A Women of Influence Must-Read: High-Octane Women by Dr. Sherrie Bourg Carter

Is it really better to burn out than to fade away? For superachievers and the people who love them, there are aways to avoid both – and to thrive in the process.

Review by: STEPHANIE MARIS

We are all familiar with the high-octane woman: she may be a family member, a partner, a friend, or even the reflection in the mirror as we prepare for yet another 18-hour workday. We are more likely to see her now than ever, as she seizes upon the choices offered by a society increasingly open to equal opportunity.

With these notable achievements come new challenges, however, as women must meet the demands of a heavier workload while navigating unique and uncharted social waters. Without the proper coping mechanisms, the high-octane woman’s ambition makes her vulnerable to stress in one of its most common manifestations: burnout.

In her new book, High Octane Women: How Superachievers Can Avoid Burnout, psychologist Sherrie Bourg Carter compares these superachieving women to high-performance racing cars. Structured as a guide to winning the race against burnout, the initial strategy breaks down into three stages, fittingly titled “On your mark,” “Get set,” and “Go.” In these sections, she identifies common problems facing the high-octane woman and extends the metaphor by offering approaches to address maintenance, refueling and repairs.

The book opens by profiling the unique characteristics of a superachiever. Some readers may be surprised to discover that they themselves are high-octane women, because it’s a condition the author defines as more of a way of thinking and coping with stress than with specific levels of achievement in the workplace.

Bourg Carter divides a superachiever’s stress into two specific types: good stress, that keeps the high-octane woman motivated; and bad, when that motivation to succeed becomes the inflexible need to excel that leads to burnout. Crucially, unlike many self-help authors who seek to eliminate stress altogether, Bourg Carter acknowledges the fact that the superachiever’s personality thrives on a specific type of pressure to succeed. Hers is not your standard “take a deep breath” approach.

High Octane Women presents a well-researched examination of the stressors that wear down the  superachiever’s engine over time. In “Get Set,” readers are guided through an examination of their own lives to determine where they are on the burnout continuum, and how their stress has manifested itself. Symptoms and stressors can be as simple as insomnia, or as complex as the superachiever’s nemesis: the glass ceiling. From a gender-driven perspective, Bourg Carter identifies the challenges women experience as they participate in an outdated model designed by and for a predominantly male workforce. These include gender stereotyping in the form of the “family vs. career” and “supporter vs. breadwinner” dilemmas as well as the double-bind paradox, where women are expected to act like men, but are simultaneously criticized for doing so. Even the technology high-octane women rely upon to excel can be a source of stress for women addicted to availability, with cell phones and e-mail extending the superachiever’s hours to a  never-ending workday by making her available 24/7.

The coping mechanisms outlined in “Go,” the refueling section, respond to the superachiever’s need for active recovery. Having determined their positions on the burnout continuum, readers are presented with a variety of methods to halt and reverse burnout. According to Bourg Carter, high-octane women don’t respond well to traditional stress-management (many have neither the time nor the patience to attend meditation seminars, for example). Her three-pronged approach to recovery acknowledges her clientele’s requisite level of performance and provides corresponding stress-management strategies from basic maintenance (such as the aforementioned deep breathing,) regular unleaded (the standard psychological tricks, such as journaling,) to the high-octane “active recovery” solutions, such as extreme aerobics and athletic vacations.

Finally, the book is not just for women seeking to avoid burnout. There is hope for readers who know that they have already depleted their last reserves. According to Bourg Carter, burnout isn’t a terminal illness. The final chapter, “Getting Back in the Driver’s Seat,” provides a roadmap for exhausted women looking to rekindle their passions and regain control of their lives. There is a place on every bookshelf for this insightful, well-researched guide. Bourg Carter successfully targets the unique stress that leads to burnout and provides high-octane women with the tools they need to get back on track with their accustomed speed and efficiency.