High Performing Women, Over Functioning, and the Body That Keeps the Score
- Seema Chopra
- Feb 10
- 3 min read
Many high performing women do not struggle with motivation.
They struggle with stopping.
They have strong work ethic, high capacity, and the ability to push through discomfort. That can create success in business and performance in fitness, but it can also create a pattern of over functioning.
High Performing Women
Caroline grew up in the countryside, surrounded by farming, nature, animals, and strong entrepreneurial energy. She developed a work ethic that was hardwired early, and a relationship with movement that has always been central to who she is.
Her sporting background includes:
school sport and dance
rugby at university
competitive rowing for 11 years
endurance hiking challenges, including the Longmynd Hike in Shropshire
The Longmynd is a 52 mile challenge with eight summits and over 10,000 feet of climbing, completed in under 24 hours. Caroline’s fastest time was 14 and a half hours, a performance she trained for, endured through blisters, and felt proud to achieve. She later returned and improved her time by more than two hours.
This is the positive side of high capacity. When the mind and body are aligned, challenge builds confidence.
When Performance Becomes Pressure
Caroline also shared a different side of the story.
Painful periods. Hormonal suppression through the coil. And a growing desire to reconnect with her body, especially because she wants children and wanted to better understand her menstrual cycle and fertility.
What she described is common. Many women reach adulthood without a clear understanding of:
the phases of the cycle
how energy levels shift across the month
how stress and training load influence symptoms
how to plan nutrition and movement around hormonal fluctuations
Caroline’s biggest challenge in making changes was not the training plan itself. It was her mental resistance to slowing down.
She can push beyond the brick wall. She can override pain signals. She can do more when anxious.
So moving into lower intensity training during her nurturing phase, scheduling recovery, and simplifying commitments was psychologically difficult. It required trust, patience, and repetition.
This is a key insight.
For high functioning women, the hardest work is often not adding another habit.
It is removing pressure.
Fertility as a Non Negotiable
Caroline’s purpose is clear. She wants a family, and she understands that she can influence what is controllable in her health.
That clarity helped her stay aligned with new choices:
prioritising sleep and recovery
adjusting training intensity across the cycle
refining her schedule, reducing unnecessary commitments
supporting fertility through diet, reducing inflammation, and gut health
reducing toxin exposure where possible, including skincare, plastic use, and household products
being intentional about who she spends time with
Her approach is not about perfection. She described it as “baby steps” and daily practice.
Nervous System Health and Over Functioning
Caroline described the inner experience of over functioning clearly.
When anxiety rises, many women do not do less.
They do more.
They cram more in, try harder, please more people, and override the sensations that are trying to communicate that something is off.
This triggers the nervous system further, creating more disconnection and less capacity to regulate.
Her advice is simple and practical:
learn your body
notice sensations, do not squash them
return to basics: sleep, food intake, and recovery
consider your cycle phase, whether you are cycling, perimenopausal, menopausal, or post menopause
act from self love, not self pressure
A Snapshot of a Balanced High Performance Day
Caroline shared a typical day that reflects balance, not restriction.
wakes around 6.15am, tracks temperature for ovulation
morning self care and a mirror pep talk
early horse care including physically demanding manual tasks
workday in sustainability coaching and consultancy, leadership workshops, strategy and transformation
midday movement session focused on small muscles and flexibility (Barre Definition)
evening training depending on the day, pole dancing, riding, weights or circuits, and occasional Hyrox classes
This is not a quiet life. It is a regulated one.
The Real Outcome: Joy and Connection
When asked how she feels now, Caroline’s answer was not about achievements.
She wants to have fun.
Joy in small daily moments. A song and a dance. A walk outside without her phone. Sunshine and birdsong. Simple pleasures that bring her back to herself.
That is often what changes when women stop living in over drive. They do not become less ambitious. They become more present.
And presence is the foundation for health, relationships, and sustainable performance.
One breath. One pause. One honest check in.
Then choose the next small step that supports your body, not just your schedule.
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