When someone asks “How are you?” it’s easy to default to “I’m fine.” But for high-performing Christian women, “fine” is often code for functioning—pushing through stress, carrying massive responsibility, and calling it normal. In this episode, Heather breaks down the subtle signs your nervous system is stuck in go-mode, why “safe” can feel unfamiliar, and how to start shifting out of chronic activation without abandoning your calling.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• The two types of “I’m fine” (polite fine vs. protective fine)

• Why high performers can look calm while their body stays braced

• The difference between being safe and feeling safe

• How chronic stress becomes your nervous system’s baseline

• Why “this is just leadership” is a lie that costs you peace

• A simple reset you can use when your mind won’t turn off

Signs You Might Be “Functioning,” Not Fine:

• You can rest, but you can’t receive rest

• You wake up tired even after sleep

• Your brain starts solving problems the moment you wake up

• You feel most alive under pressure (deadlines = fuel)

• You’re calm in chaos, anxious in calm

• You hit milestones and feel… nothing

• You constantly feel behind, even when you’re ahead

• You carry responsibility in your body (jaw/shoulders tight, shallow breathing)

• You struggle to fully exhale and be present

A Question to Sit With: “What does safe even feel like for me?” (Not “my life is unsafe”—but “does my nervous system know I’m safe?”)

Try This (60-Second Reset):

• One hand on chest, one hand on belly

• Inhale through your nose for 4

• Exhale for 6

• On the exhale, unclench your jaw and soften your shoulders

• Say: “In this moment, I am safe.”

• Notice: does your body agree? If not, that’s information—not failure.

If This Episode Hit Home… You’re not broken. You’re patterned. And patterns can be rewired.

If you’re ready to stop building your life and business on adrenaline, Rewire to Reign™ is your next step. In this workshop, Heather will help you identify your stress patterns, understand why they became “normal,” and start retraining your system so you can lead with peace, confidence, and capacity.

➡️ Join Rewire to Reign™ here: https://www.heathershriverburns.com/offers/87YhtPFK/checkout

Share This Episode With a Friend Who:

• always says “I’m fine” but her body says otherwise

• can’t turn her brain off

• feels guilty when she rests

• is doing meaningful work but feels internally maxed out

Keywords/SEO Tags: nervous system dysregulation, high-functioning anxiety, chronic stress, Christian entrepreneur, burnout prevention, women leaders, somatic tools, faith and neuroscience, nervous system regulation