“I’m Fine”: The Silent Mental Health Crisis Among High-Achieving Women

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. And we need to talk.

You show up. You lead. You carry. You perform.You meet deadlines, manage people, juggle family, and hit goals that others only dream about. From the outside, it looks like you’ve got it all together. But if we’re being honest?

Behind the highlight reel, you’re exhausted. You’re overwhelmed. And some days, you feel like you’re barely holding it together.

And yet, when someone asks how you're doing, you say it.“I’m fine.”

But you’re not fine. And it’s okay to say that.

Mental health doesn’t always look like lying in bed all day. For high-achieving women, it often looks like this:

Smiling through meetings with a knot in your chest
Keeping the to-do list going while silently feeling disconnected
Achieving everything on paper, but feeling numb inside
Performing at 110% while quietly spiraling behind closed doors

We’ve been conditioned to believe that success means always showing up. Always being “on.” But that constant performance? It comes at a cost.

When Success Starts to Feel Like a Burden

Let’s talk about the mental load—the invisible weight you carry that no one sees. It’s not just about what you do. It’s about the constant thinking, planning, fixing, managing, checking in, showing up.

And over time, it wears down your mental health.

The Warning Signs You Might Be Ignoring:

Feeling detached or emotionally flat
Overthinking everything
Losing interest in things you used to love
Trouble sleeping or waking up already tired
Anxiety disguised as perfectionism
Irritability that makes you feel guilty later

Mental health struggles don’t always scream. Sometimes, they whisper. And if you're not careful, you start thinking it’s just you. That something’s wrong with you.

There isn’t. But something is off. And it’s worth listening to.

What’s Really Happening in Your Brain + Body

Your mind and your body are constantly talking. And when your mental health is suffering, your hormones, nervous system, and gut feel it, too.

Chronic stress floods your system with cortisol, which can lead to anxiety, panic, and emotional crashes.
Low progesterone, especially during perimenopause, can make you feel anxious, moody, or mentally scattered.
Gut health impacts serotonin production, the very hormone that keeps your mood steady and your thoughts clear.
Sleep deprivation alters emotional regulation, making it harder to stay calm or focused.

This is not weakness. It’s biology.

And the good news? You can support your mental health without waiting until you hit a breaking point.

Let’s Be Honest—This Work is Hard, But It’s Worth It

Healing is messy. Boundaries are hard. But choosing yourself? That’s a revolution. Here’s what it might look like:

Saying no, even if your voice shakes
Letting yourself rest without guilt
Going to therapy
Moving your body because it feels good—not because it earns your worth
Creating space in your calendar that isn’t for anyone else
Admitting that you need help—and knowing that asking doesn’t make you less strong, it makes you more human

You’re Allowed to Put Yourself First

High achiever, I see you. You’ve carried everyone else. You’ve been everything to everyone. But what happens if you crash? Who takes care of you?

It’s okay to say you’re not okay. It’s okay to say you need more support. It’s okay to stop pretending.

Because your mental health is not a luxury—it’s the foundation.And if we’re going to talk about real success, let’s make sure you’re not losing yourself to get there.

This Mental Health Awareness Month, I’m choosing honesty over hustle. Boundaries over burnout. And softness over silence.

What are you choosing?