When the World is Heavy: Why Your Business Needs Systems That Hold You
Listen on Spotify / Apple Podcasts
Does the state of the world ever feel like it's burning you out?
Because same.
The last few years have been heavy—Black Lives Matter and George Floyd, COVID, the war in Ukraine, the Israel-Gaza war. And now? It might seem like it’s getting worse. ICE raids happening in our neighborhoods, political divisiveness that feels more dystopian by the day. And if you're reading this in early 2026, you know exactly what I'm talking about.
But here's the thing: the weight you're carrying might not just be political or global.
I have friends whose ADHD brains are exploding with ideas right now while simultaneously drowning in emotional overwhelm. A friend on maternity leave trying to keep her business running. Multiple people—myself included—trying to build and scale businesses while the world feels like it's on fire.
The common thread? We're all trying to show up and do our work while carrying weight we were never meant to carry—at least not all at once.
And I'm here to tell you: You need systems that can carry what you can't.
The Truth About Emotional Burnout (And Why No One Talks About It)
Let me be real with you for a second.
There are different types of burnout, and emotional burnout is one of the most insidious. It's not just about working too many hours or having too many tasks. It's about the fundamental lack of fulfillment, belonging, and alignment you feel when the world—or your life—is in chaos.
Emotional burnout shows up when:
Your values feel misaligned with what's happening around you
You don't feel like you belong (in your country, your industry, your own life)
You're processing grief, fear, or anger while trying to show up "business as usual"
You're holding space for other people's pain while trying to hold your own
And here's what I know from living through this—multiple times—and from working with burned-out entrepreneurs:
You cannot think your way out of burnout.
You cannot willpower your way through chaos.
You need systems that carry the weight when you can't.
The Reframe: Systems as Self-Care (Not Productivity Hacks)
I used to think systems were about productivity. About getting more done. About scaling.
And sure, good systems help with all of that.
But after going full-time in my business, taking a public political stand that could cost me clients, and navigating the emotional weight of everything happening right now?
I've realized something profound: In moments like this, systems become self-care.
This isn't about doing more. It's not even about sustainability, necessarily.
It's about building infrastructure that holds your business, your goals, and your professional life so you can hold yourself. Or fall apart. Or fight back. Or rest. Or whatever it is you need right now.
When your brain is full, when your heart is heavy, when the world is too much—good systems take the mental and emotional load off you.
They hold your business so you don't have to hold it all alone.
How My Systems Have Held Me (Real Examples)
Let me show you what this actually looks like in practice. These are the ways my systems have supported my mental, emotional, and physical health—especially when the world feels heavy.
1. Morning Routines That Regulate My Nervous System
Every morning, I have a Daily Check-In page in Notion. It's not a to-do list—it's a grounding ritual.
It includes:
Visual reminders of my three core values: Freedom, Fulfillment, Belonging
A "Get Aligned" section with playlist links, morning affirmations, my vision page, and a workout picker
Everything I need to regulate my nervous system before I start working
Why this matters: When the world is chaos, I don't have to remember how to ground myself. The system reminds me. I don't have to make decisions about what music to listen to or which affirmations I need—it's all there, ready for me.
I'm a Projector in Human Design, and I've never understood why I felt this way, but I love a slow morning. My morning is a very long on-ramp into the freeway that is my day. And when I'm processing heavy emotions or navigating difficult decisions, that slow morning is what keeps me from drowning.
2. Daily Check-Out That Lets Me Release the Day
At night, I have a Daily Check-Out page with a 30-minute timer to close my day.
It includes:
Brain dump space for open loops (so I'm not holding them overnight)
Habit tracker and journal prompts
Activity log
A checklist for "capturing open loops"
Why this matters: This is how I let go of the day instead of carrying it into my sleep. If I don't brain dump the tasks, thoughts, and emotions swirling in my head, I'll lie awake thinking about them. The system holds them so I don't have to.
3. Habit Tracker as My Early Warning System
I track 7 core habits: 45-minute workouts, walking goals, social drinking only, mindful eating, hydration, daily personal development, daily journaling.
Why this matters: It's not about perfection—it's about noticing patterns. When my habits slip, I know my nervous system is stressed before I consciously realize it. The data shows me what my body is trying to tell me.
If I start skipping workouts, drinking more, or neglecting journaling—that's my signal that I need to pause and recalibrate.
4. Weekly Review That Helps Me Learn (Not Just Survive)
Every week, I run a reflection process using a custom GPT that pulls:
Journal entries from my Daily Journal
Wheel of Life check-ins
Weight and health measurements
Sales data and client CRM updates
It asks me grounded questions like:
What worked this week?
What didn't work?
Where did my calendar diverge from my CEO mix?
What emotion was present before late-night work sessions?
Why this matters: This is how I learn from the week instead of just surviving it and moving on. It helps me see patterns I'd otherwise miss. It keeps me from repeating the same mistakes.
5. Finance Hub That Reduces Uncertainty
When money stress shows up—and it does, especially after going full-time—I have a Finance Hub in Notion that shows me the data instead of letting my brain spiral.
It doesn't eliminate the anxiety. But it reduces the uncertainty. And when you're already carrying emotional weight, reducing uncertainty matters.
6. Values-Based Planning as My Decision-Making Anchor
My monthly and weekly planning pages always start with my values: Freedom, Fulfillment, Belonging.
So when I'm making decisions—about what content to create, what clients to take, whether to speak up politically—I have a reference point outside my fear.
That's how I made the decision to take a public political stand on Instagram this week. My values were right there in front of me, reminding me: If you don't stand for Belonging, what are you even doing?
7. CEO Schedule That Removes Decision Fatigue
I have a CEO schedule set up in my Notion system that tells me exactly what type of work I should be doing each day.
Mondays are protected. Saturdays are sacred. Sundays are CEO days.
Why this matters: In weeks like this one, I literally didn't have to make decisions about how I was going to spend my day. Tasks are prioritized for me. My content is generally planned out (though I pivoted for this episode). I can fall into a sort of autopilot while my mind and emotions are elsewhere.
And that's what good systems give you: the ability to keep moving forward even when you can't think straight.
What This Means for You
If you're feeling the weight of the world right now—whether it's political chaos, business overwhelm, ADHD idea explosions, personal transitions, or just life being life—you don't have to carry it all alone.
You need systems that:
Regulate your nervous system (morning and evening routines)
Track patterns so you notice stress before it becomes burnout (habit trackers)
Remove decision fatigue (CEO schedules, pre-planned workflows)
Provide anchors when you're making hard choices (values-based planning)
Reduce uncertainty (finance systems, data dashboards)
Help you learn and grow (weekly reflection practices)
These aren't productivity hacks. They're self-care infrastructure.
They hold your business so you can hold yourself.
The Invitation: Build Systems That Hold You
This is why I created the Mindset Meets Systems challenge—because systems aren't just about getting more done. They're about building infrastructure that holds you when you can't hold yourself.
We're diving into the 3 pillars of Sustainable Success:
Sustainable Systems that carry the operational weight
Sustainable Self-Care that's baked into your business, not added on top of it
Sustainable Mindset that keeps you aligned with your values when everything feels like too much
The challenge starts in February. It's free.
And if you're feeling the weight of the world right now—if your brain is chaos and your business is hard and you're tired of trying to hold it all alone—come build with me.
Let yourself fall into going through the motions right now if you need to. Let your routines hold you. Let your systems hold you.
The world is heavy. Your business is hard. Your brain is chaos.
And you still need systems that hold you.
This is your third place. Let's build them together.
Join the Mindset Meets Systems Challenge
Ready to build systems that actually support you—not just your productivity?
Join the free Mindset Meets Systems challenge in February and learn how to create infrastructure that holds your business (and your humanity) when the world feels heavy.
Or explore these resources:
Burnout-Proof Business: Ongoing support for building sustainable systems
Take the Burnout Quiz: Find out what type of burnout you're experiencing
Because you don't have to carry it all alone.
