The Version of You That Works Is Burning You Out
- Brainz Magazine
- 4 days ago
- 5 min read
Updated: 5 hours ago
Marie Keutler is a psychotherapist, yoga instructor, and retreat facilitator, specializing in holistic wellness. Through therapy, yoga, and breathwork, she helps individuals shift from stress to balance. Her retreats and wellness programs are designed to inspire meaningful, lasting transformation.
We’ve all tried to “keep up,” to be the high-performing, polished version of ourselves that we believe the world expects. But what if that version is silently draining you, physically, mentally, emotionally, because your nervous system was never designed for constant activation?
What you’re paying, day after day, might be far greater than you realize.
Stress isn’t new but the scale and impact we’re seeing today is unprecedented. And more people than ever are waking up to the cost of staying in survival mode.
62% of adults worldwide report feeling stressed in ways that disrupt daily life. That’s not just pressure, that’s persistent dysregulation affecting how we think, work, connect, and recover.
Since 2007, the percentage of people experiencing daily emotional stress has risen from 26% to 38%. That’s more than a decade of increasing cognitive load, mental fatigue, and nervous system strain, across industries, continents, and age groups.
And while we often talk about stress as a mental health issue, the effects are whole-body, chronic stress has been linked to sleep disruption, immune dysregulation, cardiovascular strain, digestive issues, and hormonal imbalance, not just burnout, but full-body depletion.
What this tells us? The modern world is overstimulating our systems. And yet, we’re also becoming more conscious of the need to reset, regulate, and return to ourselves.
Because it’s not just about managing symptoms. It’s about reclaiming clarity, energy, and long-term wellbeing, from the inside out.
The version you think you should be is exhausting you
We don’t become who we are by accident. That version of yourself, the one you think you’re supposed to be, likely showed up for a reason. Maybe it helped you get through tough times, feel accepted, or achieve success in a world that didn’t feel safe to slow down. But the strategies that helped you survive aren’t always the ones that help you thrive.
What worked back then might be holding you back now. That constant push to keep up, hold it together, be “on” all the time, it doesn’t mean you’re broken. It just means your nervous system is stuck in go-mode.
Over time, that constant performance pulls you away from your real self. Your mind says, “I’m fine.” But your body feels anxious, tense, disconnected. That’s not about willpower. That’s biology.
What happens when you’re out of sync with yourself
When you’re living from a version of yourself that’s built around performance, perfection, or protection, your nervous system can stay locked in a stress response.
That might look like:
Feeling tired but unable to rest
Swinging between emotional numbness and overwhelm
Brain fog, indecision, or snapping under pressure
Feeling disconnected from others or from your own needs
Losing motivation or creativity even when you're trying hard
This isn’t weakness. It’s what happens when your body doesn’t feel safe enough to be fully present.
When your nervous system is dysregulated, the part of your brain that helps with clarity, calm thinking, empathy, and decision-making starts to shut down. You might know exactly what would help but still not be able to access it.
What "baseline" really means, and why it matters
Being at baseline doesn’t mean you’re calm all the time. It means your nervous system is steady enough that you can access your full self, especially when life gets hard.
It’s not about hacks or performance tools. It’s about coming back to a place where you can:
Think clearly under pressure
Feel your feelings without getting stuck in them
Respond instead of react
Make decisions from a grounded place
Show up as yourself, not the version you think others need
When you’re regulated, you’re not just surviving, you’re present, connected, and fully in your life.
The research behind why this works
There’s growing science behind the power of nervous system regulation. Studies show that body-based practices like paced breathing improve something called heart rate variability (HRV), a key indicator of your system’s ability to bounce back from stress.
Higher HRV is linked to:
Better emotional regulation
Stronger decision-making under pressure
Lower anxiety and reactivity
Greater mental clarity and resilience
Better overall health
In a world where over 60% of adults report stress that impacts their daily lives, tools that support regulation aren’t just helpful, they’re essential.
Why I built Baseline
After years of working with clients and teams, I kept hearing the same thing, “I know what helps me, but I can’t seem to access it when I need it most.”
The tools were there. But they were too far away in the moment when people felt overwhelmed, stuck, or checked out.
That’s why I created Baseline, a micro-tool app that helps bring you back to yourself through short, body-based resets. Just 1-3 minutes of guided support, matched to what your nervous system needs in real time.
Not another app full of choices. No endless scroll. Just the next best step for your body and brain right now.
It’s not about adding more to your plate. It’s about giving you a way to pause, reconnect, and get back to baseline, even on the hard days.
Who this is for
This isn’t just for wellness experts. It’s for people navigating real pressure and real life:
Professionals juggling high stakes and fast pace
Leaders supporting teams through change
Coaches, therapists, and HR professionals holding space for others
Anyone who wants more access to their own clarity, calm, and grounded presence
One question to leave you with
When was the last time you truly felt like yourself? Not the version you perform. Not the version you think others expect. But the version that feels grounded, clear, alive.
If it’s been a while, maybe what you need isn’t another self-help book or time off. Maybe you just need a way to regulate. Because when your nervous system feels safe enough to just be, everything else becomes possible.
Ready to come back to your baseline? Sign up for early access here, and get the support your nervous system has been waiting for
Marie Keutler, Psychotherapist & Somatic Therapist | Yoga & Breathwork Teacher
Marie Keutler is a psychotherapist, yoga teacher, and wellness retreat facilitator dedicated to helping individuals reconnect with their minds and bodies. She combines evidence-based therapy, yoga, and breathwork to create accessible, science-backed tools for stress relief and well-being. Marie’s innovative programs, including the Pocket Reset Toolkit and Overdrive to Balance, provide practical self-care practices for busy lives. She also hosts transformational retreats in Greece, Portugal, and Africa, offering immersive experiences to foster deep healing and connection.
