You’re Not Broken, You’re Just Type A

How to use your ambition without burning yourself out

I’ve always described myself as a Type A woman, ambitious, wired, and constantly chasing the next goal. But for years, I never actually sat down and asked myself what that meant.

I just knew that I couldn’t switch off. Even when I’d hit a PB or finish a big project, my first thought was always, “Okay, what’s next?”

Sound familiar?

You might be the same, the woman who lives at 110%, who thrives on being busy, who wants to do everything perfectly. You care deeply, you’re ambitious, you love achieving things… but you also can’t rest. And when you do try to, your brain still runs a marathon in the background.

That’s exactly where I was when I lived in Dubai, two jobs, 5am alarms, marathon training, run clubs, events, zero rest. I told myself I was fine until my body forced me to stop. My gut health was wrecked. I couldn’t sleep. My skin broke out. My hormones were all over the place.I hit complete burnout.

For so long, I thought the problem was external, my coil, my training plan, my workload, but it was actually me. I didn’t understand how my own wiring worked.

💡 What it actually means to be Type A

Type A isn’t a buzzword. It’s a behavioural pattern that psychologists use to describe people who are competitive, driven, ambitious, impatient, and often overly empathetic. You don’t just want to do well, you want to master everything. And that’s your superpower… until it starts working against you.

The thing with being Type A is that you rarely realise you’re doing it. You just live in constant “go” mode until your body, or your motivation, crashes.

That’s where burnout shows up: you’re training harder than ever, but feel flat. You’re doing more, but feeling less accomplished.It’s not that you’re lazy, it’s that you’re fried.

🧠 Why your nervous system matters

One of the best books I’ve ever read is Rushing Woman’s Syndrome by Dr. Libby Weaver. It completely changed how I think about stress. She talks about how modern women live in a constant state of fight-or-flight, juggling jobs, relationships, training, social lives, and our nervous system never gets a break.

Even when we rest, we’re not really resting. We’re scrolling, watching TV, answering messages, planning tomorrow.And then we wonder why we wake up tired no matter how much we sleep.

🥦 The nutrition side of Type A

Here’s the thing, your food choices can help you regulate that stress response. You might notice certain foods or habits that trigger your anxiety or leave you wired (for me, that’s caffeine on an empty stomach or alcohol when I’m already run down).

When I’m in a high-stress phase, I focus on:

• Consistent meals every 3 hours — to keep blood sugar and energy stable

• Protein at breakfast — to regulate mood and focus

• Anti-inflammatory foods like oily fish, olive oil, berries, turmeric, and dark chocolate

• Hydration — at least 3L of water a day

• Magnesium glycinate before bed — game-changer for sleep, recovery, and relaxation

It’s not about being perfect. It’s about supporting your body so it feels safe enough to switch off.

You can’t outwork a body that’s under-fuelled and under-rested.

🧭 Final thoughts

Being Type A isn’t something to fix.It’s something to understand.It’s what makes you passionate, driven, and determined, but it can also burn you out if you don’t manage it.

This week, try this:

• Schedule one proper rest block into your week.

• Choose your top three priorities and let the rest go.

• And if you feel that wired but tired feeling… pause before you push.

There’s stillness in productivity, you just have to slow down long enough to find it.

If this resonated, share it with another Type A girl who needs to hear it.We’re all wired this way, but learning to work with it is where the magic happens.