Stress V.S. Pressure - One will break you. The Other Might Just Make You

Stress V.S. Pressure.  One Will Break You. The Other Might Just Make You.

Are you ready to tell your truth about what’s not working….

Let me ask you a few things. 

When was the last time you sat still without your phone and didn’t feel anxious? 

When did you last sleep through the night without your brain listing off the things you forgot to do? 

When did you last feel joy… like actual, full-body joy?

If you’re anything like most of the women I work with, high-functioning, smart, exhausted, I bet your answer is somewhere between “I can’t remember” and “does Prosecco count?” 

We Call It Stress — But Is It Really?

We call it stress and we normalise it. We wear it like a bloody badge of honour and then wonder why we feel constantly overwhelmed, under-supported, and out of whack. 

So here’s something to ponder. You might not be stressed, you actually might just be under pressure. 

The Crucial Difference Between Stress and Pressure

And the difference matters. Stress is what happens to you. Pressure is what you put on yourself. 

Stress is your boss throwing last-minute chaos at your day (can’t get enough of that lovely stuff, huh…).  Or it’s your partner forgetting to support you (again). It’s watching your kids spiral and not knowing how to help. It’s feeling like you’re in the wrong career, the wrong home, the wrong bloody life but not knowing where to start. 

Pressure, though? That’s yours. It’s the internal drive to do better or the guilt when you relax. The invisible whip you crack over your own head because you should have figured it out by now. 

Why I Don’t Feel Stressed Anymore — But Still Feel Pressure

Since leaving corporate, I’ve stopped feeling stressed but I still feel pressure. And weirdly… I like it because it’s mine. I create it, I can control it and I can use it. 

In corporate, stress felt like a constant flood of noise I couldn’t escape. Now, pressure feels like a fire I can stoke or smother depending on what I need that day. 

I’m still building a business, still carrying the pressure to earn, grow, and succeed. However, I don’t wake up with anxiety and I don’t feel like the walls are closing in because I got rid of the shit that was actually breaking me. 

How I Took My Life Back (Without Burning It All Down)

Corporate crushed my confidence. 

Life chipped away at my self-belief. So I rebuilt it, one brick at a time. Mindset. Boundaries. Therapy. Breathwork. Books. Tears. Whatever it bloody took to get to this chapter of midlife!

Here’s how I took my life back and why pressure doesn’t crush me anymore: 

I designed my life and I got clear, crystal clear on what I wanted. 

Not what looked good on LinkedIn for my career.   

Not what kept everyone else happy, but what I actually needed to feel sane, seen, and whole. 

I worked on myself as I wasn’t thriving, I was surviving. 

I focused on my health as my body was screaming for help and I kept ignoring it.  Now I swim, walk, stretch, and breathe.  Not because I’m chasing a weight or a look. Because my nervous system needs to feel safe again. 

I invested in myself and I took courses to close the gap.  I upskilled and read more and I asked for help because you don’t edit your life by winging it. I had to learn and do the work. 

I changed my environment and turned down the noise.  Hostile or toxic environments are all around us. we just learn to tolerate them.  I stopped spending time with people who drained me. 

I let go of relationships that only worked when I shrunk myself to fit or that only benefited the other party.  I was always the one who reached out, checking in with everyone, organising catch ups etc.  It's interesting how many people lean in to take on the reigns of these tasks when you stop.  

And you know what? My world got quieter and I love that, as that’s where clarity lives. 

I committed to be better, not perfect. Just better. I stopped chasing motivation and started building habits that didn’t need it. No “new year, new me” BS. Just small, daily proof that I’m on my own side now. 

So let me ask again…. are you stressed… or are you under pressure? 

Because if it’s stress, that’s your signal that something’s got to give. If it’s pressure, that might just be your next chapter calling. 

Either way, you don’t have to keep sitting in it like a good girl waiting for the clouds to pass. 

So are you Stressed or just Under Pressure?

So let me ask again…. are you stressed… or are you under pressure? 

Because if it’s stress, that’s your signal that something’s got to give. If it’s pressure, that might just be your next chapter calling. 

Either way, you don’t have to keep sitting in it like a good girl waiting for the clouds to pass. 

Ready to tell the truth about what’s really not working? 

Start with the right questions. No fluff. No drama. No 10-step formula. 

Just one bold workbook and a pen. The same way I started. The Midlife Audit Workbook is totally yours. (Or you could keep scrolling. Up to you.) 

Grab your Life Edit Here https://www.thelifeedits.com/midlife-audit-workbook