Stressed by lack of autonomy? Feeling out of control?

You know what’s been popping up a lot for me lately? 

Stress. (No surprises there – I’ve shared a lot about what’s going on for me this summer.) 

But this isn’t what we might think of as ‘the usual kind’. Not deadlines or diary chaos or too many tabs open in my brain. 

Something sneakier. 

Something that slips under the radar but still gives me that low-level fizz of unease. 

It’s when I feel like I’ve lost autonomy. 

Like when someone decides something for me, or makes a plan I’ve not been part of, or “gets organised” on my behalf (with the best intentions)... but it leaves me feeling boxed in, caged. 

A free spirit who’s been leashed. 

And because I’ve started paying attention to these little moments - writing them down as they happen - I can see the pattern. 

Loss of autonomy stresses me out. 

And it ties straight back to what motivates me, what energises me, and the values I want to live and work by. 

That’s the thing with stress: 

It’s not just about what happens - it’s about what that thing means to us. 

So let me ask you this: 

What stresses you out? 

(And do you notice it before the sabre tooth tiger is already in your inbox?) 

Because stress doesn’t always announce itself with fireworks. 

Sometimes it’s what I call a ‘tap on the shoulder’ - a twitchy eye, stiff shoulders, brain fog. 

Sometimes it’s snapping at your partner, biting your nails, or ghosting your own WhatsApp chats. 

Sometimes it’s that tight feeling in your chest, and you can’t tell if it’s your to-do list or your breakfast fighting back. 

Here’s the good news: 

Once we know our stress signals, we can manage them. 

Not suppress. Not ignore. Manage - with care, with clarity, with choice. 

That’s why I created the S.E.R.V.I.C.E. wellbeing framework - born from my own burnout and built to help high-performing legal professionals like you get back in the driver’s seat. 

It’s where we start when I work with any client; whether it’s one-to-one coaching, within the StressLess Academy or the full Elite Leadership programme.  

It's not fluffy. 

It’s not overwhelming. 

It’s your roadmap to healthy, sustainable high performance - and it starts with understanding where you are now. 

👉 Curious where you stand? Start here: 

Take the S.E.R.V.I.C.E. Scorecard by clicking here: https://skylarkserviceblocks.scoreapp.com 

Because the sooner you spot the tiger coming over the hill, the less likely you are to get eaten by your own to-do list. 

Yours, 

Vikki “Sabre Tooth Spotter” Pratley