When you’re preparing to level up in your career — whether it’s stepping into a bigger role, joining a new company, or taking on a high-stakes project — you likely focus on all the external pieces.

• You update your resume.
• Practice your interview responses.
• Build relationships with decision-makers.
• Sharpen your leadership skills.
• Maybe even hire a coach to help you position yourself.

All of that matters.

But there’s one thing that often gets overlooked:
Your nervous system.

As someone who’s climbed the ladder myself — and now coaches high-achieving leaders — I’ve lived this firsthand.

Every time I got a new job, earned a promotion, or landed a major client, I poured my energy into being ready on paper. But I didn’t realize I needed to also be ready in my body. And that led to unnecessary anxiety, exhaustion, and imposter syndrome.

Here’s why:

• Your nervous system is beautifully designed to keep you safe.
• And change — even good, chosen, exciting change — can register as danger.

When your nervous system isn’t on board with the change you’re making, it resists.

You may feel overwhelmed or oddly paralyzed. You may spiral into self-doubt. You might even start to burn out after you’ve already landed the thing you worked so hard for.

Why?
Because your internal system wasn’t prepared to hold what your the external success you’ve been working to achieve.

➡️ Did you know a dysregulated nervous system might be contributing to your burnout?
If you’re ready to have a nervous system that’s equipped to handle the role you’re in—or the one you want—let’s talk.

Book a no-obligation consultation call to discuss my LeadWell Executive Coaching Program with me.

Why Mindset Isn’t Enough

Let me be clear:
Mindset matters. I teach mindset tools to my clients every day.

But the truth is: you can tell yourself “I’m ready for this” a hundred times.
If your body doesn’t believe it?
It’s a no-go.

You can’t override a dysregulated nervous system with a positive affirmation.
You have to build internal safety alongside your external strategy.

And if you want to lead at the next level, you need the nervous system of someone who feels safe at that level.

Three Steps to Prepare Your Nervous System for Career Growth

Here’s a simple framework to help you prepare:

1. Recognize the signs.
Notice how nervous system dysregulation shows up for you: overthinking, sleep issues, feeling edgy or emotionally flat, procrastination, or snapping at your team. These are all cues that your body is not feeling safe.

2. Regulate before you push.
Instead of trying to “power through,” take time to regulate your system. This could be grounding practices, body-based work, movement, breathwork, even taking five minutes to step away from your screen. Building in micro-moments of safety and regulation helps your system adapt to new demands.

3. Rehearse the identity.
If your goal is to step into an executive role, your body has to feel safe being seen and holding influence. Imagine what that version of you feels like, walks like, leads like. Let your body practice being her before she has the title. Let your body feel what it feels like to be seen and to hold influence at that level.

You Don’t Need to “Toughen Up.”

You need to build capacity.

If you’re feeling the pressure of a pending promotion or a new opportunity, it doesn’t mean you’re not capable.

It might just mean your nervous system needs a little support catching up to the vision.

If you want to go further without burning out, this is the kind of work I do with my executive coaching clients every day. We work on clarity, positioning — and the internal capacity to sustain the success you’ve worked for.

👉 Want to explore executive coaching with me? Let’s talk.