I Have a Doctorate — And I’m Still Healing from Over-Functioning and Burnout

People often ask me about my doctorate. 
They want to know how I did it, what it took, and what it feels like to achieve the highest academic honor.

Because to many, it’s a symbol of brilliance. A finish line. 
A badge of success.

But here’s the truth: 
It didn’t give me what I was really chasing.

It didn’t make me feel safe. 
It didn’t shield me from burnout or financial instability. 
It didn’t protect me from being overlooked or disrespected. 
And it definitely didn’t heal the deep ache I carried inside — the part of me that thought I had to earn my worth by doing more.

When Achievement Isn’t Enough: The Emotional Cost of Over-Functioning

Looking back now, I see it clearly: 
I pursued my doctorate as a survival strategy.

Deep down, I believed that if I achieved something “undeniable,” 
I would finally be seen. 
Finally feel secure. 
Finally be respected.

That’s the lie that over-functioning tells us — 
That if we just do enough, prove enough, achieve enough... we’ll finally be safe.

So I earned my doctorate from the University of Southern California — one of the most prestigious universities in the country. 
I poured in time, labor, and tens of thousands of dollars. 
Because I believed the myth that letters after my name would equal protection.

But I was wrong.

Yes, the degree opened a few doors. 
But it didn’t provide lasting financial freedom. 
It didn’t prevent the organization I worked for from collapsing. 
And it didn’t ensure I’d be paid fairly — even now, I have the highest degree on my team and I’m certain other, less credentialed colleagues make more.

The title didn’t heal me. It masked my exhaustion.

And now, I recognize it for what it was: 
A high-achieving form of burnout. A beautifully framed act of over-functioning.

What Is Over-Functioning? Signs You Might Be Doing Too Much

Over-functioning isn’t always loud. 
Sometimes, it looks like degrees, promotions, certifications, and saying “yes” when your soul is screaming “no.”

It’s the pressure to outperform in order to feel enough. 
To carry everything. 
To be everything.

And I had to ask myself:

- Why do I believe I must do it all? 
- Why do I keep pushing for titles when what I truly crave is peace? 
- What if healing is not another degree... but another layer of healing?

Choosing Healing Over Hustle: What I Want Now

Now, I want something different.

I want aligned work that doesn’t leave me depleted. 
I want my income to feel like joy, not just labor. 
I want wholeness, not just hustle.

I no longer want to survive by over-functioning.

I want to bloom from rest, worthiness, and radical softness — not endless proving.

And I know it’s possible. 
Because I’m starting to finally live in it.

If You're a High-Achiever Feeling Exhausted… You're Not Alone

Maybe you have the degrees.
Maybe you’re the one people turn to for everything.
Maybe you’re brilliant, competent, and reliable — and you’re also silently breaking inside.

Let me say this to you with love:

You are not broken.
You are not behind.
You are awakening.

This is what it looks like to bloom.
Not in a classroom.
Not at a conference.
But deep in your nervous system. Deep in your soul.

You’re allowed to stop over-functioning.
You’re allowed to be free.

So Tell Me...

Where in your life might over-achievement be covering a deeper ache?

What would it feel like to bloom from rest, wholeness, and softness — instead of performance?

SistaRhythm | Bloom Priestess🌺✨🔥📖🌿🌀🕊️