Reclaiming Momentum: From Burnout to Alignment—A Post-Labor Day Pivot

It’s the Tuesday after Labor Day—the unofficial reset button for working professionals across the country. But for Black women in leadership, this week hits differently.

We don’t just return to work—we return to code-switching, invisible labor, overachievement, and navigating systems that often overlook our brilliance while relying on our labor.

And yet—we lead anyway. With strategy. With compassion. With edge. With grace.

But what happens when the weight becomes too heavy, even for us?

In my career, I made the decision to walk away from a role that checked many boxes—strategic, fast-paced, goal oriented. But my nervous system was out of alignment. My energy was fragmented. My authenticity felt stifled.

So I listened to Spirit. I left. And I endeavored to realign.

• According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (July 2025), Black women (over the age of 20) are currently experiencing a 6.3% unemployment rate, compared to 3.1% for white women.

• 54% of Black women say they are often "Onlys" and report feeling closely watched, on guard, or under increased pressure to perform.

• Research shows that 78 percent of Black women reported having no emotional reserves left at the end of the workday. As one participant wisely pointed out, “Black women will work tirelessly for the success of their organization, often to the detriment of their own well-being.”

We carry this. Quietly. Boldly. Brilliantly. Even with this reality, Black women remain among the most engaged, entrepreneurial, and innovative leaders in the workforce. We build, we nurture, and we transform spaces that were never designed with us in mind.

But, Sis, sometimes the bravest thing you can do is pause and ask: Is this still aligned?

If you're returning from this long weekend asking deeper questions, here are 5 ways to reclaim your momentum without sacrificing yourself:

1. Audit your alignment. Ask: Where am I energized? Where am I just enduring? What’s asking to be released?

2. Your nervous system is your most strategic asset. Sustainable leadership is regulated leadership. If you’re constantly exhausted, your clarity, creativity, and compassion pay the price.

3. Small habits lead to seismic shifts. James Clear’s Atomic Habits isn’t just theory—it’s a liberation practice. One breath. One boundary. One moment of “no.” It adds up.

4. Know your value, not just your deliverables. You are not your calendar or your output. Your presence, your discernment, and your lived wisdom are assets. Full stop.

5. Wholeness is the most radical ROI. In systems that reward hustle and hyper-independence, protecting your peace is not retreat—it’s resistance.

I’m grateful for the pause this weekend offered. This Labor Day reset reminded me: We don’t have to go back to what was never built for us. We get to build forward, with intention.

To every Black woman navigating a nonlinear path, choosing self over systems, or just trying to catch your breath between excellence and exhaustion: I see you. You are not behind. You are becoming. You are not broken. You are breaking through. The beauty is—we don’t walk this path alone. Every time one of us chooses alignment over exhaustion, we give another sister permission to do the same. That’s power. That’s legacy.

And to the allies reading this: Your role is vital. Standing alongside Black women in leadership means more than applauding resilience—it means helping to dismantle the conditions that make over-resilience necessary. It looks like amplifying our voices in rooms where we’re underrepresented, questioning systems that perpetuate inequity, and honoring our leadership without requiring us to shrink or code-switch. True allyship is participatory. When you choose justice and equity over comfort, you help build workplaces where all of us can lead whole and human.

I hold deep gratitude for the courage it takes to realign. Faith doesn’t mean the absence of fear—it means moving forward in spite of it. Every pivot comes with uncertainty, but also with promise. The future of leadership isn’t in who hustles hardest, it’s in who dares to overcome, who leans on faith when fear rises, and who chooses to lead whole, healed, and human. That’s the direction we’re moving in and I believe we’re moving there together.

Drop a boundary, belief, or mantra that’s anchoring you this week. Let’s start this end of the year productivity push on our terms.