You answer warmly, even when you want to scream. It sounds like patience. But keeping the irritation out of your voice can come at a cost your body feels.

You told your clients you'd be gone. Still, you keep checking your phone. And when the screen is blank, your stomach drops. What happens when being needed is the only way you know who you are?

She had a good weekend. By 10 am Monday, her jaw was tight again. By the afternoon, her brain felt foggy. The week had barely started, and whatever the weekend had given her was already gone.

It’s 2 am and she’s staring at the ceiling. The unfinished report can wait until morning. The fear that someone will finally see she can't keep up won't let her sleep.

She opens a stress app with three minutes until her next client call. By the time she’s done scrolling, she still has to carry the last call into the next one.