. I was overwhelmed by burnout–I could barely think straight, overextending myself across work, DEI initiatives, community involvement, ministry work, and family responsibilities. My personal life was unraveling as I struggled with unresolved family trauma while prioritizing everyone else’s needs over my own. This put me in a continuous cycle of survival mode that I had patterned for years, realizing that my relentless overachievement and ambition was a trauma response—rooted in systemic oppression, poverty, and complex family dynamics.
For generations, Black women have been taught to suppress their authentic selves and that their needs don’t matter. That our worth is tied to what we do for others rather than who we are. This leads to masking, people-pleasing, and going through the motions, resulting in a disconnection from our true selves.
As a young Christian woman, amidst growing my understanding of a right relationship with Jesus, during this personal struggle my faith wavered at times. I was angry at God, wondering what I had done to deserve what seemed to be a series of unfortunate events that plagued me that year.
My breakthrough? Through therapy, coaching, and spiritual growth, I became mindful of my thoughts, emotions, and physical experiences, cultivating an awareness of my mind, body, soul, and spirit.
The result? A toolkit of practices and resources essential to my healing and growth. Sis, we cannot pour from an empty cup. We must be intentional about tending to ourselves and ruthless in protecting our peace.
These experiences led to the creation of Mind Your Higher Ground—a program designed for high-achieving, burnout-prone Black women like me. The program liberates women from societal expectations, self-doubt, and limiting beliefs, guiding them toward personal and professional growth so they can embrace their authentic selves and thrive.
Higher Ground represents a sacred space, a place where mind, body, soul, and spirit unite. To “mind your higher ground” means to nurture these aspects of yourself, enabling you to thrive. Like tending to a garden, we must cultivate every part of ourselves to step fully into who God has called us to be.
What I have come to deeply appreciate about Life and God is the gift of co-creation. Even in my darkest moments, God reminded me that I was never alone. He always showed me a sign, an opportunity to begin again. We do not have to be victims of circumstance; we have the power to choose who we want to be. In Letters to My Daughter, Maya Angelou says, “You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them. Try to be a rainbow in someone else’s cloud. Do not complain. Make every effort to change things you do not like. If you cannot make a change, change the way you have been thinking. You might find a new solution.”
Each day is an opportunity to create something new with God, where He holds the master brush and I, the smaller one, together painting the masterpiece of life.
I believe that even amidst adversity, we can thrive by being intentional about how we show up in the world and who we choose to be. Mind Your Higher Ground combines multiple healing modalities to help high-achieving women prevent burnout, integrate their priorities, reclaim their power, and live in alignment with their true, highest selves.
These practices have not only shaped the life I lead now, but they are foundational for the life I’m building. I am committed to sharing these tools with you—helping you build your own toolkit, find your Higher Ground, and live fully and unapologetically.
I invite you to join me on this journey. Together, we can create a future where every Black woman feels empowered to be her most authentic self. The world will be the better for it. I’ve got your back sis!
