Stop glorifying busy: A guide to healing your stress addiction

I used to take pride in thriving in chaos. My motto was "work hard, play harder." My corporate life in London was a badge of honour: endless deadlines, countless meetings, and a lifestyle that glorified the hustle. Like many of us, I equated stress with success. The busier I was, the more valuable I felt. I couldn't bear free space in my diary - I always had to have plans. It took me a long time to realise this constant planning was rooted in my fear of being alone with my thoughts.

Even after leaving my corporate city job, I quickly jumped onto a different merry-go-round, chasing the same income through teaching yoga in large gym chains. I swapped one form of corporate hustle for another. When I moved to the Czech Republic to care for my father after his accident, I continued to seek ways to escape - constantly planning trips, embracing van life, and never truly settling. Soon enough, I fell into yet another trap, teaching yoga locally and finding it impossible to say no to classes because my students loved them. Once again, I had no boundaries.

Stress addiction isn’t just a catchy buzzword - it’s real, and it's sneaky. Our bodies become so accustomed to elevated cortisol and adrenaline levels that relaxation feels unnatural, even threatening.

Signs you might be addicted to stress

You don’t have to be running a company or raising three kids to be addicted to stress. You might relate if you:

• Feel guilty when you rest

• Can’t sit still without grabbing your phone

• Thrive on last-minute deadlines

• Constantly feel like you’re “behind”

• Have body tension you can’t release

• Get sick on holidays or weekends

• Feel a strange discomfort when life gets too easy

Stress addiction is rarely about the task. It’s about the identity - who we think we are when we’re not busy. For many of us, that identity feels empty. And that’s the wound we’re here to heal.

The turning point came through somatic healing and breathwork during my training retreat in Mexico. It was there, on a simple yoga mat, breathing deeply into spaces within myself I had long ignored, that I finally understood the depth of my stress addiction. Tears flowed, emotions surfaced, and for the first time, I genuinely felt how much I had abandoned myself in pursuit of external validation.

I realized stress addiction had not only shaped my identity but had also become a mechanism to avoid deeper emotional work, which required vulnerability, honesty, and courage.

Achieving and Living the Best Life

Living your best life means more than checking off accomplishments; it's about aligning your actions with joy and meaning. A client of mine, one of the fittest people I've ever known, experienced a stroke two years ago. I was shocked. He shared that despite his incredible physical fitness, his life was consumed by stress. He constantly pushed himself, never permitting himself to stop. His stroke became the harshest wake-up call about stress addiction - one that prompted a complete audit of his life and priorities.

Questions to ask yourself

• Do the things you do daily bring you joy or overwhelm?

• Are you feeling constantly pressured or inspired?

• Is there space in your life for rest and spontaneity?

• Do you need to respond to work emails at 10 PM?

• Are you truly living your best life, or are you avoiding something deeper by staying busy?

Tips when feeling stressed

• Pause and breathe deeply - interrupt the stress cycle.

• Step away for five minutes to shift your energy.

• Question your priorities and delegate tasks. Remember, you don't have to do everything yourself.

One client learned to create clear boundaries with toxic family members. Initially, she struggled because it challenged her deeply ingrained identity of always pleasing others. We worked on improving her communication skills to express boundaries effectively. Another client overcame the quick-fix mentality of "I'll do it myself because it takes too long to teach someone else." She realised this pattern was rooted in trust issues and her identity as the indispensable one.

What helped me reclaim my energy

Here’s what actually worked for me and what I teach now inside my coaching and wellness containers. My guide to healing your stress addiction:

1. Rituals instead of routines My mornings used to be about “getting shit done.” Now they’re about landing in my body. A 20-minute ritual that includes movement, breath, and reflection sets the tone. It reminds me I’m not a robot. I’m a woman living in a body that deserves care.

   
   

2. Fasting as a nervous system tool. Fasting taught me to sit with discomfort instead of reaching for a quick fix. It’s not about weight loss. It’s about learning how to be present. How to witness cravings without reacting. How to feel hunger without fear..

   
   

3. Slowness as strength. This one was hard. I had to unlearn my obsession with “high vibe, high energy” and meet myself in the quiet. That’s where the real healing happened. That’s where my future self lives - in peace, not pressure.

My message to the woman who can’t slow down: Since Mexico, life has slowed down significantly. I stopped making constant plans and began acting purely on intuition. Recovering from stress addiction isn’t about eliminating stress; it’s about redefining your relationship with it.

One of my clients recently said, "Katka, since I've started slowing down, I realize how much I was avoiding. It was never about time; it was about my fear of facing myself." Her words resonated deeply because they mirrored my journey.

Today, stress still visits me, but I no longer invite it to stay. I've learned to see it as a signal, a gentle nudge reminding me to reconnect with myself and return to my practices. I've learned to replace my addiction to stress with an addiction to authenticity, peace, and purpose.

Ready to unplug from stress?

I help women create true health and freedom—not just in their bodies, but in their lives and businesses. If this resonates, you don’t have to do it alone.

Book a free consultation with me and let’s get to the root of your stress patterns together. It’s time to build a life that doesn’t need burnout to feel meaningful.