🗞️ The Wellness Briefing – Edition No. 13: “Is Your Stress Momentum or Friction In Disguise?” | September 23, 2025

Quick, high-impact wellness insights for ambitious professionals. Delivered Tuesdays.

Welcome Back to The Wellness Briefing

Many ambitious professionals secretly believe stress fuels performance. It feels like proof of commitment—late nights, rapid responses, relentless pace. But research shows the opposite: stress may give you a short burst of energy, but long-term it erodes focus, decision quality, and health.

The real differentiator isn’t who can grind the longest—it’s who can recover, recalibrate, and sustain momentum without breaking.

Let’s begin.


đź§  1 Insight Worth Reading: A McKinsey study found that employees who feel chronically stressed are 3x more likely to disengage and 2.6x more likely to quit within six months. Read the full article on McKinsey.

💡 What That Means for You: Stress might feel like momentum, but it’s usually friction in disguise. The problem isn’t working hard—it’s working in a way that quietly taxes your capacity until you’re running on fumes.

Sustainable performance comes from pacing, protecting energy, and building in recovery like any other strategic resource. If you don’t, you risk showing up tired, distracted, and reactive—just when clarity and presence matter most.

✅ Try This: Swap the “to-do” list for a “done” list at day’s end. Remind your brain of progress instead of feeding it an endless backlog.

âž• Want the full version of future issues (plus exclusive bonuses)? Sign up here.


Michelle Porter

About the Author

Michelle Porter is a health and wellness coach specializing in chronic stress management and burnout recovery for high-achieving professionals. Through personalized strategies and evidence-based practices, she helps clients reclaim their energy, focus, and joy to excel in work and life.

Next
Next

The Wellness Briefing – Edition No. 12: “The Confidence-Competence Gap” | September 16, 2025