Not every instance of feeling overwhelmed is obvious. Some cause us to withdraw inwardly and dissociate.

Many people in positions of responsibility carry on functioning – even when, deep down, it’s all become too much.

Managers and founders, in particular, often bear a heavy burden:

constant stress, uncertainty, expectations, conflicts, and decisions made under pressure.

What is easily overlooked in all this is:

our system has its limits.

If these limits are exceeded, the response is not one of weakness,

but of self-protection.

One such protective response is dissociation.

This does not mean ‘lacking resilience’.

On the contrary: it is a clever way of ensuring you remain capable of acting.

Part of us distances itself,

because the experience is too intense at that moment.

This often manifests itself subtly:

you remain calm and matter-of-fact, even though there is a lot going on inside.

You carry on, make decisions, move forward – without really feeling it.

Or you realise that your concentration is waning,

that conversations no longer really register with you.

Or your body has long since been sending out signals –

through exhaustion, restlessness or sleep problems –

and yet you carry on regardless.

It helps in the short term.

It ensures you can take action.

In the long run, however, a distance develops:

from yourself, from others, from what really matters.

The first step is not to change that straight away.

But to recognise it.

Not as a problem.

But as a sign.

A sign that you need a little more space:

to process things, to gain clarity, to forge genuine connections.

This is particularly crucial in roles of responsibility.

Not just for yourself – but also for the people you lead.

Because presence isn’t created by pressure,

but through connection.

The question isn’t so much:

“How much longer can I keep this up?”

But rather:

“What do I need to stay connected and able to take action?”

Have you come across this before?