Is It You or Your Job?

Quiz Questions

• 1.
  When work feels heavy, what feels most true?

  • A.
    The culture or leadership makes things harder than they need to be.
  • B.
    The job itself requires me to manage a lot of people and emotions.
  • C.
    I take responsibility for more than I probably should.
  • D.
    It’s not just work — I feel maxed out everywhere.
• 2.
  When something goes wrong at work, you tend to:

  • A.
    Brace for fallout from leadership.
  • B.
    Step in quickly to stabilize things.
  • C.
    Internalize it and replay what you could’ve done better.
  • D.
    Feel your fuse getting shorter than it used to be.
• 3.
  How easy is it for you to emotionally disconnect from work at the end of the day?

  • A.
    It depends on how chaotic the day was.
  • B.
    It’s hard because people rely on me.
  • C.
    It’s hard because my performance is important to me.
  • D.
    I’m so tired I just numb out.
• 4.
  If you stopped over-functioning tomorrow, what would happen?

  • A.
    Leadership would scramble.
  • B.
    My team would feel it immediately.
  • C.
    I would feel anxious and guilty.
  • D.
    I’d probably sleep for a week.
• 5.
  What stresses you most right now?

  • A.
    Instability or dysfunction at work.
  • B.
    The constant emotional load of my role.
  • C.
    The pressure I put on myself.
  • D.
    The fact that I don’t feel like myself lately.
• 6.
  When you think about leaving your job, what’s your real tension?

  • A.
    I don’t trust the next place would be better.
  • B.
    I’d likely end up in another high pressure role anyway.
  • C.
    I don’t know how to care less.
  • D.
    I don’t know if I have the energy to start over.
• 7.
  What feels most exhausting?

  • A.
    Managing up.
  • B.
    Managing everyone else’s emotions.
  • C.
    Managing my own expectations.
  • D.
    Managing everything — work, home, aging, life.
• 8.
  What thought shows up most often?

  • A.
    This place is toxic.
  • B.
    Why does everything end up on me?
  • C.
    Why can’t I just let this go?
  • D.
    I am so tired of being tired.

Quiz Outcomes

• 1.
  Your Workplace is the Problem

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  Hi, I'm Katie.I've spent years working with companies of all sizes and industries as an HR Consultant, so I've seen a lot of workplaces up close.Here's what I know:Sometimes it's not you. Sometimes the problem really is the environment.Dysfunctional, toxic, even abusive workplaces exist (and they are more common that most people think).Your ResultsYour results suggest the stress you're feeling isn't random or imagined. The environment you're in likely has real dysfunction, instability, or emotional volatility.What's impressive is that you've been able to function — maybe even excel — despite the culture around you.You are strong, even if it doesn't feel like it right now, and even if other people don't see it.Why This Is HappeningWhen leadership is inconsistent, communication is reactive, or boundaries aren't respected, even very capable professionals start to feel the strain.Sometimes this is just bad leadership.Other times, it's coercive control and emotional abuse.If you feel it in your body, it's because your nervous system is responding to a system that requires you to stay on guard just to survive the day.What You Can DoIf you haven't already, start documenting your experience.Pay attention to what situations and people trigger stress in your body the most.Be careful about who you vent to at work.And as hard as it can be, be realistic about how much you expect the environment to change. Unfortunately, most won't.How I Can HelpThis is where strategy matters.My programs help professionals regulate their nervous systems and navigate the day-to-day realities of challenging workplace dynamics without losing themselves in the process.Or, if you've already lost yourself a bit, how to find your way back.Click the button below to schedule a call with me and learn how to take your power back.
• 2.
  Your Job is High Absorption

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  Hi, I'm Katie.I've spent years coaching employees in different roles, companies, and industries.What I have learned is this:Some jobs require you to absorb more emotional weight than others.These jobs — what I call high absorption roles — require you to absorb the emotions, urgency, and dysfunction of others without adequate time, resources, or support to recover.Your ResultsYour results suggest that your role is a big part of the pressure you're feeling.You are capable, competent, and responsible, so more and more gets added to your plate without anything ever coming off.You’re seen as the fixer, the problem-solver, and the rock.The person that people go to when things start falling apart.That’s why you’re a valued employee. You’re really good at what you do.But it also means you’re often left carrying the emotional weight of the job that no one else is.Over time, that adds up — and it can take a real toll on your physical and emotional health.Why This Is HappeningYou likely learned at an early age that being responsible and independent helped you get your needs met. It became a survival function.Then you entered the workforce and those same behaviors were rewarded.But over time, responsibilities at work and at home increase, and many people continue to over-function in order to feel safe and in control.Eventually, the nervous system starts to feel the strain. At some point, you realize you can't keep doing what you're doing.What You Can DoStart paying attention to where you automatically step in.Notice when urgency spreads through a team and when something actually requires your involvement.Pay attention to the sensations in your body so you can recognize when you need a break.My favorite mantra in times like these is, "Not my farm, not my pigs!"How I Can HelpMy signature coaching program was designed specifically for high-capacity professionals in high absorption roles.Learning to absorb less and recover more is a skill.And someone as capable and strong as you can absolutely learn it.Click the button below to schedule a call with me and find out what you need to do to learn this skill.
• 3.
  Work Has Become Part of Your Identity

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  Hi, I'm Katie.I've spent years coaching professionals in different roles, companies, and industries, and I've seen how easy it is for work to become more than just a job.For many capable, driven people, work slowly becomes part of their identity.I often see this most clearly after a job loss or transition, when people suddenly realize how much of themselves was tied to their role, and how lost they feel now that their role is gone.Your ResultsYour results suggest that work may have become more central to your identity than you realize.You care deeply about doing things well. You hold yourself to a high standard and likely take pride in being competent, reliable, and respected in your role.Those qualities have definitely helped you succeed. You're no doubt a valued and respected employee because of them.But over time, work stops being something you do and starts becoming who you are.Your mood is influenced by how things go at work. Feedback hits harder than it should. And it becomes difficult to fully disconnect - making you miss out on the other joys of life.When work doesn’t go well, it’s hard not to take it personally, because it is personal to you.Why This Is HappeningMany high performers were rewarded early in life for being capable, responsible, and high-achieving.Then they entered the workforce and those same traits were praised and reinforced.Promotions, recognition, and responsibility strengthen the connection between performance and self-worth.Over time, the nervous system starts to treat work outcomes as personal ones.Before you know it, the line between you and your job starts to blur.What You Can DoStart noticing how much influence work has on how you feel about yourself.Create intentional time and activities in your life that have nothing to do with work performance.Remind yourself that your value as a person is bigger than any role you hold.How I Can HelpDecentering work doesn't mean caring less or becoming less successful.It means learning how to separate your identity from your performance so work stops having so much power over your nervous system.My programs help professionals rebuild that separation so they can stay ambitious and effective without losing themselves in the process.Click the button below to schedule a call with me and find out how to make work a part of you, not the center of you.
• 4.
  You’re Over It

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  Hi, I'm Katie.I've spent years coaching professionals in different roles, companies, and industries, and there's a pattern I see a lot with mid-career professionals.At some point, they hit a wall.Not because they suddenly became less capable, but because they've been carrying a lot for a very long time and they're ready to put something down — they just don't know how to do that and continue to meet all of their responsibilities.Your ResultsYour results suggest you may be at a point where You're. Over. It.You’ve worked hard. You’ve proven yourself. You’ve been the responsible one for years.You’ve handled the job, the expectations, the pressure, the people.And now something inside you is saying:"I don’t want to keep doing this anymore."You might feel tired in a way that rest doesn’t seem to fix.Your patience may be shorter. Your motivation lower. The things that used to drive you just… don’t anymore.You’re sick and tired of being sick and tired and you just don't care about the same things the way you used to.Why This Is HappeningEarlier in your career, you likely had more energy, fewer responsibilities, and more tolerance for the pace and pressure of work.Over time, life changes.More responsibility. More expectations. Less recovery.Add in family responsibilities, aging parents, hormonal changes, and the general weight of mid-life — and it can feel like too much.At some point the nervous system pushes back as a way to get you to change.You may not be able to articulate it, but deep down you know that this pace is no longer sustainable.What You Can DoStart getting honest about what you actually have the capacity and interest for right now.Pay attention to where your energy is going and what is draining you the most.Practice saying no to things without guilt.How I Can HelpThis stage doesn’t mean you're done being ambitious or successful.It just means the way you've been operating is not working anymore.You are out of alignment and ready for a change.My programs help professionals recalibrate how they approach work so they can keep moving forward without feeling constantly exhausted by it, and have more time and energy for their life outside of work.Because our bodies often know we need a change before our heads are ready to admit it.Click the button below to schedule a call with me and find out how to make change.