Mary Ann, a senior leader in a global corporation, managed multiple teams and reported directly to the CEO. When she first reached out, her days were filled with back-to-back meetings from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., leaving little time to eat, hydrate, or reset.
Evenings often involved dining out with her husband and resulted in overeating and excess alcohol. While she wanted to make healthier choices, fatigue and convenience consistently overrode her good intentions.
Her challenge is one many leaders recognize:
How do you manage stress in a way that sustains both performance and well-being?
In our April newsletter, we introduced the Thrive-Ability™ framework and highlighted stress regulation as a foundational capacity for sustained leadership. This blog post builds on that idea in a practical, real-world context.
The Reality of Stress in Leadership
Mary Ann’s experience reflects a broader leadership pattern: most executive stress is not acute. This stress is chronic and cumulative.
While acute stress triggers a short-term “fight or flight” response, today’s leadership stress is driven by continuous, low-level demands with tight schedules, constant communication, and ongoing decision-making.
Research increasingly points to the role of microstress, small, often invisible stressors that accumulate throughout the day.
In The Hidden Toll of Microstress (Harvard Business Review), Rob Cross and Karen Dillon describe how minor demands, those brief interruptions, quick decisions, and small requests compound into significant cognitive and emotional load.
Their research across global organizations found that even top performers were often unaware of how these microstressors eroded their capacity, leaving them feeling persistently depleted.
The Physiological Cost of Chronic Stress
What makes this especially important is how the body responds.
With chronic stress:
- Cortisol remains elevated
- Appetite increases
- Cravings intensify
- Energy becomes less stable
Unlike acute stress, while the body prepares for physical action, none is required. Instead, the body is responding to sustained, often unnoticed pressure. Over time, this can lead to:
- Overeating or reliance on quick energy sources
- Reduced recovery
- Increased fatigue despite continued effort
This is where many high-performing leaders begin to feel out of alignment with their own standards for health and performance.
A More Effective Approach to Stress
The goal is to regulate how you respond to stress not to eliminate it.
One of the most practical starting points is building awareness around internal signals.
For example, stress often presents as hunger. Before reacting, pause and ask:
- Am I physically hungry, or is this a stress response?
A simple check by placing a hand on the stomach and noticing physical cues that can help distinguish between the two.
If it is not physical hunger, effective alternatives include:
- Drinking water
- Taking a few slow, intentional breaths
- Stepping away briefly to reset
These small interventions can interrupt the stress cycle and restore a sense of control.
What Changed for Mary Ann
Rather than making sweeping changes, Mary Ann focused on a few targeted shifts:
- She reset expectations at home
By having an honest conversation with her husband, she reduced the frequency of dining out. - She simplified decision-making
Preparing meals on weekends removed the daily burden of deciding what to eat and preparing it when already fatigued. - She prioritized consistent movement
Committing to a physical activity routine three times per week helped regulate both stress and energy. And made her stronger.
These were consistent but not dramatic changes. Over time, they allowed her to:
- Stabilize her energy
- Make more intentional choices
- Feel more in control of both her work and her well-being
A Practical Leadership Lens
Stress is not inherently harmful.
Unregulated, accumulated stress is what creates problems.
For leaders, the ability to notice and manage small, repeated stressors is often what separates sustainable performance from gradual depletion.
As you reflect on your own experience, consider:
- Where do small stressors accumulate in your day?
- Where are you reacting automatically rather than choosing deliberately?
- What is one small practice that could help you reset more consistently?
Continuing the Conversation
For a deeper look at how food choices support energy and cognitive performance, revisit Build Confidence with Conscious Food Choices.
We are currently opening a limited number of spaces for leaders who want to:
- Strengthen energy and focus in demanding environments
- Build sustainable health practices that work in real life
- Increase resilience without adding more to an already full schedule
If this resonates, we invite you to schedule a confidential consultation to explore whether this work is the right fit for you.
Source:
Loughrey, K. (2024). Happy Life at a Healthy Weight. Authentic Wellness Publishing Company.
Kay Loughrey Advisor on Sustainable Leadership & Health Founder, Thrive-Ability™ Licensed, Registered Dietitian-Nutritionist,
Master of Public Health, Master of Science in Marketing
Sweet Life Wellness was founded by Kay Loughrey.
Kay works privately with leaders to restore energy, resilience, and alignment across leadership, health, and life.
Begin a private conversation
Request a Conversation by email to: Kay@sweetlifewellness.com
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