Work-life balance is a myth. Here’s why I practice intentional intensity 

The wellness market is the biggest it has ever been, with a valuation of nearly $2 trillion, according to a McKinsey report. But somehow today’s workforce is more burnt-out than ever before. Research by the Boston Consulting Group shows that 48% of workers are exhausted from stress. The reason? Wellness works, but the way we are working doesn’t.

After spending a decade on Wall Street, I can attest that high stress periods at work are inevitable. Unfortunately, anyone advocating for better “stress management” often receives an eye roll due to the misconception that it means avoiding stress altogether. When I learned that “stress management” is not about removing stress but about managing my energy, everything changed.

Can stress be good?

Stress is a natural response to stimuli that’s not innately good or bad. It can actually be positive in a corporate setting because it pushes us to meet a deadline or grow a skill set beyond our comfort zone. That’s why so many of us perform well under pressure. The human stress response, also known as fight-or-flight response, activates adrenaline and cortisol. In moderation, this is helpful for accomplishing defined, urgent tasks.

Stress becomes negative when we engage our fight-or-flight response for prolonged periods of time. This leads to an exhausted nervous system and potential career burnout. Once we complete a high-stress assignment, we need to shift into a less taxing energetic state.

The key here is to make sure that you’re not spending your entire life in a high-stress state. Not all work tasks need to be stressful. Activities like sending low-stakes emails or catching up with co-workers, for example, can actually be enjoyable and even restorative. You need to signal to your body when you’ve completed a stressful event. This way, you can restore yourself and conserve your energy for the next high pressure stint.

Over my career on Wall Street and now as the founder of a corporate wellness consultancy and community called Wall Street Wellness, I’ve found that each person moves through three distinctly different but equally important energetic states during the day. By labeling and recognizing them, a person can start to move between them more intentionally.

The most demanding energetic state: intentional intensity

This is when you’re in your peak performance zone. I call this the state of intentional intensity, which is when you mindfully leverage your stress response for optimal performance and productivity in order to complete a time-bound objective.

I personally try to only call upon intentional intensity during periods where I have tight time constraints and high stakes. These moments happened multiple times a day when I worked in client-facing roles in investment banking and private equity. But because I was able to repair and recover after I finished my tasks, I avoided burnout throughout the workday. Sprinting through spurts of intentional intensity allows a person to access their most efficient and best work. However, given the toll that stress puts on the nervous system, you should only leverage this state when you really need it.

The neutral energetic state: relaxed productivity

After completing a high-stress stake, I recommend downshifting into the second defined state of relaxed productivity. You still need to be productive, but you don’t need to use 100% of your mental and energetic capacity. Examples of this type of work include preparing materials for a non-urgent meeting, doing systematic analysis work, or any type of task that gets you into a “flow state.” These lower-intensity types of tasks allow more space to add in restorative elements that bring us joy, whether that’s listening to a favorite playlist, stretching to release tension, or taking a coffee break with a favorite co-worker.

Ideally, when we become more mindful about what our tasks truly require, we can spend a good portion of our working time in a state of relaxed productivity. I distinctly remember taking inventory of my tasks in finance and being surprised to find that I can make most tasks relaxing through intentionally shifting into this style of work.

The least demanding energetic state: restorative time

Restorative time is the third energetic state and describes periods where you can fully detach from work tasks. This might look like going to the gym, cooking a nutritious dinner, or spending time with friends and loved ones.

It’s essential to ensure that you’ve built in every day, even if it is a five-minute, screen-free walk or a short call with a loved one. Doing this allows for a mental reset, which creates more energy and excitement to return to the work environment. In the same way that having too much intentional intensity can cause burnout, having too few instances of restorative time can have the same effect.

How to shift between energetic states

Stress management comes from mastering the ability to mindfully transition between these three energetic states. In a work setting, it can be easy to continue staying high intensity, even when you don’t need to be there.

To transition to another energetic state, it’s helpful to have a physical or sensory experience that signals to your brain that it’s time to switch things up. Some people may find it helpful to do some breathwork or even go for a short walk after finishing a stressful deliverable. Other people might have a special playlist for focus time, and another for productivity and rest. The more sign posts you can create for your body that you’re changing energetic states, the better. These give your nervous system the clear message that it’s no longer in “danger” and can relax and begin recharging.

Burnout doesn’t come from working hard. It comes from working too long in a more intense state without taking the necessary time to recharge. Remember, the brain is like a muscle. It needs time to rest and repair.

Mastering the ability to switch between energetic and stressful states is the key to achieving peak performance and career longevity. This insight was the great unlock in my own career that changed everything. Ultimately, the key to managing burnout isn’t reducing stress, it’s managing your energy.