The Quiet Tension Transistor (https://transistor.fm) https://feeds.transistor.fm/the-quiet-tension Every high performer knows the feeling. A layer of pressure, drive, doubt, or longing that hums along beneath the achievement, rarely spoken and almost never examined. That's the quiet tension. Sometimes it's the force that gets you up before dawn and pushes past what others consider possible. Sometimes it's what's quietly costing you — in relationships, in health, in the distance between who you perform as and who you actually are. Often it's both at once. Hosted by psychologist and executive coach Sharon Chirban, The Quiet Tension is a conversation about what really drives high performers, and what it asks of them in return. Through intimate interviews with founders, athletes, executives, and creatives, Sharon moves past the resume and into the questions most achievement culture avoids; What actually makes you tick? What does excellence give you — and what does it take? And what begins to change when you finally look at the forces running underneath your ambition? These conversations explore the emotional regulation beneath discipline, the identity questions beneath success, and the patterns shaping lives from below the surface. Left unexamined, that tension can harden into burnout, emotional exhaustion, perfectionism, or disillusionment. But when understood, it becomes something else entirely — Insight, choice, and a more sustainable relationship to ambition. This isn't a productivity podcast. There are no hacks or morning routines here. Just honest conversations about what it actually takes to perform at the highest levels and what becomes possible when you finally look at what's been running underneath. The Quiet Tension. Listen closely. © 2026 Dr. Sharon Chirban b0a62064-6ac0-5e17-b13e-45be3a5e96a9 yes Welcome to The Quiet Tension en Wed, 26 Aug 2026 08:00:08 -0400 Wed, 26 Aug 2026 08:02:05 -0400 https://amplifyingperformance.com/the-quiet-tension-podcast/ https://img.transistorcdn.com/ZreZnhhi3hLjLELe-nOdlE6fMoAve1fErdrTb8_hIdw/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:1400/h:1400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9hNzY5/ODdlODcxOWEzMTNm/OTU1MGI5YWE4MGVj/MjM4ZC5qcGc.jpg The Quiet Tension https://amplifyingperformance.com/the-quiet-tension-podcast/ episodic Dr. Sharon Chirban Every high performer knows the feeling. A layer of pressure, drive, doubt, or longing that hums along beneath the achievement, rarely spoken and almost never examined. That's the quiet tension. Sometimes it's the force that gets you up before dawn and pushes past what others consider possible. Sometimes it's what's quietly costing you — in relationships, in health, in the distance between who you perform as and who you actually are. Often it's both at once. Hosted by psychologist and executive coach Sharon Chirban, The Quiet Tension is a conversation about what really drives high performers, and what it asks of them in return. Through intimate interviews with founders, athletes, executives, and creatives, Sharon moves past the resume and into the questions most achievement culture avoids; What actually makes you tick? What does excellence give you — and what does it take? And what begins to change when you finally look at the forces running underneath your ambition? These conversations explore the emotional regulation beneath discipline, the identity questions beneath success, and the patterns shaping lives from below the surface. Left unexamined, that tension can harden into burnout, emotional exhaustion, perfectionism, or disillusionment. But when understood, it becomes something else entirely — Insight, choice, and a more sustainable relationship to ambition. This isn't a productivity podcast. There are no hacks or morning routines here. Just honest conversations about what it actually takes to perform at the highest levels and what becomes possible when you finally look at what's been running underneath. The Quiet Tension. Listen closely. Every high performer knows the feeling. burnout, disillusionment, perfectionism, the perfectionism, high performance, hi performance, burnt out, work burnout, emotional exhaustion, burnt out at work, mental exhaustion, burnout emotional exhaustion, emotionally burnt out, mental exhaustion, reorientation, occupational burnout, stress and exhaustion, i am burned out, selfhood, burnout and depression, high achievers, high achievers, selfhood, high performance coaching, what are the symptoms of burnout, external validation, what causes burnout, high performance habits, emerging leaders, overachievement, psychological insight, identity formation, high performance athletics, excellence culture, excellence culture, what causes burnout at work, what causes work burnout, what causes mental exhaustion, high performance business, redefining success, top achiever, what causes emotional exhaustion, redefining success, sustainable ambition, life after burnout, how to redefine success, identity collapse, life after burnout, performance based identity, sustainable ambition Dr. Sharon Chirban support@lowerstreet.co No No "Relaxed Chaos" with Katie Uhlaender 4 4 "Relaxed Chaos" with Katie Uhlaender full ab1d8b67-8839-4523-9394-cff55953a6fe https://share.transistor.fm/s/1014bcd4 Content Note: Please note this episode includes discussion of grief, substance use, and moments of crisis in elite sport. Please take care while listening.

Some athletes are extraordinary because they can hold pressure. The danger is that people keep asking them to hold more. In this episode of The Quiet Tension, host Dr. Sharon Chirban speaks with five-time Olympian Katie Uhlaender about the “relaxed chaos” of skeleton, and how the skill that made her extraordinary on the ice similarly helped her to move through the whiplash of grief, celebrations, loss, and advocacy.

Katie’s career has taken her through some of the most defining highs and devastating lows an athlete can face. From losing her father while on tour, to grieving friends inside the Olympic world, to missing a medal because of a doping scandal, Katie reflects on what the Olympic system gave her without neglecting its costs. Despite this, she still believes strongly in the pursuit of excellence, and as she thinks beyond the track, Katie asks for the sports world to adopt greater honesty, understanding, and stronger systems for the athletes who come next.

Listeners will hear Uhlaender talk about: 

  • (02:53) Finding the “Relaxed Chaos” Zone
  • (08:15) The Cost of Natural Ability
  • (14:48) Grief Without Regret
  • (18:10) When the System Misses the Person
  • (21:22) HBO’s The Weight of Gold 
  • (27:59) Losing a Medal, Finding a Voice
  • (37:25) What Comes After the Track

Mental health resources:

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, support is available. In the U.S. and Canada, call or text 988 to connect with crisis support or visit 988.ca for more information. If you are outside the U.S. or Canada, please contact your local emergency number or a crisis line.


New episodes of The Quiet Tension are released every other week. If you’d like to stay updated, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you listen. To learn more about topics like today’s, follow Sharon on Substack or visit the show website. 

]]> Content Note: Please note this episode includes discussion of grief, substance use, and moments of crisis in elite sport. Please take care while listening.

Some athletes are extraordinary because they can hold pressure. The danger is that people keep asking them to hold more. In this episode of The Quiet Tension, host Dr. Sharon Chirban speaks with five-time Olympian Katie Uhlaender about the “relaxed chaos” of skeleton, and how the skill that made her extraordinary on the ice similarly helped her to move through the whiplash of grief, celebrations, loss, and advocacy.

Katie’s career has taken her through some of the most defining highs and devastating lows an athlete can face. From losing her father while on tour, to grieving friends inside the Olympic world, to missing a medal because of a doping scandal, Katie reflects on what the Olympic system gave her without neglecting its costs. Despite this, she still believes strongly in the pursuit of excellence, and as she thinks beyond the track, Katie asks for the sports world to adopt greater honesty, understanding, and stronger systems for the athletes who come next.

Listeners will hear Uhlaender talk about: 

  • (02:53) Finding the “Relaxed Chaos” Zone
  • (08:15) The Cost of Natural Ability
  • (14:48) Grief Without Regret
  • (18:10) When the System Misses the Person
  • (21:22) HBO’s The Weight of Gold 
  • (27:59) Losing a Medal, Finding a Voice
  • (37:25) What Comes After the Track

Mental health resources:

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, support is available. In the U.S. and Canada, call or text 988 to connect with crisis support or visit 988.ca for more information. If you are outside the U.S. or Canada, please contact your local emergency number or a crisis line.


New episodes of The Quiet Tension are released every other week. If you’d like to stay updated, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you listen. To learn more about topics like today’s, follow Sharon on Substack or visit the show website. 

]]> Wed, 26 Aug 2026 08:00:00 -0400 Dr. Sharon Chirban Dr. Sharon Chirban 2441 Content Note: Please note this episode includes discussion of grief, substance use, and moments of crisis in elite sport. Please take care while listening.

Some athletes are extraordinary because they can hold pressure. The danger is that people keep asking them to hold more. In this episode of The Quiet Tension, host Dr. Sharon Chirban speaks with five-time Olympian Katie Uhlaender about the “relaxed chaos” of skeleton, and how the skill that made her extraordinary on the ice similarly helped her to move through the whiplash of grief, celebrations, loss, and advocacy.

Katie’s career has taken her through some of the most defining highs and devastating lows an athlete can face. From losing her father while on tour, to grieving friends inside the Olympic world, to missing a medal because of a doping scandal, Katie reflects on what the Olympic system gave her without neglecting its costs. Despite this, she still believes strongly in the pursuit of excellence, and as she thinks beyond the track, Katie asks for the sports world to adopt greater honesty, understanding, and stronger systems for the athletes who come next.

Listeners will hear Uhlaender talk about: 

  • (02:53) Finding the “Relaxed Chaos” Zone
  • (08:15) The Cost of Natural Ability
  • (14:48) Grief Without Regret
  • (18:10) When the System Misses the Person
  • (21:22) HBO’s The Weight of Gold 
  • (27:59) Losing a Medal, Finding a Voice
  • (37:25) What Comes After the Track

Mental health resources:

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, support is available. In the U.S. and Canada, call or text 988 to connect with crisis support or visit 988.ca for more information. If you are outside the U.S. or Canada, please contact your local emergency number or a crisis line.


New episodes of The Quiet Tension are released every other week. If you’d like to stay updated, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you listen. To learn more about topics like today’s, follow Sharon on Substack or visit the show website. 

]]> burnout, disillusionment, perfectionism, the perfectionism, high performance, hi performance, burnt out, work burnout, emotional exhaustion, burnt out at work, mental exhaustion, burnout emotional exhaustion, emotionally burnt out, mental exhaustion, reorientation, occupational burnout, stress and exhaustion, i am burned out, selfhood, burnout and depression, high achievers, high achievers, selfhood, high performance coaching, what are the symptoms of burnout, external validation, what causes burnout, high performance habits, emerging leaders, overachievement, psychological insight, identity formation, high performance athletics, excellence culture, excellence culture, what causes burnout at work, what causes work burnout, what causes mental exhaustion, high performance business, redefining success, top achiever, what causes emotional exhaustion, redefining success, sustainable ambition, life after burnout, how to redefine success, identity collapse, life after burnout, performance based identity, sustainable ambition No “I’m Not a High Performer” with Dennis Kelly 3 3 “I’m Not a High Performer” with Dennis Kelly full 96ad0951-06a5-4548-a1ec-1b99931cd5af https://share.transistor.fm/s/ff404e32 What if the path to excellence doesn’t begin with certainty, confidence, or a clear sense of who you want to be, but instead with curiosity? In this episode of The Quiet Tension, host Dr. Sharon Chirban speaks with restaurateur and Master Sommelier Dennis Kelly about the winding path that led him from wrestling, architecture, music, and bartending to head Sommelier at The French Laundry and ultimately to co-owning Protege, a Michelin-starred restaurant in Palo Alto.
Dennis’s story is one of a dark horse. For much of his early life, he struggled to see himself as exceptional, moving through identities and environments before wine gave him a place where his curiosity could take root. What resulted was an atypical journey of fulfillment first, mastery later.

Listeners will hear Kelly talk about: 

  • (02:28) Finding the right environment
  • (07:45) Chasing what he wanted
  • (14:48) When wine finally clicked
  • (18:40) Gaining confidence through competence
  • (20:58) Building his own ways of learning
  • (25:56) Choosing his own vision
  • (34:15) The power of the people who believed in him

New episodes of The Quiet Tension are released every other week. If you’d like to stay updated, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you listen. To learn more about topics like today’s, follow Sharon on Substack or visit the show website. 

]]> What if the path to excellence doesn’t begin with certainty, confidence, or a clear sense of who you want to be, but instead with curiosity? In this episode of The Quiet Tension, host Dr. Sharon Chirban speaks with restaurateur and Master Sommelier Dennis Kelly about the winding path that led him from wrestling, architecture, music, and bartending to head Sommelier at The French Laundry and ultimately to co-owning Protege, a Michelin-starred restaurant in Palo Alto.
Dennis’s story is one of a dark horse. For much of his early life, he struggled to see himself as exceptional, moving through identities and environments before wine gave him a place where his curiosity could take root. What resulted was an atypical journey of fulfillment first, mastery later.

Listeners will hear Kelly talk about: 

  • (02:28) Finding the right environment
  • (07:45) Chasing what he wanted
  • (14:48) When wine finally clicked
  • (18:40) Gaining confidence through competence
  • (20:58) Building his own ways of learning
  • (25:56) Choosing his own vision
  • (34:15) The power of the people who believed in him

New episodes of The Quiet Tension are released every other week. If you’d like to stay updated, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you listen. To learn more about topics like today’s, follow Sharon on Substack or visit the show website. 

]]> Wed, 12 Aug 2026 08:00:00 -0400 Dr. Sharon Chirban Dr. Sharon Chirban 2703 What if the path to excellence doesn’t begin with certainty, confidence, or a clear sense of who you want to be, but instead with curiosity? In this episode of The Quiet Tension, host Dr. Sharon Chirban speaks with restaurateur and Master Sommelier Dennis Kelly about the winding path that led him from wrestling, architecture, music, and bartending to head Sommelier at The French Laundry and ultimately to co-owning Protege, a Michelin-starred restaurant in Palo Alto.
Dennis’s story is one of a dark horse. For much of his early life, he struggled to see himself as exceptional, moving through identities and environments before wine gave him a place where his curiosity could take root. What resulted was an atypical journey of fulfillment first, mastery later.

Listeners will hear Kelly talk about: 

  • (02:28) Finding the right environment
  • (07:45) Chasing what he wanted
  • (14:48) When wine finally clicked
  • (18:40) Gaining confidence through competence
  • (20:58) Building his own ways of learning
  • (25:56) Choosing his own vision
  • (34:15) The power of the people who believed in him

New episodes of The Quiet Tension are released every other week. If you’d like to stay updated, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you listen. To learn more about topics like today’s, follow Sharon on Substack or visit the show website. 

]]> burnout, disillusionment, perfectionism, the perfectionism, high performance, hi performance, burnt out, work burnout, emotional exhaustion, burnt out at work, mental exhaustion, burnout emotional exhaustion, emotionally burnt out, mental exhaustion, reorientation, occupational burnout, stress and exhaustion, i am burned out, selfhood, burnout and depression, high achievers, high achievers, selfhood, high performance coaching, what are the symptoms of burnout, external validation, what causes burnout, high performance habits, emerging leaders, overachievement, psychological insight, identity formation, high performance athletics, excellence culture, excellence culture, what causes burnout at work, what causes work burnout, what causes mental exhaustion, high performance business, redefining success, top achiever, what causes emotional exhaustion, redefining success, sustainable ambition, life after burnout, how to redefine success, identity collapse, life after burnout, performance based identity, sustainable ambition No What Fearlessness Makes Possible with John Lam 2 2 What Fearlessness Makes Possible with John Lam full b731e920-cd17-46df-8362-5affa1e78fc3 https://share.transistor.fm/s/8cbc85ed A career is rarely one fixed identity. It is a long evolution that asks us again and again who we are becoming next. In this episode of The Quiet Tension, host Dr. Sharon Chirban speaks with former Boston Ballet principal dancer John Lam about the responsibility of building new pathways for dancers after a lifetime of being shaped by the people who opened doors for him.
Lam’s career has been spent performing at the highest levels of ballet, including two decades with the Boston Ballet. Today, through his work, both as a Associate Professor at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee (BOCO) and founder of Lam Dance Works, he is focused on shaping the next generation of dancers, building the kinds of opportunities that made his own career possible.

Listeners will hear Lam talk about: 

  • (03:37) The mentors who shaped him
  • (06:48) Being seen without being accepted
  • (09:34) Fearlessness as a way of being
  • (13:58) What made him John Lam
  • (18:08) Life after the Boston Ballet
  • (25:11) Shedding old skin
  • (27:59) Building Lam Dance Works
  • (32:18) Recovering the fearlessness
  • (35:32) Defining success beyond the stage
  • (39:10) When purpose becomes responsibility

New episodes of The Quiet Tension are released every other week. If you’d like to stay updated, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you listen. To learn more about topics like today’s, follow Sharon on Substack or visit the show website. 

]]> A career is rarely one fixed identity. It is a long evolution that asks us again and again who we are becoming next. In this episode of The Quiet Tension, host Dr. Sharon Chirban speaks with former Boston Ballet principal dancer John Lam about the responsibility of building new pathways for dancers after a lifetime of being shaped by the people who opened doors for him.
Lam’s career has been spent performing at the highest levels of ballet, including two decades with the Boston Ballet. Today, through his work, both as a Associate Professor at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee (BOCO) and founder of Lam Dance Works, he is focused on shaping the next generation of dancers, building the kinds of opportunities that made his own career possible.

Listeners will hear Lam talk about: 

  • (03:37) The mentors who shaped him
  • (06:48) Being seen without being accepted
  • (09:34) Fearlessness as a way of being
  • (13:58) What made him John Lam
  • (18:08) Life after the Boston Ballet
  • (25:11) Shedding old skin
  • (27:59) Building Lam Dance Works
  • (32:18) Recovering the fearlessness
  • (35:32) Defining success beyond the stage
  • (39:10) When purpose becomes responsibility

New episodes of The Quiet Tension are released every other week. If you’d like to stay updated, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you listen. To learn more about topics like today’s, follow Sharon on Substack or visit the show website. 

]]> Wed, 29 Jul 2026 08:00:00 -0400 Dr. Sharon Chirban Dr. Sharon Chirban 2443 A career is rarely one fixed identity. It is a long evolution that asks us again and again who we are becoming next. In this episode of The Quiet Tension, host Dr. Sharon Chirban speaks with former Boston Ballet principal dancer John Lam about the responsibility of building new pathways for dancers after a lifetime of being shaped by the people who opened doors for him.
Lam’s career has been spent performing at the highest levels of ballet, including two decades with the Boston Ballet. Today, through his work, both as a Associate Professor at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee (BOCO) and founder of Lam Dance Works, he is focused on shaping the next generation of dancers, building the kinds of opportunities that made his own career possible.

Listeners will hear Lam talk about: 

  • (03:37) The mentors who shaped him
  • (06:48) Being seen without being accepted
  • (09:34) Fearlessness as a way of being
  • (13:58) What made him John Lam
  • (18:08) Life after the Boston Ballet
  • (25:11) Shedding old skin
  • (27:59) Building Lam Dance Works
  • (32:18) Recovering the fearlessness
  • (35:32) Defining success beyond the stage
  • (39:10) When purpose becomes responsibility

New episodes of The Quiet Tension are released every other week. If you’d like to stay updated, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you listen. To learn more about topics like today’s, follow Sharon on Substack or visit the show website. 

]]> burnout, disillusionment, perfectionism, the perfectionism, high performance, hi performance, burnt out, work burnout, emotional exhaustion, burnt out at work, mental exhaustion, burnout emotional exhaustion, emotionally burnt out, mental exhaustion, reorientation, occupational burnout, stress and exhaustion, i am burned out, selfhood, burnout and depression, high achievers, high achievers, selfhood, high performance coaching, what are the symptoms of burnout, external validation, what causes burnout, high performance habits, emerging leaders, overachievement, psychological insight, identity formation, high performance athletics, excellence culture, excellence culture, what causes burnout at work, what causes work burnout, what causes mental exhaustion, high performance business, redefining success, top achiever, what causes emotional exhaustion, redefining success, sustainable ambition, life after burnout, how to redefine success, identity collapse, life after burnout, performance based identity, sustainable ambition No When Knowledge Isn’t Enough with Stu McMillan 1 1 When Knowledge Isn’t Enough with Stu McMillan full 4fc53b96-34d6-44a8-b6a3-8614753541a8 https://share.transistor.fm/s/f48a22fe What happens when someone who has built a career on expertise becomes more interested in curiosity, uncertainty, and asking better questions? In this episode of The Quiet Tension, host Dr. Sharon Chirban speaks with renowned sprint and performance coach Stu McMillan about what decades spent guiding elite athletes have revealed to him about the deeper work of coaching.

Stu has spent his career coaching at the tip of the spear, working with athletes performing at the highest levels possible. As the CEO of ALTIS, he has worked with elite athletes across track and field, bobsleigh, and other high-performance environments, helping to shape Olympic champions and world-class performers.
Listeners will hear Stu talk about: 

  • (2:15) Finding his unique edge
  • (5:55) Meeting Dan Pfaff, the mentor who reshaped Stu’s understanding of coaching
  • (10:45) Seeing the human beyond the athlete
  • (13:10) Coaching at the tip of the spear
  • (19:37) Identity and reinvention: how athletes can get boxed into an identity
  • (28:27) What Stu has learned from long-term relationships with athletes
  • (33:45) Why Stu is energized by coaching, while questioning what he wants to carry forward
  • (35:39) Stu’s honest reflection on where he turns for support

New episodes of The Quiet Tension are released every week. If you’d like to stay updated, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you listen. To learn more about topics like today’s, follow Sharon on Substack or visit the show website. 

]]> What happens when someone who has built a career on expertise becomes more interested in curiosity, uncertainty, and asking better questions? In this episode of The Quiet Tension, host Dr. Sharon Chirban speaks with renowned sprint and performance coach Stu McMillan about what decades spent guiding elite athletes have revealed to him about the deeper work of coaching.

Stu has spent his career coaching at the tip of the spear, working with athletes performing at the highest levels possible. As the CEO of ALTIS, he has worked with elite athletes across track and field, bobsleigh, and other high-performance environments, helping to shape Olympic champions and world-class performers.
Listeners will hear Stu talk about: 

  • (2:15) Finding his unique edge
  • (5:55) Meeting Dan Pfaff, the mentor who reshaped Stu’s understanding of coaching
  • (10:45) Seeing the human beyond the athlete
  • (13:10) Coaching at the tip of the spear
  • (19:37) Identity and reinvention: how athletes can get boxed into an identity
  • (28:27) What Stu has learned from long-term relationships with athletes
  • (33:45) Why Stu is energized by coaching, while questioning what he wants to carry forward
  • (35:39) Stu’s honest reflection on where he turns for support

New episodes of The Quiet Tension are released every week. If you’d like to stay updated, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you listen. To learn more about topics like today’s, follow Sharon on Substack or visit the show website. 

]]> Wed, 15 Jul 2026 08:00:00 -0400 Dr. Sharon Chirban Dr. Sharon Chirban 2426 What happens when someone who has built a career on expertise becomes more interested in curiosity, uncertainty, and asking better questions? In this episode of The Quiet Tension, host Dr. Sharon Chirban speaks with renowned sprint and performance coach Stu McMillan about what decades spent guiding elite athletes have revealed to him about the deeper work of coaching.

Stu has spent his career coaching at the tip of the spear, working with athletes performing at the highest levels possible. As the CEO of ALTIS, he has worked with elite athletes across track and field, bobsleigh, and other high-performance environments, helping to shape Olympic champions and world-class performers.
Listeners will hear Stu talk about: 

  • (2:15) Finding his unique edge
  • (5:55) Meeting Dan Pfaff, the mentor who reshaped Stu’s understanding of coaching
  • (10:45) Seeing the human beyond the athlete
  • (13:10) Coaching at the tip of the spear
  • (19:37) Identity and reinvention: how athletes can get boxed into an identity
  • (28:27) What Stu has learned from long-term relationships with athletes
  • (33:45) Why Stu is energized by coaching, while questioning what he wants to carry forward
  • (35:39) Stu’s honest reflection on where he turns for support

New episodes of The Quiet Tension are released every week. If you’d like to stay updated, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you listen. To learn more about topics like today’s, follow Sharon on Substack or visit the show website. 

]]> burnout, disillusionment, perfectionism, the perfectionism, high performance, hi performance, burnt out, work burnout, emotional exhaustion, burnt out at work, mental exhaustion, burnout emotional exhaustion, emotionally burnt out, mental exhaustion, reorientation, occupational burnout, stress and exhaustion, i am burned out, selfhood, burnout and depression, high achievers, high achievers, selfhood, high performance coaching, what are the symptoms of burnout, external validation, what causes burnout, high performance habits, emerging leaders, overachievement, psychological insight, identity formation, high performance athletics, excellence culture, excellence culture, what causes burnout at work, what causes work burnout, what causes mental exhaustion, high performance business, redefining success, top achiever, what causes emotional exhaustion, redefining success, sustainable ambition, life after burnout, how to redefine success, identity collapse, life after burnout, performance based identity, sustainable ambition No Welcome to The Quiet Tension 1 1 Welcome to The Quiet Tension trailer 66179545-79cf-4ba4-a1e4-7a6238fb404d https://share.transistor.fm/s/35e7b2d5 Welcome to The Quiet Tension.


Hosted by clinical sport psychologist and executive coach Dr. Sharon Chirban, this is a show about what really drives high performers — and what it asks of them in return.


Through intimate conversations with founders, athletes, executives, and creatives, Sharon moves past the résumé and into the pressure, ambition, doubt, and identity questions that often sit beneath achievement. 


What does excellence give you — and what does it take?


Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

For more from Sharon, visit LinkedIn, Instagram, the show website, and follow along on Substack.


Thanks for listening closely.

]]> Welcome to The Quiet Tension.


Hosted by clinical sport psychologist and executive coach Dr. Sharon Chirban, this is a show about what really drives high performers — and what it asks of them in return.


Through intimate conversations with founders, athletes, executives, and creatives, Sharon moves past the résumé and into the pressure, ambition, doubt, and identity questions that often sit beneath achievement. 


What does excellence give you — and what does it take?


Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

For more from Sharon, visit LinkedIn, Instagram, the show website, and follow along on Substack.


Thanks for listening closely.

]]> Tue, 07 Jul 2026 21:50:38 -0400 Dr. Sharon Chirban Dr. Sharon Chirban 91 Welcome to The Quiet Tension.


Hosted by clinical sport psychologist and executive coach Dr. Sharon Chirban, this is a show about what really drives high performers — and what it asks of them in return.


Through intimate conversations with founders, athletes, executives, and creatives, Sharon moves past the résumé and into the pressure, ambition, doubt, and identity questions that often sit beneath achievement. 


What does excellence give you — and what does it take?


Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

For more from Sharon, visit LinkedIn, Instagram, the show website, and follow along on Substack.


Thanks for listening closely.

]]> burnout, disillusionment, perfectionism, the perfectionism, high performance, hi performance, burnt out, work burnout, emotional exhaustion, burnt out at work, mental exhaustion, burnout emotional exhaustion, emotionally burnt out, mental exhaustion, reorientation, occupational burnout, stress and exhaustion, i am burned out, selfhood, burnout and depression, high achievers, high achievers, selfhood, high performance coaching, what are the symptoms of burnout, external validation, what causes burnout, high performance habits, emerging leaders, overachievement, psychological insight, identity formation, high performance athletics, excellence culture, excellence culture, what causes burnout at work, what causes work burnout, what causes mental exhaustion, high performance business, redefining success, top achiever, what causes emotional exhaustion, redefining success, sustainable ambition, life after burnout, how to redefine success, identity collapse, life after burnout, performance based identity, sustainable ambition No