The Brutal Cycle That’s Hard to Break

For eight years, Janeen Alley (a fellow entrepreneur) was living what looked like “The Dream” from the outside. She would have a burst of energy and would then push herself relentlessly for weeks. She had launches that were crushing it and she was closing deals left and right. She had caffeine and sheer willpower practically running through her veins. She’d go all beast mode for weeks, smash every goal, feel invincible… then crash. Hard.

At that point she would experience brain fog for days. Sometimes weeks. Zero focus. And in those moments, a vicious inner voice would creep in: “You’re lazy. You’re not disciplined enough. Why can’t you just stay consistent?”

From the outside: successful founder. From the inside: secret shame and feeling like a fraud fighting her own body every single day.

If that hits home - if you’ve ever white-knuckled your to-do list only to collapse in exhaustion and self-blame - listen close:

It’s not your fault. It’s not a character flaw. It’s not a lack of discipline.

It’s your biology. More specifically, it’s your nervous system.

Why Your Nervous System is Slamming the Brakes

Your nervous system isn’t broken. It’s ancient. It’s powerful. And right now, it’s running a survival program designed for saber-tooth tigers - not Slack pings, revenue targets, and 3 a.m. launch stress.

Janeen’s breakthrough came when she stopped asking, “What’s wrong with my mindset?” and started asking “What’s happening in my body?”

She discovered that her push-crash cycle wasn’t a sign of laziness, but a classic symptom of a dysregulated nervous system. Her body was perceiving the relentless pressure of an entrepreneurial life as a threat, and it was slamming the breaks. The “crash” wasn’t a failure of discipline; it was her nervous system screaming for safety.

And…no, this isn’t just a fancy personal development theory designed to recruit you straight into a “self-help” cult. It’s a biological reality that’s finally hitting mainstream - yep. Right here, right now in the year 2026. In fact, it’s so mainstream that a recent Forbes article, “The Most Dangerous Trend in Leadership Right Now Isn’t AI,” put it quite bluntly:

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“The most dangerous trend in leadership right now isn’t AI, it’s a model built on perpetual adrenaline, sleepless nights, and a fundamental disregard for our own biology. We’re treating our nervous system like a disposable resource, and it’s leading to a crisis of burnout, anxiety, and disengagement.”

-Forbes Magazine

For decades we’ve been told that success requires hustle, grind, and relentless effort. We’ve been taught to push through the pain, ignore the exhaustion, and sacrifice our well-being for the sake of a goal.

But what if that’s not just wrong, but biologically counterproductive?

Here’s the Game-Changer: Not All Hustle is Created Equal

As we were thinking about this, we asked what we thought was a rather intelligent question (we do surprise ourselves sometimes - haha), “Does having a strong purpose in what you are building affect your nervous system differently than hustling purely for money or external validation?

What we found was, that although the hustle looks the same from the outside, the biology is completely different. The answer is a resounding YES.

This means that two entrepreneurs can grind the same 12-hour day, perform the same tasks and produce the same output…but have completely different stress responses.

Research on motivation (self-determination theory) shows the difference comes down to your WHY:

When you’re hustling from a place of controlled motivation (i.e., for money for status, proving you’re “enough,” avoiding shame), your cortisol (stress hormone) spikes hard and lingers for hours. Over time, that piles up what’s called “allostatic load” - the biological wear-and-tear behind anxiety, inflammation, and burnout.
But when you’re hustling from a place of autonomous motivation (i.e., from deep purpose, values, meaning, and/or feels like an expression of who you are), you have smaller cortisol spikes and faster recovery. It still recognizes the stress, but it doesn’t treat it as a life-or-death threat.
Another study found that Purpose predicted a quicker return to baseline after a stressful event.

Same work… but wildly different internal costs. That’s why nailing your deeper “why” and working from that why isn’t about fluffy journaling. It is, if you will, a physiological intervention. It literally changes how your body processes stress.

Three Ridiculously Simple Tools to Regulate Right Now

You don’t need a 10-day silent retreat - or even a daily hour-long meditation. You can start shifting your nervous system in under a minute. Here are three, evidence-backed moves you can start to use today:

The Physiological Sigh (5-Second Reset):
This is Dr. Huberman’s favorite nervous system cheat code.

Do this: Deep nose inhale → quick second inhale to top off lungs → long, slow mouth exhale (as long as you can). Repeat 1-3 times.

When: Mid-anxiety spiral, before a hard conversation, or when focus dies.

Why it works: Double inhale re-opens lung sacs. Long exhale dumps CO₂ and drops heart rate fast. Instant parasympathetic on-switch. For those of you who have been wondering exactly where that darn on-switch is…now you know! How’s that for epic?!
Orientation: Look Around Like You’re Safe:
Stress narrows your vision to threats. This tells your ancient brain there’s no lion the room...that you are, in fact, safe.

How: Slowly scan your space. Notice colors, objects, light, shadow. Let your head turn naturally. Take 30-60 seconds just to look around.

When: Feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or glued to your screen.

Why it works: It activates your ventral vagal “safety & connection” system. By taking in your environment without judgment, you’re sending a powerful signal to your body: “There’s no immediate threat here. You can relax.”
Ground Through Your Feet:
When you’re living in your head (all fingers pointed at us), lost in the spiral of thoughts and worries, grounding can bring you back into your body and the present moment.

How: Whether sitting or standing, focus on the soles of your feet. Feel the contact with your shoes, your socks, the floor. Notice the pressure, the temperature, the texture. If you can, take your shoes off and really feel the ground beneath you.

When: Anytime you feel anxious, disconnected, or caught up in overthinking. You can do this anytime, anywhere…even in a meeting or mid-Zoom!

Why: Sensory input from your feet reminds your system you’re physically supported by the ground. This incredibly simple act of noticing physical support can create a profound sense of internal safety and stability.

The New Mantra That Actually Works

For years, we’ve been sold a lie: that if we’re not succeeding, it’s because we’re not trying hard enough. That burnout is a personal failing, or a lack of grit and determination.

The science is clear: this is not a true.

You cannot “discipline” yourself out of a dysregulated nervous system. You cannot hustle your way out of a biological stress response.

What you can do, is start to understand your own biology. You can begin to see your patterns not as flaws, but as adaptations. And you can start to work with your body, not against it, by connecting to your deeper purpose and using simple tools to find your way back to safety.

This is the work we do in We Play Full Out. It’s not about adding yet another thing to your to-do list. It’s about changing the very foundation from which you operate.

So… the next time you feel that familiar wave of exhaustion or that inner critic starts to whisper that you’re not enough, we invite you to take a different approach.

Put a hand on your chest. Take a physiological sigh and feel your feet on the ground. Then gently remind yourself:

“It’s not my discipline. It’s my biology. And I have the power to change it.”

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