Burnout in Women: Why Sitting in the Car Feels Like the Only Time You Can Breathe (And What It Really Means)

You pull into the driveway.

The engine’s off. The groceries are in the trunk. The texts are piling up.

But you just sit there.

You stare at the steering wheel. Maybe you scroll. Maybe you cry. Maybe you do absolutely nothing. And for those five stolen minutes… you finally feel somewhat okay.

Sound familiar?

If so, let me tell you something no one else is saying:

That moment in the car? That’s not weakness or being lazy. That’s wisdom. That’s your nervous system begging for one damn second of silence.

Why Overwhelmed Women Feel Guilty About Rest — And How to Shift It

So many women I work with—from Cape May County in Philly, Camden County, Tri-State Area and beyond whether they are moms juggling summer schedules to high-achieving entrepreneurs to ceo mamas to empty nesters to women just starting their motherhood journey to single women to women who are transitioning to another chapter of life … They all have this pattern. They’ll admit it sheepishly during our calls, like a confession:

“I know it sounds ridiculous, but sometimes I just sit in my car for 10 minutes before going inside… I feel guilty, but I can’t face it all yet.”

Here’s the truth:

You’re not lazy.

You’re not broken.

You’re not avoiding life.

You’re coping in the only way you know how right now.

And until you actually get a safe place to land, you’ll keep taking micro-pauses that feel more like survival than self-care.

She looks calm, maybe even carefree. But sometimes the woman who looks the most “together” is carrying the heaviest emotional load. Whether she’s sitting in the car for a breath or holding it together in public, that pause isn’t weakness—it’s wisdom. This is what burnout in women so often looks like.

From Burnout to Breakthrough: What Your “Sitting in the Car” Moment Is Telling You

That pause in the car? It’s your body’s built-in alarm system. It’s whispering (or yelling),

“There’s too much. I can’t keep going like this.”

And yet, instead of listening… most women override it.

You push through.

You numb out.

You tell yourself you’re fine.

But fine isn’t sustainable.

If you’re living on edge, crying in the shower, losing your temper with your kids, or wondering when your life started feeling like one long to-do list… that’s not your personality. That’s nervous system dysregulation. That’s chronic emotional exhaustion. That’s the impact of years of high performance and low support.

And I promise you—it doesn’t have to stay this way.

A South Jersey Woman’s Story of Burnout and Healing from Within

I once worked with a woman in Avalon, NJ—we’ll call her M.

M was a business owner and a mom of two. On the outside, she looked like she had it together. The beach house, the clients, the Pinterest lunches. But inside?

She was falling apart in silence.

She told me she’d sit in the Target parking lot for 20 minutes, pretending to scroll but really trying not to cry. She didn’t want to “waste my time” with her feelings. (Sound familiar?)

Through our work, we got underneath the pressure.

We rewired the guilt.

We anchored her into her body.

We cleared old stories around not being enough unless she was doing everything for everyone.

She didn’t need to burn it all down.

She needed to come home to herself.

And now? She says her mornings feel “light” again.

That’s what healing from within can look like.

A South Jersey mom once told me she used to sit in the Target parking lot just to hold it together. Now? She’s here—present, joyful, grounded, and capable of regulating nervous system or accepting nervous system dysregulation—on the beach with her son. This is what happens when burnout shifts and healing from within begins.

Why We Push… and Why We Break: The Hidden Emotional Exhaustion Women Carry — And Why It Catches Up

Whether you live in Cape May County, Center City, or somewhere across the country (yes, I work with clients nationally), here’s what I want you to hear:

If your nervous system has been in fight-or-flight for years, even a moment of stillness can feel unsafe.

You’ve been taught to believe your worth is measured by your output.

You’ve been sold the lie that “balance” is a reward you earn by running yourself into the ground.

It’s not your fault.

But it is your responsibility to choose differently now.

There’s a version of you who doesn’t dread the sound of your phone.

Who doesn’t cry alone in the laundry room.

Who doesn’t need to sneak a moment in the car just to breathe.

She’s not a fantasy.

She’s a few aligned steps away.

And I can help you find her.

A Different Way Forward: Subconscious Healing & Coaching Support for Burned Out Women

If you’re nodding along right now…

If you feel like I’ve been reading your journal or sitting in your backseat…

Then let this be your moment. Not the one you steal in the driveway. The one you intentionally take for you.

I offer 1:1 coaching for women just like you—burned out, high-functioning, and craving real change.

We don’t just slap affirmations on top of exhaustion.

We use deep subconscious work, mindset shifts, and nervous system rewiring to create lasting transformation.

I work with women across South Jersey, Philadelphia, and nationwide via virtual sessions—so you can be in your car or your kitchen and still start changing your life.

What happens when you stop surviving and start choosing yourself… even just a little?

By now, you already know something has to shift.

And whether you’ve just realized it—or you’ve known it for a while—there’s a reason you landed here today.

The next step is simple.

Book a free connection call: https://evolvingwhole.as.me/consultationcall

We’ll talk, and you’ll get a feel for how this kind of support can meet you exactly where you are.

Because you’re not meant to carry it all alone.

You’re already on the path… now let’s walk it together.