Under Pressure

bmorrissey31
Oct 16
3 min read

What if we stopped waiting to exhale?

You know the song by Bowie and Queen’s anthem that’s probably already playing in your mind:“Pressure… pushing down on me… pushing down on you…”

Yep. That one. I can hear Bowie’s voice now, and it rings especially true today, because let’s be honest… pressure is the hum beneath so many of our lives right now.

We feel it in the pace we’re expected to keep.

We feel it in the rising cost of … well, everything!

We feel it in the global unease, wars, and political tension.

We feel it in our inboxes, calendars, bank accounts, and nervous systems.

And we keep telling ourselves, “I’ll slow down later… I’ll enjoy life later… I’ll rest after the next big thing.”But that “later” keeps getting pushed further and further out.

It’s the reality we’re living in.

We spend the majority of our lives working, striving, and pushing. And what about “retirement”? The magical place where we’ll finally rest and exhale is coming later, but it’s shrinking. Take a look at these stats for the United States, I looked up because I was curious… (maybe I shouldn’t have, but I did)

The U.S. ranks 28th for men and 37th for women in expected retirement lengths out of 42 countries.
U.S. men are expected to spend approximately 18.6 years in retirement, while women are expected to spend about 21.3 years.
Statutory retirement ages are rising, with many countries now projecting full retirement in the mid-to-late 60s.

If we live to our early 80s… that means over 75% of our lives are spent in the hustle. And maybe just maybe, we get a few years of true ease. Not a pretty picture in my opinion.

But what if we stopped waiting for “someday” and started reimagining now?

Here is a personal and honest reflection:

People often ask me, “When are you going to retire?”

I’m 59. My husband is 61. And truthfully… that question doesn’t totally apply to us.We live and work a little differently.

I love what I do. I’ve designed a life where I work for myself, so if pressure shows up, I know where it’s coming from: me.

I create my schedule. My deadlines. My rhythm. And when things feel too tight, I get to pause and reassess. I’ve learned how to lead myself with grace and intention, even when the world around me feels like it’s spinning fast. But this is after 27 years in corporate America…my “second” career.

My husband also owns his own practice, but he’s in the thick of a very different system. The pressure he feels is real- from partners, patients, regulations, and the immense challenge of practicing medicine today. The healthcare system is increasingly influenced by private equity and insurance companies, and it’s heartbreaking. (That’s a whole different Mindful Moment waiting to be written.)

And yet, we aren’t chasing some retirement deadline.His dad is still a full-time heart surgeon at 89. It’s in the blood, but more importantly, it’s by choice.

He works because he wants to.

We don’t feel the same pressure many others carry — but we see it.We hear it from our friends, clients, and community.

So many are running themselves ragged, waiting for that one day when it will all finally ease.

But what if you didn’t have to wait?

An idea: Two Shifts to Release the Pressure:

What if we changed our perception?

There’s no one-size-fits-all solution, but here are two pathways that I’ve seen help:

A) Reduce the external pressure

Simplify your life. Downsize expectations, obligations, and spending.
Reevaluate what “success” means — not from a culture’s lens, but from your soul’s.
Consider small, courageous changes to reclaim energy if your 9-to-5 (or 8-to-7) is draining you.

B) Reclaim your internal energy: REFRAME

Shift the narrative. Instead of “I have to,” try “I choose to.”
Check your tone — especially the one inside your own head. Do you walk out the door in the morning, feeling excited or dread? Time to reframe or exit.
Anchor in practices that bring you joy, calm, and clarity — now, not later.