FRIED. The Burnout Podcast

Short on time? Watch this 3-minute overview:

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Coaching with Sarah: How To Ask For Help From the Right People (And Then, How to Accept It)

Sun, 21 Dec 2025 05:00:16 +0000

Burnout recovery starts when you stop treating self-sufficiency as strength and learn how to ask for help without shame.

In this Coaching session, Sarah Vosen sits down with Samira, a longtime listener facing burnout rooted in over-responsibility, financial stress, and a habit of doing everything alone. Rest has started to bring back some energy, yet doubt remains. What if it is still not enough? What if needing support means something is wrong?

At the heart of this conversation is the realization that self-reliance often begins as protection. When early attempts to ask for help led to disappointment, independence became the safest path. Over time, that strategy can quietly turn into isolation and exhaustion. Sarah reframes resilience as something built through receiving rather than pushing harder and invites Samira to see that she can learn how to ask for help and build it as a skill.

They also explore how support works best when expectations are clear and realistic. Not everyone in our lives can meet every emotional need. Some people bring calm. Others bring practical relief. Releasing unmet expectations can soften resentment and make space for real support to land.

This episode invites reflection on long-held beliefs about strength and worth. What changes when asking for help feels neutral rather than shameful? What becomes possible when support is treated as nourishment rather than failure? Burnout recovery begins at the roots, and sometimes the bravest step is allowing yourself to receive.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Burnout Recovery and the Cost of Self-Reliance

03:09 Why Asking for Help Feels Unsafe

08:58 Letting Go of Unmet Expectations in Relationships

11:54 Asking for Help as a Skill That Builds Resilience

14:47 Restoring Emotional Roots to Heal Burnout

Links

Dive deeper:

To explore burnout, leadership, and sustainable performance through a workplace and organizational lens, connect with Cait Donovan: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work:

Short on time? Watch this 3-minute overview:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Hailey Paige Magee: Burned Out and Lonely: How Do You Rebuild Your Community?

Sun, 14 Dec 2025 05:00:42 +0000

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AD: The right support changes everything. Our Director of Coaching, Sarah Vosen, combines expertise and compassion to walk beside you: https://caitdonovan.com/coaching

Are you burned out and lonely? That stops today! We know that burnout takes a different shape when the life you worked hard to build no longer feels like it belongs to you and you’re pushed to rebuild meaning from the inside out.

Cait welcomes back author and coach Hailey Paige Magee, whose work has supported thousands of burned out and lonely folks who are recovering people-pleasers and high achievers as they redefine their relationship with success. Their conversation focuses on the moment burnout stops looking like exhaustion and starts revealing a deeper misalignment. Hailey speaks candidly about the quiet collapse that happens when your identity no longer fits the life around you and the grief that rises when you can no longer pretend everything is fine.

The heart of the episode centers on stopping you feeling burned out and lonely by finding reconnection with community.

How do you return to community after a long stretch of self-protection? How do you stay rooted in yourself without slipping into performance or old habits? And what becomes possible when belonging has nothing to do with achievement? Cait and Hailey explore these questions and offer a grounded reminder that meaning grows through honest relationships, not algorithms or accolades.

#communitywellbeing, #burntoutandalone, #lonelieness

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Burnout, Misalignment, and Identity Collapse

06:02 Social Media, Success, and Loss of Purpose

12:02 Grief as a Turning Point in Burnout Recovery

14:56 Rebuilding Connection and Community

37:08 Evolving Identity and Rediscovering Meaning

42:06 From Me to We in the Next Phase of Recovery

Links

Previous episode with Hailey: https://redcircle.com/shows/e4c0db0a-98a4-47e6-a2b0-6a291469e1d6/ep/d8fec203-3b47-4c8a-9a30-edaf876d1316

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZ7Ib-hllQA

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Burnout Recovery Exercise: How to Stop Feeling Like a Failure at Burnout Recovery

Sun, 07 Dec 2025 05:00:17 +0000

Many people mistake burnout for personal failure, but the real issue is the quiet mismatch between the energy you actually have and the expectations you keep pushing yourself to meet.

Sarah Vosen gets to the core of why so many burned-out high achievers feel defeated: the math of your life stopped working long before you noticed it. When your energy drops but your expectations stay at their old setting, even simple days feel impossible. The conversation challenges listeners to ask what they believe they “should” be able to do and where those beliefs came from in the first place. How often are you measuring yourself against a past version of you? And what changes once you base your plans on your real capacity instead of the fantasy of unlimited output?

This episode is an invitation to rebuild self-trust by telling the truth about what you can actually give right now. Burnout recovery begins when you stop assuming your worth hinges on productivity and start giving yourself permission to operate from reality. Sarah offers encouragement, clarity, and accessible next steps for anyone ready to release the shame of falling short and move toward days that feel doable again.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Understanding Burnout and Its Real Impact on High Achievers

02:55 How to Adjust Expectations for Better Burnout Recovery

05:45 Realistic Ways to Assess Your Energy, Time, and Capacity

09:13 Why Consistent Self-Care Supports Burnout Healing

11:54 How to Find the Right Support for Burnout Recovery

Links

Your team's energy and well-being are worth investing in. Hire Cait to speak at your company, association, or event: https://caitdonovan.com/speaking

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Fall Self-care for When Grief and Guilt are Weighing You Down

Sun, 30 Nov 2025 05:00:20 +0000

Fall can hit like a quiet emotional landslide as grief, guilt, and old heaviness rise to the surface and ask for release.

Sarah Vosen talks about why this season often feels heavier than we expect and how that weight points to emotion that never fully moved through the system. She highlights the way sadness, guilt, and that familiar tightness in the chest show up when the pace naturally shifts and the body finally has room to speak. What if those uncomfortable waves are your body reaching for relief instead of signaling something you did wrong? And how would your days shift if you treated that heaviness as guidance instead of something to outrun?

This episode offers a steady invitation back to release. Sarah focuses on the simple acts that help the body soften and recover its flow: tears that want to be felt, breaths that need more space, warmth when the cold settles in, hydration when everything feels dry, rest when your system begs for it, and the inner clarity that comes from paying attention to what you truly need. Fall isn’t a season for pushing harder; it’s a season for loosening your grip. Sarah gives listeners a grounded, compassionate framework for honoring that rhythm so they can move through this time with more ease and far less judgment.

Episode Breakdown:

00:02 Why Fall Triggers Grief, Guilt, and Emotional Burnout

03:10 How Chinese Medicine Explains Fall Emotions

06:55 How Unprocessed Emotions Create Seasonal Burnout

10:22 Deep Breathing Techniques for Emotional Release in Fall

13:41 Embracing Natural Cycles and Letting Go

Dive deeper:

To explore burnout, leadership, and sustainable performance through a workplace and organizational lens, connect with Cait Donovan: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work:

Short on time? Watch this 3-minute overview:

Follow Cyndie on Instagram

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Cyndie Spiegel: Use This Technique to Find Hope When You're Burnt Out

Sun, 23 Nov 2025 05:00:10 +0000

Burnout doesn’t end with a mindset shift—it begins when you finally allow grief, emptiness, and small sparks of joy to coexist without needing to fix any of them.

Author and speaker Cyndie Spiegel joins Cait to talk about what it means to live inside the gray area, the space where both pain and beauty can exist at once. She shares how walking away from a high-profile fashion career led her to teaching, writing, and discovering the idea of microjoys: brief, accessible moments of light that don’t erase hardship but remind us life still holds goodness. Together, they unpack how black-and-white thinking fuels burnout, why forced gratitude doesn’t work, and how simple awareness can shift everything.

What if healing starts with noticing what else is true? What might open up when you stop chasing “better” and start paying attention to what’s already here?

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Introduction

02:00 Cyndie Spiegel’s Burnout Story in the Fashion Industry

08:35 Finding Purpose Through Yoga and Teaching

10:37 Writing A Year of Positive Thinking

16:08 The Birth of Microjoys

18:40 Finding Hope When Life Isn’t Okay

24:30 Living in the Gray: Holding Multiple Truths

32:54 Practicing Microjoys in Daily Life

39:21 Where to Find Cyndie Spiegel and Final Reflections

Connect with Cyndie Spiegel:

Cyndie’s Website

Connect with Cyndie on LinkedIn

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

#straightfromcait: Why Behavior Change Is So Hard (and What Your Brain Has to Do With It)

Sun, 16 Nov 2025 05:00:05 +0000

Most people think they’ve failed at change when they’ve actually just hit the part where being human takes over.

Cait Donovan is taking a closer look at why behavior change is so hard to maintain and why relapse isn’t a sign of weakness but proof that your brain is doing exactly what it’s designed to do. She explains how old habits never fully disappear, they just sit quietly, waiting for a moment of stress or fatigue to reappear. Change takes effort, repetition, and compassion for the part of you that’s still learning.

Cait shares how progress depends on context and patience. A new habit might feel strong at home but crumble at work, and that’s normal. The real work isn’t about erasing the old pattern but building trust in your ability to return to the new one again and again. This episode is a reminder that being human is not the problem, it’s the process.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Understanding Why Behavior Change Feels Impossible

01:39 How the Brain Builds and Keeps Old Habits

04:10 Why New Behaviors Don’t Stick in Every Environment

06:20 Relapse as a Normal Part of Behavior Change

09:01 Final Takeaways: Being Human Is the Process

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Coaching with Sarah: Spinning in the ‘Am I Burned Out?’ Loop? This One’s for You

Sun, 09 Nov 2025 05:00:26 +0000

Burnout doesn’t always look like collapse; sometimes it hides in the moments when you’re still performing, but your spark keeps flickering out, and that’s where this honest coaching session begins.

In this episode, Sarah Vosen sits down with Jennie, an attorney and mom unsure whether what she’s feeling qualifies as burnout. Together they unpack the World Health Organization’s markers of burnout—exhaustion, cynicism, and reduced efficacy—and what those look like in real life. Is it possible to feel functional yet fried? How do you know when your capacity is shrinking faster than you realize?

As Sarah guides Jennie through a clearer understanding of her patterns, practical steps begin to emerge: protecting space on the calendar, creating buffers between meetings, and rebuilding small habits that restore energy. The conversation also touches on the role of perimenopause in stress and recovery, giving Jennie a compassionate framework for why her old pace no longer fits.

The episode leaves listeners with a grounded reminder: burnout recovery isn’t about doing more, it’s about doing differently, one small boundary at a time.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 What Burnout Really Looks Like

04:10 Understanding the WHO Definition of Burnout

10:06 Small Doable Steps for Burnout Recovery

14:51 Setting Boundaries and Time Blocks That Stick

22:32 Learning to Control What You Can Control

25:14 Dropping Self-Judgment and Reclaiming Energy

34:54 The Connection Between Burnout and Perimenopause

39:36 Building a New Operating System for Sustainable Work

45:07 Grace, Compassion, and Real Recovery

Links

Download the Web of Causation Exercise to uncover the layers behind your burnout and begin creating your recovery plan: https://www.caitdonovan.com/freebie-web

Dive Deeper:

To explore burnout, leadership, and sustainable performance through a workplace and organizational lens, connect with Cait Donovan: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work:

Short on time? Watch this 3-minute overview:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Coaching with Sarah: Letting Go of Shame from Failing to Meet Unrealistic Expectations

Sun, 02 Nov 2025 04:00:09 +0000

Admitting you’re burnt out can feel like failure, but as Heather learns in this live coaching session, it’s actually the first brave step toward freedom.

In this coaching conversation, she opens up about the shame of slowing down and the fear that rest will undo everything she’s worked for. For years, she’s equated effort with worth, believing that if she just pushed a little harder, she’d finally feel secure. Now, even basic motivation feels impossible, and the idea of taking a real break feels terrifying. Through grounded, compassionate coaching, Sarah Vosen helps Heather untangle the shame that keeps her stuck and recognize that burnout isn’t a reflection of weakness, it’s what happens when capacity runs out but expectations don’t.

The turning point comes when Heather admits she needs more time than she’s willing to allow herself. That moment of honesty marks the real beginning of recovery. This episode is a reminder that stepping back isn’t quitting; it’s choosing to rebuild your life at a pace that actually sustains you.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Welcome to Fried: The Burnout Podcast

00:53 Live Coaching with Heather: Admitting Burnout

04:50 The Shame and Fear Behind Taking a Break

09:11 Capacity vs. Capability: The Core Burnout Distinction

15:17 When Burnout Becomes an Existential Crisis

20:24 Restoring Your Inner Ecosystem

22:24 Learning to Stop and Rest Without Guilt

25:07 Fear as a Symptom of Burnout

31:09 How Unconscious Coping Leads to Burnout

36:35 Taking the First Step Toward Recovery

41:01 Reframing Burnout as an Opportunity for Renewal

44:05 Reflections and Encouragement

Dive Deeper:

To explore burnout, leadership, and sustainable performance through a workplace and organizational lens, connect with Cait Donovan: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work:

Short on time? Watch this 3-minute overview:

Connect with Will on LinkedIn

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

#straightfromcait: What PT Taught Me About Burnout Recovery

Sun, 26 Oct 2025 04:00:45 +0000

Burnout convinces you that rest should be enough, and when it isn’t, you assume you’re broken.

In this #straightfromcait episode, Cait shares how a shoulder injury revealed a missing step in her own recovery process. Two months of full rest left her pain-free but not ready. When her physical therapist handed her one-pound weights and she could barely lift them, she realized the injury had healed, but her strength hadn’t returned.

That moment reframed everything. Most of us focus on the pause — the sleeping, the pulling back, the stopping. But recovery isn’t just the absence of strain. At some point, rest has to turn into rebuild. Gently. Slowly. Without ego. This isn’t about going back to who you were before burnout, it’s about training for who you’re becoming.

If you’ve been wondering why life still feels heavier than it should, maybe nothing’s wrong with you at all. Maybe you’re not fragile, just not rebuilt yet.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 What Burnout Recovery Gets Wrong About Rest

01:19 The Shoulder Injury That Sparked a Realization

02:22 Physical Therapy and the Wake-Up Call of Weakness

03:06 Rest vs. Rebuild in Burnout Recovery

07:12 Nutrition, Movement, and Mental Habits That Restore Capacity

09:09 Recovery as a Foundation, Not the Finish Line

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Will Robins: How PGA Science Helps You Recover from Burnout

Sun, 19 Oct 2025 04:00:44 +0000

Burnout hides best inside people who love their work so much they don’t notice it draining the life out of them.

PGA coach and RGX founder Will Robins joins Cait to unpack how devotion to service can turn into slow-motion burnout, especially when you’re praised for being endlessly available. He shares how surviving the 2004 tsunami gave him purpose, but years later COVID thrust him into a different kind of survival mode, fielding nonstop crisis calls from golf pros worldwide. Passion became obligation, generosity became emotional labor, and saying yes became his default until resentment started to seep in. Together, he and Cait expose how burnout isn’t about workload—it’s about tension, expectations, and the belief that being needed equals being valuable.

They map a way back through honest boundaries, aligned priorities, and Will’s Scoring Method as a metaphor for life: stop swinging for perfection and focus on consistent, pressure-free plays. You'll hear practical language for saying no without guilt, a reframing of stress as a physical reaction rather than a personal failing, and a challenge to stop optimizing your recovery like another achievement project. If you're the “reliable one” who keeps muscling through, this episode invites you to build a life where people need you less, and love you more because of it.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Burnout and Purpose After Surviving the Tsunami

02:45 COVID Burnout and the Cost of Constant Service

08:04 Why High Performers Miss Burnout Signs

11:47 Burnout Culture in the Golf Industry and Beyond

17:31 Rebuilding Life with Faith, Health, and Family

21:02 Setting Boundaries Without Guilt

32:02 The Scoring Method for Life and Burnout

36:00 Mastering Emotional Regulation

Connect with Will Robins:

Will’s Website

Follow Will on Instagram

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Sometimes the next step is simply asking for help. Sarah Vosen is here to guide you through it: https://caitdonovan.com/coaching

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Coaching with Sarah: How to Manage The Panic of Not Being Able to Control All The Things

Sun, 12 Oct 2025 04:00:45 +0000

Control shows up early in Christy’s story — first as protection, then as identity, and eventually as exhaustion. She has spent years anticipating other people’s needs, convinced that staying ahead of every outcome would keep things safe. Instead, it left her overextended and unsure how to take up space without earning it through service.

In this real-time coaching session, Sarah helps Christy notice the cost of constantly shaping herself around other people’s comfort. She isn’t confused about what’s wrong, she’s simply never been given permission to stop carrying so much.

The turning point comes when she names one commitment she quietly resents: a year-long carpool obligation she agreed to out of pressure rather than choice. Renegotiating that responsibility becomes the first act of repair. It’s not about convenience. It’s about finally allowing reciprocity.

This episode offers an honest look at the earliest stage of burnout recovery, the moment you decide that exhaustion is no longer proof of goodness. One boundary. One ask. One hour of energy reclaimed.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Live Burnout Coaching with Sarah Vosen

01:15 Christy Realizes She’s Burned Out for the First Time

04:30 Control and Codependency as Burnout Fuel

09:00 Parenting Crisis and Emotional Breaking Point

16:00 The Tree of Life Exercise for Energy Awareness

23:45 Naming Resentment and the Carpool Boundary

29:00 Learning to Delegate Without Guilt

37:30 Choosing Discomfort That Leads to Recovery

40:00 Final Reflection: What Will You Prune from Your Life?

Dive Deeper:

To explore burnout, leadership, and sustainable performance through a workplace and organizational lens, connect with Cait Donovan: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work:

Short on time? Watch this 3-minute overview:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Coaching with Sarah: How to Calm Your Mind When You're Overwhelmed and Feeling Stuck

Sun, 05 Oct 2025 04:00:56 +0000

Burnout recovery gets complicated as Sarah sits down with Janine, an anonymous guest who is more than halfway through medical leave but still unable to rest. She loves her team and takes pride in her work, yet the thought of returning to the same boss and culture fills her with dread. Even time away hasn’t quieted the anxious loop of questions: Should she go back? Ask for a different role? Step into something lighter? Or leave altogether? And how do you listen to the body’s warning signals when the brain insists you “should” push through?

Through thoughtful coaching, Sarah helps Janine notice how her nervous system responds to each option and what those reactions reveal about her deeper truth. The turning point comes when Janine recognizes she isn’t looking for more information, she’s been waiting for permission to trust herself. One small next step, like reading a book without interruption, becomes more than rest. It’s an act of self-leadership.

This conversation pulls back the curtain on the messy middle of burnout recovery. There’s no perfect plan or quick fix - just the slow work of honoring signals, taking honest steps, and remembering that rest isn’t earned, it’s allowed.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Real-Time Burnout Coaching with Sarah Vosen

02:11 Janine’s Burnout Story and Medical Leave Struggles

04:40 Recognizing a Toxic Work Environment

07:27 Should I Return to Work or Walk Away?

08:15 Financial Concerns and Early Retirement

12:10 Anxiety About Returning to the Same Boss

20:04 High Achievers and the Pressure to Recover Quickly

24:52 The Trap of Maximizing Leave Time

31:11 Brain vs. Body: Who Do You Trust?

35:03 Learning to Trust Intuition and Body Signals

40:08 Creating Safety Through Small Choices

45:15 Choosing Restorative Activities Over Productivity

Dive Deeper:

To explore burnout, leadership, and sustainable performance through a workplace and organizational lens, connect with Cait Donovan: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work:

Short on time? Watch this 3-minute overview:

Follow Barry on Instagram

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Barry Goldstein: Lower Anxiety and Reconnect With Yourself Through Music

Sun, 28 Sep 2025 04:00:22 +0000

Grammy Award–winning producer Barry Goldstein joins Cait Donovan to explore burnout and the healing power of music. Barry shares how chasing success in New York’s music scene drained the joy from his craft - until he began composing at the rhythm of a relaxed heart. That experiment sparked “acoustoceuticals,” music designed to calm the nervous system, restore heart-brain coherence, and reignite passion.

Together, Cait and Barry unpack why some music heals while other music agitates, how to use sound as “musical nutrition” throughout your day, and why your heartbeat may be the most powerful frequency of all. Burnout isn’t the end… it’s a chance to fan the flame back to life!

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Introduction and Guest Barry Goldstein

03:26 Burnout in the Music Industry: Barry’s Story

08:04 Rediscovering Passion Through Heart-Centered Music

09:25 Healing at 60 Beats Per Minute

20:25 Entrainment: How Music Syncs With the Heart and Body

30:46 Resonance vs. Dissonance in Burnout Recovery

42:09 The Healing Power of Mantras and Daily Music Practices

Connect with Barry Goldstein:

Barry’s Website

Connect with Barry on LinkedIn

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Emily Slachetka: The Pros of Not Waiting Until You are Fried Crispy to Get Help

Sun, 21 Sep 2025 04:00:19 +0000

What does burnout look like before it takes you all the way down? For Emily Slachetka, it showed up as constant overwhelm, unexpected tears, and the thought of leaving a job she once valued. She joined UnFried hoping for validation that her workplace was toxic. Instead, she discovered her real challenge was over-functioning.

Emily shares how she learned to separate capability from capacity, the unexpected relief of “life pruning,” and the daily practices that helped her rebuild balance - like meditation, clearer boundaries, and asking for help. She also reflects on realigning her life with core values, from choosing a home with green space to recognizing the value of rest and doing nothing.

How do you know when you’re taking on too much? What shifts when you ask for help early? And how might work feel different if more of us normalized being human? Emily’s story is a reminder that recovery doesn’t always mean dramatic change. It can begin with small, intentional choices.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Introduction: Emily Slachetka

02:07 Emily’s Burnout Story and Joining UnFried

05:59 Toxic Workplace or Personal Overfunctioning?

08:48 Capability vs. Capacity Explained

10:05 Life Pruning and Asking for Help

15:19 Listening to the Body’s Signals

22:13 The Value of Doing Nothing

23:14 Moving States with Burnout Protection in Mind

36:24 Reigniting Passion, Purpose, and Identity Beyond Work

Dive Deeper:

To explore burnout, leadership, and sustainable performance through a workplace and organizational lens, connect with Cait Donovan: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work:

Short on time? Watch this 3-minute overview:

Connect with Mita on LinkedIn

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Mita Mallick: Could Your Boss Be the Real Reason You’re Burnt Out?

Sun, 14 Sep 2025 04:00:11 +0000

Toxic bosses don’t only wear people down, they spark the very burnout cycles that drain whole teams. Cait Donovan talks with author and change-maker Mita Mallick about the damage bad leadership leaves behind and the toll it takes on both people and organizations. Mita shares personal stories, including her experience with a boss she nicknamed “Medusa,” whose intimidation and cruelty pushed her into anxiety and disengagement. That season of her career led to what she calls a “get out plan,” a way to take the energy of frustration and turn it into action through networking, reflection, and mapping a path forward. How do you know when it’s time to make your own plan, and what would change if you gave yourself permission to act before you hit the breaking point?

The conversation also turns to the harder truth that under pressure any of us can slip into toxic behaviors. Mita and Cait explore why leadership requires self-awareness, accountability, and vulnerability rather than surface-level fixes or quick answers. Drawing from her new book “The Devil Emails at Midnight,” Mita challenges us to rethink how we respond to unhealthy work cultures and to consider the responsibility we each carry in shaping them. What kind of workplace are you helping to build, and how might things shift if you took ownership of the way you show up every day?

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Introduction to Fried, the Burnout Podcast

00:57 Meet Mita Mallick: Author of The Devil Emails at Midnight

02:26 Burnout Story: Surviving “Medusa” the Toxic Boss

09:09 Creating a “Get Out” Plan to Escape Burnout

17:13 Urgency Culture and Toxic Leadership Patterns

27:01 Workplace Bias, Pregnancy Penalties, and Burnout

31:37 Talent Hoarding and Betrayal at Work

38:19 Building Self-Awareness and Better Leadership

Connect with Mita Mallick:

Mita’s Website

Follow Mita on Instagram

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Jerry Colonna: The Question That Changed How I See Burnout Forever

Sun, 07 Sep 2025 04:00:04 +0000

Burnout shows up in many ways, but at its core it often signals a life out of alignment. Cait Donovan sits down with executive coach and author Jerry Colonna to explore what happens when outward success hides an inner collapse. Jerry opens up about the years he spent chasing achievement as a venture capitalist and how every new milestone left him feeling worse instead of fulfilled. What does it mean when the world applauds your accomplishments but your soul feels heavier with each step forward? And how do we begin to untangle the beliefs that keep us performing long after they’ve stopped serving us?

Jerry shares how radical self-inquiry became a way back to himself. Rather than a process of blame, it is a practice of curiosity, asking questions that cut through guilt and open space for conscious choice. He and Cait reflect on how early coping strategies like perfectionism may once have offered safety, yet can slowly erode well-being over time. They also look at the role of privilege and access in recovery, naming the tension between personal agency and systemic limits.

Jerry’s story of “Grandfather Boulder” is a reminder that listening itself can be an act of healing. Could paying attention to our own pain, to each other, to the systems around us, the beginning of change? This episode invites you to consider what alignment looks like in your own life and how the ongoing work of inquiry can open the door to both resilience and growth.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Welcoming Jerry Colonna

02:39 Jerry’s Burnout Story and Misalignment

08:03 Financial Success and the Burnout Trap

16:17 Radical Self-Inquiry as a Path to Healing

24:00 Choosing Life in the Depth of Burnout

30:06 Rewiring Beliefs and Making Conscious Choices

40:30 Personal Growth as an Act of Resistance

46:23 Grandfather Boulder and the Power of Listening

Links

Reboot: Authentic CEO Coaching and Leadership Development

Connect with Jerry Colonna:

Connect with Jerry on LinkedIn

Follow Jerry on Instagram

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Healing happens faster with guidance. Give yourself permission to ask for and receive help: https://caitdonovan.com/coaching.

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Coaching with Sarah: Get your Inner Critic Out of the Driver’s Seat

Sun, 31 Aug 2025 04:00:55 +0000

Burnout recovery gets real as Sarah Vosen sits down with an anonymous guest who feels trapped by perfectionism, people-pleasing, and the voice of an inner critic that makes self-compassion feel out of reach. In this episode, she’s trying something different for the podcast: a real-time coaching session. Her guest “Kate” describes how burnout began with constant illness and eventually knocked her flat, leaving her exhausted and uncertain about how to move forward. Years later, Kate still feels caught in a loop of trial and error, trying new practices, hoping for change, and losing faith when nothing seems to last. How do you find the courage to say no before your body forces you to? And how do you begin to quiet the inner critic that insists you’ll never get better?

Through thoughtful coaching, Sarah helps Kate see the fear of saying no for what it is: a strategy that once kept her safe but now keeps her stuck. She offers a new way to look at recovery, like a scale that can slowly tip away from self-judgment and toward self-compassion with each small act of courage. Along the way, Kate begins to see how even the tiniest pieces of evidence, moments of asking for help, choosing rest, or protecting her needs, can start to shift the balance.

This conversation opens a window into the real work of burnout recovery. It’s messy and slow, but it’s also a practice of rediscovering your voice, setting boundaries that protect your energy, and remembering that even a flicker of hope is proof that change is possible.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Real-Time Coaching on Burnout Recovery

02:26 Kate’s Burnout Journey and First Signs of Collapse

05:09 Career Uncertainty and Feeling Stuck

10:52 Battling the Inner Critic and Self-Judgment

12:38 Fear of Saying No and People-Pleasing Patterns

14:13 Rediscovering Passion for Storytelling and Audio

20:08 Hyper-Independence and the Struggle to Ask for Help

24:02 The Core Loop: Avoiding “No” to Feel Safe but Staying Stuck

33:00 The Burnout Recovery Process and the Unfried Program

43:03 Practicing Self-Compassion During Setbacks

49:41 Building Evidence for Growth and Recovery

Links

Hailey Page Magee episode

Kristin Neff episode

Your Burnt Out Brain Is Mean, And A Liar episode

Dive Deeper:

To explore burnout, leadership, and sustainable performance through a workplace and organizational lens, connect with Cait Donovan: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work:

Short on time? Watch this 3-minute overview:

Canyon Ranch: Beat Burnout

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Dr. Jen Wagner: Canyon Ranch Burnout Retreats Fall 2025

Sun, 24 Aug 2025 04:00:56 +0000

Burnout reaches far beyond the office, touching every layer of health, purpose, and identity, and Dr. Jen Wagner joins Cait Donovan to uncover what true recovery really looks like. As Chief Health and Performance Officer at Canyon Ranch, Dr. Wagner brings both professional expertise and lived experience, sharing how her own burnout as a young physician and mother reshaped her path and deepened her commitment to helping others heal. Together, she and Cait explore why burnout isn’t just mental exhaustion but a full-body, whole-life disruption that can strip away joy, relationships, and meaning.

This episode shines a light on Canyon Ranch’s integrative model of care, where labs, glucose and cortisol monitoring, nutrition, mental health, and spiritual practices come together to give people the tools and support they need to rebuild. Recovery, they emphasize, is not an overnight solution but a 12 to 18 month journey of self-awareness, community, and purpose realignment. Along the way, they tackle the systemic pressures that push women leaders to the brink and the cultural belief that suffering through misery is a badge of honor. What emerges is a powerful reminder that joy and well-being are not luxuries but essentials, and that choosing recovery is one of the most important investments we can make in ourselves and the people we love.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Meet Dr. Jen Wagner and the Burnout Retreat

03:28 How Burnout Reshapes Body, Identity, and Purpose

04:35 Recovery vs. Prevention of Burnout

06:56 Medical Testing and Biomarkers That Matter

10:18 Integrative Care and Community at Canyon Ranch

13:53 Dr. Jen Wagner’s Personal Burnout Story

22:09 Inside the Burnout Retreat Experience

29:12 Long-Term Recovery and Ongoing Support

Connect with Dr. Jen Wagner:

Canyon Ranch

Follow Canyon Ranch on Instagram

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

#straightfromcait: How Long Does Burnout Recovery Take

Sun, 17 Aug 2025 04:00:18 +0000

Burnout recovery takes more than waiting for time to pass. It asks you to examine who you’ve been, who you want to be, and what kind of life will truly sustain you. In this #straightfromcait episode, Cait Donovan explores one of the questions she hears most often: how long does it take to heal from burnout?

Drawing on her own experience, client stories, and survey results from her community, Cait shares why most people need 12 to 18 months to recover, with some taking longer when deeper shifts are involved. The process can be stretched by the challenge of letting go of a “dream job,” the demands of caregiving, or the fear of stepping into unfamiliar territory. Recovery unfolds in cycles where you make a change, work through the emotions that follow, and then move into the next phase.

How do you handle the moments when your old identity no longer works? How do you adapt when your relationships change in ways you didn’t expect? This episode reveals why burnout pushes you toward a life that actually fuels you and why the journey, though demanding, is worth the effort.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 How Long Does Burnout Recovery Take

01:19 Typical Recovery Timelines and Survey Insights

02:32 Key Factors That Prolong Recovery

04:08 Caregiving Challenges and Boundary Setting

06:05 Emotional and Identity Shifts in Recovery

08:14 Why Burnout Requires a Life That Fuels You

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Burnout Recovery Exercise: Worst Case Scenario

Sun, 10 Aug 2025 04:00:42 +0000

Burnout can make every decision feel impossible. When you’re stuck in fear and second-guessing everything, how are you supposed to move forward in a way that actually feels right?

In this episode, Cait Donovan shares a tool she’s used for years to help people get unstuck: the “Worst Case Scenario” exercise. Instead of pushing fear aside, Cait walks you through what it looks like to write it down, face it head-on, and figure out what you’d do if the worst really did happen. What if the job burns you out all over again? What if you don’t take it and money runs out? What then?

This episode offers a different way to navigate those moments, one that makes space for fear without letting it take over. Cait also reminds us that support doesn’t have to come from big, obvious places. Sometimes it’s your local librarian. Sometimes it’s a Facebook group. There are more options than you think. If you’ve been feeling stuck and unsure what to do next, this is a place to start.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Introduction to FRIED. The Burnout Podcast

00:00 Burnout Recovery and Cait’s Mission

01:28 The Worst Case Scenario Exercise Explained

03:35 Burnout Fear Example: Job Decision After Leave

05:01 What to Do If the Worst Happens

08:11 How to Build a Personal Safety Net

10:10 Exploring Alternate Outcomes

12:04 Final Thoughts and Encouragement

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

#sarahshares: Getting Back on the Recovery Horse

Sun, 03 Aug 2025 04:00:49 +0000

Burnout thrives in silence. This episode is your reminder that healing often starts with one simple but radical act: asking for help.

Sarah Vosen, Director of Coaching at Burn Bold, shares a personal #sarahshares about finding herself stuck in exhaustion despite doing everything she thought she needed to recover. As a coach and acupuncturist, she’s used to helping others untangle their burnout, but this time, she needed someone else to help her remember what works. That turning point led her back to a grounding Qigong-inspired practice called “pulling down heavens,” which uses breath, movement, and intention to bring energy back into flow. Sarah’s story is a powerful reflection on how easy it is to slip into hyper-independence and how much shifts when we let ourselves receive support. If you’ve been tired for too long, this episode is a gentle nudge toward replenishment.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Why Burnout Recovery Starts with Asking for Help

01:24 The Trap of Hyper-Independence and Self-Judgment

02:06 Why Even Coaches Need Coaches

03:54 How Refusing Help Fuels Burnout

04:39 Qigong and Daily Practices That Actually Work

06:14 Pulling Down Heavens: A Burnout Recovery Ritual

10:14 How to Make the Practice Stick

11:39 When It’s Time to Ask for Support

Links

Guided meditation:

https://open.spotify.com/episode/0WGHqwQAVbZEY1qLC9XyZL?si=bf0217195beb4b2f

Dive Deeper:

To explore burnout, leadership, and sustainable performance through a workplace and organizational lens, connect with Cait Donovan: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work:

Short on time? Watch this 3-minute overview:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

#straightfromcait: How to Change The Habit That Is Keeping You Stuck

Sun, 27 Jul 2025 04:00:03 +0000

Cait Donovan is back with a #straightfromcait episode that gets real about something most of us wrestle with quietly, how we soothe ourselves when things get hard, and what that looks like after burnout.

This time, Cait’s digging into her long-standing sugar habit. Not the occasional treat, but the reflex to reach for something sweet when emotions start to build. She thought she’d done the work. And in many ways, she had. But what happens when one old pattern refuses to budge? What if the thing you’re avoiding isn’t the habit itself but the discomfort underneath it?

With support from dietitian Sydney Green, Cait starts looking at her sugar story with a new kind of honesty, one that doesn’t involve shame or harsh rules. Instead of overhauling everything, she chooses one small shift: no more sugar in her coffee. That simple move starts a ripple effect, including tracking her blood sugar with a CGM and learning what her body’s been trying to say all along.

This episode is an invitation to ask yourself the hard questions with compassion. What have you been unwilling to change? What would it feel like to start small and let that be enough?

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Sugar, Self-Neglect, and Burnout Recovery

02:16 How We Trick Ourselves Into Thinking We’ve Done the Work

03:10 Unpacking Lifelong Food Patterns with Sydney Green

04:26 Why Starting Small Actually Works

06:13 Using a CGM to Understand Sugar’s Impact

07:26 Real Healing Begins with Small, Honest Steps

Links

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

#sarahshares: Your Burnt Out Brain is Mean… and a Liar. Here’s How You Find Out The Truth.

Sun, 20 Jul 2025 04:00:24 +0000

If your brain screams ‘lazy’ every time you try to rest, it’s time to stop trusting a bully and start listening to the one part of you that never lies: your body. So many people in burnout recovery hear the same harsh inner dialogue. “You’re lazy.” “You should be doing more.” “You’ll never be enough.” But what if those thoughts aren’t reflections of reality, just echoes of a brain running on exhaustion and fear?

Sarah Vosen is back for another #sarahshares episode to unpack a powerful community poll that revealed just how mean our minds can be when we try to rest. She walks through what it means to recognize those messages as lies and gives guidance for tuning into your body’s truth instead. Because when the body says “I’m too tired,” it isn't a weakness. It’s wisdom.

This episode invites you to try a different approach - one rooted in self-compassion, small moments of rest, and the radical idea that your worth isn’t tied to your productivity.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 What Your Brain Says When You Try to Rest

03:02 The Lying Brain vs. the Truthful Body

07:09 How to Rest Even When Guilt Creeps In

08:13 Why Self-Compassion Is Key to Burnout Recovery

10:00 Sarah’s Personal Turning Point with Self-Kindness

13:03 Can Wearable Data Help You Trust Your Body Again?

Links

Listening to your body:

https://open.spotify.com/episode/7f3rMZ42rwnWW3c8kuAKk5?si=YSkz0JS0RTyOwWu6LN4XOA

Kristin Neff:

https://open.spotify.com/episode/5vHiMpzVHcOYRdvDXwbyE1?si=AmhF8nCERjm5zLBY2rKsFw

How to resolve exhaustion:

https://open.spotify.com/episode/0W65Yv1l2aOI7F5ZyebfXs?si=Eyt5XV8uS8ODyv7DxoJfeg

Dive Deeper:

To explore burnout, leadership, and sustainable performance through a workplace and organizational lens, connect with Cait Donovan: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work:

Short on time? Watch this 3-minute overview:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Nicole Kalil: Imposter Syndrome and Burnout

Sun, 13 Jul 2025 04:00:12 +0000

Imposter syndrome has a way of creeping in when we’ve spent so long meeting everyone else’s expectations that we forget what we actually want for ourselves.

In this episode, Cait Donovan reconnects with Nicole Kalil for a conversation about burnout, confidence, and the stories we tell ourselves when we’re doing all the right things but still don’t feel like we belong. Nicole shares what happened when she finally cleared space in her life and was left with a surprising sense of emptiness, a feeling that’s all too common but rarely talked about. What do you do when achievement no longer feels satisfying? How do you navigate that awkward in-between where you’re no longer burned out, but not quite sure who you are without the hustle?

Together, Cait and Nicole explore the deeper patterns behind imposter syndrome, including the habit of blaming yourself when things go wrong and dismissing your role when things go right. They talk about how women especially are conditioned to internalize failure, and how that mindset can make even well-deserved success feel like a fluke. They also raise an important question: when you say you don’t belong, is it because of the culture around you or because you haven’t figured out what belonging actually feels like for you?

This isn’t a step-by-step guide. This episode’s an invitation to pause, question what you’ve been carrying, and consider what it might look like to build confidence from a place of self-trust rather than constant achievement.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Welcome to FRIED: The Burnout Podcast

02:16 The Link Between Burnout and Feeling Underwhelmed

07:22 What Imposter Syndrome Really Means

12:28 Why High Achievers Struggle to Own Their Success

17:06 Recognizing Red, Yellow, and Green Light Phases

21:05 How to Manage Head Trash and Build Confidence

24:23 Gender, Expectations, and the Pressure to Perform

30:02 Is It a Toxic Workplace or Just a Bad Fit?

36:56 Separating Facts from Feelings

41:26 Rewiring Your Brain with Cognitive Reappraisal

47:11 Where to Find Nicole Kalil and Her Confidence Quiz

Links

Connect with Nicole Kalil:

https://www.instagram.com/nicolemkalil/

www.linkedin.com/in/nicolekalil

https://nicolekalil.com/confidencequiz

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Burnout Recovery works better with support. UNFRIED is our small group (5 people max!) coaching program to help guide you through your recovery. Apply now! [http://bit.ly/unfried]

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

#straightfromcait: Top Burnout Symptoms According To You (Dear Gentle Listeners)

Sun, 06 Jul 2025 04:00:52 +0000

Burnout quietly hijacks your focus, your memory, your sleep, and eventually, your sense of self.

In this #straightfromcait episode, Cait Donovan unpacks the results of a burnout symptoms survey answered by over 150 listeners. What shows up again and again? Brain fog. Forgetfulness. Sleep issues. That heavy, unshakable sense of dread. She walks through the patterns in these responses with honesty and insight, weaving in what we know about how burnout affects the brain and what it feels like to lose your ability to think clearly or remember what used to bring you joy.

Have you ever found yourself feeling disconnected from who you are? Struggling to rest even when you finally have time? Wondering why everything feels harder than it used to? Cait gets it. She’s been there, and she knows how isolating it can feel. This episode offers language for what you’ve been living through and a reminder that self-abandonment doesn’t have to be your default setting. Healing starts when you begin listening to yourself again.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Introduction

01:30 How the Burnout Survey Was Conducted

02:33 Why Burnout Impacts Your Brain

07:26 The Emotional Weight of Dread

10:39 When You Can’t Think, Plan, or Remember

13:50 How Burnout Disrupts Sleep and Fuels Anxiety

16:22 Shame, Guilt, and the Struggle to Rest

18:29 Burnout and the Loss of Self

21:02 Reclaiming Compassion in the Healing Process

Links

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Adrien Cotton: Stages of Perimenopause + Burnout Overlap

Sun, 29 Jun 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Perimenopause and burnout often hit at the same time, and when they do, it can feel like something is off but you’re not quite sure what. Cait Donovan talks with wellness expert Adrien Cotton about the confusion so many women face in midlife. Adrien shares how years of high-pressure work and unresolved health issues led her into what she calls a “perimenopause prison,” and how she eventually found her way out by learning to understand her body on a deeper level.

How do you tell the difference between burnout and hormonal shifts? Why do symptoms like headaches, sleep issues, and mood swings so often get brushed aside? Adrien offers clarity without oversimplifying and reminds us why it matters to track our cycles, lift heavy things, and rethink the stories we’ve been told about our bodies.

Adrien doesn’t promise a quick fix. She offers tools, context, and the encouragement to pay closer attention. She also shares how her program, Master Menopause Now, helps women approach this phase with more knowledge and less shame. If you’ve been feeling off and haven’t been able to explain why, this episode will help you start making sense of the changes and remind you that you’re not alone in them.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Welcome to FRIED. The Burnout Podcast

02:21 Adrien Cotton’s Burnout and Perimenopause Story

05:18 Debunking Common Myths About Perimenopause

06:06 Why Tracking Your Cycle Matters

08:00 Early Signs of Hormonal Shifts

12:12 Weight Gain, Insulin Resistance, and Sleep Disruption

18:08 Symptoms of Late Perimenopause

23:18 Distinguishing Burnout from Perimenopause

24:52 How Menopause Specialists Can Help

32:22 The Power of Commitment in Health Changes

37:02 Rethinking Diet Culture and Food Relationships

42:13 Strength Training as a Tool for Resilience

48:38 Life and Relief After Menopause

Links

Connect with Adrien:

https://adriencotton.com/

https://adriencotton.com/master-menopause-now/

Use the coupon code FRIED25 for a special discount only for FRIED listeners!

https://www.instagram.com/adrienmcotton/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/adriencotton/

https://adriencotton.com/newsletter/

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

#sarahshares - Here’s Why Your Anxiety is at a 11/10 Lately

Sun, 22 Jun 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Summer has a way of turning up the volume on everything, including your anxiety. And if you’re already feeling stretched thin, that shift can feel like a lot.

In this #sarahshares episode, Sarah Vosen talks through why things like racing thoughts, trouble sleeping, and that wired-but-tired feeling often ramp up this time of year. She shares a story from one of the UNFRIED program graduates who was doing well, until suddenly, she wasn’t. No major life changes, no clear trigger. Just a growing sense of unease she couldn’t quite explain.

So what gives? Sarah breaks down the role of seasonal energy shifts, especially the intensity that comes with the summer solstice. She explains how an overload of yang energy can stir up anxiety in people already running on empty, and why yin (your body’s natural anchor) is so important for balance. Do you feel hot in your chest but cold in your feet? Do you wake up tired even after a full night’s sleep? Are your thoughts racing before bed no matter how calm your day was?

Sarah offers ways to cool down, both physically and emotionally. From hydration tips and grounding foods to self-massage and stress release techniques, everything she shares is rooted in helping you reconnect with your body and find some steadiness. There’s also a gentle invitation to ask your heart what it’s still carrying, and to actually listen. If summer feels a little too loud right now, this episode might give you exactly what you need.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Welcome to FRIED. The Burnout Podcast

00:53 How Seasonal Shifts Impact Anxiety

02:08 Understanding Yang Energy During Summer

03:33 The Link Between Yin Deficiency and Burnout

06:00 How to Cool and Anchor an Overheated System

08:12 Foods and Practices That Support Cooling and Grounding

09:57 How to Calm Your Spirit and Process Emotional Overload

12:30 Regaining Control When Anxiety Feels Overwhelming

14:49 When to Seek Additional Support

Links

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/g0jnpnf74i9en1q6vdlkw/Fire-balancing-water-meditation-at-Malibu-Surfrider-Beach.m4a?rlkey=0dllk328n1h87am177m4p55zh&st=7yyy29rd&dl=0

Dive Deeper:

To explore burnout, leadership, and sustainable performance through a workplace and organizational lens, connect with Cait Donovan: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work:

Short on time? Watch this 3-minute overview:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Jen Fisher: Burned Out at the Top—and Changed Corporate America

Sun, 15 Jun 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Burnout isn’t a personal failure. Sometimes it’s a sign that the system around you never made space for you to ask what’s actually sustainable.

Kicking off Season 10 of FRIED. The Burnout Podcast, Cait Donovan is joined by Jen Fisher, the founder of The Wellbeing Team and the former Chief Well-being Officer at Deloitte, for a conversation that goes straight to the heart of what burnout really is, and why so many people are still afraid to talk about it honestly. Jen shares why, in her own experience, burnout was harder than cancer, and how the workplace responded to each in very different ways.

Why do so many people feel like burnout is their fault? And what would shift if organizations started treating well-being as a core skill set, not a side conversation? Jen introduces the idea of well-being intelligence, a teachable approach to helping leaders spot the signs of burnout early and change the way teams operate. She and Cait talk about why clear language matters, what modeling healthy behavior actually looks like, and how leaders often fail to support their own well-being while trying to take care of everyone else.

This episode leaves listeners with a strong reminder: hope is more than wishful thinking. It’s a strategy, and one that’s available to anyone willing to take the next right step.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Meet Jen Fisher

02:00 Why Burnout Was Harder Than Cancer

07:00 What Burnout Really Means (And What It Doesn’t)

12:00 How Work Culture Fuels Burnout

17:00 Rethinking Success, Sacrifice, and Leadership

22:00 Building a Well-Being Strategy Inside Big Organizations

28:00 What Is Well-Being Intelligence?

35:00 How Leaders Can Learn to Prevent Burnout

39:00 Hope Isn’t Wishful Thinking but a Tool for Recovery

Links

Connect with Jen Fisher:

https://www.instagram.com/jenfish23/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jen-fisher-7403868/

https://jenfisher.substack.com/

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Celebrating 300 Episodes with a Fresh New Tool for Our Listeners!

Sun, 25 May 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Burnout recovery takes more than bubble baths and boundary scripts. It asks you to let yourself receive.

To celebrate 300 episodes of FRIED, Cait Donovan and Sarah Vosen are getting real about what it took to get here… emotionally, financially, and logistically. What do you do when your mission is to serve others, but you’re maxed out behind the scenes? How do you keep showing up with integrity when your inbox is full of amazing guest pitches you don’t have the capacity to accept?

Cait opens up about the guilt that still shows up when she says no, and the tension between wanting to help everyone and needing to protect her own energy. She and Sarah talk about money, sustainability, and the shift from giving endlessly to allowing themselves to receive in equal measure.

They also unveil a new tool made just for you: the FRIED Episode Finder, a searchable archive that helps you find exactly what you need without scrolling through 300 titles. Type in a keyword, a name, a question, and it serves up the episodes that match. (Burnout recovery with a little delegation joy? Yes, please!)

This milestone episode is full of gratitude, behind-the-scenes truth, and hard-earned wisdom for anyone working to stay well while helping others do the same.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 300 Episodes of FRIED!

02:14 Behind the Scenes

05:09 Boundaries, Guilt, and Saying No

06:44 The Real Cost of Podcasting

10:00 Learning to Receive

13:05 Using ChatGPT to Set Boundaries

15:09 Pricing Your Work Without Apology

17:00 Burnout Recovery Is a Long Game

19:13 Listener Impact and Gratitude

23:58 Introducing the FRIED Episode Finder

28:32 Delegation Joy Is Real

30:26 Send Us Your Questions

Links

Looking for the right episode? Use the free FRIED Episode Finder to search by keyword and find the support you need, fast: bit.ly/friedfinder

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

#straightfromcait: What Is Stress Resilience? And How Do You Get More Of It?

Sun, 18 May 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Stress resilience isn’t a mindset trick. It’s built on your biology, your history, and whether or not you actually use the support available to you.

This week on #straightfromcait, Cait Donovan challenges the idea that self-awareness is where resilience begins. What if your stress response was shaped long before you ever had a chance to influence it? Cait walks through how genetics and early experiences, like trauma or family dynamics, lay the groundwork for how your body handles stress. Some people’s systems are just wired differently, and that wiring matters.

Cait breaks down the difference between reacting to stress and being truly resilient. Real resilience means facing your reality as it is, staying connected to what you care about, and adjusting when things go sideways. Are you living in a way that actually supports your nervous system, or are you just white-knuckling it through your day?

Cait also spotlights two powerful but often overlooked tools: leaning into your natural strengths and asking for help. Not just once, but consistently and without guilt. These choices expand your capacity and give you a better shot at bouncing back when life gets hard.

Self-awareness still plays a role, but it works best when it’s used to build a life that fits you, not a version of you that’s always running on empty.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 What Stress Resilience Really Means

01:20 How Genetics Shape Stress Response

01:55 The Role of Upbringing and Trauma

04:09 Three Core Traits of Resilience

06:01 Skills, Support, and Expanding Resources

07:49 Why Using Resources Matters

09:02 Self-Awareness as a Tool, Not a Starting Point

11:01 Signs Your Resilience Is Holding Up

11:22 Three Ways to Improve Resilience

12:25 Realignment and Radical Honesty

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Sarah Swanberg: To Create a Sustainable Business (and Life) This is What You Need

Sun, 11 May 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Burnout doesn’t always look like falling apart. Sometimes it looks like holding everything together, until your body makes it clear you can’t keep going this way.

Cait Donovan is joined by her longtime friend Sarah Swanberg, a doctor of acupuncture and Chinese medicine and co-founder of Indigo Wellness Group. They talk about what burnout really feels like for women moving through major life phases such as fertility, postpartum, perimenopause, and why so many of us miss the signs until we’re deep in it.

Sarah shares how she left a high-pressure career in visual effects and followed a quiet sense of curiosity into acupuncture, eventually building a multi-practitioner wellness practice that supports both patients and providers. What does it take to build something sustainable? How do you know when it’s time to change course, and how do you do it without losing yourself?

This episode digs into the deeper patterns behind burnout, from the pressure to “do it all” to the fear of asking for help. Cait and Sarah offer a grounded, honest look at what it really means to care for yourself, your work, and your future.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Introduction

02:00 Sarah’s Career Shift from Visual Effects to Acupuncture

08:00 Spotting Burnout and Rethinking Success

10:00 Letting Go of the Sunk Cost Fallacy

14:00 Burnout, Perimenopause, and the Role of Yin

20:00 Restorative Practices and Sustainable Living

24:00 Building a Collaborative Wellness Practice

34:00 Overcoming Fear and Asking for Help

40:00 Resourcing Yourself for a Resilient Life

Links

Connect with Sarah Swanberg:

https://sarahswanberg.com

https://instagram.com/sarah.theacudoc

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahwswanberg/

https://sarahswanberg.com/free-download

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

#sarahshares: Afraid you won’t ever feel joy or want to work again? Let Yourself.

Sun, 04 May 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Sarah Vosen is back for another #sarahshares with a question many of us have quietly wondered: could you be happy if you never wanted to work again? This episode unpacks the deeper story behind that fear: the fight between the part of you that craves freedom and the voice that demands you stay responsible and practical.

Sharing her own experience, Sarah describes what happened when she finally stopped forcing herself to heal the “right way” and started listening to the rebel inside her. She opens up about letting go of the endless lists of shoulds and trusting herself to choose what actually felt good. How would your life change if you stopped living by rules that were never yours to begin with?

Sarah also talks about the idea that real recovery often means letting yourself receive help, even when every instinct tells you to stay independent. Are you willing to loosen your grip on doing it all alone? Could accepting support be the thing that changes everything?

This episode will leave you thinking differently about burnout, healing, and the way you treat the voice inside you that simply wants more joy.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Introduction

00:52 Fear of Never Wanting to Work Again

01:25 Freedom Versus Responsibility

02:07 Breaking Free from Burnout and Self-Imposed Rules

05:08 Letting the Inner Rebel Lead

06:02 Building Trust and Safety with Yourself

08:00 Accepting Help and Embracing Vulnerability

09:57 Prioritizing Freedom and Happiness

11:03 Finding and Honoring Your True Desires

13:07 Choosing Joy and Contentment

Links

To explore burnout, leadership, and sustainable performance through a workplace and organizational lens, connect with Cait Donovan: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work:

Short on time? Watch this 3-minute reel:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

#straightfromcait: Can't Quit Your Job? Here's How You Recover from Burnout.

Sun, 27 Apr 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Burnout recovery doesn’t always come with the luxury of stepping away from your job, and Cait Donovan knows that firsthand. In this episode, she speaks directly to those who feel stuck in burnout but still have to show up for work every day.

Cait offers a starting point: pick one small shift and commit to it for a few weeks. Just one. She lays out two clear paths, depending on how you're feeling right now.

If you’re angry, the Resentment Journal mini course is your first step. Resentment shows up when you're pouring energy into something that gives little or nothing back. Identifying those moments and adjusting them where you can help you reclaim the energy you need to move forward.

If you’re not angry but just numb or depleted, Cait recommends rebuilding the basics of self-care. That means responding to your body’s most essential needs: rest, hydration, nourishment, movement. Even something as simple as peeing when you need to (yes, really) can rebuild your ability to listen to your body and regulate emotions.

Once you’ve started to clear some space, Cait suggests exploring proprioceptive writing to access deeper emotional clarity. Because while burnout follows patterns, your story is your own and so is your recovery.

Wherever you begin, the message is clear: start small, stay kind to yourself, and don’t wait for the perfect moment to begin healing.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Introduction

01:09 How to Recover from Burnout Without Quitting Your Job

01:33 Step 1: Start with the Resentment Journal

03:55 Step 2: Foundational Self-Care That Actually Works

07:05 Rebuilding Awareness Through Small Body Signals

08:30 Step 3: Try Proprioceptive Writing

10:06 Two Tools for Burnout Recovery That Work in Any Circumstance

Links

https://www.caitdonovan.com/blog/why-you-need-proprioceptive-writing-even-if-you-ve-never-heard-of-it

https://pod.link/1469939920/episode/ce0aa3d0c445b69d1c6ad6f3a31d2251

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

#sarahshares: Spring is Anger Season. Here's how to not let it worsen your burnout.

Sun, 20 Apr 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Anger is a message from your body that, if ignored, can quietly fuel burnout.

This week, Sarah Vosen digs into something most of us don’t talk about enough: why spring often brings a spike in anger, and how that ties directly to burnout. Could your short fuse or simmering resentment have more to do with your body than your circumstances? According to Chinese medicine, the liver and gallbladder take center stage this time of year. When they’re overwhelmed, emotional tension builds.

Sarah breaks down what that means in real life, and more importantly, what to do about it. She offers five ways to process anger before it turns into something heavier. Some are physical. Some are emotional. All are meant to help you feel more grounded and less reactive.

If you’ve been feeling off lately but can’t quite explain why, this episode might give you a new lens. What if your anger is trying to move through you? And what would happen if you let it?

Episode Breakdown

00:00 Introduction

00:55 Why Spring Triggers Anger

01:27 How Chinese Medicine Explains Emotional Shifts

03:24 Five Ways to Process Anger

04:06 Move Your Body

06:16 Express and Release Emotion

08:03 Ground Yourself

10:01 Connect with Nature

15:00 Support Your Liver with Lemon Water and Sleep

Links

To explore burnout, leadership, and sustainable performance through a workplace and organizational lens, connect with Cait Donovan: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work:

Short on time? Watch this 3-minute reel:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

#straightfromcait: Struggling After Returning to Work? How to Tell If It’s Burnout or a Bad Job

Sun, 13 Apr 2025 04:00:00 +0000

You did the healing, took the break, felt better. So why does going back to work feel like a total relapse?

Cait Donovan tackles a common (and confusing) moment in recovery: feeling like you’re right back where you started after returning to your job. She breaks down how to tell if the workplace is toxic, a bad fit, or simply triggering habits you haven’t had a chance to practice in that environment yet.

With honesty, Cait shares a three-step process to help you figure out what’s really going on, so you can stop blaming yourself and start responding with more intention and self-respect. This episode is a reminder that burnout recovery isn’t about doing everything perfectly. It’s about learning to live, and work differently, one small step at a time.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Introduction

02:12 Why Practicing Recovery Skills at Work Matters

03:05 How to Identify a Toxic Workplace

05:13 Toxic vs. Bad Fit: Knowing the Difference

06:26 What a Bad Fit Can Teach You

09:05 Why Old Habits Resurface at Work

12:07 Three Steps to Assess Your Work Situation

13:32 Final Thoughts and Community Invitation

Links

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

#FRIEDguides: Stop Self-Sabotaging Your Burnout Recovery

Sun, 06 Apr 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Self-sabotage isn’t a personal flaw. It’s your nervous system doing its best to keep you safe.

In this whole new episode of #FRIEDguides, Cait Donovan and Sarah Vosen take a closer look at why so many people feel like they’re getting in their own way during burnout recovery. What if those moments where you fall back into old habits aren’t failures, but signals that your body is overwhelmed and reaching for something familiar? What if the behavior you’re judging is actually trying to protect you?

Cait and Sarah break down how our nervous systems react to change, why recovery often feels messy, and how shame can make everything harder. Instead of trying to push through with force, they talk about how to meet yourself with compassion, curiosity, and a little more patience.

They also get personal. Cait shares her ongoing relationship with sugar and the deep-rooted comfort it represents. It’s a reminder that coping strategies aren’t always the problem. Sometimes they’re part of the process.

If you’ve ever wondered why change feels so hard, or why you can’t seem to stick with “good” habits, this conversation will help you see things in a new light. Recovery is a dance. You’re allowed to take small steps, shift directions, and give yourself grace along the way.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Introduction

03:04 Why Cait and Sarah Don’t Believe in Self-Sabotage

05:00 The Nervous System’s Role in Familiar Behaviors

07:04 Shame, Judgment, and the Myth of Failure

09:27 Coping Mechanisms and What They’re Really Doing

10:41 Burnout Recovery as a Non-Linear Process

13:21 Listening to Your Body and Meeting Yourself with Compassion

22:05 Redefining Progress and Practicing Gentleness Along the Way

Links

To explore burnout, leadership, and sustainable performance through a workplace and organizational lens, connect with Cait Donovan: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work:

Short on time? Watch this 3-minute reel:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Kim Bolourtchi: How to Be Strategically Unruly & Create the Life You Want

Sun, 30 Mar 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Most of the rules you’re following were never made with you in mind and could be the reason you’re burned out.

Cait Donovan sits down with keynote speaker and executive consultant Kim Bolourtchi to talk about what it really means to be Strategically Unruly, and why breaking the right rules might be the key to burnout recovery. Kim shares her story of living a double life as a buttoned-up lawyer and national Latin dance champion, and how a surprising moment in front of the Missouri Supreme Court shattered the divide between who she was and who she thought she had to be.

Together, Cait and Kim unpack how internalized beliefs and outdated expectations—both personal and cultural—keep people stuck in roles that drain their energy and bury their potential. They explore how resentment can serve as a clue to what you really want, why authenticity isn’t just a buzzword, and how to start making change without burning your entire life down.

This episode is a reminder that you don’t have to follow rules that were never made for you. Start with one shift. One rule you no longer want to live by. One step toward being more fully yourself.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Introduction

02:33 The Concept of Being Strategically Unruly

08:04 Developing a Framework for Strategic Unruliness

11:25 Internal vs. External Rules

13:53 The Impact of Rules on Personal Growth

16:14 Challenging Rules That Limit Us

18:09 Deservedness and Burnout

20:07 Focusing on Rules That Hold You Back

25:16 Finding and Challenging Your Own Rules

29:33 Resistance to Breaking Rules

34:54 Being Honest About Commitment

37:01 The Importance of Internal Feeling

39:16 Freeing Up Capacity by Being Authentic

Links

Connect with Kim Bolourtchi:

https://kimbolourtchi.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberly-bolourtchi/

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

#FRIEDguides: What To Do When The World Is In Chaos

Sun, 23 Mar 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Burnout recovery isn’t just about resting more. It’s about finding the energy to live fully, set boundaries that protect your peace, and show up in ways that actually matter.

When the world feels chaotic, how do you stay committed to your healing? In this #FRIEDguides episode, Cait Donovan and Sarah Vosen dig into the challenges of burnout recovery when external stressors feel overwhelming. They talk about why carving out a space for yourself—one that isn’t flooded with nonstop news and social media noise—isn’t avoidance. It’s survival. Cait shares her own experiences with burnout and the turning point when she realized self-care wasn’t a luxury. It was a necessity.

The duo also get into the power of community, why individual healing creates a ripple effect, and how recognizing your own limits can actually make you more effective. There’s a sharp distinction between honoring hard emotions and getting stuck in them, and Cait and Sarah break down how to move through them without getting consumed.

If you’ve ever felt guilty for stepping back, this episode will change how you see it. Taking care of yourself isn’t checking out, but making sure you have the capacity to engage with the world in a way that’s sustainable, meaningful, and real.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Introduction

03:00 Coping Strategies for Burnout

05:01 Maintaining Balance and Center

06:02 Focusing on Self-Care

07:05 Community Support in Burnout Recovery

10:20 Personal Activism and Self-Care

14:15 Burnout Recovery as Activism

17:08 Finding Calm in Immediate Environment

20:00 Allowing Time for Emotions

Links

https://open.spotify.com/episode/0WGHqwQAVbZEY1qLC9XyZL?si=f5da7095baa444f2

Connect with Cait:

To explore burnout, leadership, and sustainable performance through a workplace and organizational lens, connect with Cait Donovan: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work:

Short on time? Watch this 3-minute reel:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Genein Letford: A New Take on Improving Focus, Brain Fog, and Overall Brain Health

Sun, 16 Mar 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Burnout Recovery works better with support. UNFRIED is our small group (5 people max!) coaching program to help guide you through your recovery. Apply now! [http://bit.ly/unfried]

Your brain craves creativity, and the arts might be the secret weapon against burnout. Genein Letford joins Cait Donovan to break down how music, movement, and self-expression fuel emotional resilience, sharpen thinking, and restore energy. Why does chronic stress shrink key areas of the brain? How can creative outlets like music and movement reverse the damage? And what’s the deal with brain capital, and why should you care?

From brain breaks to the magic of third places, Genein shares science-backed strategies to help your brain recover and thrive. Whether burnout has dulled your creativity or you’re looking for a fresh way to recharge, Genein and Cait’s discussion might just change how you think about art and your own well-being.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Introduction

03:22 The Power of Music on the Brain

05:59 Brain Structures and Music

07:22 Music’s Impact on Emotional Intelligence

10:47 Burnout and Brain Health

15:54 Self-Awareness and Personal Preferences

17:21 Understanding Brain Capital

21:21 Rebuilding Brain Health Post-Burnout

25:03 Importance of Brain Breaks

29:00 Third Places for Social Connection

32:08 The 2-5-7 Strategy for Brain Health

38:39 Enhancing Focus Through the Arts

45:25 Social Connection and Neural Synchronization

Links

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

#FRIEDguides: What to Do If You Are a Giver Who Sucks At Taking

Sun, 09 Mar 2025 05:00:00 +0000

Burnout happens when you give endlessly without allowing yourself to receive.

Cait Donovan and Sarah Vosen are back for #FRIEDguides to break down why high achievers and caregivers struggle to accept support, energy, and appreciation. If you dismiss compliments, downplay your needs, or feel guilty for resting, you’re not alone. The problem is that without refueling, burnout becomes inevitable.

The co-hosts introduce the idea of “receivership” and explain how learning to accept, rather than just give, creates balance. Through stories, metaphors, and practical exercises, they offer ways to expand your capacity to receive without guilt. If you want to keep showing up for others, you need to let yourself be fueled too!

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Introduction

00:57 The Problem with Being a Good Giver

01:52 The Importance of Receiving and Taking

02:25 Fueling Yourself Beyond Sleep

03:48 Secret Indulgence and Shame

05:05 Reframing Selfishness as “Self-Full”

07:21 Teaching the Body to Receive

10:03 The Flow of Energy and Physical Manifestations

12:49 Description of the Meditation

15:03 The Importance of Flow in Energy and Life

18:58 Susceptibility to Burnout Post-Recovery

19:45 Identifying and Expanding Your Capacity

21:04 Receiving to Sustain Generosity

22:39 Increasing Capacity to Receive with Gratitude

24:17 Closing

Links

To explore burnout, leadership, and sustainable performance through a workplace and organizational lens, connect with Cait Donovan: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work:

Short on time? Watch this 3-minute reel:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Anne Marie Anderson: Cultivating Audacity: How to Dismantle Doubt and Let Yourself Win

Sun, 02 Mar 2025 05:00:00 +0000

Burnout Recovery works better with support. UNFRIED is our small group (5 people max!) coaching program to help guide you through your recovery. Apply now! [http://bit.ly/unfried]

Burnout doesn’t happen overnight. It creeps in when we ignore the signs, stay stuck in routines that no longer serve us, and let fear call the shots. Anne Marie Anderson knows something about pushing past hesitation, and in this episode, she shares how audacity—taking bold, intentional action—can keep burnout from taking hold.

A three-time Emmy Award-winning broadcaster and author of “Cultivating Audacity,” Anderson walks through the barriers that keep people from making changes: fear, time, money, and that relentless inner critic. What happens when you stop letting those things dictate your decisions? How do you create space for what actually matters?

Anderson breaks it down with real-world strategies. She explains why disenchantment is a warning sign, how small acts of courage add up, and why building a strong front row of supporters makes all the difference. If you’ve ever felt stuck but weren’t sure what to do next, this episode is your push to start moving.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Introduction

02:26 Connection with Nicole Khalil and the Theme of Boldness

03:17 Anne Marie’s Background and Career Journey

05:13 Recognizing Early Signs of Burnout: Disenchantment

07:04 Taking Risks and Measuring Them

08:09 Overcoming Barriers: Fear, Time, Money, and Inner Critic

10:09 Making Friends with Fear

12:20 Urgent vs. Important: Managing Time

15:13 Flexibility in Planning and Adjusting

18:35 Financial Barriers and Money Management

22:30 Exploring Your Money Story

24:24 Inner Critic: Identifying and Managing It

31:30 Childhood Influences and Parental Expectations

34:05 Over-Engineering Children's Lives and Burnout

37:24 Cultivating Audacity: Small Steps to Big Changes

40:06 Building a Supportive Front Row

41:03 Closing

Links

Connect with Anne Marie Anderson:

https://annemarieanderson.com/

https://www.instagram.com/annemarieandersontv/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/anne-marie-anderson-3557ab39/

https://annemarieanderson.com/freechapter1/

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

#sarahshares: How Perspective Helps You Understand Why You Are Fried

Sun, 23 Feb 2025 05:00:00 +0000

Burnout recovery doesn’t happen all at once. Small steps add up, even when progress feels impossible.

Hey Fried fam! Ever looked back at an old journal entry or email and realized you were clearer on what you needed than you thought? In this episode, Sarah Vosen walks through a listener’s raw, unfiltered reflection from a time when burnout had them feeling stuck, exhausted, and unsure how to move forward.

What can you do when you know what you want but can’t see a way to get there? Sarah explores how small shifts, support, and patience can turn overwhelm into real progress. She shares insights from her own recovery and the power of recognizing the wins, even the tiny ones.

Burnout can make change feel impossible, but what if you’re already on your way? Tune in for an episode that will help you see the progress you’ve made and remind you that healing is within reach!

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Introduction

05:04 Reflecting on Burnout and Desires

08:28 Initial Steps in Burnout Recovery

09:45 Fajardo Method and Nervous System Healing

10:51 Working While Recovering

12:05 Moving and Major Life Changes

13:00 Current Work and Practice

14:09 Achievements and Progress

15:02 Enjoying Nature and Retreats

15:56 Family and Boundaries

17:01 Letting Go of Control

18:07 Physical Health Improvements

18:59 Reflecting on Progress

20:04 Writing Your Burnout Story

21:08 Self-Compassion and Validation

22:22 Burnout Web of Causation Guide

25:03 Encouragement and Support Options

Links

To explore burnout, leadership, and sustainable performance through a workplace and organizational lens, connect with Cait Donovan: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work:

Short on time? Watch this 3-minute reel:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Nahal Yousefian: Former Head of HR for Netflix Shares How We Should Shape the Future of Work

Sun, 16 Feb 2025 05:00:00 +0000

Burnout thrives in the spaces where people aren’t saying what they really mean.

In this episode, Cait Donovan is joined by Nahal Yousefian, a former head of HR at Netflix, to talk about why work culture fuels burnout and what needs to change. Nahal shares how burnout hit her hard—so hard she physically couldn’t move—and why that moment forced her to rethink everything.

Nahal pulls back the curtain on corporate dysfunction, from empty jargon to leadership that talks in circles. Why are companies obsessed with being “strategic” while refusing to make clear decisions? Why does psychological safety feel like a buzzword instead of a real priority? And what happens when employees finally get tired of playing along?

This episode cuts through the noise and makes the case for honest conversations, smarter work structures, and a workplace where well-being isn’t treated like an afterthought.

Quotes

“The leader was talking about apples, the employees talking about oranges, and HR is in the middle trying to get them to see that they’re talking about two different things.” (16:16 | Nahal Yousefian)
“I think after 20 years in the business, which was last summer, I started to realize that with the coming up of AI and the sort of technology and the social media platforms and avenues, I think that I would be able to exact change faster coming out than being inside a corporation.” (10:11 | Nahal Yousefian)
“In a day and age where generations coming into the workplace are demanding authenticity, corporate jargon has gone even more on steroids than ever before.” (22:33| Nahal Yousefian)
“If you look at the numbers, it’s a mathematical game where the number of managers who will judge you for asking questions versus the ones that won’t. We tend to go with the 80-20 rule. We know 20% of the managers are going to create a fair environment and I’m scared to ask questions, but 80% are okay. But because of that 20%, the employees reporting to the other 80% don’t do it either. So I think that’s the dynamic that we need to shift.” (28:44 | Nahal Yousefian)
“Following your heart is burnout prevention and burnout recovery. It’s one of the rare things that fits in both categories.” (58:32 | Cait Donovan)

Links

Connect with Nahal Yousefian:

www.thebarraisers.com

https://www.instagram.com/thebarraisers?igsh=Y3BhZTh4cTd4NW1k&utm_source=qr

https://www.linkedin.com/in/nahalyousefian/

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Chronic Stress: Connecting the Dots between Layoffs and Burnout with Cait Donovan (Originally Posted on Nerd Journey 10/29/24)

Sun, 09 Feb 2025 05:00:00 +0000

Burnout sneaks up slowly, leaving you drained and wondering what went wrong. Cait Donovan joins Nick Korte on Nerd Journey to talk about how chronic stress builds over time, why layoffs can be a breaking point or a relief, and what it really takes to recover. She breaks down burnout risk factors, the role of personal history and workplace culture, and why some people hit a wall while others find a way forward.

How do you know when it’s time to make a change? What steps can you take to regain control? Cait shares strategies for protecting yourself, setting boundaries, and rethinking resilience in a way that actually works.

Quotes

“Burnout has to be the end result of a long period of chronic stress. It’s like chronic, chronic stress.” (06:03 | Cait Donovan)
“Sometimes we have to start with the really practical stuff and allow that to shift our emotional state rather than sitting and working through an emotion while the stressor is still alive for you. We have to shift the stressor so that you can work through the emotion and not the other way around.” (17:15 | Cait Donovan)
“If you are in a situation that for some reason is toxic or sort of impossible to ignore, you can’t meditate your way out of it.” (26:51 | Cait Donovan)
“I think that it’s wise to remember how much power and autonomy you do have in your life. When you are under chronic stress, we tend to end up under this illusion that we don’t have any control and that we don’t have enough autonomy. And if you’re feeling that way right now, I would challenge you to challenge that.” (50:28 | Cait Donovan)

Links

This episode was also published on Nick's show Nerd Journey - https://nerd-journey.com/chronic-stress-connecting-the-dots-between-layoffs-and-burnout-with-cait-donovan/

Nick's Layoff Resources Page (the most impactful conversations and advice from his show on burnout, including the one with Cait) - https://nerd-journey.com/layoffresources/

Nick's blog post that speaks to his love for podcasting and how the layoff resources page came to be https://blog.thenetworknerd.com/2025/01/25/a-healthy-obsession-lessons-learned-from-300-episodes-of-the-nerd-journey-podcast/.

Previous episodes featuring Cait in which she shared her story of burning out and the transition into coaching and speaking

https://nerd-journey.com/across-the-patterns-of-burnout-with-cait-donovan-1-2/

https://nerd-journey.com/the-beautiful-right-turns-with-cait-donovan-2-2/

Some of the most impactful episodes featuring technologists sharing their stories of burnout:

https://nerd-journey.com/riding-the-burnout-wave-with-jonathan-f-2-2/

https://nerd-journey.com/countdown-to-burnout-with-tom-hollingsworth-3-3/

https://nerd-journey.com/management-and-the-hypergrowth-startup-with-andrew-miller-2-3/

https://nerd-journey.com/pause-and-step-outside-with-andrew-miller-3-3/

https://nerd-journey.com/burnout-and-recovery-with-josh-fidel/

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Dr. Jessi Gold: Healthcare - Burnout, Emotions, and Culture Shifts

Sun, 02 Feb 2025 05:00:00 +0000

Burnout is more than feeling tired. It’s a challenge that affects every aspect of life, especially for healthcare professionals. In this episode, Dr. Jessi Gold shares her deeply personal experience navigating burnout as a psychiatrist during the pandemic, and offers a rare glimpse into the struggles even experts face.

What can we do when the very systems designed to support us become the cause of our suffering? Dr. Gold and Cait Donovan explore the systemic issues in healthcare that perpetuate burnout, from overwork to the culture of self-neglect ingrained in medical training. They also discuss how small shifts—like embracing vulnerability and prioritizing self-care—can make a meaningful difference, even in a broken system.

How can we address burnout without blaming individuals for their struggles? Dr. Gold and Cait’s discussion invites you to rethink how we approach burnout, recovery, and the collective responsibility to create healthier environments.

Quotes

“As a psychiatrist who is an expert in burnout, I have an extra added layer of fun to this story, which is that I see people all day and tell them they’re burnt out and don’t necessarily apply the same thing to myself.” (04:32 | Dr. Jessi Gold)
“It’s so hard to admit that something like work or systems at work could make you feel ill. I feel like it’s so much easier to be like, it just made me tired, but it didn’t actually hurt me in some way that needs to be replenished or fixed or whatever.” (14:21 | Dr. Jessi Gold)
“Our culture is a culture of silence and shame. Most of us are struggling and don’t mention that we’re struggling. And if we knew other people were struggling, even a little bit, we would open up to them more and feel safer in our culture.” (42:42 | Dr. Jessi Gold)
“If someone said this job is really, really hard emotionally, physically, every other thing that you can think of, and it will impact you, and you will burn out from it. And as a result, you need to take care of yourself in the process. I would have been like, ‘Oh, okay.’” (43:53 | Dr. Jessi Gold)
“The second I started to burn out, that’s what went, right? Like, the second that I was not okay, like, to a more extreme extent, I was not treating patients the way that I would want them to be treated, right? As humans.” (50:42 | Dr. Jessi Gold)

Links

Connect with Dr. Jessi Gold:

https://www.drjessigold.com/

https://www.instagram.com/drjessigold/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessi-gold-md-ms-14844bb/

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

#friedfam: Top Advice from FRIED Listeners and Burnout Recoverers

Sun, 26 Jan 2025 05:00:00 +0000

“Don’t shame your limitations.” Cait Donovan and Sarah Vosen share this piece of wisdom in this #FRIEDfam episode, weaving together lessons from their community and their own experiences to explore self-compassion and meaningful burnout recovery.

How often do we forget to listen to ourselves, honor our limitations, or simplify our approach to recovery? Cait and Sarah remind us that true healing comes with self-compassion, small steps, and leaning into support when we need it most.

Join Cait and Sarah to discover practical tips, heartfelt stories, and the collective wisdom that can guide your path to a more sustainable and fulfilling recovery.

Quotes

“We’re going to start with one of my favorites that came from Chandra Dorsett. And she said four simple words. And these words, when I read them, punched me right in the gut. She said, ‘Don’t shame your limitations.’” (02:19 | Cait Donovan)
“Stop trying to work so hard on getting better that it becomes a new source of stress, and learn to embrace the wayward journey of recovery.” (05:29 | Cait Donovan)
“There is not one right way to do anything. There is a right way for you.” (18:03 | Sarah Vosen)
“My friend Lauren Baptiste said—and she’s been on the podcast before—she said, ‘Your drive for excellence isn’t keeping you excellent, it’s keeping you exhausted.” (24:28 | Cait Donovan)
“This is a fellow burnout expert, Natalia Saman, who said, ‘The purpose of self-care is to reduce stress. If your nails look great, but you’re still buried under a pile of work, a pedicure wasn’t the self-care you needed. You needed boundaries.’” (25:37 | Cait Donovan)
“Self-care is self-care if you feel cared for when you do it or after it’s done.” (27:14 | Sarah Vosen)

Links

To explore burnout, leadership, and sustainable performance through a workplace and organizational lens, connect with Cait Donovan: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work:

Short on time? Watch this 3-minute reel:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Jennifer Moss: Why Are We Here? How To Systematically Create Better Work Cultures

Sun, 19 Jan 2025 05:00:00 +0000

“This isn’t some soft skill, or a ‘nice-to-have.’ It’s a must-have,” says Jennifer Moss, workplace strategist, co-founder of The Workplace Institute, and author of award-winning books on leadership. Her latest book, “Why Are We Here?,” discusses how we can use hope as an operational strategy at work, how employees can learn to bring their whole, best selves to work by meting out goals in small steps and celebrating each small win en route to the larger goal. Leaders, in turn, can learn to, rather than mitigate those efforts, be conduits to employees’ mental health, in part by being encouraging and being receptive to employee feedback.

This isn’t about drumming up toxic positivity but creating a safe and openly communicative environment, which is more easily said than done when employees feel, even subconsciously, that their freedoms are being taken away and that promises have been repeatedly broken. Jennifer and host Cait Donovan discuss how to foster trust between leaders and employees and how caring for oneself creates a feeling of safety—starting at a physical level—which is the first step in opening up lines of communication, and facilitating what Jennifer calls “a culture of positive gossip.”

As many as seventy percent of employees report that their managers make or break their attitude toward their jobs. Join today’s episode of FRIED to learn how to introduce a hope-based strategy into your own work environment.

Quotes

“We can help our employees have quick wins every day, celebrate the smaller wins, recognize that we spend a lot of time lately only celebrating and rewarding and recognizing the big project end goals, not realizing that the day-to-day ennui, the day-to-day tedium is what is burning people out. And if we just made these goals more incremental — it’s actually how you support young kids, especially kids who are neurodivergent—you chunk out the goals and adults need those same inspirational ways of working, and that’s how we make hope a strategy.” (12:29 | Jennifer Moss)
“That’s where we make hope a strategy and operationalize hope. It’s first recognizing that it isn’t some sort of soft skill or a “nice-to-have,’ it’s a ‘must-have,’ that it’s real. The military abides by this rule, and it can be operationalized on a day-to-day engagement in our work and in our employees’ tasks.” (13:10 | Jennifer Moss)
“You can be highly passionate about what you do, and highly driven and care about your organization and…highly engaged, but you can be similarly at the same stage of burnout. And if we can’t talk about those things, no one will know, and that’s when people quit, that’s when people hit the wall. It’s where everything just ends.” (24:33 | Jennifer Moss)
“We are subconsciously rebelling because our freedoms are being taken away and we’re not necessarily aware of why we feel this dissonance.” (33:51 | Jennifer Moss)

Links

Connect with Jennifer Moss:

https://www.jennifer-moss.com/

https://www.instagram.com/betterworkinstitute/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenleighmoss/

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

#straightfromcait: 2025 Forecast for Leaders - What to Know About Burnout Moving Forward

Sun, 12 Jan 2025 05:00:00 +0000

“We’re at a time when things are going to be shifting and changing,” says host Cait Donovan who, on this solo episode of FRIED, shares a workplace forecast for 2025 and explains what business leaders can do to best navigate this new landscape, rocky as it’s predicted to be. Today, Cait shares findings from a number of experts, including the future of DEI initiatives, how AI will affect employee benefits’ packages, which position on the corporate ladder will likely burn out en masse and what leaders can do now to best mitigate the fallout. She also discusses the increasing opportunities for freelancers as more and more workplaces continue to embrace flexible work.

It’s not enough, she explains, to prevent the workplace environment—and the burnout that transpires therein—from becoming worse. Steps need to be put in place to actually make things better. Employers must be trauma-informed, to create psychological safety and transparency in the workplace, and in turn, employees need to be especially transparent and communicative about what they really need and want from their jobs.

Join Cait to learn more about what to expect in the year ahead and how to continue championing employee wellness throughout 2025.

Quotes

“We can approach DEI practices through the lens of biology and physiology. So, I believe that the biology of belonging and the biology of psychological safety really roots the things we need for real true DEI overall into a science-based model that helps people feel a little more grounded in the approach and makes people less likely to have bad reactions to it.” (1:47 | Cait Donovan)
“The reason that I think it’s important for them to be burnout-informed is because we can’t shift things in the culture to protect people if we don’t know what the risks are. And I think, we can’t really also create a positive culture without knowing which things make a negative culture.” (4:14 | Cait Donovan)
“I think this is going to be probably a little bit messy to start out, but longterm, I think everything is getting more customized. Medicine is getting more customized, jobs are getting more customized. So, I do think this is the way of the future, I just think we need to be really careful, very inclusive, very transparent, and very clear about our intentions as we’re doing this, so we don’t create more problems as we go.” (6:50 | Cait Donovan)
“I think we need to really be focused on that mid-level manager and their well-being because that’s where a lot of the well-being of the company spreads from.” (8:13 | Cait Donovan)
“We’re going to have to make people more comfortable around change. We’re going to have to create a different level of psychological safety so that change can actually be absorbed and actually dealt with.” (9:33 | Cait Donovan)

Links

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Regan Parker: ShiftKey offers Healthcare Workers Freedom, Choice, and Control

Sun, 05 Jan 2025 05:00:00 +0000

“People leave the field not because they don’t love the work, but the confines of the work structure make it impossible for them to do it,” says Regan Parker, Chief Legal and Public Affairs officer for Shift Key, a technology marketplace that connects licensed independent healthcare professionals with facilities who need their services. As healthcare workers continue to feel overworked and undervalued, they continue to burn out, leaving healthcare facilities with staffing shortages. By allowing professionals to set their own rates and to select work on a shift-by-shift basis, Shift Key’s model offers the flexibility and autonomy to maintain a work/life balance. It also provides relief from the expectations of a traditional employee’s schedule, while providing similar relief to company teams who are understaffed and thus at equal risk of burnout.

On today’s episode of FRIED, Regan joins host Cait Donovan to discuss why this approach to work—which is gaining traction across all sectors—is especially helpful for those who are natural caregivers and nurturers and, as a result, don’t have the most business acumen or are even sure they should be charging for their work at all. The two discuss the importance of offering per diem workers a social safety net and protections under the law which, at least in the U.S., have traditionally only been offered to a company’s employees.

Join today’s discussion to learn why Shift Key’s system is the future of work and how it could be game-changing to a number of professions.

Quotes

“At my very first marketplace company, I got to see how technology could enable people to work on their own terms, and the people that that impacts the most are moms, caregivers, people with disabilities, people who can’t work in a traditional setting, who really need flexibility and autonomy and choice. So, I saw the ability for technology to connect those parties to work.” (4:08 | Regan Parker)
“When you understand the humanity of how certain aspects of the healthcare system currently works and how that impacts the person, their home life, how they feel, how they’re able to perform their work, it really changes the conversation in a way that I think was important.” (5:05 | Regan Parker)
“The reason people leave the field is not because they don’t love the work. They love the work. These are people who get into it because they want to care for people. They care about keeping people healthy and safe and heard, but it’s the confines of the work structure that make it impossible for them to do that.” (6:08 | Regan Parker)
“I was always turned off by the notion that anybody would ever incentivize a race to the bottom. ‘How cheap can we get that one task to be?’” (20:58 | Regan Parker)

Links

Connect with Regan Parker:

www.shiftkey.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/regan-parker-58ab531a

https://www.shiftkey.com/trends

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

#straightfromcait: 3 Ways To Add Ease To Your Day Without Changing Your Circumstances

Sun, 29 Dec 2024 05:00:00 +0000

“I want you to forcibly slow yourself down,” says Cait on this #straightfromcait episode of FRIED where she offers three tips—and a special bonus—to help you create more ease throughout your day, without taking away from any of your responsibilities or plans. These are short, simple yet effective ways to check in with yourself physically, mentally and emotionally to eliminate unnecessary tension and make life’s tasks more bearable.

Cait will share which parts of the body to focus on to lower your overall stress response and signal to your vagus nerve that you’re OK. She’ll explain why slow grooming reminds us that we’re safe and how we can cut down on the false sense of urgency that drives most of us throughout our days.

Life is busy, and no one can expect to be relaxed all day every day. But taking a few extra minutes to incorporate these tips into your daily routine will do wonders to make you feel more relaxed, at peace and at ease as you tackle your tasks.

Quotes

“With only those three things, you will create more ease throughout the course of your day, and you will be signaling to your vagus nerve that you’re OK, that you’re getting through the day, and you’re not adding any extra tension where it’s not necessary so this will lower and damper your stress response over all.” (1:42 | Cait Donovan)
“When you take those extra few minutes to slowly groom yourself, you are giving your central nervous system a signal that you’re safe and OK because you can’t groom when you’re in danger.” (3:09 | Cait Donovan)
“Not every task is going to feel wonderful and I’m not asking you to make it feel wonderful, but what if you could take just a few moments to turn on the Spotify playlist that you love that makes you feel good while you are folding and putting away laundry.” (4:23 | Cait Donovan)
“Because so many of us function with this really false sense of urgency in every single task we do, I want you to forcibly slow yourself down.” (5:05 | Cait Donovan)

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Rochelle Younan-Montgomery: Healing Burnout Through Boundaries and Self-Compassion

Sun, 22 Dec 2024 05:00:00 +0000

“What am I doing? I’m performing for other people,” says Rochelle Younan-Montgomery, published author, keynote speaker and founder and CEO of The Reset. In the wake of a physically and emotionally agonizing miscarriage, Rochelle attempted to override her grief by powering through at work. Like so many who experience burnout, she felt her worth was tied to her productivity and performance, and today on FRIED she discusses how she learned to overcome that mindset, as well as how it was shaped by religion, racism and growing up in an immigrant family.

Rochelle discusses how she learned to listen to her body's cues as a means of gaging a misalignment with her authenticity and soul's purpose. She talks about knowing when it's time to stop excavating and to start putting knowledge into practice. She also shares her "Open the Front Door" framework for entering into discussions that prevent the build up of resentment and allows both parties to be heard and to set clear boundaries.

Join today's discussion to learn what Rochelle has learned from her years of deep spiritual work as well as from her yoga practice.

Quotes

“I thought I could power through. I thought, ‘No, I’ve got this. I’ve held a lot in the past. I’m good. I’ll show up. Work matters most. Productivity matters most. I have responsibilities. I can grieve quietly and secretly. I had a male boss, so I didn’t feel safe to share with him.” (7:10 | Rochelle Younan-Montgomery)
“And then it just became clear, ‘What am I doing? I’m performing for other people. I’m performing like this, ‘I’ve got my shit together,’ kind of person that can handle anything. What is that saying, especially to my daughter? What message does that send that I don’t deserve time and space to grieve and for my body to heal?” (8:21 | Rochelle Young-Montgomery)
“I don’t have time and energy nor do I want to choose to override my body and mind and spirit anymore because my family and my kids and my well-being matter more to me than performing and being perfect and showing up as ’the strong leader.’” (9:50 | Rochelle Younan-Montgomery)
“When I don’t feel authentic, when I don’t feel like I’m in my truth, my body tells me. And I, for a long time, have not been in tune with my body, so looking back, I can look at that situation more clearly now. At the time, I just felt, ‘Oh, maybe I’m a little bit nervous because I’m doing something in front of a group.’ But that’s never been an issue for me, I love having a captive audience. It’s more about—now, looking back I can see—oh, prayer, in that way, felt like I was maybe lying. Something felt disingenuous and my body was screaming trying to tell me, ‘What are we doing here? Do we really believe this?’” (19:22 | Rochelle Younan-Montgomery)

Links

Connect with Rochelle Younan-Montgomery:

https://www.rochelleym.com

https://www.instagram.com/the_reset_by_ro/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/rochelleyounanmontgomery/

https://www.rochelleym.com/download

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Erica Rooney: Sticky Floors and Glass Ceilings - It's Time To Get UNSTUCK

Sun, 15 Dec 2024 05:00:00 +0000

“Spoiler alert: You’re not stuck. There’s always something you can do,” explains today’s guest Erica Rooney, keynote speaker, highly-sought after executive coach and author of the best-selling book, “Glass Ceilings and Sticky Floors,” the latter of which, she explains, are the limiting beliefs and toxic behaviors that keep so many of us from moving forward and reaching our goals and potential. On today’s episode of FRIED, Erica joins host Cait Donovan to discuss the fear of asking for help, the fallout within a generation of women who were raised to believe they can have it all, and why, for most of us, burnout started before we even reached the age of five.

Like so many women, Erica was “working like she didn’t have kids and parenting like she didn’t have a job,” and turned to alcohol to cope with the never-ending list of “shoulds” she kept piling onto herself. She and Cait discuss the parallels between addiction–so much of which is not to substances but feelings and expectations—and burnout. Erica discusses her SNAP method, a four-step science-backed framework to help you become more aware of your body’s signals, to ask yourself the tough yet important questions and to pivot into a new and more productive mindset.

Join today to learn the mentality that makes Cait want to kick people in the teeth—with love—and how to choose a better way of thinking.

Quotes

“The core of the problem wasn’t my corporate job, it wasn’t anything external. The core was within my own expectations and what I felt I had to do. No one else was putting those expectations on me.” (5:43 | Erica Rooney)
“There’s a very similar stigma that we’re holding onto with addiction, alcoholism and also with burnout because burnout often feels like, ‘Well, I should have made better choices, I should have done something differently.’...Burnout is not your fault. This shit started way before your burnout happened. If you’ve burnt out in your life, let me promise you that that shit started before you were five.” (12:42 | Caitlin Donovan)
“Addiction is so much more than substance. Absolutely agree with that because when I think back on the things that just fueled me up, kind of like that first sip of wine—yes, here we go—it would be a raise, a new job, a new title. ‘Oh, I’m being sent to France for work. Look at me. Look at my fabulous life.’...it is very, very addictive to be able to call people and, ‘Oh, what’s going on with your life?’ Oh, I just got promoted to this.’ And it’s all crap. (20:40 | Caitlin Donovan and Erica Rooney)
“I recognize that the system is the problem. The system is the problem but what I know about changing systems is it takes generations and generations. And we are changing the system, we are, but it will not be at the level that I want it to be until I get six feet under the ground. So, for me, I thought, ‘What can I do? What can I do? There’s got to be something that I can do, not to change the system, but for my own self, so that I don’t have to be person experiencing all these gaps.’” (30:24 | Erica Rooney and Caitlin Donovan)

Links

Connect with Erica Rooney:

https://www.ericaandersonrooney.com

https://www.instagram.com/ericaandersonrooney/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericarooney/

https://ericaandersonrooney.myflodesk.com/

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

#straightfromcait: How Your Biology Could Be Sabotaging Your Mindset Shift—and What to Do About It

Sun, 08 Dec 2024 05:00:00 +0000

“Your biology could be working against you,” says host Cait Donovan, when it comes to your ability to foster a hopeful and positive mindset. As it turns out, those with adverse childhood experiences (ACE) can lack the brain plasticity necessary to adopt a new growth mindset. Luckily, you have the power to change this and in this episode of FRIED, Cait shows you how.

She shares the three steps necessary to bolster and support yourself in order to enable the process. She reiterates once again why safety is the building block to resilience, change and burnout recovery, and the importance of movement, sleep, proper nutrition and hydration.

The body and the brain are more interconnected than we tend to recognize in Western culture. Join today’s FRIED episode to use that connection to foster, rather than hinder, growth and recovery.

Quotes

“The idea is if you could just get more growth mindset, then your brain will respond and everything will work swimmingly. But Chinese medicine philosophy taught me to look at bodily systems and how we function in the world and how we behave a little differently than how it’s taught in the West. Things are more connected, more interwoven, less separate and there’s an emphasis on the fact that most causes could be effects and vice versa. And also, a cause might only have an effect if there’s an underlying, pre-existing risk factor.” (1:20 (Caitlin Donovan)
“The questions we need to be asking are, “Why are some people able to access hope more easily than others? Why do some people react to stress in different ways than others? What are the pre-existing factors over the course of someone’s life that allows them to create a more hopeful outlook or mindset? Are there biological factors that support hope? Are there biological factors that impede hope? Are there biological factors that support positive mindsets or that impede positive mindsets? What I’m looking to explain is that there is more to positive mindset than just deciding to think differently and then think differently.” (4:02 | Caitlin Donovan)
“Your brain cannot change, you do not grow courage, nothing happens until your body feels safe. Your nervous system doesn’t create more resilience, your Vagas nerve doesn’t tone—none of the things that all the people are talking about when it comes to burnout recovery happen unless your feelings of safety are improved.” (10: 40 | Caitlin Donovan)

Links

https://www.friedtheburnoutpodcast.com/post/jeff-harry-leave-your-serious-grownup-behind-and-heal-your-burnt-out-brain-through-play

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

#straightfromcait: Burnout or “Just Stress”? Here’s How to Tell the Difference Once and For All

Sun, 01 Dec 2024 05:00:00 +0000

“Differentiating burnout from stress is one of the most popular questions around burnout,” says host Cait Donovan. On today’s #straightfromcait episode, she will reveal what she calls ‘the line in the sand’ that separates “mere” stress from the kind of burnout that requires recovery. She’ll explain what it means when your downtime—even if it is weeks or months long—leaves you feeling just as overwhelmed and depleted as when you were working.

She will also walk us through the first few steps that make up the FRIED framework which was designed to help us recover from burnout. She’ll also explain what you can expect from UNFRIED, her four-month small group coaching practice cultivated based on years of various practices.

Join today’s episode to learn more about what it means to be truly burnt out, and move one step closer to recovery.

Quotes

“Chronic stress is the cause of burnout, so a better question would be, ‘Is my stress chronic enough to lead to burnout? Has my chronic stress already led to burnout, or not yet?’ Because you can’t have burnout without stress but you can have stress without burnout.” (1:21 | Cait Donovan)
“The continuum of chronic stress that leads to burnout, there is a line in the sand that gets drawn. Just one. A really simple one. A really easy ‘is-this-already-burnout-or-not?’” (1:41 | Cait Donovan)
“You decide to take a few days off, and you have a long weekend, and at the end of those few days you’re thinking, ‘It doesn’t feel like I took any time off at all. I don’t feel at all better, I didn’t manage to get anything done. I don’t feel like I’m going to be able to get anything done tomorrow.’ …You find yourself at the end of it saying, ‘I’m supposed to feel better now, right?’ But you don’t.” (2:27 | Cait Donovan)

Links

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

#FRIEDguides: Why High Achievers Burn Out: The Dark Side of Success-Driven Mindsets

Sun, 24 Nov 2024 05:00:00 +0000

“It’s praised in our culture to have a bold, clear, big vision for the kind of impact you want to make in the world and in your life, but what’s not talked about is, ‘Is it realistic?” says Sarah Vosen as she joins Cait Donovan to co-host this latest episode of FRIEDguides. Today, the two discuss why high achievers tend to be the first to burn out. It has to do with unrealistic expectations–both for their achievements and their capacity to achieve. As a result, high achievers continue to expend more energy than they receive in return, and–being so doggedly ambitious--don't stop, even when they’re on the verge of breaking down.

Many high achievers are people who are operating from trauma and wounding, perpetually chasing a dangling carrot of success in order to feel worthy. Today, Sarah and Cait discuss the common signs of energy depletion, how we can manage them and start restoring our input.

Join Cait and Sarah to learn more about savior complexes, controlling people through indebtedness, and the hidden hazards of having high kitchen counter tops.

Quotes

“It’s praised in our culture to have a bold clear, big vision for the kind of impact you want to make in the world and in your life but what’s not talked about is, ‘Is it realistic?’ For your capacity as an individual and/or your team, if you have one, to actually achieve what you’ve set out to achieve without digging yourself a hole of depletion in the process.” (1:49 | Sarah Vosen)
“Perfectionism and people-pleasing tend to be two sides of the same coin…and these things are rooted in wounding. It’s rooted in wanting to be seen, to be praised, to be loved, really, at the root. So, when you’re operating from this place, this wounded place, you feel like the more you achieve the more you’ll be loved, and so why wouldn’t you, especially if it’s possible.” (3:14 | Sarah Vosen)
“The more you do, the more you output. So, the only way to get better and recover from burnout is to decrease your output and/or increase your input because you’ve got to fill that hole of depletion somewhere, somehow.” (8:53 | Sarah Vosen)
“I feel like people who really get stuck in the burnout cycle are the high-achievers, first and foremost, because they wait the longest to get the support. And the habitual drive is strong, so until your literal will to push breaks down, you keep using it to keep going.” (17:48 | Caitlin Donovan and Sarah Vosen)
“You can still make a difference and achieve, make an impact, have a vision in the way that you want to when you come back to it from this shored up, energetic, conscious place, where you are spending only what you want to spend on only what you want to spend it on, and you’re consciously receiving more than you were before.” (25:11 | Sarah Vosen)

Links

To explore burnout, leadership, and sustainable performance through a workplace and organizational lens, connect with Cait Donovan: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-minute reel: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Jacquelyn Fletcher Johnson: The Stories We Tell That Heal or Deepen Our Burnout

Sun, 17 Nov 2024 05:00:00 +0000

“I often say that story is the most powerful tool on earth and I really believe that,” says today’s FRIED guest Jacquelyn Fletcher Johnson, who, as the founder and CEO of the Heartwood Leadership Institute, has helped countless Fortune 500 executives step into their leadership. Today she joins host Cait Donovan to discuss the stories we tell ourselves—about who we are, what life and work are meant to be like and how these stories manifest in our lives and even in our bodies until we finally dig deep down and investigate what’s underneath them. The two women discuss the most common stories people—particularly those who end up burning out—tell themselves about worthiness, visibility and attempting to go the journey alone.

Ingrained into us at the deepest cultural level are all the variations of author Joseph Campbell’s “hero’s journey”—wherein the protagonist sets out on a journey, encounters and overcomes obstacles and emerges victorious. Jacquelyn and Cait discuss the destructive messages this classic trope can nonetheless instill in us about our value being determined by how hard we struggle.

One of the most powerful aspects of storytelling is its malleability. Join today’s conversation to learn how to shape the story you tell about yourself.

Quotes

“I really had to look myself in the face. I had to look at what I was doing, how I was behaving, and for me it really came down to one internal state and the stories that I was telling myself about who I was…and story was a huge part of that…Story helped me come back from that experience and become someone else.” (9:07 | Jacquelyn Fletcher Johnson)
“It said to me, ‘I will only have to overcome something hard once, and once I’ve overcome this hard thing, I’m good.’ You know what it said to me? ‘Until I overcome a hard thing, I have no value, because if I haven’t overcome a hard thing, then where’s my value?’ And I didn’t give any credence to any of the hard things that came before burnout because those hard things were not as hard as other people’s hard things.’” (19:29 | Jacquelyn Fletcher Johnson and Cait Donovan)
“This is story. It is malleable. It is based on our own interpretation of it, and so if we are living story unconsciously without actually looking at it, without talking about it, without seeing it for what it is and surfacing it, boy is it powerful and it is operating underneath everything.” (22:03 | Jacquelyn Fletcher Johnson)
“We have our own legends. We have our own myths in our lives and that legend influenced much of my life and many of my decisions and it wasn’t until this big diagnosis where I was like, ‘Honey, you can’t do this alone,’ and my gosh—I learned more about love and about the people and what support looks like and what acts of love look like than I have ever experienced in my life.”(35:50 | Jacquelyn Fletcher Johnson)

Links

Connect with Jacquelyn Fletcher Johnson:

https://www.heartwoodleadership.com

https://jacquelynfletcherjohnson.substack.com/

www.linkedin.com/in/jacquelynfletcherjohnson

bit.ly/bouncebackorder

https://www.amazon.com/Coyote-Wisdom-Power-Story-Healing/dp/1591430291

https://www.jcf.org/learn/joseph-campbell-heros-journey

https://bit.ly/exec-retreat

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Cait Donovan: The Rule of Thirds - Why Burnout Recovery Isn’t About Feeling Great All the Time

Sun, 10 Nov 2024 05:00:00 +0000

“I want you to give yourself permission to live in this rule of thirds,” says host Cait Donovan, borrowing a concept that Olympic runner Alexi Pappas recently shared online. Alexi's coach told her that anything you're doing right will feel a combination of good, bad and just neutral. Cait explains how this applies to burnout recovery, and how to incorporate it into your own life.

She also discusses fourth grade teacher Ryan Brazil's viral clip which explains that we are not obligated to blindly follow our first and, perhaps, most impulsive thoughts. Instead, we have the power to adhere to or act upon any one of the many successive thoughts that align more with who we want to be.

Cait shares a story from her own life where she chose to place emphasis on her second thought of compassion over her first thought of judgement.

Quotes

“If you are adhering to those thirds, it means you’re on the right path. You’re doing the right things. You’re pushing yourself hard enough but you’re not pushing yourself too hard. You are enjoying the good moments, you are paying attention to the things that aren’t great so you can fix them. You’re sort of doing all the right things. This is so true in burnout recovery.” (2:13 | Caitlin Donovan)
“The fact of the matter is, your sleep is going to be bad, something external is going to happen, you’re going to have to prep for a conversation or an action item. You’re going to be disappointed in yourself for not sticking to a food regiment, or you’re going to—whatever. There are a million reasons to be in that space, but we don’t want you to be in that space for four days a week. We don’t want you to be in that space for seven days at a time, unless the next week is neutral and the week after that is great.” (4:58 | Caitlin Donovan)
“I do remember having that second thought and thinking, ‘I would rather choose this way to think about myself and other people because I think it’s healthier and I think it’s safer.’ That doesn’t mean that when somebody’s really doing something terrible, you should excuse it and try to interpret it differently so you can explain it away.” (9:31 | Caitlin Donovan)
“You get to decide which thought you stop on because the thought you stop on is probably the thought that you’re going to repeat to yourself.” (11:12 | Caitlin Donovan)

Links

Alexi Pappas: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKndqq0CsRc

Ryan Brazil: https://www.instagram.com/mrs.brazil_28/reel/C_MRG4vSh4g/

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Sarah Yovovich: Healing Burnout from Emotional Abuse with Five Element Wisdom and Strong Boundaries

Sun, 03 Nov 2024 04:00:00 +0000

“Part of the empowerment is recognizing that the things that you’re weak in are actually just the flip side of your strengths,” explains Sarah Yovovich, teacher writer and body worker, who joins FRIED to discuss the kind of burnout which results from emotional abuse. The same emotional intuition that kept her empathizing with her abuser makes her a profound healer, deeply tuned into her clients’ emotional, physical and energetic layers through Thai massage--a meditation on loving kindness. Today, she speaks to Sarah Vosen about the five elements of Chinese medicine, how they changed her life and helped her heal from burnout.

They also make her feel more connected to all elements of the world around her, a concept with which Sarah Jovovich, in turn, empowers her clients. She discusses the importance of community supporting each other and working in tandem. She also explains how she learned to set boundaries, for others’ benefit as much as her own.

Join the two friends in a discussion about healing and empowerment, the pitfalls of being a “terminal optimist” and why abuse is like an expressway.

Quotes

“The way my sister put it was that when you live by an expressway you get used to the noise and the pollution and you don’t realize how much it’s wearing you down until you step away from it. And the stepping away from it was really difficult in this case because the expressway was my co-parent and my roommate in a very expensive city.” (10:22 | Sarah Yovovich)
“When you’re in an abusive relationship, your nervous system is constantly being attacked. You’re in fight, flight, freeze or fawn all the time. If you’re living with somebody who’s being abusive of you, you never relax, and so your body starts to wear out from that.” (12:28 | Sarah Yovovich)
“It allows me to recognize just how much I am a part of everything that happens all around me—of the seasons, of the planet, of the flow of energies in the universe, and to create stories around that that help me make sense of my life and my experiences. It’s also been really empowering in my healing work as a way to help other people make sense of what they’re feeling in their bodies and not feel like they’re at the whim of some tyrant body that’s misbehaving, but start to put together authority… to see how all these things are connected and work with them instead of against them.” (27:25 | Sarah Yovovich)
“That’s actually part of the empowerment is recognizing that the things that you’re weak in are not something to beat yourself up about. It’s actually just the flip side of your strength and that there are four other kinds of elements who have the strengths that you don’t have that are probably part of your community and you can support each other. It just proves to me we’re meant to work together.” (39:17 | Sarah Yovovich and Sarah Vosen)

Links

Connect with Sarah Yovovich:

https://www.sarahpeutics.org

https://instagram.com/acro.mama

www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-yovovich-2124b07

https://sarahpeutics.mn.co/plans/52216?bundle_token=62c36ddc4adc3001097cd7c8962de3f4&utm_source=manual

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Roslyn McLarty: Founder Burnout and The Bravery of Going WITHIN

Sun, 27 Oct 2024 04:00:00 +0000

“I just didn’t feel like I had the permission to bring that part of myself into the workplace and say, ‘Hey, I want to start making some shifts,’”says Roslyn McLarty, of her time as co-founder of the GIST, a women-run sports media brand, making sports more inclusive. As the company grew, so did the responsibilities and overwhelm, and she found herself growing away from the company. Since completing burnout recovery coaching with Cait through Cait’s Wayfinder program, Roslyn has learned that when you act in integrity with what your mind, body and soul want to do, not only do you deliver the most impact, you have more to offer the company, and as a founder, set the example for those around you. On today’s episode of FRIED, she shares how her journey through burnout has informed the founding of her latest venture Within, a personal development platform for purpose-driven leaders.

A large part of Roslyn’s burnout recovery included learning to be present in her body—rather than just living inside of her own head—and get in better touch with her intuition. She learned to get to the root of her people-pleasing tendencies, to release her resentments and frustration.

Roslyn’s story proves what a difference a year can truly make. Join today’s discussion to hear the advice she has for founders based on what she’s learned throughout her own journey.

Quotes

“I think awareness is the first step. I think the harder thing, for me, is even just believing that you are deserving of doing work that you enjoy and that maybe you have something to bring to the table other than what you thought.” (12:35 | Roslyn McLarty)
“Those parts of me weren’t being fully utilized at the company, and I think they could have been really valuable but I just didn’t feel like I had the permission to bring that part of myself into the workplace and say, ‘Hey, I want to start making some shifts toward these energy-giving areas for me, so that I can stay in the company sustainably, so that I can have something that’s filling my cup so that I can do this and some of the other things that I inevitably need to do that maybe aren’t the most energy-giving but can we at least figure something out.’” (13:10 | Roslyn McLarty)
“Before going through all this I was someone who operated fully from the shoulders up, in my head. I wasn’t connected to my body’s intuition. I wasn’t hearing the signs that I was burning out or that things weren’t right, that something wasn’t integrity for me, in my life.’” (19:43 | Roslyn McLarty)
“When you’re someone who’s been holding it all in and putting everybody first… you don’t know another way of being, whether it’s how you cope or how you were taught. So, to realize there’s a different way and you can let it all out is really empowering.” (24:50 | Roslyn McLarty)
“I think that’s the thing that gets in the way: people just believe if I’m not working hard, I’m not going to be successful or I’m not creating value, and actually, if you’re working too hard, you’re not of service to your company. So, trying to shift to this idea that you should be working in a scope that works for you and lights you up.” (36:14 | Roslyn McLarty)

Links

Connect with Roslyn McLarty:

https://within.beehiiv.com/

https://www.instagram.com/roslynmclarty/

www.linkedin.com/in/roslyn-mclarty-51058223

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

.Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Nicole Maitland: Riding Life’s Waves – Trusting Your Body During Emotional Uncertainty

Sun, 13 Oct 2024 04:00:00 +0000

“Cool, this is an emotion, but what is it telling me? What is the information?” asks Nicole Maitland, host of the podcast “Yarns for the Soul” and today’s guest on this episode of FRIED hosted by Sarah Vosen. The same high level of sensitivity that made Nicole an effective human rights lawyer in her native New Zealand made her vicariously vulnerable to her clients’ trauma, and her people-pleasing tendencies drove her to give her best to those clients even as her body was screaming for her to stop. Today, Nicole explains how she is learning to give herself the time, space and permission to feel her feelings without guilt or judgment, and what’s more, to learn to determine the message and information her emotions are trying to deliver.

She compares emotions to waves, and the messages the emotions contain, to boats. When we let the waves wash over us and pay attention to the boats, we can receive the message that ultimately helps us bring ourselves more into what Sarah calls “soul alignment”— the lack of which is what leads to burnout in the first place. Nicole also talks about listening to the messages your body is trying to tell you, either through the symptoms of burnout, or in the subtle ways your gut and heart are trying to lead you in the right direction.

Currently, Nicole is living the life of a “slow nomad,” and in turn is learning to let her soul be a “free and easy wanderer.” Learn more about her journey, how working with a naturopath changed her perspective and what she learned about life from growing up on her family’s farm.

Quotes

“As I look back now, that was kind of the last domino to fall. I can see that I was already chronically stressed probably from when I first started as a lawyer, even maybe before, when I was studying at university. And then I kind of just kept pushing because I didn’t know what else to do.” (6:13 | Nicole Maitland)
“Riding those waves, you can see if there’s a boat that’s coming along and so, the wave itself is a certain emotion—it could be anger, sadness or whatever it is—but if you detach from the wave and look at the boat, which is a message…What is it trying to tell me?” (18:54| Nicole Maitland)
“I know some people aren’t label-oriented, they don’t need a diagnosis but I think, for me, that’s where I’ve struggled because I find those labels helpful… now having the words of ‘highly sensitive person,’ I can use that as a lens to reflect back on everything, particularly my work as a lawyer and thinking, ‘Oh, that’s why I was different. That’s why I functioned differently,’ kind of bringing kindness to previous versions of myself.” (31:20 | Nicole Maitland)
“Physically, it can come from different places. It’s the heart, or the gut, possibly. The heart is, ‘What am I really feeling? What feels aligned?’ The gut is more the intuition, those things that you maybe can’t explain, but a little message or a tap on the shoulder, ‘I don’t know why, but let’s follow that.’ (44:18 | Nicole Maitland)

Links

Connect with Nicole Maitland:

https://nicole28j.wixsite.com/nicole-maitland-1

https://www.instagram.com/yarnsforthesoulnicole/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-maitland-4544706a/

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Bryan Huhn, CFP: Money Stress, Burnout, and Living According to Joy

Sun, 06 Oct 2024 04:00:00 +0000

“What’s more important: being happy for having some stupid business card?” Asks Bryan Huhn, who joins FRIED today to discuss the relationship between financial stress and burnout, particularly when we allow the money we’re making—and the money we think we can’t live without—to convince us we need to remain in jobs that are making us miserable even to the point of illness. Bryan spent years valuing what people thought of him more than his own genuine passions and in an effort to people-please, pursued a career in finance rather than his dream of becoming a baseball coach. This led to a toxic cycle where his self-worth was tied to a job he had no passion for and therefore didn’t excel at, the stress of which, he believes, contributed to a cancer diagnosis in 2015.

With what he’s learned, he wants to help others make the most of their money so that they can create the best lives for themselves, and don’t have to spend another minute in jobs that they hate. As he explains to host Cait Donovan, this requires being brutally honest with yourself about where your money is going, what that says about what you value, and how you can start financially planning so that you can buy your freedom without wasting any more of that resource that is perhaps more valuable than money: your time.

This requires getting real with yourself, while at the same time refraining from judging yourself or comparing yourself to anyone else. Join today’s episode of FRIED to learn how your approach to financial planning will help you start to live your best life.

Quotes

“That’s one thing I would say: Don’t ever compare. If there’s something you’ve been through, even if it seems really minor, it has a major impact on your life and the way your brain works. So, having that self-compassion, I think, is really important.” (4:43 | Bryan Huhn)
“Money is imaginary. It literally is not real. We, as humans, just decided, ‘Hey, this thing, this piece of paper, this U.S. dollar is worth something and we all agree that it is, and that’s how we’re going to interact with one another and get the things we want. It could just as easily be Bitcoin. It’s not real, so why should your goal be to maximize how much of it you accumulate? No, the purpose of it is to live the best freaking life that you can possibly live.” (20:33 | Bryan Huhn)
“OK, where’s my money going? So, what am I valuing? Because if you really want to know what someone cares about, look at their bank statement and their calendar. The time and the money. It’s a really good way to measure that. So, it almost forces you to do that deep work that so many people resist.” (27:35 | Bryan Huhn)
“There’s no judgment there. It’s just being honest with yourself and I think a lot of times, especially in my industry, they make people feel really judged. It’s kind of cliche to hear a financial planner say, ‘Don’t spend six bucks on your Starbucks coffee every morning. Shut up. Don’t tell people what they should value, but help them figure it out and help them be brutally honest with themselves.” (30:13 | Bryan Huhn)

Links

Connect with Bryan Huhn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryanhuhn/

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

#straightfromcait: Getting Out Of The Toxic Workplace Burnout Cycle

Sun, 29 Sep 2024 04:00:00 +0000

“The problem isn’t you; the problem is the toxic workplace,” explains host Caitlin Donovan on this latest #straightfromcait episode of FRIED, in which she discusses the dangers of returning to a toxic workplace only to repeat the burnout cycle again, as if you never made any recovery progress. Too often we’re led to believe that if we improve ourselves enough, we can develop an immunity against a bad environment, which, as Cait says, simply isn’t true.

On today’s episode, she explains why you should reconsider returning to your toxic workplace, and, if you do find yourself there, what to do if you find yourself unsupported. She discusses the common feelings of isolation, loneliness, emotional and mental paralysis and low self-esteem that accompany this scenario, and the devastating effects of bullies in the workplace.

You’ve come too far in your burnout recovery to jump back into the very situation that got you burned out in the first place. Join Cait today to learn the importance of being aware of, and listening to your body responses, to better detect and determine if your environment is safe.

Quotes

“What happens, because of pop culture and pop psychology, is people assume that if they just get stronger, have better boundaries or can manage their emotions better, that somehow they will be able to manage and handle a toxic environment. That would be like saying, ‘If I just meditate enough, I can swim in toxic chemicals and they won’t bother my body.’ That’s just not true.” (2:56 | Caitlin Donovan)
“There are a lot of people who explain that they, after something like this happens, are left with really low confidence. They’re feeling worthless, they feel socially isolated. They don’t know how to search for a new job; they’re nervous about searching for a new job. They’re wondering if they’ll ever be able to work again. Their social circle often doesn’t know how to respond, which is not their social circle’s fault, most people are just not educated well enough in the realms of burnout to have these conversations easily.” (6:37 | Caitlin Donovan)
“And then that social isolation turns into loneliness, and you feel like the odd one out and you feel like, ‘Oh, my God, why is everybody around me making it in life and I can’t hang, I can’t hack it.’ And then that turns into a general feeling of despair.” (7:08 | Caitlin Donovan)
“It only takes one bully, one crappy boss to set things totally sideways. And I know that people who work in HR and leaders don’t want to hear that one crappy boss can really ruin it like that for someone, but they can, and they do, and the cost is magnificent. The cost is immense for this person.” (9:38 | Caitlin Donovan)

Links

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Daisy Auger-Dominguez: Burnt Out Leaders Lead Burnt Out Teams

Sun, 22 Sep 2024 04:00:00 +0000

“How do we rewrite the playbook together?” asks Daisy Auger-Dominguez, global leader, workplace strategist and author of the upcoming book “From Burnt Out to Lit Up,” on today’s episode of FRIED. The contemporary workplace is in major flux at the moment. In addition to being in collective burnout that we’ve just been able to give a name to, we’re also in what Daisy calls a “messy middle,” where workers are still learning how to effectively use their voices and leaders are trying to navigate these rapidly changing waters with archaic methods. So, how can leaders gain the skills to lead high-performing teams, shift workplace culture, and drive performance without causing more burnout? By showing up differently, modeling vulnerability and humanity for their workers, so that they feel seen, can heal, and eventually, help change the system from the inside out.

Today Daisy talks about what it takes to do such healing. It includes being conscious of your sacrifices, weighing the pros and cons of your decisions, replenishing your social battery and staying on top of your cultural debt. Many leaders fall into the trap of thinking they’re needed everywhere 24/7—when delegating not only eases the leader’s burden but lets capable workers shine.

Daisy explains how we can acknowledge the undue burden many groups experience in the workplace while exercising agency that helps not only us thrive but others as well. By rewriting the stories we tell ourselves, we help remodel the current paradigm of workplace culture into something better.

Quotes

“That’s what we’re hoping for from our leaders. We’re hoping that they will help us, get us to the other side, and that they will do so vulnerably; that they will do so with humanity; and that they will do so in a way that allows us to feel seen, validated and understood so that we can deliver to our best capacity.” (9:24 | Daisy Auger-Dominguez)
“I do believe that when you tell the world that you have boundaries, you tell the world that you matter. But I also think …what I do for me is also what I model for others so that—they don’t have to do what I’m doing, but they can create the conditions where they can thrive.” (20:40 | Daisy Auger-Dominguez)
“One of the practices in the book that I share is about reframing our narratives, reframing our stories, because for a long time, the story I told myself was, ‘As a woman… As a woman of color…’’ all these ‘only’ characteristics that you have, I needed to show up differently. And to be fair, and this is to your naysayer listener, I had to. I really did have to.” (24:07 | Daisy Auger-Dominguez)
“I know the system has failed me, but how do I exercise my agency to figure out how I thrive in this way, and by doing that, help change the system? Because by my figuring out, ‘How do I show up differently, and ‘How do I help others show up differently,’ we help build that new leadership. We were just talking about how most leaders are using the same old playbook. Well, how do we rewrite the playbook together?” (27:02 | Daisy Auger-Dominguez)

Links

Connect with Daisy Auger-Dominguez:

https://www.daisyauger-dominguez.com

https://www.instagram.com/daisyaugerdominguez/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/daisyaugerdominguez/

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Cathy Richards: Aging Gracefully, Burnout and Dementia

Sun, 15 Sep 2024 04:00:00 +0000

“What kind of 85-year-old do you want to be?” asks Cathy Richards, exercise physiologist, wellness coach and best-selling author of “Boom! Six Steps to Living a Longer, Healthier Life” who joins the podcast to help us learn what we can do to protect our brains against neurodegenerative diseases such as dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease. The habits we build now—starting with as little as just five minutes a day—will help, in large part, to determine the quality of our later years.

The best thing you can do? Get moving. This doesn’t have to mean exercise. Cathy and Cait discuss the power of movement to not only yield physical benefits such as weight loss, but helps to promote neuroplasticity that will help us develop healthier thoughts and, ultimately, belief systems. The point is to build small consistent habits over time.

The future is coming faster than we think. Though none of us has entire control over it, we can begin today to form the best version of ourselves in the future.

Quotes

“I will say that I think that sleep is one of the biggest things we can do…I don’t think in general that sleep is protected as much and it’s not part of American culture to get enough sleep, I would say, in my opinion. I feel like we’re always deciding if we have more to do, we just stay up late and we get up early.” (9:32 | Cathy Richards)
“Totally modest investment of time can yield enormous benefits. It doesn’t have to be a lot, it doesn’t have to be complicated and we really can’t afford not to. That’s the thing, if we could prescribe movement, whether it’s for migraines, or whatever it is, or whatever your problem, movement can fix it, or can help fix it. Almost every single solitary time.” (17:30 | Cathy Richards)
“People get stressed out thinking, ‘What do I need to do to prevent my heart disease?...what do I need to do to protect my brain?’ Guess what? It’s all the same list…Moving your body has more impact on your brain function than anything else you could do.” (33:18 | Cathy Richards)
“You don’t turn into the kind of 85-year-old that’s in a nursing home versus traveling the world at 84. We’re building the kind of 85-year-old we want to be right now.” (47:52 | Cathy Richards)

Links

Connect with Cathy Richards:

https://www.cathyrichards.net/blog/taking-a-year-to-inspire-vitality-in-yourself https://www.cathyrichards.neet

https://www.instagram.com/inspiringvitality

https://www.linkedin.com/in/cathymrichards/

https://www.cathyrichards.net/brainpower.html https://www.facebook.com/groups/intentionallivingandlongevity

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith: The 7 Types of Rest

Sun, 08 Sep 2024 04:00:00 +0000

“We really need to break our limitations of what we say rest is,” says Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith, a board-certified internal medicine physician, internationally renowned thought leader on well-being, and author of the bestselling book “Sacred Rest: Recover Your Life, Renew Your Energy, Restore Your Sanity.” By overwhelming demand, Dr. Saundra joins the FRIED podcast to discuss the seven types of rest, which she explains is distinct from—but nonetheless essential to—sleep. She’ll explain how you can determine in which area of your life—from the mental, physical and emotional, to the sensorial, spiritual and creative—-you are experiencing the greatest rest deficit, and how you can begin to fill those empty buckets amidst your busy life, not around it.

Along the way she reveals some surprising insights about the nature of rest and unpacks some of our most enduring misconceptions about it. Often what we think of as rest is really more work and when we think we are relaxing we are just indulging ourselves. She explains the difference between fitting in and true belonging, why trauma dumping can actually cause more stress, and why that watercolor painting class is not as creatively restoring as you may think it is.

Over 250,000 people have discovered their personal rest deficit with Dr. Saundra’s help. Join today’s episode to learn how you can discover yours and start your journey toward overcoming burnout and living your best life.

Quotes

“I got to this point where I realized all of the work and energy that I put into building that life that looks so good, I could put the same energy into building a life that actually felt good, and that actually was a life that was satisfying and did give me the things that I desire.” (4:49 | Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith)
“Do something. Don’t settle for exhaustion. I feel like that’s the culture we’ve lived in. We’ve settled for, ‘Well this is just how everybody feels. Everybody’s burnt out. Everyone’s exhausted. Nobody’s happy.’ It’s not true. It’s a lie.” (13:51 | Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith)
“I think for a lot of people, we feel like sleep is the end all/be all of rest. And so we try to bypass all other forms of stress and just go straight to, ‘Give me six, seven, eight hours of deep, restorative sleep,’ and that’s just not the reality of it. You can pop pills all day, you’re not going to have restorative sleep. It just doesn’t work like that. It’s something that comes when your body, your mind, your spirit, your relationships, all of those components of rest feel safe, they feel rested. So, then it’s like your whole self is able to completely go into the truly helpless state of deep, restorative sleep.” (17:32 | Saundra Dalton-Smith)
“Fifty years ago…we trained our brains for memorization, concentration and focus, whereas now we train our brains to multitask.” (21:08 | Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith)

Links

Connect with Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith:

https://www.drdaltonsmith.com/

https://www.instagram.com/drdaltonsmith

https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdaltonsmith/

https://restquiz.com/

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

#straightfromcait: Top 6 Environmental Factors that Burn You Out

Sun, 01 Sep 2024 04:00:00 +0000

“Making yourself feel good in your own space is really important,” urges host Cait Donovan on today’s episode of FRIED, the second in a six-part series dedicated to the various factors that make us more vulnerable to burnout. Following the episode which covered factors in the workplace, today’s episode discusses the impact of our environment—both interior and exterior—on our parasympathetic nervous system and our ability to handle stress. Today, Cait will cover the importance of light exposure—and lack thereof—as well green spaces, clutter piles, and when. You’ll learn why even the way you store your cutlery can change the way you feel in your own space.

No matter how much time, energy or money you have to devote to changing your environment—every little adjustment makes a difference. Cait shares research and science behind her suggestions, while also encouraging you to cater to your own individual preferences. She’ll share the three colors that are proven to inspire calm in the home, how to increase the function of your prefrontal cortex and how to create community around you even when you live alone.

What small shift can you make in your environment in the next week? With that one small change you will begin to buy yourself the energy you will need to make the larger changes in your burnout recovery.

Quotes

“A lot of times, this is something that we have a lot of control over for relatively low cost—if not totally free—and we’re not thinking about it because so much of the “self-help” work out there is about fixing your mindset, and managing your perfectionism and doing something about your boundaries. Sometimes, when you can’t do any of those things, I want you to know there is still something you can do, some changes you can make, some influence you can have without having to be focused on doing all this work all the time.” (2:02 | Caitlin Donovan)
“When you view the sunrise and view the sunset and your eyes are exposed—there are actually cones and rods in your eyes that are exposed to a particular level of blue light that’s given out during those hours, that help to set off your hormonal cascade, the circadian rhythm of your hormonal cascade properly.” (6:49 | Caitlin Donovan)
“When we’re thinking about burnout recovery, we [often think] ‘Go boundaries, and have these conversations and maybe even quit your job or talk to your manager,’ and do all these big life things. Sometimes, the first thing you need to do is buy a round nightstand or something else equally seemingly insignificant in your world that will help lower your stress level so that you can manage the other things in your life with more ease so that you have more buffer in your stress response system to be able to handle the rest of life.” (13:41 | Caitlin Donovan)
“You should feel community within your household if there are other people who live with you, and/or around your household. So, if there is no community at all in your neighborhood, even if the only community you have is that you have a dog and the fellow dog walkers say hello to each other when they’re out, that matters.” (17:32 | Caitlin Donovan)

Links

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Claudia Taboada: Caregiving for Neurodiverse Children While Recovering From Burnout

Sun, 25 Aug 2024 04:00:00 +0000

“I completely lost myself, my physical, mental and emotional well-being, but I lost my identity. I was no longer Claudia, I was the caregiver,” explains today’s guest Claudia Taboada, a holistic wellness and burnout prevention coach, bestselling author and international speaker who joins FRIED today to discuss the experience of burnout by those who care for neurodiverse children. After her oldest son was diagnosed with autism in 2003, Claudia left her job to care for him full time. Soon, not only was she mentally and physically exhausted from trying to be, as she called it, the “autism supermom” but she lost sight of her own goals and aspirations along the way. On today’s episode, she explains how a guide dog who had been gifted to the family to help with son’s development, actually helped her realize how important it is for those who care for everyone else to carve out time to care for themselves, to de-clutter their minds, to get their bodies moving and reconnect with themselves.

Of course, for most women, this is easier said than done. Claudia talks to host Cait Donovan about the pressure to people-please, to put one’s own needs last on the list, and the importance of filling your own cup. She also discusses setting mental boundaries against toxic people and influences, while also pushing past our own limiting beliefs and fears, and what she does to foster a growth mindset.

Quotes

“It was really about decluttering the mind. On these walks, I was by myself—and the dog—but I was into the present moment. They were mindful walks, I called them ‘the mindful walks.’ I was on my stride, and the smells, the sights—everything. So, I was in the present moment and that finally allowed my mind to start decluttering. The mind started to declutter and I started to reconnect with myself.” (9:37 | Claudia Taboada)
“I crossed the finish line and that was the moment, that was my epiphany—my real epiphany—where I said, ‘This is it. Burnout stops here. I need to take charge. I need to take charge of my physical, mental and emotional health because I have been neglecting myself and as the mother of a severely autistic child who is going to be dependent on me for the rest of his days, I cannot die. I need to recover from this burnout and I need to stay in peak mental, physical and emotional state to be able to not only take care of him in the long run, but also go after my dreams and my aspirations, which I had lost.” (13:26 | Claudia Taboada)
“I also have my own identity now. So even though my life is harder now because I’m by myself, taking care of my son, I’m also feeling fulfilled and I’m doing my things and I have my business and all that. And I have learned how to put my boundaries around my caregiving role so that I can do my own things as well.” (20:15 | Claudia Taboada)
“Women, we have been conditioned to give, to be everything to everyone and we put ourselves at the bottom of the priority list, and when we start setting boundaries and when we start saying, ‘Well, maybe I also have needs,’ we feel guilty. Whether it’s at work or it’s at home, we feel guilty.” (22:02 | Claudia Taboada)

Links

Connect with Claudia Taboada:

https://claudiataboada.com/

www.linkedin.com/in/claudia-taboada-216a901bb

https://calendly.com/claudiataboada/30-minute--gameplan-call

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

#FRIEDguides: Irrational Fears Are a Sign of Depletion: The Chinese Medicine that Explains Fear During Burnout

Sun, 18 Aug 2024 04:00:00 +0000

“Irrational fear is just a sign of depletion,” said Sarah Vosen in a recent conversation with co-host Cait Donovan. This profound insight became the foundation for today’s episode. According to Chinese medicine, the paralyzing anxiety that often accompanies burnout—leaving you disconnected from yourself and others, doubting your intuition, and retreating from the world—stems from a depletion of energy in the kidney system. Citing the book “Rooted in Spirit: The Heart of Chinese Medicine,” Cait explains that when the heart and kidney systems fail to connect and communicate, it leads to insecurity, hesitation, and a loss of perspective on life’s possibilities.

So, what can we do about it? Since fear is a physical symptom of a deeper issue, the solution lies in the physical realm. Sarah and Cait discuss dietary changes, exercise, and environmental adjustments that can help restore kidney energy. They also delve into a specific visualization technique and even suggest the best fashion choices to support this healing process.

Join the conversation to discover the surprising and common physical signs that may be linked to the kidney’s energetic system, along with a specific exercise that could bring you the relief you’ve been seeking.

Quotes

“When you’re feeling irrational fear, it feels like it’s the biggest thing, top priority, it is coloring everything in your world. It’s a big deal.” (2:31 | Sarah Vosen)
“It’s just a sign—not to minimize that it feels gigantic, but it’s just a sign—it’s just one of the ways that your body’s telling you, ‘I’m so depleted that I am terrified of everything on purpose. I’m telling you that I’m scared of everything because I want you to sit still. I want you to honor this fear and stop pushing yourself because you are dangerously depleted.’” (3:45 | Sarah Vosen)
“This goes both ways: when this communication is disrupted, fear is the result. And also, when there is too much fear, a disruption of this communication can be the result.” (9:11 | Caitlin Donovan)
“Your hesitation to take a step forward in any direction because you feel like it’s all wrong and you’re going to hurt yourself and you just don’t know. You can’t trust because you’re disconnected from your heart. Your heart is no longer leading you in the way that it used to. We didn’t even used to think about it, but a lot of times, you just thought, ‘Oh. That feels good. I’m going to do that.’ But when you’re not connected to your heart anymore and this fear is driving you, it actually just drives you straight into the ground.” (10:29 | Sarah Vosen)
“Most people don’t necessarily know this but the heart sends more signals to the brain during the day than the brain sends to the heart—this is not Chinese medicine, this is Western research. So, your heart is sending more information to your brain than the other way around. So, your heart has a lot of influence over how you function on a day-to-day basis.” (11:19 | Caitlin Donovan)

Links

To explore burnout, leadership, and sustainable performance through a workplace and organizational lens, connect with Cait Donovan: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-minute reel: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Dr. Jacob Teitelbaum: Is it Chronic Fatigue or is it Burnout?

Sun, 11 Aug 2024 04:00:00 +0000

“If you’re ready to recover, understand what’s going on with you, and get a life you love, let’s do this,” says Dr. Jacob Teitelbaum, a leading expert on Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) and fibromyalgia. The author of 12 books, including the best-selling “From Fatigued to Fantastic,” Dr. Teitelbaum joins the FRIED podcast to discuss the similarities between these conditions and burnout, including four key symptoms, and how they are distinct. He likens the hypothalamus—a crucial brain area controlling hormones, adrenaline, and thyroid function—to a circuit breaker that trips to prevent the body from “burning down.” He suggests that living inauthentically and ignoring our true needs can trigger these health issues, serving as crucial warnings that we need to realign our lives.

Dr. Teitelbaum critiques the shortcomings of a profit-driven Western medical system that often fails to recognize these conditions, despite its claims of evidence-based practice. He and host Cait delve into the benefits of homeopathic and natural remedies, and discuss a common hormonal issue affecting a significant portion of the population.

Dr. Teitelbaum also shares his personal struggle with chronic fatigue, which led him to drop out of medical school and briefly live on a park bench. His journey to becoming a healer in his own right is not only a testament to his resilience but also serves as a beacon of hope for anyone on their own path to recovery from burnout.

Quotes

“Burnout includes the physiology of CFS and fibromyalgia, sometimes, but burnout, to me, is when you’re not being authentic. You’re doing stuff you don’t want to be doing—you’re doing what you should be doing, but you hate it, you’ve outgrown that.” (8:25 | Dr. Jacob Teitelbaum)
“Do you see chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia or long Covid as a more extreme place from burnout? Yes. It’s when your body’s giving you a symptom of burnout to say, ‘You’re on the wrong path; Cliff Ahead,’ and getting you to slow down and change direction. The cliff is chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia or that part of long Covid. That’s when you go over the cliff because you didn’t listen to your psyche when it said, ‘Wrong Way.’” (12:04 | Caitlin Donovan and Dr. Jacob Teitelbaum)
“People need to realize there’s not a single way to get to where you want to go. You can go north and south and get to the same place, you just need to turn west. There are all kinds of ways to get there. In medicine, we’re geared to, ‘What is the most profitable?’ The doctors are almost all really good people who think they’re doing the right thing. They say their catechisms every morning, they say, ‘Evidence-based medicine. Domini, Domini, Domini.’ And the drug reps are these cheerleaders.” (35:13 | Dr. Jacob Teitelbaum)
“Steer with some simple things. Number one: how does that feel to you? Your brain is a computer, it’s a product of your programming… It has no clue who you are. Your feelings know who you are.” (43:45 | Dr. Jacob Teitelbaum)

Links

Connect with Dr. Jacob Teitelbaum:

https://endfatigue.com/

https://www.instagram.com/jacobteitelbaummd/

https://endfatigue.com/wp-content/uploads/documents/gifts/3-Steps-to-Happiness-Healing-Through-Joy.pdf

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

#sarahshares: When Burnout Recovery Feels Like Punishment, This Is What You Do

Sun, 04 Aug 2024 04:00:00 +0000

“We sometimes resist our own healing because it feels like punishment,” says Sarah Vosen in this latest #sarashares episode of FRIED. Today, she discusses the challenge of healing, which despite being good for us, doesn’t necessarily always feel great. And because of this, we are tempted to self sabotage, retreat back into our old coping mechanisms, and continue to sacrifice long term growth and greater reward for smaller, short-term rewards—or merely the illusion thereof. You may recognize yourself in a few of the scenarios that Sarah shares to illustrate how we can backslide down the slippery slope of healing. She also shares her own journey toward healthy eating and forming a new relationship to alcohol, and the incremental success in forming new habits.

As with everything in nature and the universe, contraction is as natural an element of the growth and healing process as expansion. So, on our healing journey, for every step forward there may be a retreat back to old, comforting habits, especially when we’re physically and emotionally exhausted. That’s why we must take it slow and steady, show ourselves grace and reward, and look for and accept support. Sarah discusses the subject of “revenge procrastination,” and the big questions that lay at the heart of our resistance to change.

With vulnerability and courage, Sarah continues to share her own journey with us so that we can learn more about what it means to heal from burnout and take bold action along our own path.

Quotes

“Continuing to use only these instant gratification comforts is like choosing a consolation prize that’s depleting over time because they’re like empty calories—sometimes literally—or sometimes more like empty fulfillment, like how a diet soda is sweet but not really. It isn’t exactly satisfying.The real prizes are the ones that healing provides.” (2:33 | Sarah Vosen)
“All periods of growth have a retreat following them, just like winter is a retreat of energy from the full out growth period of the summer.” (8:23 | Sarah Vosen)
“When you are embarking on a healing journey, remember that in order to change, you have to change, and with change comes growing pains, mostly because you have to shift your habits away from a lifestyle that is the only safety you know, and has been comforting you in some way, for years. Even if it wasn’t helpful for you in many other ways.” (11:52 | Sarah Vosen)
“You’ve heard it said before and I’ll say it again: make smaller changes. If you’re very tired, make even smaller changes. I know it won’t seem like enough, but it will add up.” (19:04 | Sarah Vosen)

Links

Dahlia blooming: https://www.instagram.com/thesusanakennedy/reel/C4IFC-wA3pN/

Scheduling acupuncture with Sarah near Minneapolis, MN:

https://acusimple.com/access/7008/#/appointments/8888/list/42506/2024-03-14/

Connect with Cait:

To explore burnout, leadership, and sustainable performance through a workplace and organizational lens, connect with Cait Donovan: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-minute reel: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Courtney Clark: The Power of Quitting for Less Burnout and More Success

Sun, 28 Jul 2024 04:00:00 +0000

“I’m giving you permission to give up,” says Courtney Clark, author of the recent book “Revisionary Thinking,” who joins the FRIED podcast to talk about the power of quitting. After being diagnosed with cancer four times starting at a very early age, she became acutely aware of the demand our culture makes on staying positive at all costs, creating a vacuum around anything even resembling a negative, or even more realistic thought. In workplace and career, this means we tend to stay on a career path past the time we realize it’s not working, convinced there is only one way to do things.

Quitting doesn’t mean abandoning your dreams—or just lazing on the couch. Instead, Courtney encourages us to ‘supersize’ our dreams, to realize what you really want in the big picture, so that you can allow for more than one path to get there. And the more paths there are to get to our dreams the more chances we have to achieve them.

Most of us have done this type of pivoting in our lives, perhaps without even realizing it. Courtney and Caitlin share their experiences in ‘supersizing’ in their career as well as in their personal lives.

Quotes

“We’ve very much romanticized the idea of powering through and putting on a happy face and I think part of the reason we like it, and we tell ourselves that story that other people are suffering’, Oh, they’re doing it with so much grace,’ we like that because, I believe, that it allows us to cling to this thought, this hope, that, if it were us, we’d be OK, too. ‘It’s bad but it’s not so bad.’ But the reality is then, that can lead friends, family, the support system to minimize.” (7:33 | Courtney Clark)
“I believe we’ve created this culture where if you can’t find positivity, you’re bad and wrong. And if we could just kind of let that go, and maybe just allow two things to co-exist at the same time. You can have gratitude for something for where it got you and what you have because of it and also decide, ‘I don’t have to hold onto this forever.’” (12:23 | Courtney Clark)
“There are a lot of people shouting and saying, ‘Change the system so that it’s what I wanted it to be.’ Instead of, ‘I’m going to quit the system and still help people or still engage with people in a way that’s more aligned.’”(18:17 | Caitlin Donovan)
“A lot of times when we set what we think is a goal, we’ve really made a plan. And when we realize and we buy into the more ways you have to achieve something, the more achievable it is, then in order to build a lot of paths to something, you need to make a bigger goal. This is a strategy I call ‘supersizing’ your goal.” (23:14 | Courtney Clark)

Links

Connect with Courtney Clark:

https://www.courtneyclark.com/

https://www.instagram.com/courtney_l_clark/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/courtneylclark/

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

#straightfromcait: Top 6 Workplace Factors that Burn You Out

Sun, 21 Jul 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Host Cait Donovan is back with another #straightfromcait episode, this time discussing the six factors which leave you most vulnerable to workplace burnout. Drawing from leading research, she will explain how you can evaluate these factors in order to make the best decisions for yourself going forward.

These factors will be all too familiar to longtime FRIED listeners—or anyone going through burnout recovery. Cait discusses the many ways that values can misalign in the workplace as well as how to respond when you feel your contributions are being under appreciated. She’ll reveal just how many friends the average person needs to have in the workplace, according to research, and how to deal with a micromanaging boss.

Tune in to today’s episode where you’ll also learn how to deal with a lack of autonomy and how to determine when your workload is unmanageable.

Quotes

“If you know these things, then you can start to make some changes, see where things can be shifted and where they can’t be shifted and then maybe make some better decisions moving forward in your workplace.” (1:44 | Caitlin Donovan)
“If you have high levels of job strain and low levels of resources, that becomes an unbearable workload.” (2:28 | Caitlin Donovan)
“There’s a ton of research that says that you need one solid friend in the workplace in order to feel like somebody’s got your back and to feel connected to your workplace.” (3:08 | Caitlin Donovan)
“There’s only so much you can do when someone hasn’t learned how to trust the people that work for them. You can’t change that for them, that’s their own stuff that they’ve got to work through. The only control you have is whether or not you work under this person.” (5:18 | Caitlin Donovan)
“If you’re feeling a lack of fairness, you need to know what it’s about in order to decide whether or not you can influence it.” (7:47 | Caitlin Donovan)

Links

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Maggie Reyes: Burnout and the Toll it Takes on Your Love Relationships

Sun, 14 Jul 2024 04:00:00 +0000

“You’re such a light and I feel like your flame is being extinguished,” said Maggie Reyes’ husband when she was experiencing burnout. For many, addressing their partners’ burnout and its impact on the relationship—stress, resentment, uneven distribution of responsibility, feeling unacknowledged—is as challenging as recognizing their own burnout. Today, Maggie, a master certified life coach, modern marriage mentor, and author of the bestselling book “Questions for Couples,” as well as the host of the popular podcast “Marriage Life Coach,” returns to FRIED to discuss how couples can navigate burnout recovery for the benefit of all involved.

Maggie will discuss how those suffering from burnout can start to vocalize and recognize their needs and wants, starting with small steps. Women, in particular, often find it difficult to speak up. Maggie will explain when it’s best to be direct and specific, when to be gentle and loving, and how to know when it’s time to take a break.

What should you do when both partners are burnt out, but one can’t—or won’t—acknowledge it? Tune in to today’s discussion to find out.

Quotes

“What are the symptoms or the byproducts of burnout? If you think specifically in a marriage or in an intimate relationship, it’s the stuff you stop doing where the other person has to pick up the slack, so to speak. If you’re feeling a lot of resentment or they’re just piling on one more thing on top of you and you feel overwhelmed on a regular basis. For you it feels overwhelming, and for them it feels like they’re not being seen, they’re not being seen or being heard.” (4:57 | Maggie Reyes)
“When we have enough self-awareness to know that we’re in it, there’s no subtlety. It’s ‘I’m drowning. I need help. You may not see it because everything is put together, you’re not feeling the effect of it at all because I’m still juggling all these balls, but everything’s about to drop.’” (8:48 | Maggie Reyes)
“What’s hiding in the middle of burnout is, we don’t even know what to ask for because we’re so overwhelmed with everything. But the minute we have any awareness of, ‘I would like it to be warmer,’ then that’s my ask: ‘Can we just close the window?’” So, what is my ‘ask’ here? What would bring me relief here?” (10:27 | Maggie Reyes)
“For some partners, their burnout is their identity. It’s so tied to who they are, how much they do is so tied to who they are that it’s almost like, to deal with their burnout would threaten their self-concept and their image of themselves.” (13:30 | Maggie Reyes)
“If you have to be at a 2 for someone else to be at a 5, you need to run.” (30:39 | Maggie Reyes)

Links

Connect with Maggie Reyes:

https://maggiereyes.com/

https://www.instagram.com/themaggiereyes/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/maggiereyes001/

https://learn.maggiereyes.com/powerquestions

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

#FRIEDguides: How to Job Search, Apply for Jobs, and Interview While You're Burnt Out

Sun, 07 Jul 2024 04:00:00 +0000

“There is a perfect fit out there for you,” encourages host Cait Donovan in this episode of FRIED, where she and Sarah Vosen discuss the process of job searching while recovering from burnout. They guide you through a four-step framework to navigate this challenging process.

The goal is to dig beneath the trauma and anxiety of burnout to where your instincts and intuition can guide you toward what you truly want. This is your chance to reacquaint yourself with your true values, not those imposed by family, friends, or society. You’ll learn how to access Cait’s complimentary worksheet and how to hold yourself accountable as you complete the exercise—ideally more than once.

Though it can be scary to face the working world again while still healing, if you allow yourself to dream big, you’ll find your perfect alignment. Cait and Sarah are living examples of this journey.

Quotes

“This also sort of gives you an opportunity to tap back into your intuition, which you’ve probably lost connection with during burnout and you probably stopped trusting yourself. So, while it takes time to build trust with a new company and new bosses and new team members, it also, in burnout recovery, takes time to build trust with yourself. Can I make the right decision? What if I make the wrong decision?” (7:58 | Cait Donovan)
“Anchor yourself in the belief that there is a well-aligned job out there that will allow you to earn money and keep your health and have colleagues and be joyful—not saying you’re not going to have a stressful day now and again, not saying you’re going to love every single person you work with, it’s not going to be a cult—but there is a perfect fit out there for you. We see this over and over and over again in situations where it really should not exist.” (11:47 | Cait Donovan)
“Honestly, we’re these people, too. I mean, for real. It’s a little different when it’s an entrepreneurial thing because we’re making small adjustments and course corrections over time, but we have become better and better bosses and made decisions that fit each of us. We’re making decisions collectively and individually that are better and better for us and it’s working.” (13:03 | Sarah Vosen)

Links

To explore burnout, leadership, and sustainable performance through a workplace and organizational lens, connect with Cait Donovan: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-minute reel: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Kristin Lis: The Stories I told Myself As A Lawyer That Kept Me Burnt Out (and How I Changed Them)

Sun, 30 Jun 2024 04:00:00 +0000

“It was something I was doing just for me, no one else, a very unfamiliar feeling,” says today’s guest Kristin Lis, reflecting on her decision to begin burnout recovery with host Caitlin Donovan as her burnout coach, nearly a year before today’s interview. At that time, Kristin's mental fog was so severe that she couldn't read or form coherent sentences, a critical issue for her role as a lawyer focused on amicable divorce and family matters. Like many suffering from burnout, her boundaries were almost non-existent. She took calls and checked emails at all hours, even conducting Zoom hearings while at Disney World—practices deemed normal and necessary in the legal field. She was constantly reshaping herself to fit into her company’s mold.

In today’s episode of FRIED, Kristin discusses the devastating effects of values misalignment, whether between a company’s stated versus practiced values, an employee’s values versus the company’s, or your own values versus those you aspire to live by. When Kristin allowed herself to fully imagine her ideal life and work, and was willing to proceed without a map or a net, something truly amazing happened.

Kristin’s story exemplifies what can occur when we break free from the limiting narratives we tell ourselves and allow ourselves the time and grace needed to heal.

Quotes

“What I do for a living isn’t a value. The role I have in family life, that’s not a value. And I also can’t borrow values from an organization I work with. I had to figure out not only what my values were, but actually what I wanted them to be, and those were two very different things.” (16:38 | Kristin Lis)
“That misalignment—I’ve heard of misalignment, everybody’s heard this on the podcast—that is a huge factor for burnout. When we’re not living in integrity with ourselves, it’s this internal conflict that doesn’t necessarily show up except for that tight feeling in the chest and the really sick feeling in your stomach. When you’re perceiving and doing something and it doesn’t really truly represent the best part of you, but you’ve convinced yourself that this is the only way to do it because this is the way it’s done in this field, or my office, and it’s unsettling.” (17:42 | Kristin Lis)
“I was fully prepared to take a 50% payout. I thought that if I worked half the time, I would make half the money. And instead it was completely inaccurate. Again, it was another story I was telling myself in order to kind of compel me to stay in the same massively burnout-y, toxic corporate structure.” (28:40 | Kristin Lis)

Links

Need to get started on your burnout recovery? Download the Core Values Worksheet today!

https://bit.ly/corevaluesfreebie

Connect with Kristin Lis:

www.iheartdivorce.com

https://www.instagram.com/iheartdivorce/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristinlis/

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

#straightfromcait: The F.R.I.E.D. Framework for Burnout Recovery for Individuals AND Companies

Sun, 23 Jun 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Many of us know what it means to be burned out, but do you know what it means to be F.R.I.E.D.? On today’s episode Cait breaks down the five elements that make up the acronym F.R.I.E.D., five pillars—Facility safety, Reprioritize, Internal world, Explore what’s possible and Dedicate yourself—which comprise the main framework of burnout recovery. Within that framework, however, your recovery process is as individual as you are. In this episode, Cait expands on each aspect of the framework, while encouraging you to determine how to incorporate them into your own burnout recovery in a way that suits you best. The goal is to make choices that align with you, while keeping you moving forward on the pathway to recovery.

Cait will ask you to consider what you can do to create buffers in both your internal and external environments so that you are more resilient when, inevitably, things go wrong. Think about what you are willing to change or let go of, so that you start seeing new and better results. Understand your BRFs (burnout risk factors) and BPFs (burnout prevention factors), and recognize where you need to draw boundaries, and where you need to expand your possibilities.

Burnout recovery is an ongoing process and there will be inevitable setbacks. But through dedication and commitment there will also be inevitable growth and positive change.

Quotes

“The F.R.I.E.D framework has everything that you need in order to recover, is generic enough to cover a lot of different processes, and specific enough to give you guidance if you feel lost.” (3:59 | Caitlin Donovan)
“I have so many people asking me if they can get back to normal. I don’t actually want you to get back to normal. Normal is what got you here. So, we need to figure out what your new normal could be that can allow you to live sustainably and have well-being for the long term in your life.” (9:17 | Caitlin Donovan)
“Dedicate yourself to living a burnout-free life. Dedicate yourself to living a life that feels like you want it to feel rather than looks how you think it should look.” (19:32 | Caitlin Donovan)
“The body is designed to not stay in perfect harmony. The body is designed to be pushed out of center and come back to some middle-ish range.” (20:29 | Caitlin Donovan)

Links

Need to get started on your burnout recovery? Download the Core Values Worksheet today! https://bit.ly/corevaluesfreebie

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Aria Johnson: Uncovering the True You During Burnout Recovery

Sun, 16 Jun 2024 04:00:00 +0000

“The self-abuse—that we don’t even realize we’re doing—is so glorified in this society.” Aria Johnson, a TV personality and celebrity voice coach, is best known for appearing as the music expert in the hit Reelz series “Beverly Hills Pawn.” Though this was ostensibly a reality show, Aria was ultimately playing a character—not unlike countless people who cast themselves as characters in their own realities, and like Aria they end up burned out emotionally and even physically. There is a particular pressure on women, she says, to portray a manufactured image based on impossible standards and to overachieve in all aspects of life. As Cait points out, this is why so many burnout sufferers think they are self-aware when they are merely character-aware.

On today’s FRIED episode, Aria, now a motivational speaker and host of the “Behind the Glitz” podcast, talks about the central feeling of “not enough-ness” from which so many of us–even the rich and famous–operate. She explains how she learned to view self-care as a necessity rather than a luxury, one that has nothing to do with bubble baths or bro science. She and Cait discuss the importance not just of asking for help but of asking in the way that’s most beneficial and productive for all involved, and why in order to gain peace, you must forfeit perfectionism and control.

Quotes

“How many of us have cast ourselves as characters in our own lives? It’s true. The perfect mother, the perfect wife, the perfect corporate baddie, the perfect entrepreneur. I think it’s something women suffer from more than men—men suffer in a different way—but for women, our image is so important. And we don’t do it for us.” (5:58 | Caitlin Donovan and Aria Johnson)
“Most of us burn out because we are trying to be something that we are not. We are trying to be the superwoman version of ourselves that we are told we have to be because we are handed on a platter, every single day, 22-year-old women that look a certain way, and they’re badasses in their careers, and all these things.” (12:38 | Aria Johnson)
“We think we’re self aware, but what we are is character aware. We are aware of the chosen character that we think will get us the life that we want.” (14:49 | Caitlin Donovan)
“It is glorified in this society for you to abuse yourself.” (20:39 | Aria Johnson)

Links

Need to get started on your burnout recovery? Download the Core Values Worksheet today! https://bit.ly/corevaluesfreebie

Connect with Aria Johnson:

https://ariajohnson.com/

https://www.instagram.com/ariajohnsonofficial

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ariajohnson/

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

#FRIEDguides: How to Listen to Your Body for Burnout Recovery

Sun, 09 Jun 2024 04:00:00 +0000

FRIED Fam!—Another fried guide episode arrives by popular demand! This time hosts Cait and Sarah are talking about the holistic guide to burnout recovery, and that includes learning to listen to your body’s signals to figure out what larger issue they’re trying to draw your attention to. Most of us are so accustomed to ignoring our bodies’ signals and burnout signs—pain, rashes, reflux—or even just having to pee!— that we forget that we have the option to address them. But when we do, we build trust with ourselves and our bodies, and over time learn to regulate our emotions and bring ourselves into closer alignment with who we truly are and what truly brings us joy.

Which isn’t to say it’s easy. Our culture—from teachers and coaches to doctors—have taught many of us to push through our pain. Cait and Sarah compare the way that American Olympic gymnast Kerri Strug was hailed as a hero for putting her body in danger for the sake of her team, while fellow American Olympic gymnast Simone Biles was vilified for listening to her own needs and bowing out of the games. Sarah shares a story about a recent party that she threw for herself and what her body’s signals told her in the days leading up about her issues with knowing what she wants and asking for it.

Everyone’s burnout recovery process, and body signals, are unique. Sarah and Cait will show you how you can begin to hear the personal message your body is trying to send you.

Quotes

“Everybody’s body does this. But there are so many physical things that we are accustomed to feeling discomfort in, that we override them and we don’t know how to interpret them, so we just move about our day.” (8:33 | Caitlin Donovan)
“When you pay attention to it, you grow a part of your brain that teaches you to be more in tune with yourself. And, the research shows, when you pay attention to these small little things like peeing when you have to pee and drinking when you’re thirsty, guess what happens? Your ability to emotionally regulate improves.” (12:14 | Caitlin Donovan)
“You build trust with yourself in this process, which creates safety. Not only are you meeting the immediate need by emptying your bladder, also your body says, ‘Oh! Thank you for listening.’” (13:06 | Sarah Vosen)
“This is now changing because people don’t put up with things the way they used to, but Sarah and I grew up as gymnasts. You play through the pain, man! Pain is not a reason to stop. Pain is a reason to add tape. Add tape. Oh, my God, I had so much tape on my body and Ibuprofen in my system.” (24:43 | Caitlin Donovan and Sarah Vosen)
“It might be overwhelming to tune in, because when you’re in burnout, all of your alarm bells are firing. Your nervous system is on high alert. So it may feel like an emergency when you tune in and that’s because it is.” (41:12 | Sarah Vosen)

Links

Need to get started on your burnout recovery? Download the Core Values Worksheet today: https://www.caitdonovan.com/freebie-values

To explore burnout, leadership, and sustainable performance through a workplace and organizational lens, connect with Cait Donovan: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-minute reel: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Jaime Rabin: Using the Power of Your Home to Support Your Burnout Recovery

Sun, 02 Jun 2024 04:00:00 +0000

“The home is a container for our sensory inputs, and the inputs to our sense organs affect us tremendously,” says Dr. Jaime Rabin, doctor of acupuncture, certified feng shui practitioner and executive leader of Deepak Chopra’s Global Awareness brand. She joins the FRIED podcast today to tell us what we can do to make our living spaces soothing, sanctuaries that infuse us with energy, promote well-being, improve our state of mind and help to form long term behavioral changes. As we discussed in the last episode, emotional detritus buildup blocks energy from flowing freely in the body, and it’s the same with physical clutter in the house. On today’s episode dedicated to burnout and feng shui, Dr. Jaime reveals some of the surprising aspects of your environment that may be causing that energy to leak, as well as her “green flags” and “red flags” when assessing someone’s home.

Feng shui starts at the front door—and that’s exactly where you should leave your self-judgment. The process of optimizing your home is highly personal, and while evaluating your surroundings and your needs requires honesty, this should be a positive experience. Learn how to create engaging visual cues that make sense for you, even if it’s just a pretty box for your doom pile.

Are your plants and pets working for your home? Join Dr. Jaime to learn more about symbology, the psychology of color, and incorporating the five elements of nature into your home.

Quotes

“There are two things: there’s the removal of that which is irritating you and adding to your stress and overwhelm—the decluttering, the switching things out, fixing, the mending all of that. And then there’s also the intentional. ‘OK, now, how do I bring in the things that, like you said, the sunshine yellow or whatever it may be for each person. And it doesn’t have to be a complete overhaul.” (10:30 | Dr. Jaime Rabin)
“You start letting go of things. And the more the process of letting go then it opens up portals for people, because now they’ve created space for new possibility.” (12:46 | Dr. Jaime Rabin)
“Something you can do is start to ask yourself, ‘Where in my home have I accumulated things and what is that saying about where I am right now?’” (13:59 | Dr. Jaime Rabin)
“Never feel shame about the things that you need help and support with, and then find the personalized solution for them.” (22:28 | Dr. Jaime Rabin)
“The front door specifically is considered the mouth of chi in the home. It is where the fresh energy enters the home, it’s where you welcome your friends and your family, and so the ease with which you enter your home is something extremely important.” (24:51 | Dr. Jaime Rabin)
“I’m noticing vibe, I’m noticing flow and then I’m noticing opportunities for intentional design. I’d say those are the real three things that I’m noticing.” (42:22 | Dr. Jaime Rabin)

Links

Need to get started on your burnout recovery? Download the Core Values Worksheet today! https://bit.ly/corevaluesfreebie

Connect with Dr. Jaime Rabin:

lluministaliving.com

https://www.instagram.com/drjaimerabin/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaimerabin/

https://www.illuministaliving.com/feng-shui-personality-quiz

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

#friedguides: Why Am I So Clumsy and Injury Prone During Burnout?

Sun, 26 May 2024 04:00:00 +0000

“When I’m stressed, I trip more, I bang into things more, I stub my toe more—so there’s definitely something going on here,” Cait shares, highlighting the curious link between burnout and clumsiness. In this latest "Fried Guide" episode, Sarah Vosen joins Cait to delve deeper into why burnout can make us more accident-prone and even lead to injuries. They discuss how stress can cause physical reactions like tensed neck muscles and narrowed peripheral vision, making us clumsier.

According to Chinese medicine, unprocessed emotions can accumulate in the liver, decaying and poisoning our system. This toxic buildup, combined with neglecting our basic needs like rest and proper nutrition, leads to a depletion so severe that our bodies can't even benefit from healthy inputs. Sarah explains how ignoring our spiritual needs contributes to this misalignment, exacerbating our stress and physical discoordination.

So, what’s the solution? Identifying a personal outlet—whether it’s exercise, journaling, or engaging in meaningful conversations—and approaching these activities with mindfulness and intention. Cait and Sarah share how they navigate their own emotional landscapes and manage their stress cycles, offering insights into finding balance in our complicated lives.

Quotes

“When you’re in the flow of life, and you’re aligned and in balance with yourself, you’re in this flow with everything around you, and therefore, there’s no clumsiness. You’re on it; you’re in your center. Your energy is very intentional. Your thoughts are clear and everything goes smoothly, as you wish.” (3:45 | Sarah Vosen)
“Chronic stress mode, when we’re not processing our emotions or processing life, it gets stored in our tissues and our physical body gets solid, hard, tense, and then everything’s not flexible. We’re meant to be flexible, we’re meant to be like a tree that bends in the wind, but when all that stuff builds up and you’re just hanging on tight and you’re tense, not only are you not seeing with your eyes but your body can’t, really it’s just not flowing.” (8:07 | Sarah Vosen)
“The same way that we have overactive emotions when we’re burnt out, we know we’re responding ridiculously but we can’t help ourselves, this is the same when we injure ourselves and have a pain response. It’s above and beyond and not appropriate to the thing that happened.” (9:59 | Caitlin Donovan)
“When you’re burnt out your body is under-resourced. So, it doesn’t have the tools or the resources that it needs to deal with the injuries that aren’t life-threatening, which is why it usually takes someone getting really sick, or really hurt, or really ending up in the hospital to start responding.” (32:19 | Caitlin Donovan)

Links

Need to get started on your burnout recovery? Download the Core Values Worksheet today!

https://www.caitdonovan.com/freebie-values

To explore burnout, leadership, and sustainable performance through a workplace and organizational lens, connect with Cait Donovan: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-minute reel: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Jahmaal Marshall: Trauma Responses on Autopilot Lead to Burnout

Sun, 19 May 2024 04:00:00 +0000

“Are you an introvert or just into hurt?” asks Jahmaal Marshall, certified counselor and founder of Listen Then Speak LLC and the podcast of the same name. Many of us develop behavior and personae, he explains, around a need to protect ourselves from rejection, and we carry these into our personal and professional adult lives. Growing up with a severely addicted father, Jahmaal became as he calls it, “the classic chameleon,” overachieving in school and later at work, fulfilling everyone’s needs in an effort not to cause problems. Today on FRIED, he and Cait talk about the connection between childhood trauma and burnout, the resentment that can build up in us when we feel like we are giving with no reciprocation and the resentment we can experience from others when we set boundaries for ourselves.

When we give with the expectation of receiving in return, we may think we’re being generous when actually we are assuming others’ needs, or acting from our own neediness. We can also close ourselves off to the many unexpected ways in which people can show their gratitude.

Join today’s discussion to find out what happened when Jahmaal drew a line in the sand at work, and the important lesson he learned.

Quotes

“I just wanted someone to say, ‘You’ve done well.’ Not that my mom didn’t do those things, but it’s something about when a dad speaks into his son’s life and calls the man out of him. I didn’t have that as a little boy. So, I went through most of my professional life basically searching for that.” (5:09 | Jahmaal Marshall)
“My excellence, my quote-unquote high performance, was just a trauma response of a fear of rejection. I did not want to be rejected. So, it’s not that I didn’t know how to say no, I refused. Let’s key in on that word: I refused to say no, because I wanted to protect myself.” (8:09 | Jahmaal Marshall)
“That expectation we have and that desire to give and receive, we’ve even been taught that—I’m a Christian— we’ve been taught that in faith-based spaces, if you give you’ll receive. That’s not always the case. It actually already puts you in the place of a false motive of life is like a genie in a bottle that I can just rub. And if I rub it like this, something’s going to pop out, and this is going to be my return on the investment I made.” (17:10 | Jahmaal Marshall)
“Are you an introvert or are you just into hurt? Do you have hurt and pain that is not processed that is causing you to turtle your way through life to play it safe. There are people who are actually introverts, but you have a lot of people who are extroverts masquerading as an introvert to protect themselves from pain that has not been processed.” (29:02 | Jahmaal Marshall)

Links

Need to get started on your burnout recovery? Download the Core Values Worksheet today!

https://bit.ly/corevaluesfreebie

Connect with Jahmaal Marshall:

https://listenthenspeak.com/

https://mindsetmastermethod.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jahmaalmarshall/

https://topmate.io/jahmaal_marshall

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

#straightfromcait: Realities of Burnout Recovery and Coaching (Behind the Scenes)

Sun, 12 May 2024 04:00:00 +0000

“I don’t want to convince you that whenever we finish working, you should be dancing, pirouetting on clouds in ballet slippers,” host Caitlin Donovan explains on this solo episode of FRIED, where she talks about managing expectations from burnout recovery work, particularly the program FRIED offers lead by her partner Sarah Vosen. In a space that, largely for marketing purposes, will promise that you’ll come out the other side of recovery feeling nothing but joy forever after, Cait offers some refreshing transparency about what she offers, why she specifically only offers short-term help, and the seemingly simple outcomes that will completely change your quality of life.

Health, peace, productivity, improved communication–these are all huge things made all the more sweet for having recovered from burnout. Yet, recovery doesn’t mean a life free from problems. Cait explains her reasoning behind only offering short-term coaching and why Sarah stopped offering coaching packages.

There is no one, perfect way to be coached or to find your way out of burnout. The best first step is to get clear about your goals and the results you yourself want to achieve.

Quotes

“I can’t promise you that we’re going to go from burned out to blissed out. I can’t promise you that you’re going to go from burned out to fired up. I can’t promise you that you’re going to go from burned out to completely joyful and fulfilled. I don’t even think that’s what we’re aiming for.” (2:10 | Caitlin Donovan)
“This initial three-month kick is just to get you out of the muck.” (3:58 | Caitlin Donovan)
“Getting clarity around those goals and what those results should be for you is more important than my telling you you’re going to have fulfillment and be joyful and have bliss.” (6:47 | Caitlin Donovan)
“We’re not painting this magical picture of where you’re going to be. I want to share that with you because I want you to know how we’re thinking about it behind the scenes, how we’re thinking about you behind the scenes, and how we want to show up for you as honestly as we can—I mean, this is pretty honest—in a space that often feels a little disingenuous.” (8:06 | Caitlin Donovan)
“Coaching, therapy, healing—it’s not magical. It’s messy. It definitely leads to a better life—there’s no way I would want the life I had back then compared to the life I have now. But am I skating through life without problems? No. Do I never feel resentment? Jesus—hell, no. I’m still human. You’re still going to be human after going through this process.” (8:56 | Caitlin Donovan)

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Dr. Kristen Donnelly & Dr. Erin Hinson: The Culture of Burnout

Sun, 05 May 2024 04:00:00 +0000

“How are we not supposed to burn out? That’s what our culture wants us to do: produce, make and do until we can’t anymore,” says Dr. Erin Hinson who, with Dr. Kristen Donnelly, joins the FRIED podcast to discuss the origins of burnout culture in the United States. Early religious tenets have formed our attitude toward hard work and individualism, those tenets evolved into modern-day capitalism and the resulting false and damaging beliefs remain hard-baked into the American identity. Drawing from their bestselling book “The Culture of Burnout,” they’ll discuss the dangers of equating hard work with morality, basing one’s self worth on what they are able to produce and the myth of the lone conquering hero.

While no one is immune from this type of social conditioning, female-identified and non-binary people tend to be targeted the most by this propaganda. Dr. Erin discusses caregiver burnout, the gender roles we perpetuate that we aren’t even aware of. Dr. Kristen points out the hypocrisy of American culture demanding we be individualistic while also telling us not to trust ourselves and the emotional bonds that are formed when we ask for help.

We are not beholden to the stories our culture creates for us. With the tiny changes we make with each new day, we have the chance to write our own.

Quotes

“There are shades of this in other cultures all over the world, we are never going to say that America is the only culture that has burnout ever because that’s a lie that someone would use to sell more books and that’s not who we are. But what we will say is there’s a specific flavor of it here that’s so tied to the wellness industrial complex and the process of making money for other people that we need to call that out.” (10:25 | Dr. Kristen Donnelly)
“How are we not supposed to burn out? We are supposed to burn out because that’s what the culture wants us to do. It wants us to produce until we can’t anymore. It wants us to make, it wants us to do, until we can’t anymore.” (12:12 | Dr. Erin Hinson)
“America just thinks the myth of the individual hardworking hero is the archetype we should all live up to, and not only is it a lie, but it kills a lot of us every year.” (14:03 | Dr. Kristen Donnelly)
“We are all just figuring it out as we go along and we can ask for help. We have to, because none of us know what we’re doing.” (38:04 | Dr. Kristen Donnelly)
“I should figure it out, because I can. I should do it by myself because I don’t want to be a bother. That’s my thing. I don’t want to bother anybody. Everybody else is stressed out; everybody else is busy. I don’t want to be stressful, I don’t want to be a bother. I didn’t realize how deeply ingrained that was until we wrote this book.” (44:33 | Dr. Erin Hinson)

Links

Connect with Dr. Kristen Donnelly & Dr. Erin Hinson:

https://www.abbey-research.com

http://www.instagram.com/abbeyresearch

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristendonnellyphd

https://www.linkedin.com/in/erinhinsonphd

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

#friedguides Why Your Burnout Recovery is Stuck (and How to Unstick It)

Sun, 28 Apr 2024 04:00:00 +0000

“You’re going to have to surrender and have patience and be ready and willing to be annoyed.” On today’s episode of FRIED, Sarah Vosen and Cait review some of the common reasons why your burnout recovery may not be working, or not working as fast as you’d like. First off—you may be overdoing it, which is the exact kind of perfectionistic approach that burned you out in the first place. You have to be open to doing things differently and going at a slower pace than you may be used to. If you’re expecting to make progress using the usual self-care tricks on Instagram and TikTok, you’re in for disappointment. Instead, Cait and Sarah will share with you what will actually get you back on track to the other side of burnout.

Burnout recovery is a convalescent period. Your environment—physical, home, work, family, and relationships— can make or break your process. Sarah and Cait will explain how to put yourself first, why treating yourself in the smallest ways makes a world of difference, and why you shouldn’t do this alone. Sarah will share the physiological change that she describes as “miraculous” and that sped up her recovery journey overnight, and reveal the emotional state that has recently been determined to be worse for your health than smoking.

You have to believe there is another, better life waiting for you once you recover from burnout. Join Cait and Sarah as they help you remove the obstacles that may be blocking your path.

Quotes

“The recovery mode is a healing process. There’s a lot of repair that needs to occur to your body, mind, and spirit in the very beginning. You have to basically convalesce. That’s a tough one to go from running on adrenaline to convalescing. So it’s going to feel like shit, and it’s going to be awkward, and you’re not going to like it and you might not be able to do it at first.” (7:14 | Sarah Vosen and Cait Donovan)
“It’s too big of a jump. You go from not having yourself in the equation of your life to trying to be Number 1 in your life? It’s too much change at one time. There’s too much guilt involved in that, there’s too much fear of disappointing all those people you’ve been trying to help for all those years. You’re worried they’re all going to turn on you and so there’s all this negative reinforcement in your mind about giving yourself what you need.” (9:58 | Sarah Vosen)
“Small environmental changes, you might not think they matter that much, but they are critical.” (20:56 | Cait Donovan)
“We talked about ‘other care.’ Sometimes you have to outsource some of this—and not just coaching and therapy—the physical care of your body has to be outsourced to someone.” (28:31 | Cait Donovan)
“Loneliness increases your risk of mortality by 40 percent. I could not believe that statistic when I heard it. Loneliness is now considered more detrimental than smoking.” (31:28 | Sarah Vosen)
“Recovery requires taking off the blinders or having someone support you who doesn’t have blinders on who says, ‘Oh, no. There’s a world of possibility for you. Let me offer you an exit pathway from this life with blinders on to one that actually works for you.’” (36:02 | Sarah Vosen)

Links

To explore burnout, leadership, and sustainable performance through a workplace and organizational lens, connect with Cait Donovan: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-minute reel: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Colleen Kachmann: Is Drinking Part of Your Burnout Story?

Sun, 21 Apr 2024 04:00:00 +0000

“I’m in recovery from recovery,” explains Colleen Kachmann, Certified Master Life and Recovery Coach who joins the podcast to share her story of dealing with alcohol and burnout, and give new insight into the current understanding of and attitude toward addiction. For years, while playing the role of perfect mother, wife, career woman and volunteer, Colleen was also a self-described heavy day drinker. After joining Alcoholics Anonymous she found herself “indoctrinated” into believing that she was powerless over alcohol. An incident at a family dinner led to the realization that actually, we are all in control of ourselves and our lives. Through self-directed neuroplasticity and nervous system regulation, we can change the stories we tell ourselves about ourselves. She has since founded “Recover with Colleen” where she teaches women who are “lost in the weeds” with alcohol to pursue mental health, happiness and a connection with their power and purpose rather than sobriety.

On today’s episode of FRIED, she’ll describe what she calls “emotional sobriety.” She’ll explain how to develop a growth mindset, break out of victim mentality and learn to stop leading with “I can’t.” She’ll reveal what we’re really afraid of when we start to think of the worst-case scenario in the face of making change and what happens when we deal with “what is” instead of “what if.”

It’s not about the alcohol, Colleen explains. Join today’s discussion to take the first step toward standing in your power.

Quotes

“I raised my children, I taught hot yoga, I taught aerobics, I was a health coach, I was all the things—I volunteered, I worked, I was a good ex-wife and a good new wife and all the things to all the people. So, you can see burnout coming there because I was very perfectionistic about my life. And I had this idea that I was getting away with my drinking.” (4:36 | Colleen Kachmann)
“I became a perfect sober person. I was still playing the alcohol game. My life revolved around the topic of alcohol, but I had to switch teams. Now I’m team sober.” (7:09 | Colleen Kachmann)
“I believe that when we realize that everything we do is actually a choice, now we can choose from a place of power.” (16:57 | Colleen Kachmann)
“We don’t have to make our kids [lives] better. I think the truth underneath that story is we’ve lost ourselves in our kids, it’s been easier to just do the things for everybody else because we can hold our breath longer, and, ‘Oh, look, here’s a bottle of wine. So, I’ll just exchange my needs for some drink tickets, and shut the hell up. I can do that, just give me another drink.’” (28:08 | Colleen Kachmann)
“We think we’re scared of having to live in an apartment after we get the divorce from the big house, or that we can’t do things. But actually you’re afraid of the story you’re going to tell yourself, that you’re starting over, that you failed, that you just lost your whole life or everything was meaningless behind you and you’ve wasted your time. It’s those stories that we’re afraid of.” (31:08 | Colleen Kachmann)

Links

Connect with Colleen Kachmann:

https://recoverwithcolleen.com/

https://www.instagram.com/recoverwithcolleen/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/colleenkachmann/ https://recoverwithcolleen.com/accelerated-recovery-masterclass/6

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

#straightfromcait: Burnout Protection Factors (BPF's)

Sun, 14 Apr 2024 04:00:00 +0000

“Why is it that two people can be in the same exact environment, at the same job, and one person burns out and another person doesn’t?” And not only does that other person not burn out, they thrive?” Well, as it turns out, just like everyone needs a certain amount of sun protection factor (SPF) to protect them from the harmful effects of the sun, so does everyone have their own BPF—burnout protection factor. On today’s solo episode of FRIED, Cait explains how we can build up our own BPFs within the six burnout factors— Work, Self, Health, Family, Overall Culture and Environment.

For example, a BPF in the category of work would be feeling like you are well-sourced and well-supported. She’ll share why being in nature, having a regular sleep schedule, and fixing those little things around the house that you put off all do wonders for building up your protection factors. She’ll also explain the importance of sincere communication between family members and why what we think are our protection factors are very often our risk factors.

By building your protection factor against burnout, you will find you have more to offer the world. By lifting yourself up, you also lift up those around you, and, ultimately, your community.

Quotes

“Why is it that two people can be in the same exact environment, at the same job, and one person burns out and another person doesn’t? And not only does that other person not burn out, they thrive.” (2:09 | Caitlin Donovan)
“For some reason, those of us who need more burnout protection factors, seem to think we don’t need any protection from anything ever at all and we can do everything ourselves and if we’re just perfect then we’ll be fine. We think that perfectionism and people-pleasing are our burnout protection factors, but in fact, they are burnout risk factors. They create more vulnerability for us.” (6:02 | Caitlin Donovan)
“There is zero judgment involved in this. It’s the same as SPF: some people need 4, some people need 50. It’s just your build. It’s fine.” (7:49 | Caitlin Donovan)
“During those times when you are sacrificing for something or putting up with something that you are not willing to change, you need to up your BPFs to balance it out.” (17:55 | Caitlin Donovan)

Links

https://www.friedtheburnoutpodcast.com/post/julie-menanno-secure-love-attachment-needs-burnout-and-your-relationships-with-everything

https://www.friedtheburnoutpodcast.com/post/straightfromcait-burnout-risk-factors-a-holistic-view

https://www.friedtheburnoutpodcast.com/post/straightfromcait-start-your-burnout-recovery-by-taking-the-good-plate

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

John Neral: What to Say/Ask in Interviews When Returning After Burnout

Sun, 07 Apr 2024 04:00:00 +0000

“How you take command of the narrative is what’s going to see you through when you begin to determine what parts, if any, of the story you want to tell.” John Neral, executive and career transition coach, and host of the Mid-Career GPS podcast, joins FRIED to discuss how best to address gaps that burnout leaves in your resume when interviewing with a potential new employer. The first step is removing any shame and recognizing your own power in the process—you are evaluating the company just as much as they’re evaluating you. Using the Four Fs—Fit, Function, Finance, Forward—John advises the questions to ask to determine your values and whether they match the company’s, how to negotiate your best compensation package, and why you should be thinking two steps ahead.

He’ll tell you when to take the conversation deeper and as well as how to avoid wasting both parties’ time. How do those with rejection sensitivity dysmorphia, or those who are still recovering from burnout create the best outcome for both the short term and the long term? Listen as John tells a story about the rude comment one HR executive made that determined his decision of whether to work with the company and his very New Jersey response in return.

Quotes

“We grew up thinking, ‘Oh, my gosh. They’re going to bless me with an interview. I have to be good and I can’t offend them and I can’t—we don’t want to offend anyway—but I can’t upset them and if I ask this question, what are they going to think?’ Some of the best compliments, Cait, when I was interviewing for jobs, that I ever got, were when somebody on the interview panel would look at someone and say, ‘I feel like I’m the one being interviewed,’ and I would say, ‘Well, you are.’” (8:17 | John Neral)
“Oftentimes we think, ‘Oh, gosh. Now, we’re going to talk about money.’ Now battle lines are drawn, it’s them versus us —no, it’s not. Round the edges off. It’s a conversation. ‘This is what I want. Can we make this up here? What about this?’ If anything, it’s an opportunity for you to get really curious, to know what you want but get really curious because how the company negotiates with you at that point is also going to tell you a lot about their culture.” (27:59 | John Neral)
“Oftentimes, job seekers will look at going for a job as an immediate solution or quick fix of getting them out of a situation they’ve been in. ‘I work for a toxic employer. I haven’t had a job, I just have to accept something and move on.’ When people aren’t thinking forward about forward, what happens is this decision becomes very isolative. ‘I’ve checked the box, so now what?’” (32:06 | John Neral)
“Career gaps and break are not as stigmatized or biased as what they were pre-pandemic.”(39:56 | John Neral)
“This is what I needed, this is what I did, here’s what I learned, here’s what I gained, here’s why this is of value to you. Take that gap and turn it back to, ‘Here’s why I’m a better leader, a better employer, here’s what it is that I’ve done.” (43:00 | John Neral)

Links

Connect with John Neral:

Website: https://johnneral.com

Instagram: https://instagram.com/johnneralcoaching

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnneral/

Checklist: https://www.johnneral.com/signup

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

#sarahshares: How do You Resolve Burnout Related Exhaustion?

Sun, 31 Mar 2024 04:00:00 +0000

On a recent trip to Thailand, Sarah experienced jet lag that was comparable only to the exhaustion she experienced while deep in the midst of burnout. She highlights that while jet lag might need just a few days of rest to overcome, recovering from burnout—a state of deep energy depletion—requires more time and patience. Sarah offers practical advice that could potentially reduce the recovery time from burnout by up to 80%, emphasizing the importance of setting realistic expectations and how this approach also helps in alleviating fear and uncertainty.

Throughout the episode, Sarah explores the principles of Chinese medicine, focusing on the most energizing foods and their preparation to maximize energy recovery. She delves into the Chinese concept of having two internal "batteries" and their locations, ways to enhance the quality of your blood and chi (vital energy), and explains why the heart is considered the central element of one's being.

Additionally, Sarah talks about the significance of self-reflection on energy use, the benefits of maintaining a resentment journal, and the crucial step of releasing guilt associated with reaching a state of burnout. She encourages listeners to embrace self-compassion and recognize the potential for improvement, marking the beginning of a journey towards better energy management and self-care.

Quotes

“Unfortunately, burnout exhaustion is not the kind of exhaustion that a few nights of good sleep or a vacation will make better.” (2:18 | Sarah Vosen)
“The Chinese call the heart “the emperor” because they see it as the organ in charge, not the brain.” (7:54 | Sarah Vosen)
“Stop for a second and recognize all the times you’ve spent more energy than you woke up with, thanks to caffeine or sheer willpower to keep pushing and going and doing. And then realize that every time you did that and went to bed beyond exhausted, that you actually dug that hole of depletion deeper. Ugh, I know.” (10:53 | Sarah Vosen)
“Once I got into the habit of pushing the things that weren’t priority from my schedule, I started to see how those things weren’t priority at all. A lot of them weren’t even necessary for me to do, and a lot of them I never did again.” (11:56 | Sarah Vosen)
“Stop and give yourself a hug and acknowledge how much this sucks. And please, borrow my trust that it’s temporary and tell yourself that you will get better, slowly but surely.” (14:41 | Sarah Vosen)

Links

The Resentment Journal: https://www.caitdonovan.com/resentment-journal

Sleep episode with Cait and Sarah: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sfc-s-burnout-and-sleep-a-chinese-medicine-perspective/id1469939920?i=1000641567682

Scheduling acupuncture with Sarah near Minneapolis, MN: https://acusimple.com/access/7008/#/appointments/8888/list/42506/2024-03-14/

To explore burnout, leadership, and sustainable performance through a workplace and organizational lens, connect with Cait Donovan: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-minute reel: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Julie Menanno: Secure Love: Attachment Needs, Burnout, and Your Relationships with... Everything

Sun, 24 Mar 2024 04:00:00 +0000

“Insecure attachment—period—whatever category you’re in, is 100 percent nurture. One hundred percent. It’s a relationally driven disorder.” Dr. Julie Menanno, author of “The Secure Relationship,” joins the FRIED podcast to talk about relationships and attachment theory. For many of us, our parents or caretakers, failed to meet our needs. To control the resulting anxiety, we form insecure attachment, the variety of which Dr. Julie further explains here. These childhood attachment styles then take a toll on our current relationships as we continue to struggle to get our needs met—or even to understand our needs in the first place—engage in non-nourishing coping strategies, and give of ourselves in a way that leaves us depleted rather than replenished.

To be understood is one of our most deep-seated needs. Some of us think we are practicing empathy when actually we have just learned to be hyper-vigilant of others emotions, in order to form our reaction ahead of time. When we make decisions for ourselves and others based on our assumptions of how they feel, we further dysregulate the relationship. Dr. Julie explains a two-fold process for breaking this cycle.

On this episode of FRIED, Dr. Julie will share how to create space for pause and why resentment and anger are useful while blame is not.

Quotes

“The first bit of grace I want you to give yourself today is, if you are a parent or a caregiver and you can be present and secure and balanced 50 percent of the time, you are killing it.” (8:17 | Caitlin Donovan)
“It leaves [you] not knowing how to help yourself, never learning how to help yourself in those places. And [when] we don’t know how to help ourselves, we’re going to go into all sorts of ways, junk food ways, to help ourselves that really don’t help us get [our needs met]. Like I said, junk food meaning, yeah, you’re getting the food, but you’re not getting the nourishment. You’re overfed, undernourished.” (11:00 | Julie Menanno)
“Everybody’s going around trying to feel safe, trying to not feel alone, trying to not feel rejected, and that’s the vehicle to feeling accepted is understanding, and validation and acceptance. I’m breaking them apart, but they’re all the same glob. It’s de-shaming.” (22:26 | Julie Menanno)
“Empathy comes from a regulated place. A balance of head and heart. Empathy does not come from dysregulation and it does not come from emotional cutoff.” (25:29 | Julie Menanno)
“No matter what, this work is about a gift to yourself. It’s about you being your best self for you. And it’s hard because we associate self-work and all these ways of showing up as our best self in the relationship with giving to another in this exhausting way.” (39:24 | Julie Menanno)

Links

Connect with Julie Menanno:

Website: https://thesecurerelationship.com

Instagram: https://instagram.com/thesecurerelationship

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

#straightfromcait: Navigating Leadership Burnout: A Guide For Business Owners and Leaders

Sun, 17 Mar 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Hey, FRIED fam! On today’s episode of The Burnout Podcast, Cait is answering written questions from bosses and leaders, asking how to deal with burnout while balancing all of the other concerns of their company and employees. How can you maintain a healthy workplace culture while recovering from burnout? How do you deal with employees who punch up out of frustration? What if restructuring the business to promote a healthier workplace results in layoffs?

First, Cait makes the distinction between what is and is not a leader’s responsibility. It is their responsibility to implement, enforce and model a healthy and productive workplace culture. It is not their job however, to fix it individually. Hiring an outside party is essential regardless of cost. She reveals one of the biggest drivers of employee burnout, its actual physical effects, and the point at which leaders may just need to get over themselves.

As a boss, you’ll learn #straightfromcait how to positively influence company culture so that everyone wins.

Quotes

“We have to understand that if your workplace culture was healthy, it’s more likely that you wouldn’t have ended up here.” (1:39 | Caitlin Donovan)
“You don’t do it alone. You get support. This is something you have to invest in. It might not have been in your budget. And guess what? You have to do it anyway.” (4:21 | Caitlin Donovan)
“If you are someone who typically burns out, and you’re a people pleaser and a perfectionist, as a business owner, you’ve likely hired other people who are people pleasers and perfectionists. So, you might have employees who are holding on just to help you out and really they’ve wanted to go for two years.” (5:08 | Caitlin Donovan)
“I’m not actually sure that we can challenge the assumption that the burden of setting and resetting the culture rests in the leader, because it does. Leaders have to be the drivers of change and employees can contribute to that but not before the leader sets the tone and the direction. That is literally the job.” (12:25 | Caitlin Donovan)
“One of the things during burnout—and this is fascinating—is you lose some of your peripheral vision, actually, physically, lose peripheral vision. This kind of also works in a brain way. You also can’t see solutions that are not right in front of you. So, when you’re burnt out you kind of tunnel vision yourself and it’s really hard for you to see the bigger picture and how everything is interacting.” (14:45 | Caitlin Donovan)

Links

https://www.friedtheburnoutpodcast.com/post/karina-schneider-how-to-prepare-for-your-return-to-work-after-burnout-or-mental-health-leave

https://www.friedtheburnoutpodcast.com/post/straightfromcait-what-can-companies-do-to-reduce-burnout-risk

https://www.friedtheburnoutpodcast.com/post/straightfromcait-how-companies-can-use-burnout-to-heal-culture-issues

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Andrea Owen: Building Shame Resilience for Burnout Recovery

Sun, 10 Mar 2024 05:00:00 +0000

“Shame is driving the bus of our lives,” says life coach, keynote speaker, author and “hell-raiser” Andrea Owen, who joins the FRIED podcast. In this episode, Andrea shares a four-step process toward building shame resilience, which she learned while studying under author and professor Brene Brown. Many of the behaviors that we engage in–perfectionism, people pleasing, control– are what Brene Brown calls “the armor”. These tactics are means of avoiding shame.

One initial helpful step to building resilience is to become aware of how our shame manifests. Another major step toward building shame resilience is reaching out to others whom you can trust and who have earned the right to hear your story.

Andrea and Cait have advice for those who feel they have no one to whom they can reach out. For those who have always been the “shower-upper” in the relationship, they get into the specifics of how to set the groundwork to allow people to show up for you.

There is no escaping the feeling of shame. It is a human emotion, like joy or sadness. We all experience it and pretty regularly. Instead, we can build resilience to it, and talking about it, as we are on this episode of FRIED, is also a major part of building that resilience.

Quotes

“Shame likes to hide. Shame is a solo-preneur It likes to be behind the scenes. It’s like a ghostwriter, almost. It doesn’t like to be named.” (12:04 | Caitlin Donovan and Andrea Owen)
“Largely, shame is an unconscious feeling and experience that we have because when it is that way, it’s able to do its job better. Its job is to keep us small; its job is to keep us from connecting with other humans; its job is to keep us in line.” (20:23 | Andrea Owen)
“That was sort of the eye-opener for me in my training of, ‘Oh, all of these behaviors that the women in my audience engage with—me, too, by the way— we’re doing that in an effort to avoid shame. Therefore, shame is driving the bus of our lives.” (22:53 | Andrea Owen)
“Get very, very familiar, get in bed with those [physical] symptoms so you know when it is happening. One of the goals is that you know when you’re in it, you can become resilient to it.” (31:24 | Andrea Owen)
“Like we can talk about joy, like we can talk about gratitude, shame is just another human emotion and experience.” (45:37 | Andrea Owen)

Links

https://www.friedtheburnoutpodcast.com/post/dr-kristin-neff-self-compassion-being-human-and-living-with-an-open-heart

Connect with Andrea Owen:

Website: https://andreaowen.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heyandreaowen/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heyandreaowen/

Book: https://andreaowen.com/free

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Dr. James Gordon: Transforming Trauma for Burnout

Sun, 03 Mar 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Dr. James Gordon, Harvard educated psychiatrist, founder and CEO of the Center for Mind Body Medicine, is recognized throughout the world for his use of self-awareness, self-care and group support to heal population-wide psychological trauma. He joins us on this episode of FRIED to discuss techniques featured in his new book “Transforming Trauma: The Path to Hope and Healing.” He begins by dispelling two prominent myths. Trauma is not relegated only to those who have extreme experiences. We all have dealt with or will deal with trauma sooner or later. Divorce, death of loved ones, facing immortality, major career setbacks or disappointments, all have traumatic impacts. What’s more, contrary to popular belief, we are not doomed to carry our trauma with us for the rest of our lives. We can not only heal ourselves but in doing so come through the other side as better human beings—wiser, kinder and more thoughtful.

One highly effective component of Dr. Gordon’s recovery program as described in “Transforming Trauma” is the method of shaking. For those stuck in a freeze response, shaking our bodies, often to music, brings us back into the present. He tells a beautiful story of his time spent working in Haiti with a group of female nursing students who were barely out of their teens. They had recently lost 90 of their classmates and friends to the 2010 earthquake. Dr. Gordon led them through a shaking exercise and the results were both life affirming and hilarious.

Another element that keeps us frozen is our judgment—of ourselves and others– a vicious cycle that prevents us from feeling joy and spontaneity. Dr. Gordon explains how we can free ourselves from this rigid, dogmatic state. Any trauma recovery program should be comprehensive, and requires experimentation and mindfulness of our own needs. When we free ourselves from our frozen state we open our minds to infinite possibilities.

Quotes

“If trauma doesn’t come early in life because, in fact, you have been abused or neglected or you have a congenital deformity of some kind or because you live in a community of violence or poverty, it will likely come in young adulthood or midlife, when we have terrible disappointments, when relationships break up.” (4:31 | Dr. James Gordon)
“Change is possible and you can create that change yourself.” (11:04 | Dr. James Gordon)
“[Shaking] is the body’s natural way of dealing with certain kinds of overwhelming stress. This is a method that is native to vertebrates, in general. You can see it if you have a dog who’s been in a fight with another dog. After that fight, you pull the dog away on the leash, and the dog is going to shake. It’s shaking off that high level of stress that’s come about from that confrontation. So, it’s part of us, biologically.”(16:00 | Dr. James Gordon)
“It’s a vicious cycle, in which you’re judging others and you’re looking for their judgment, it just goes on and on. It’s what inhibits change and it’s what inhibits joy, and certainly inhibits spontaneity.” (16:00 | Dr. James Gordon)
“That mind, which can be so useful, needs to be a tool. It shouldn’t be running us.” (40:24 | Dr. James Gordon)

Links

https://www.friedtheburnoutpodcast.com/home/search/trauma

Connect with Dr. James Gordon:

Website: cmbm.org

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jamesgordonmd

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Lee Dryburgh: Biohacking Your Burnout Recovery with SiPhox Health

Sun, 25 Feb 2024 05:01:00 +0000

Hey FRIED Fam,

Welcome to a very special sponsored episode where we dive into the transformative journey of Lee Dryburgh, a longevity and biomarker industry expert whose personal and professional experiences offer invaluable insights into wellness, burnout recovery, and the revolutionary impact of accessible health data.

Key Highlights & Timestamps:

The Catalyst of Change [00:01:13-00:07:23]:
Lee shares his early burnout story, starting from his high-pressure career at Cisco, leading to a pivotal moment of physical and emotional collapse at an airport. This experience forced him to reconsider his lifestyle and embark on a decade-long sabbatical in Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Post-Burnout Growth & Self-Discovery [00:07:23-00:18:26]:
Lee discusses the profound personal growth following his initial burnout. He speaks about the importance of slowing down, embracing the present, and how a series of unfortunate events, including tumultuous relationships and familial losses, led him to therapy and a significant mental shift towards "beingness."
Journey Into Functional Medicine [00:19:36-00:28:00]:
A chance encounter with a blood lab revealed Lee was pre-diabetic, sparking his interest in functional medicine, biomarker optimization, and the role of diet in health. His exploration into supplements and continuous health monitoring transformed his well-being.
Introduction to SiPhox Health [00:28:00-00:42:39]:
Lee explains his collaboration with SiPhox Health, a company aiming to democratize access to health data through at-home blood testing. He highlights how understanding biomarkers can aid in managing stress, inflammation, and overall health, emphasizing the kit's role in proactive health management and burnout recovery.

This episode not only sheds light on the physical and emotional facets of burnout but also introduces groundbreaking tools for health optimization. Lee's story is a testament to the power of introspection, the value of health data, and the potential of technology to enhance our well-being.

For more details on SiPhox Health and to take advantage of a special discount for FRIED listeners, visit siphoxhealth.com/fried.

#straightfromsarah Lean In and Trust Your Intuition Again

Sun, 18 Feb 2024 05:20:00 +0000

Hey listeners! I'm Sarah Vosen, and I am delighted to be with you today. In this episode, I will discuss the importance of tuning into your body's signals for guidance, decision-making, and prioritizing self-care practices during burnout recovery. Follow me as we do an exercise to identify what physical sensations signify yes or no answers to better understand your body’s needs. Tune in to boost your intuition and make choices aligned with your needs during burnout recovery!

Episode Highlights:

Learning to recognize and differentiate between yes and no feelings in the body through sensory exploration of scenarios. Sarah guides listeners in an exercise to tune into their body's physical sensations when imagining saying yes or no to different scenarios. This helps them recognize what a yes and no feel like nonverbally so they can better understand their body's signals.

Prioritize self-care practices based on your body’s signal. Rather than overloading your plan with various self-care practices, Sarah encourages you to list options and check in with your body. This helps you prioritize based on current needs indicated by your body's response, whether a clear yes or no.

When dealing with tough decisions that require steps you're hesitant about but are necessary for your goal, Sarah suggests paying attention to that resistance. This helps you determine what kind of support you need to take those initial steps, adding depth to your decision-making process. The process of listening and trusting will get easier as you continue practicing.

Connect with Cait:

To explore burnout, leadership, and sustainable performance through a workplace and organizational lens, connect with Cait Donovan: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-minute reel: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

The Cure for Burnout (New Book Release!)

Sun, 11 Feb 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Today, I have a special guest who will share her amazing story of overcoming burnout. She is Emily Ballesteros, a resilience advocate with a background in industrial organizational psychology. She has transformed her own experience of prolonged exhaustion into a powerful journey. She will reveal the insights and solutions she discovered along the way, culminating in her upcoming book, "The Cure for Burnout," set to launch on February 13, 2024. Fried fam, get ready for an inspiring conversation with Emily about resilience and the path to overcoming burnout.

Episode Highlights:

In this insightful episode, Emily dives into the dynamics of internal and external validation, urging listeners to prioritize internal fulfillment over societal expectations. She shared practical advice on crafting a high-quality life, emphasizing the significance of personal values in decision-making.

Experimentation takes center stage as a tool for personal growth, challenging the fear of making the "right" choices. The episode explores burnout recovery, assuring listeners that the tools gained during recovery serve as a safeguard against complete regression.

The concept of burnout by boredom is introduced, highlighting the need for novelty and variety in life to prevent chronic disengagement. The hosts discuss finding balance between external and internal perspectives, especially when facing discomfort or dissatisfaction.

Connect with Emily Ballesteros:

https://www.emilyballesteros.com/

https://www.instagram.com/emilybruth/?hl=en

https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-ballesteros

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

#straightfromcait: Powerful Questions To Start Your Burnout Recovery Your Way

Sun, 04 Feb 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Hey everyone, it's Cait Donovan here, and I'm thrilled to dive into a topic that's been buzzing in our Facebook group - kickstarting your burnout recovery. I get it, finding the right starting point is tricky because your burnout journey is as unique as you are. So today, we're going to have a reflective journey with questions designed to guide you through your burnout recovery.

Episode Highlights:

These ten questions will help you reflect deeply on yourself. Understanding where your life feels unfair or where you're using energy without fulfillment is important for planning your recovery strategy.

You might be thinking, "Do I have to answer all ten questions at once?" Absolutely not. The great thing about this process is that you can go at your own pace. Take a break, reflect, and when you're ready, move on to the next question. The goal here is to make progress, not achieve perfection.

Here’s a key point – looking for patterns in your responses. Pay attention to recurring themes as you go through these questions. These patterns can provide valuable insights into areas of your life that may need attention and transformation.

The most important part: Start with the easiest change. When it comes to recovering from burnout, simplicity is your best friend. Begin with manageable shifts; gain momentum before taking on more complex challenges. By choosing the easiest path initially, you not only make tangible progress but also develop a mindset that allows for gradual, sustainable change.

This is not about following someone else's journey. It's about understanding your unique needs and creating a recovery plan that suits you.

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Monica Wang: How to Burnout, Recover, and Keep Your Job

Sun, 28 Jan 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Hello, listeners! I'm Cait Donovan, and I'm excited about today's episode. Our guest, Dr. Monica Wang, will share her inspiring journey of overcoming burnout as a veterinarian, incorporating Chinese medicine into her healing process. She’ll discuss her challenges of burnout in veterinary school, Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine, the importance of self-care, and how small changes impacted her well-being. She will also talk about how she set boundaries, embraced core values, reduced work hours, managed burnout, and achieved work-life balance.

Episode Highlights:

Monica encourages people to discover and embrace their values. Imagine this: instead of a generic checklist, self-care becomes a personalized experience that aligns with what truly matters to each of us. It's the key to navigating burnout in a way that feels right for you.

But that's not all; picture having a supportive guide during times of burnout – someone who can help you reflect on your experiences when self-reflection feels difficult. Whether it's a coach, therapist, or another professional, external support becomes your compass through the burnout maze.

And here's where Monica shares some truth about the "Work Harder" trap. She dispels the myth that pushing harder is the solution to burnout – in fact, it might make things worse. She encourages us to shift our perspective, seek support, and understand that more effort isn't always the answer. Take a moment to absorb that.

Appreciate and act upon every little aspect of self-care – because within those small changes lies the potential for significant well-being transformation.

Connect with Dr. Monica Wang:

Free meditation guide for people who don't like to meditate: https://tinyurl.com/mr3we3t6

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

#straightfromsarah: How to Give Yourself Permission to Get Your Needs Met

Sun, 21 Jan 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Hey fried fam, it's Sarah, and today, I want to dive into a transformative experience from my life in 2022. This journey not only marked my recovery but ignited the realization that giving myself permission to have what I want is crucial. In this episode, we'll explore the importance of recognizing your needs, confronting fears, and embracing the healing path. So, buckle up, my fellow burnout warriors, as we talk about the empowering journey of self-discovery.

Episode Highlights:

Your needs are just as important as anyone else's. Grant yourself the freedom to prioritize what you truly want and need in your life.

Setting boundaries and communicating effectively can make a huge difference. When I faced challenges in my relationship, I realized the importance of standing strong and saying no when necessary. It's about recognizing when a situation isn't serving you and having the courage to clearly communicate your needs.

Embrace your emotions, even the uncomfortable ones. Trust me, it's crucial to honor what you feel. Take a moment to acknowledge your emotions, explore their roots, and determine what you truly need in those moments. This emotional self-awareness is a key part of the healing journey.

Lastly, something close to my heart—reparenting your inner child. I've been there, and I understand. Show yourself compassion for past experiences, address unmet needs from your childhood, and nurture your inner child with love and support. It's about building trust within yourself and creating that internal safety for healing. Take care of your inner child; they deserve it.

Links:

To explore burnout, leadership, and sustainable performance through a workplace and organizational lens, connect with Cait Donovan: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-minute reel: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

#SFC&S: Burnout and Sleep: A Chinese Medicine Perspective

Sun, 14 Jan 2024 04:00:00 +0000

In today's episode, Sarah and I discuss the topic of sleep, particularly from the perspective of Chinese medicine. They also talk about the phases of burnout and how they can impact sleep patterns for certain individuals.

Episode Highlights:

Cait and Sarah delve into the Chinese medicine perspective on sleep, introducing the concept of Yin and Yang. They use the Yin Yang symbol to explain the interdependence of these opposing forces, describing Yin as cold, dark, still, and moist, while Yang is associated with warmth, activity, and movement. They explain how balance between Yin and Yang is crucial for overall well-being and that disruptions in this balance can affect sleep.

They encourage listeners to consider the Chinese medicine perspective on sleep and explore the principles of Yin and Yang balance. They want listeners to view sleep through this lens, understanding the interplay between Yin and Yang as they aim to provide a fresh perspective that may help listeners make different choices to improve their sleep.

Remember, understanding the phases of burnout and recognizing how imbalances in Yin and Yang can impact sleep patterns. The goal is to empower everyone with a new understanding of sleep and potential strategies for achieving better sleep quality.

Links

https://www.friedtheburnoutpodcast.com/post/riley-jarvis-the-big-secrets-of-exceptional-sleep-with-the-sleep-consultant

https://www.friedtheburnoutpodcast.com/post/kristen-holmes-stay-ahead-of-your-health-with-whoop

To explore burnout, leadership, and sustainable performance through a workplace and organizational lens, connect with Cait Donovan: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-minute reel: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Start Your Burnout Recovery by Taking The "Good Plate"

Sun, 07 Jan 2024 04:00:00 +0000

In today's episode, I will talk about breaking the cycle of assumptions, communicating openly about preferences, and embracing tasks and experiences that bring personal joy and fulfillment.

Episode Highlights:

Cait Donovan talks about challenging the habit of self-sacrifice, exploring resentment as a tool for defining boundaries, and encouraging individuals to prioritize their needs and desires, symbolized by the metaphor of "giving yourself the good plate."

Cait encourages listeners to prioritize their own needs and desires, challenging the habit of self-sacrifice, and urging them to stop giving away the metaphorical "good plate."

The overall message is a call to action for individuals to prioritize their well-being, challenge assumptions, and create a more balanced and fulfilling life. The challenge for the year 2024 is presented as an opportunity for individuals to commit to giving themselves the "good plate" and sharing their journey with everyone else!

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Bronwyn Davis: Ketamine Assisted Breakthroughs for Burnout Recovery

Sun, 17 Dec 2023 04:00:00 +0000

Welcome, dear listeners, to a captivating transformation and personal growth journey. I'm Cait Donovan, your host for today's episode. In this episode, we have the incredible privilege of delving into a conversation that promises to be nothing short of life-changing. She's not just here to talk the talk; she's walked the walk. So, grab your favorite beverage, get comfy, and prepare to be inspired as we introduce you to the remarkable Bronwyn Davis.

Episode Highlights:

Bronwyn Davis stresses the importance of embracing new approaches to personal growth, emphasizing that it's not a quick fix but a profound tool for self-discovery. Her insights reveal that preparation and a guided environment are key for successful ketamine sessions. She blends internal family systems therapy concepts to address potential resistance, underlining the need for both physical and emotional safety.

Now, here's the kicker: ketamine-assisted coaching is tailor-made for self-aware high achievers looking to conquer their inner obstacles. It's a transformative journey towards self-love and clarity, but the real magic happens when you integrate those insights into your daily life.

Bronwyn shares her own personal growth journey with ketamine.

This episode is your ticket to discovering the potential of ketamine-assisted coaching for burnout recovery and personal transformation. It's all about embracing openness, prioritizing safety, and ensuring ongoing support along the way.

Connect with Bronwyn Davis:

https://www.bronwyndavis.com/

https://www.ketamineassistedcoaching.com/

https://www.instagram.com/bronwyndaviscoaching/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/bronwyndaviscoaching/

Free meditation guide for people who don't like to meditate: https://tinyurl.com/mr3we3t6

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

#straightfromcait: How Festivus from Seinfeld can Help with Workplace Burnout

Sun, 10 Dec 2023 04:00:00 +0000

In today's episode, I will talk about the concept of Festivus from Seinfeld and how its elements, such as the Festivus pole, airing of grievances, feats of strength, and the declaration of Festivus miracles, can be adapted to address workplace burnout.

Episode Highlights:

Cait Donovan talks about Festivus from Seinfeld, exploring each of its element's application in battling burnout. Cait stresses the importance of simplicity, open communication, setting achievable goals, and celebrating positive changes in creating a healthier work environment.

Cait encourages listeners to get their own Festivus miracle by using a resentment journal, which is a tool designed to identify aspects of your life that generate resentment, assisting in the process of determining whether to eliminate or modify them.

While Festivus originates from a sitcom as a lighthearted and absurd holiday, its components can offer valuable lessons in combating workplace burnout. Remember to declutter your workspaces, encourage open communication, set achievable goals, and celebrate your victories. By doing so, you can make your workplaces more resilient and enjoyable!

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Diann Wingert: How ADHD and Burnout Are Related - and What to Do About It

Sun, 03 Dec 2023 04:00:00 +0000

In today's episode, Diann Wingert and I will talk about the relationship between ADHD and burnout. We will discuss how they affect each other and identify what people who suffer from both can do to help themselves recover quickly.

Episode Highlights:

Diann and Cait talk about how ADHD and burnout relate to each other. They emphasize that people with ADHD tend to be either extremely obsessed or completely disinterested in something. They discuss how the intense curiosity and enthusiasm associated with ADHD can lead to a lack of boundaries, pacing, and self-awareness, potentially causing burnout.

Diann encourages listeners to acknowledge the challenges of maintaining self-awareness and setting boundaries even when aware of the potential for burnout.

Remember, intense focus can lead to burnout if unchecked. Finding a balance, setting boundaries, and maintaining self-awareness are crucial to harnessing the strengths without succumbing to the challenges of this stimulating mental landscape.

Connect with Diann Wingert:

https://www.diannwingertcoaching.com/

https://www.instagram.com/thediannwingert/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5qFHTPZTAxtYvVLyip3h0A/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/diannwingertcoaching/

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

#straightfromcait: What Can Companies Do to Reduce Burnout Risk?

Sun, 26 Nov 2023 04:00:00 +0000

In today's episode, I will talk about how companies can help reduce burnout risk with their employees. I will be emphasizing the importance of individual responsibility in recovering from burnout and how a supportive work environment can help to recovery.

Episode Highlights:

Cait Donovan talks about the intricacies of burnout recovery, emphasizing each individual's pivotal role in the process. She highlights the limited impact of company-initiated changes and recent insights into working with companies on burnout-proofing and culture improvement. Cait stresses the importance of personal investment in their own recovery from burnout.

Cait encourages listeners to take a proactive role in their burnout recovery, emphasizing personal investment and the power of expressing gratitude and appreciation in the workplace for a positive shift in dynamics.

Remember, in burnout recovery, your pivotal role is crucial, so prioritize personal investment over relying solely on company changes. A little personal responsibility goes a long way. Additionally, foster a culture of psychological safety and always acknowledge the impact of expressing gratitude for a positive workplace shift.

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Dr. Susan Lovelle: Perimenopause, Menopause, and Burnout

Sun, 19 Nov 2023 04:00:00 +0000

Today, we're delving deep into the fascinating realms of Perimenopause, Menopause, and Burnout, topics that resonate with every woman's well-being. Dr. Susan Lovelle, a true authority in these areas, will guide us through the intricate journey of understanding and navigating these phases. Buckle up for an enlightening conversation that can transform your life!

Episode Highlights:

Dr. Susan Lovelle opened up about her own journey through burnout and the profound impact it had on her health. As a former plastic surgeon and a busy mom, she learned the hard way how neglecting self-care can lead to serious health issues like deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, and severe infections. This eye-opening experience led Dr. Susan to pivot her career towards wellness and lifestyle medicine.

What's even more fascinating is the connection she drew between chronic stress and hormonal imbalances. Dr. Susan explained that prolonged stress can mess with hormones causing undesirable changes and more. She also shed light on the unique challenges faced by women during perimenopause and menopause, where hormonal changes add another layer of complexity.

Dr Lovelle's most vital piece of advice: stress management is the key. Finding your own stress-relief groove is essential since it's a highly personal journey.

If you're navigating perimenopause or menopause, remember: managing stress and personalized solutions are your best allies on this exciting journey to better health and well-being!

Connect with Dr Susan Lovelle:

https://premierewellness.com/home-2936

https://www.instagram.com/premierewellness_/?hl=en

https://www.linkedin.com/in/drsusanlovelle/

Free meditation guide for people who don't like to meditate: https://tinyurl.com/mr3we3t6

Hormone Quiz: https://bit.ly/LeanHormoneExec

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

#straightfromcait: How to End Rumination, People Pleasing, and Perfectionism

Sun, 12 Nov 2023 04:00:00 +0000

A wonderful day to everyone! I’m Cait Donovan, your burnout recovery coach, helping you in your healing journey. Today, I will address the question of one user in the Facebook group about taking small, daily, simple actions to overcome rumination, people-pleasing, and perfectionism. I also highlight the ideas of other members to handle these problems effectively.

Episode Highlights:

To deal with rumination, there are two actions you can do. Firstly, when you notice you’re ruminating, stop it immediately. Then close your eyes, inhale and exhale, and question yourself; I wonder what I'll think of next. The second action is called Go Grok Cards, wherein you play by guessing your feelings and needs. These two suggestions focus on being mindful and curious as the key to overcoming rumination.

For people pleasing, practice disappointing people in any small way. When you start to disappoint people, you will find that the things you're doing don't even disappoint anyone. One example is that when someone in your household can’t find something, don’t help them and just say they can do it without your help. You may feel fear practicing this, but it will help you to see that it is okay not to do what people want from you.

Lastly, Cait suggests that to overcome perfectionism, people must choose one or two places in their lives where they use perfectionism on purpose because it’s useful and not in the places where it is useless. Another action you can take is just to be grateful when receiving compliments and stop unnecessarily saying sorry.

Every person is different, and so there are numerous actions you can do to quit ruminating, slow down people's pleasing, and control perfectionism. Find what suits you the best, and share your process to help others in the community. Let everyone be successful in this burnout recovery journey!

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Amelia Nagoski: Unlocking the Stress Cycle, Dealing with Privilege, and Increasing Interoception to Get Out of Burnout

Sun, 05 Nov 2023 04:00:00 +0000

Hello, lovely listeners! I'm Cait Donovan, your host for today's episode, and I am thrilled to introduce our guest, Amelia Nagoski. Today, we dive deep into her illuminating book, "Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle," a woman's sexual well-being intrinsically linked to a woman’s overall well-being and more about the stress response. Amelia Nagoski is an absolute powerhouse when it comes to understanding and navigating the complex web of emotions and stressors that we all encounter in our lives.

Episode Highlights:

Amelia Nagoski shares the inspiration behind her book, "Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle." She traces its origins to her sister, Emily Nagurski, whose New York Times bestselling book, "Come as You Are," delved into the science of women's sexuality. What struck a chord with many readers, however, was the section on emotions, stress management, and overall well-being.

Amelia explores how understanding and completing the stress response cycle is essential for our well-being in this modern world. She guides us on how to move from the state of stress to safety, helping us harness the power of this biological mechanism to lead healthier, more balanced lives.

Amelia's message is clear: many people find themselves in situations where they are working multiple jobs, raising children, often on their own, and navigating other overwhelming responsibilities. These circumstances are unsustainable, and those who care about these individuals certainly don't want them to endure such hardship for an extended period.

By building supportive communities where individuals don't have to sacrifice themselves to meet external expectations, we can create an environment where everyone has the opportunity to access the resources they need to thrive.

Connect with Amelia Nagoski:

https://www.burnoutbook.net/about-the-authors

https://www.instagram.com/amelianagoski/?hl=en

https://www.linkedin.com/in/amelia-nagoski-467208b6/

Free meditation guide for people who don't like to meditate: https://tinyurl.com/mr3we3t6

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

#straightfromcait: Why Does Burnout Recovery Take So Long?

Sun, 29 Oct 2023 04:00:00 +0000

Hey there, curious minds, and welcome to today's episode. I'm Cait Donovan, your trusted companion on this exciting journey. We're about to unravel why burnout recovery can be a lengthier process than you might think. From the physical aspects of healing to understanding the web of causation, we'll explore the nuances of this transformative path. Discover why it's okay to bump into your growth edges and how post-burnout growth can be beautiful. Let's dive in and uncover the fascinating layers of burnout recovery.

Episode Highlights:

Cait reveals that recovering from burnout is like a carefully crafted masterpiece, taking time and patience. This transformative journey involves addressing the physical and emotional exhaustion that burnout brings, which requires gradually nurturing your body with essential nutrients.

She also delves into prioritizing quality sleep and time in nature to rejuvenate your energy. Slow movement practices like Tai Chi and yin yoga can help restore your well-being. Cait's message resonates with the idea that recovery is a unique, step-by-step journey, and self-compassion is the guiding light.

Embrace the post-burnout growth as a tool for personal development and trust that the process is an investment in your well-being and future.

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Hailey Magee: Boundaries for Burnt Out People Pleasers

Sun, 22 Oct 2023 04:00:00 +0000

In today's episode, we're diving deep into a topic that's near and dear to many of our hearts - breaking free from the insidious grip of people-pleasing and embarking on a journey to discover your true self-worth. Joining us is none other than Hailey MaGee, a certified coach, dedicated teacher, and accomplished author, whose life's mission is to help individuals bid adieu to people-pleasing for good and unleash their inner power. She is going to share her insights about people-pleasing behavior, its effects on mental health, the art of setting boundaries, and much more!

Episode Highlights:

Hailey Magee talks about her journey of breaking free from the people-pleasing pattern, which led her to a place of burnout and exhaustion. She describes how she played the role of caretaker, giver, and therapist in her relationships, always putting others' needs and emotions before her own. It wasn’t until a pivotal moment that she realized that seeking validation from others wasn't working and that she needed to prioritize her own needs and self-worth.

Hailey encourages listeners to prioritize self-care and set boundaries in relationships. Everyone should learn to take up space in their relationships, treat themselves with importance, and recognize when it's necessary to prioritize their own needs.

Remember, breaking the pattern of people-pleasing often arises from the realization that self-care and self-worth should not be outsourced to others but something you should prioritize yourself.

Connect with Hailey Magee:

https://www.haileymagee.com/

https://www.facebook.com/haileypaigemagee/

https://www.instagram.com/haileypaigemagee/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9L4phQjrxv7NTiidQPI9Sw/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/haileymagee/

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

#straightfromcait: 3 Core Components of Burnout Recovery

Sun, 15 Oct 2023 04:00:00 +0000

Hello, lovely souls, and welcome to today's episode. I'm Cait Donovan, and I'm truly honored to be your guide as we dive into the essential tools for recovering from burnout. We'll talk about the healing power of yoga, the importance of foundational self-care, the creation of an upgraded boundary system, and the immense value of community in your burnout recovery process. Stay tuned as we unpack these essential tools, share practical insights, and embark on a journey toward a life filled with more balance, joy, and purpose.

Episode Highlights:

Cait emphasizes the critical importance of foundational self-care, urging listeners to heed their body's basic needs, enhance interoception, and embrace practices like Yoga Nidra.

She also delves into the significance of cultivating an upgraded boundary system, underlining the role of improved interoception in setting flexible, healthy boundaries.

Cait underscores the value of community in burnout recovery, highlighting how isolation can contribute to burnout and encouraging listeners to seek support from various groups and communities.

Her message resonates with the idea that recovery is a unique, step-by-step journey, and self-compassion is the guiding light.

Everyone's path to recovery is unique. These core components provide a foundation, but your journey may require additional elements. Take it one step at a time, listen to your body, and allow your recovery to unfold naturally.

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Henna Pryor: Embracing Awkward and Using AI to Reduce Burnout

Sun, 08 Oct 2023 04:00:00 +0000

Artificial intelligence, or AI, is one of the latest trends in the world of technology. People use it in various ways, and constant research is done to maximize its potential. But have you heard of using AI as a tool to reduce stress? In today's episode, I invited Henna Pryor, performance expert, award-winning 2x TEDx, global keynote speaker, virtual presenter, team facilitator, and a professional certified coach. She is also the author of the upcoming book Good Awkard: How to Embrace the Embarrassing and Celebrate the Cringe to Become The Bravest You. Henna will discuss how we can utilize the power of AI to reduce burnout and why embracing awkwardness can make our lives easier. Stay tuned to learn more!

Episode Highlights:

Henna Pryor shares her insight about the connection of AI in reducing burnout. As a mother and an entrepreneur, her time is always occupied with what she needs to do. Thus, she started to find a way to make her life easier. And that’s how Henna stumbles upon the AI technology. With its power, her work becomes faster, more convenient, and stress-free, reducing the possibility of burnout.

Henna talks about why we should embrace awkwardness and how it can make you vulnerable. Often, high-performers have expectations they think they must meet no matter what. However, having his mindset can be exhausting, eventually leading to burnout and a downgrade in performance.

Small steps are the best step. And so take your time towards vulnerability. Don’t rush; it only becomes impossible. Learn to be comfortable with being awkward, and you’ll be there in no time.

Connect with Henna Pryor:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/hennapryor/

https://www.facebook.com/hennapryorcoach/

https://www.instagram.com/hennapryor

Good Awkward: https://pryoritygroup.com/book/

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

#straightfromcait: Bad Advice for Burnout (and what to do instead)

Sun, 01 Oct 2023 04:00:00 +0000

In today's episode, I will talk about the bad advice you can get regarding burnout and how those pieces of advice came to be due to certain misconceptions. I will be emphasizing how burnout is not solely a mental or thought issue but a systemic one involving various aspects of life.

Episode Highlights:

Cait Donovan talks about burnout advice she wrote about two years ago and still agree with. She talks about how many people perceive burnout as solely a mental or thought-related issue, which affects the how they distinguish between burnout prevention and recovery, and that most advice falls into prevention. Cait stresses the importance of life pruning, rebuilding emotional filters, and moving intentionally during recovery.

Cait encourages listeners to trust their inner guidance when choosing which advice to follow.

Remember, trust your inner guidance. In a sea of advice, your intuition knows what resonates with your soul. When choosing which path to follow, listen closely to that inner voice, for it knows the way to your own unique journey of healing and growth.

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Kristen Holmes: Stay Ahead of Your Health with Whoop

Sun, 24 Sep 2023 04:00:00 +0000

In this world full of stress and a toxic environment, getting a hold of your health and staying physically and mentally fit is challenging. But worry not, as there are ways to stay ahead of your health. In this episode, I have an exciting discussion with Kristen Holmes, the vice president and principal scientist at Whoop. Kristen shares how Whoop, a physiological monitoring device, can help you track your body’s data, take action accordingly, and ultimately have control over your health. She also talks about why heart rate variability matters, workplace resilience, sleep consistency, real burnout prevention, difference of stress and anxiety, and more!

Episode Highlights:

Kristen focuses on aligning your mind and body– in other words, having extreme awareness of your body is crucial to taking control of your health. She also explains the usage of technology and how we can utilize it to get optimal data to work and take the needed actions for our bodies.

Kristen shares tips and tricks to aid in increasing stress resilience, sleep consistency, and managing stress, such as aligning our circadian rhythm, time-restricted eating, viewing sunlight, breathwork, and regular body movement throughout the day.

Listening to this episode will encourage you to take action and start your health and wellness journey. Don’t wait for your body to suffer. Instead, focus on taking preventive measures. It’s not too late; with discipline and perseverance, you can achieve your goal. Everyone deserves to live better, healthily, and joyfully–free of too much stress and burnout.

Links to episodes on Trauma and Coping Mechanisms:

https://www.friedtheburnoutpodcast.com/post/straightfromcait-how-childhood-trauma-is-related-to-burnout-even-if-you-think-you-have-none

https://www.friedtheburnoutpodcast.com/post/straightfromcait-coping-mechanisms-and-burnout-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly

Connect with Kristen Holmes:

https://www.whoop.com/us/en/

https://www.instagram.com/kristen_holmes2126/?hl=en

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristen-holmes/

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

#straightfromsarahandcait: Wildfires, Burnout, and Getting the Help You Need

Sun, 17 Sep 2023 04:00:00 +0000

Burnout is the feeling of exhaustion physically and mentally from the problems you have in everyday life. Similar to wildfires, where everything is burned out to ash. However, life is a cycle of death and rebirth, which is critical in keeping the balance in the world. With the right resources, we can return to life beautiful and stronger. Our speaker today, Sarah Vosen, a burnout recovery coach at FRIED, explains the relation of wildfires to being burned out, why you should honor the cycle in life, and how Sarah can help in your burnout recovery journey. Tune in to learn more!

Episode Highlights:

Sarah discusses the similarities between burnout and wildfires. Just like wildfires, where everything is burned, fall, decay, and turn into ash, being burned out will feel like our life is falling apart. However, a burned forest will go through a rebirth cycle, and everything will return beautifully. Similarly, experiencing burnout will allow us to be reborn, and with the right resources, we can come back to life.

Sarah highlights the importance of honoring the cycle in life. We don’t need to be burned completely to have a renewal; we just need to realize that life is constantly changing, and resting is necessary to balance our work. We need to stop forcing ourselves to be the same every day. Slow down and give some time and space to process your emotions, set boundaries, and know the most important things in your life.

Burnout is normal, so just acknowledge your problems or difficulties and pay attention to control them. Recognize that you have the ability to control it, heal, and recover to become stronger.

Links:

To explore burnout, leadership, and sustainable performance through a workplace and organizational lens, connect with Cait Donovan: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-minute reel: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Ruth Rathblott: The Liberating Path of Unhiding

Sun, 10 Sep 2023 04:00:00 +0000

Do you ever feel like you have to hide something about yourself from the world? In this episode, you will hear an honest and heartfelt conversation with Ruth Rathblott, a speaker, coach, and author of the book Singlehandedly: Learning to Unhide and Embrace Connection. Ruth shares her story of living with a limb difference and how she used it as a tool to start conversations and create safe spaces for others to share their stories. She also reveals the secrets of unhiding, which is the process of releasing shame, overcoming fear, and embracing your true self, without worrying about what others think.

Episode Highlights:

Ruth Rathblott opens up about the common phenomenon of hiding, which affects many people who feel like they are the only ones who have a visible or invisible difference, such as a disability, a mental health issue, a family background, or a personal struggle. She explains how hiding can make us feel isolated, exhausted, and limited, and how unhiding can help us live more authentically and confidently.

Ruth shares some practical tips and exercises to help you unhide in your own life and create more meaningful connections with others. She emphasizes the importance of being the first to go first, which means sharing something about yourself that you are hiding or uncomfortable with, in order to create a safe space for others to do the same.

This episode is a powerful reminder that you are not alone in your hiding journey. You have the power to unhide and live your truth. Listen to this episode now and start your own unhiding journey today. You will be amazed by the freedom and joy that comes from being yourself and connecting with others who accept you as you are!

Connect with Ruth Rathblott:

https://ruthrathblott.com/

https://www.instagram.com/ruthrath/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruth-rathblott/

https://twitter.com/ruthrath

https://www.amazon.com/Singlehandedly-Learning-Unhide-Embrace-Connection-ebook/dp/B0B95TSJBS

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

#straightfromcait: Behind the Scenes of Burnout Recovery

Sat, 02 Sep 2023 13:00:00 +0000

In today's episode, I will discuss my own experiences with burnout recovery and talk about all the misconceptions that often surround it. I will give emphasize the importance of seeking support, learning from setbacks, and acknowledging that progress may not always follow a linear path.

Episode Highlights:

Cait Donovan talks about experiences and mistakes during her burnout recovery journey and the challenges of progress recognition, the need for ongoing effort, the dangers of prematurely ending recovery efforts, the importance of allowing others to come to their own realizations, and the pitfalls of overexertion and comparing one's experiences to others. She highlights the complexity of the recovery process and the personal growth it entails.

Cait advises listeners about the challenges of self-trust, the need to overcome the desire to prove oneself, and the importance of embracing failure as part of the recovery process. She realizes the impact of sharing her story and encourages everyone to learn to trust themselves and their feelings during their own burnout recovery.

Remember, growth comes from acknowledging one's evolution and using newfound knowledge to navigate similar situations in a more empowered way.

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Paula Liub: Autistic and Neurodivergent Burnout Recovery

Sun, 27 Aug 2023 04:00:00 +0000

In today's episode, I have a heartfelt conversation about an often overlooked aspect of burnout – its intersection with autism and neurodivergence. My guest, Paula Liub, a burnout coach for people who identify as neurodivergent, shares her personal journey of overcoming burnout as a neurodivergent individual, getting a late autism diagnosis and offers valuable insights into understanding and managing burnout within the neurodivergent community.

Episode Highlights:

Paula Liub shares her personal burnout story, which she describes as having three distinct stages. She recounts her journey from experiencing repetitive burnouts, recognizing the need for change, and finally discovering her autistic diagnosis as the missing piece that led to complete recovery and prevention of further burnout.

Paula encourages listeners, especially those within the neurodivergent community, to embrace their sensitivities and needs. She highlights the importance of self-validation, trusting one's body and experiences, and prioritizing well-being without waiting for a formal diagnosis.

Remember, your burnout recovery journey is valid and unique – prioritize your well-being and embrace your neurodivergent strengths.

Connect with Paula Liub:

https://www.paula-mindfulness.com

https://www.instagram.com/paula.mindfulness/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/paula-liub/

Free meditation guide for people who don't like to meditate: https://tinyurl.com/mr3we3t6

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Owen Fitzpatrick: Using the Power of Belief to Boost Burnout Recovery

Sun, 20 Aug 2023 04:00:00 +0000

In this episode, Cait sits down with Owen Fitzpatrick, a Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) and renowned psychologist, who has worked with esteemed organizations like Coca-Cola, Google, JP Morgan, LinkedIn, Pfizer, and Salesforce. Owen's vast experience also includes coaching billionaires and Olympic athletes and delivering captivating talks in 31 countries. He has shared the stage with luminaries like Sir Richard Branson and Seth Godin.

Owen introduces the concept of "Belief Leadership," focusing on how beliefs shape behavior. The discussion delves into how burnout affects cognitive function and decision-making processes. They emphasize the importance of recognizing one's own belief system and the stories they tell themselves about burnout.

Owen explains that individuals often fall into either a victim mindset (blaming external factors) or a villain mindset (self-criticism). However, he highlights that both mindsets can limit personal growth. Instead, they encourage listeners to adopt a hero mindset by focusing on what they can control and influence. This perspective empowers them to take positive action and make choices aligned with their goals.

The conversation touches upon the significance of identity and how labels can limit personal development. Owen advises embracing a more positive identity while acknowledging current limitations and areas for growth. Positive affirmations can reinforce self-belief and pave the way for transformation.

They draw parallels to the hero's journey found in storytelling, where protagonists face challenges with the support of guides and mentors. Similarly, seeking support from others can aid in overcoming burnout and personal struggles.

Owen and Cait wrap up the episode, emphasizing the importance of recognizing one's mental state and choosing to adopt a hero mindset. The hero mindset empowers individuals to take charge of their lives, embrace personal growth, and overcome burnout challenges with determination and support.

Continue learning from Owen:

www.owenfitzpatrick.com

https://www.instagram.com/owenf23/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/owenfitzp/

https://owenfitzpatrick.com/changing-minds-podcast/

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

#straightfromcait: How to Tell if Its Burnout or Stress

Sun, 13 Aug 2023 04:00:00 +0000

In this episode of Fried. The Burnout Podcast, I delve into the topic of differentiating between burnout and stress. I often encounter this question from you, my magic listeners, and others: whether it's at conferences, speaking gigs, or even in the Facebook group. Understanding the distinction between burnout and stress is crucial to address the issue effectively. So let's explore how to recognize and differentiate between these two conditions.

Burnout is not simply an escalated form of stress but rather an end result of chronic, unresolved stress over extended periods. According to the World Health Organization, burnout is characterized by three key elements:

Feelings of physical and emotional exhaustion
Cynicism and detachment
A lack of impact and productivity

Stress, on the other hand, is a natural response of the body to any challenge, be it environmental, emotional, or physical. It is a short-term reaction with a time-bound measure, meaning it arises and subsides, especially when the stress cycle is completed.

One way to distinguish stress from burnout is by assessing recoverability. When experiencing stress, a few days of rest or a good night's sleep can often suffice to rejuvenate and return to a state of equilibrium. However, in the case of burnout, recovery becomes challenging. Even extended periods of rest may not alleviate the symptoms, making individuals feel stuck in a perpetual stress cycle.

Burnout manifests in a host of physical and mental symptoms, such as headaches, digestive issues, explosive emotions, frequent colds and flus, anxiety, and depression. These symptoms persist and hinder one's ability to move forward.

Addressing burnout requires understanding that it is not a quick fix. Unlike simple stress, which can be managed relatively swiftly, burnout recovery can take anywhere from 12 months to three years, and in some cases, even longer. Patience and consistent effort are vital during this process.

Navigating burnout alone can be overwhelming. Seeking help from professionals specializing in burnout recovery can significantly speed up and ease the process. Burnout coaching and therapy can work hand in hand to provide comprehensive support.

The key takeaway from this episode is that if you find yourself unable to recover from exhaustion and stress despite various attempts, it might be burnout rather than just stress. Recognizing the difference is crucial to implement the right strategies for recovery. Remember, seeking help from professionals can make a significant difference in your burnout recovery journey. You don't have to face it alone.

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Jim Young: Men and Burnout: Creating Intimacy and Breaking the Shame Barrier

Sun, 06 Aug 2023 04:00:00 +0000

In this episode, Jim Young, a burnout recovery coach, explores the topic of burnout in men and the importance of building intimate connections. He shares his personal journey of burnout and highlights the lack of resources specifically tailored to men's experiences. Jim emphasizes the need for deeper connections, not just in romantic relationships, but also in friendships and other areas of life. He delves into the societal expectations placed on men and the shame they often feel when they don't meet those expectations. Through vulnerability and breaking the shame barrier, Jim discusses how men can recover from burnout and cultivate a more fulfilling life.

Show Notes:

[00:16:57] Introduction to the topic of burnout in men

Jim shares his personal burnout journey and the lack of resources for men's experiences

The unique challenges men face when it comes to burnout

[00:17:38] Importance of creating intimate connections

Jim discusses the significance of developing deeper connections in various aspects of life

Highlighting the value of friendship and rebuilding social connections during burnout recovery

[00:18:58] Recognizing the role of intimacy in burnout recovery

Jim reflects on his own recovery and identifies creating intimate connections as a key factor

The misconception of intimacy being solely focused on romantic relationships

[00:19:25] Breaking the traditional male experience

Challenging the societal expectations for men to handle emotions alone and not ask for help

The importance of breaking free from the shame associated with seeking support

[00:23:13] Integration versus segmentation

Discussing the continuum of boundaries and the importance of finding balance

Breaking the pattern of building walls and opening gates to healthy connections

[00:26:00] Overcoming shame and seeking support

Addressing the shame men feel regarding their provider role and societal expectations

The transformative power of sharing vulnerability and breaking through shame

[00:28:45] Introduction to Jim's group program for men dealing with burnout

Jim announces the launch of the Expansive Success program

Focusing on holistic success in different areas of life, including relationships, health, and purpose

[00:31:56] The structure of the group program

An eight-week interactive course facilitated by Jim

Weekly meetings, curriculum, exercises, and facilitated conversations

[00:35:00] The power of community and impactful change

Recognizing the ripple effect of personal growth on organizations and relationships

Building new friendships, networks, and supports through group experiences

[00:37:11] Going beyond expectations

The significance of providing more than expected in coaching programs

Guiding individuals towards their true needs and potential

[00:40:00] Inclusivity and serving all people

Emphasizing the goal of helping all individuals through the lens of serving men

Creating safe and expansive spaces for everyone

Jim Young's work focuses on addressing burnout in men by emphasizing the importance of building intimate connections and breaking the shame barrier. Through his group program, Expansive Success, he guides men in recovering from burnout and achieving holistic success in various areas of life. By fostering vulnerability, community, and personal growth, Jim aims to create spaces that benefit individuals of all genders.

Resources:

Jim’s Upcoming Mastermind:

https://www.thecenteredcoach.com/expansive-success

Jim’s Book:

https://www.thecenteredcoach.com/book

YNAB (You Need a Budget)

https://ynab.com

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Mandy Lehto: The 7 Realistic Phases of Burnout

Sun, 30 Jul 2023 12:34:12 +0000

Dr. Mandy Lehto was a people pleaser for such a long period of time that she ended up completely disconnected from herself. She found herself snappy and irritable, consistently pushing herself harder and farther beyond the limits of what she could handle. After a scary moment collapsing while boxing, Dr. Lehto realized something was wrong that even the world’s strongest coffee would not be able to fix. Through her burnout recovery journey, Dr. Lehto identified 7 realistic phases of burnout which she uses to guide others through their own burnout recoveries.

As a perfectionist and people-pleaser, it is common to be so focused on external validation that you lose sight of what you actually want and need. Like most people, Dr. Lehto started off her burnout journey in phase 1, denial. It took fully collapsing and then developing an unfortunate face rash to finally admit to herself that there was a problem. She went into the triaging phase with the same perfectionist approach she used when facing anything, trying to be the absolute best at meditating and downing kale smoothies. She tried every method she could access for hacking her healing from cutting gluten to attending spiritual retreats until at last reaching the stage of reluctant surrender. It was not going to be possible to completely recover on her own, and she would need to allow others to help her. She accepted that it was finally time to release the false fire of that external validation and fuel herself from within, stepping into the chutes and ladders phase of experimentation to discover which parts of herself were real and which were performance. Lastly, she embraced the final stage that wholeness equals whole mess, acknowledging that it's okay to not be perfect.

Dr. Lehto’s seven burnout phases are deeply relatable for anyone experiencing burnout regardless of where they currently are in their recovery journey. If you struggle with people-pleasing and being your authentic self, consider approaching your healing through the lens of these seven phases.

Quotes

• “Being a people pleaser perfectionist, I wasn't connected to myself, to my own likes, dislikes, to my own needs, to my own wants, because it was always about external validation.” (15:09 | Dr. Lehto)

• “There's a phrase by Cheryl Strayed, that acceptance is a small quiet room. And that's exactly what this phase felt like.” (20:24 | Dr. Lehto)

• “Just because a system is one way in one place, that doesn't mean that it's that way in every other place.” (30:10 | Cait)

• “I don't need to contort myself to be who I think I need to be so that other people will approve of me and validate me.” (40:19 | Dr. Lehto)

Links

Connect with Dr. Mandy Lehto:

www.mandylehto.com

https://www.instagram.com/mandylehto/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/mandylehtopersonalbrandimage/

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Mel Hopper Koppelman: Solving Complex Health Problems Related to Burnout

Sun, 23 Jul 2023 04:00:00 +0000

Mel Hopper Koppelman was so burned out that in spite of being longtime friends with host Cait Donovan, she did not immediately recognize her own connection with childhood trauma and burnout. Growing up labeled as a “gifted kid”, Mel developed blind spots regarding aspects of her neurological development that were lacking. As an adult, she developed complex chronic health issues. Because of her blind spots, it would be years before Mel realized the connection between her childhood experiences, her health issues, and burnout. Now, as the founder of Synthesis Health Lab, Mel helps other people who are struggling with chronic health issues to heal and live their best lives.

While some conditions of burnout are environmental, others can be linked to neurological development, adverse childhood experiences, and genetic factors. For Mel, much of her burnout and chronic health issues ended up being linked to uneven neurological development. Through testing, Mel discovered that she retained primitive reflexes, typically not seen beyond one year of age, that influenced nervous system dysfunction. When nervous system dysregulation stems from delayed or uneven neurological development, the resulting burnout needs to be approached differently. The same techniques that work for burnout for someone with an evenly developed brain will not work the same way for someone whose neurological development differs.

If you are struggling from complex, chronic health problems like fibromyalgia, gastrointestinal disorders, autoimmunity, or chronic fatigue, consider getting tested for retained primitive reflexes. Your nervous system may be dysregulated due to differences in your neurological development.

Quotes

• “We might be having a difficult time understanding development because we are underdeveloped ourselves.” (8:06 | Cait)

• “One of the things that goes along with certain types of developmental issues, like we see with a lot of neurodiversity, is a characteristic unevenness of skills.” (9:52 | Mel)

• “Things can run in families that are not necessarily genetic.” (15:10 | Mel)

• “When we have adverse childhood events…and development is not unfolding optimally, then those primitive reflexes, instead of getting integrated, which means that the brain matures and kind of stops them from being active,…those reflexes are still there.” (26:59 | Mel)

Links

Connect with Mel Hopper Koppelman:

https://essays.synthesishealth.co/

https://www.instagram.com/synthesishealth.co/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/melhopperkoppelman/

https://synthesishealth.co/join-us

https://www.drrobertmelillo.com/

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

#straightfromcait: Coping Mechanisms and Burnout: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

Sun, 16 Jul 2023 04:00:00 +0000

Coping mechanisms are something that you use every single day, probably without even realizing it. These coping mechanisms start to develop as soon as you are born, forming based on your relationship with your primary caregiver. Depending on how that relationship goes, you form one of four attachment styles, three of which can make you more prone to burnout later in life. In today’s #straightfromcait episode, host and burnout aficionado Cait Donovan explains what coping mechanisms are and how to tell whether your current coping mechanisms would be considered adaptive or maladaptive.

Pretty much all coping mechanisms can be either adaptive or maladaptive depending on the intention behind them. Sometimes, even if a coping mechanism is not technically healthy, it may still be useful for your survival in the moment. When a coping mechanism is maladaptive, it means that while it may help you temporarily, it also has the potential for consequences that could be worse than the initial problem you were trying to solve. Examples of maladaptive coping mechanisms include rumination, substance abuse, self harm, daydreaming, hypervigilance, and disengagement. Adaptive coping mechanisms are those that are considered both helpful and healthy in the long run, such as emotion regulation, speaking with a therapist or a friend, and intentional forced distraction.

While healing from trauma and burnout, you will engage many coping mechanisms. In the same way that your burning out was not your fault, your default coping mechanisms are also not your fault. They were determined long before you had any say in what they were. Instead of demonizing behaviors that were helpful for you in the past for being maladaptive, look at how you can update them to be more healthy going forward and leave behind the ones that are no longer serving you.

Quotes

• “A coping mechanism is an action or a behavior that you engage in when you need to overcome a difficulty.” (1:37-1:44 | Cait)

• “The initial response of your primary caregiver to those needs that you are trying to convey is what guides how you will eventually long term create your particular style of coping.” (2:03-2:16 | Cait)

• “Children who form secure attachments go through life with more self confidence, more resilience, and more ability to trust the people around them.” (2:39-2:49 | Cait)

• “Most coping mechanisms can be adaptive or maladaptive depending on the intentionality with which they are used.” (12:00-12:06 | Cait)

Links

https://positivepsychology.com/coping/

https://positivepsychology.com/maladaptive-coping/

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Heather Hansen: Self Advocacy Makes Your Burnout Recovery Faster

Sun, 09 Jul 2023 04:00:00 +0000

Heather Hansen’s burnout, like unfortunately so many others, landed her in the hospital. Her stress levels had become so extreme due to her career as a defense attorney that Heather’s body responded with a severe allergic reaction. Afterward, Heather realized she needed to start advocating for herself with the same level of compassion, love, and loyalty that she had for her clients in the courtroom. Now, a Best-Selling author and speaker, Heather teaches others how to self-advocate through mastering the art of the ask and convincing their inner juries.

In a courtroom, both sides present the exact same evidence from different perspectives. It is up to the jury to consider that evidence and choose which side to support. The same is true for your inner jury. When you start looking for evidence of positive things about yourself, your inner jury will feel more confident about trusting you. This will make it easier for you to advocate for yourself. Give yourself permission to pursue what you want for now, knowing that it will change at some point. Once you know what it is you want, then it is time to ask for help or accommodations out loud and with delight. In order to ask effectively, you must speak with compassion, curiosity, and credibility. Approach your ask from the other person’s perspective instead of your own by asking what they want and speaking to it.

Recovering from burnout requires that you be able to ask for help when you need it. Self-advocacy can be particularly challenging for perfectionists, but it does not have to be. When you can ask for what you need from a place of compassion rather than resentment, you are much more likely to get a ‘yes’.

Quotes

• “What I decided to do was to start advocating for myself the way that I advocated for my clients in the courtroom.” (5:02-5:09 | Heather)

• “You need to know what you want. You need to ask for it out loud and with delight. And you need to master the ask.” (8:55-9:02 | Heather)

• “You've got to give your inner jury a different story.” (11:23-11:11:25 | Heather)

• “For those of us who got to where we thought we wanted to be, and then it wasn't the right place for us anymore…that's okay. It just means that you are meant for more.” (13:29-13:42 | Heather)

• “If you are asking with resentment, you are very unlikely to get the things that you want.” (16:27-16:34 | Heather)

• “In the courtroom, both sides have the same evidence. And both sides use the same evidence to prove different things. So you need to decide what story you want to support.” (19:10-19:21 | Heather)

• “If you're struggling with advocating for yourself, make it about something else…Sometimes if you can externalize it, it makes it easier to start advocating.” (48:10-48:37 | Heather)

Links

Connect with Heather Hansen:

https://advocatetowin.com/

https://www.instagram.com/anelegantwarrior/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-hansen-84243512/ https://view.flodesk.com/pages/64710dde8533b6ba4f709de9

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Dex Randall: cPTSD, Burnout, and Heart Attacks

Sun, 25 Jun 2023 04:00:00 +0000

Dex Randall’s burnout experience was a long time coming. He shares that as a child, right from the beginning, he was always afraid of everything. His parents’ behavior was unpredictable and he learned very quickly that it was not a good idea to trust any person ever. The coping mechanisms that Dex learned as protective measures throughout childhood followed into adulthood. Eventually, this came to a head when Dex entered into a job position where he was not in alignment with the founder and felt unable to do his job the way he wanted to. He explains that at that moment, he really felt like the stress was going to kill him. He quit his job on the spot and three weeks later experienced a heart attack that landed him in the ICU.

Dex’s experience with his burnout and heart attack led him to become a burnout coach specializing in male burnout. Even though he now is an accomplished burnout professional, it was a long journey to relearn and deconstruct the maladaptive coping mechanisms from childhood that had been so critical to his survival. Around 5 years ago, Dex was diagnosed with cPTSD, which is complex PTSD that results from long standing, repetitive trauma. This diagnosis helped Dex to reframe his burnout and understand that it was not his fault. Psychological safety is incredibly important, and it can be very hard to ask for help, especially if you have been conditioned not to trust people socially.

Men are typically less likely than women to seek help as they view it as a weakness, but there is nothing more courageous than asking for help. Burnout is not your fault, and you can recover from it. The energy to do so already resides inside you. You just have to seek out the love within your heart.

Quotes

• “This thought went through my mind that the stress was at such a high level now that it was physically going to kill me.” (4:40-4:47 | Dex)

• “Whatever we learn as a child as a coping mechanism is very hardwired in by the time we become an adult.” (16:25-16:30 | Dex)

• “Complex PTSD is often a label given to people who, for example, were in the military where they've had repeated trauma in the military sense, but it's more often given to people who experience trauma they couldn't digest as children.” (18:51-19:08 | Dex)

• “We really do need to do some work on psychological safety, because it really makes a big difference.” (23:05-23:10 | Dex)

• “I think what men in burnout, the message that I would extend to them is that they are wonderful, well intentioned, big hearted human beings who are suffering intensely for reasons beyond their control.” (40:46-41:00 | Dex)

• “I have to realize I'm a valuable and worthy human being before I'm going to do anything about the experiences of burnout.” (43:35-43:43 | Dex)

Links

Connect with Dex Randall:

Website: https://dexrandall.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coachdexrandall/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/coachdexrandall

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

#straightfromcait: How Childhood Trauma is Related to Burnout (Even if You Think You Have None)

Sun, 18 Jun 2023 04:00:00 +0000

Even if you do not think you have experienced childhood trauma, there are many ways that childhood experiences can impact your ability to regulate your emotions. Adverse childhood experiences or ACEs include both events that happened to you like abuse or neglect and events that you simply witnessed. Trauma impacts child brain development at an epigenetic level, causing deficiencies in the part of the brain responsible for executive functioning and emotion regulation. In today’s #straightfromcait episode, host Cait Donovan discusses the link between ACEs and burnout.

Adverse childhood experiences impact the brain in a way that is very similar to the effects seen from long term stress. These experiences have a direct impact on the neurochemicals and hormones that are needed for regulating stress. Since your stress system cannot function the way it is supposed to, you are more prone to burnout. This further demonstrates how burnout is systemic and not the fault of the individual.

If you have a higher ACEs score, such as one that is at a 4 or above, you are more likely to have a higher level of emotional dysregulation. Any adverse events that happened in your childhood physically changed the way your brain developed and caused you to be more susceptible to burnout. Remember to be gentle with yourself, because burnout is not your fault and it may take longer for you to recover from stress than someone with a lower ACEs score.

Quotes

• “You don't have to be the ‘direct victim’ of abuse or neglect for it to affect you and your physical and emotional and mental health later on in life.” (6:54-7:06 | Cait)

• “I truly believe that if we spend more time helping families to live healthier with one another that is the way we eliminate burnout long-term. That's the way we really hashtag end burnout culture.” (8:21-8:35 | Cait)

• “There are interruptions to proper brain development when you experience adverse childhood experiences. These changes in brain development are nearly the same ones as we see with long term chronic stress.” (9:10-9:30 | Cait)

• “Adverse childhood experiences have various effects on the actual neurochemicals and hormones of your stress response and the structures that they attach to, and that interrupts your stress cycle somehow.” (15:32-15:50 | Cait)

• “If your stress response system is not working the way that it's supposed to, you are going to be more likely to burn out.” (23:24-23:33 | Cait)

• “Burnout is not your fault. You do deserve better.” (25:04-25:06 | Cait)

Links

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2015/03/02/387007941/take-the-ace-quiz-and-learn-what-it-does-and-doesnt-mean

https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/aces/index.html

https://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/aces/pdf/vs-1105-aces-H.pdf

Supportive Research for a Correlation between ACEs and Burnout

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Kelley Bronner: Black Girl Burnout, The True Meaning of Work, and Why EVERYONE Should Center Joy

Sun, 11 Jun 2023 04:00:00 +0000

Kelley Bonner experienced burnout while working in what she thought would be her forever job. Since she was a little girl, she had dreamed of becoming a prison social worker. As a Black woman and daughter of an immigrant mother, she was inspired by her desire to help Black and Brown people who are disproportionately harmed by the prison system. After nearly three years of working what was supposed to be her dream job, Kelley found herself having a full blown panic attack on the floor of the prison complex. Approximately six months later, she quit her job with no plan. Now, Kelley is a company culture strategist and licensed therapist with over 15 years of experience, as well as the host of the Black Girl Burnout podcast.

Kelley’s burnout experience helped her to realize that she had the wrong impression of what work was meant to be. Fundamentally, work is just work. When you look to your boss or co-workers for validation, those boundaries between life and work can become very blurry. Therapy can help you to learn how to center joy in your life. Once you center your life around joy, everything else will fall into place. The intersection of racism and burnout created additional challenges like unlearning the unconscious biases that she had been taught by her parents, such as, that as a Black woman, she needed to be better than the best at all times.

Putting aside her perfectionism as a high achieving Black woman was challenging, but it also freed up so much more space for joy in Kelley’s life. Remember to build joy into your days and shift your mindset around work so that it does not take over your whole identity.

Quotes

• “You cannot heal from a place of shame.” (11:05-11:08 | Kelley)

• “I really put a lot of my identity into what I could do being competent. And not just being competent, being the best.” (15:47-15:54 | Kelley)

• “Fundamentally that is what work is. It gives you the opportunity to express what matters to you and express your values.” (22:45-22:51 | Kelley)

• “I don't think you should hate work. I don't think you should be apathetic toward work. But you need to remember, it's just work.” (33:23-33:30 | Kelley)

• “When joy is at the center, the money comes, the relationships come, the ease with which you navigate your day, it all comes from what you center.” (36:11-36:21 | Kelley)

Links

Connect with Kelley Bonner:

https://www.blackgirlburnout.com

http://instagram.com/blackgirlburnout/ and https://www.instagram.com/kelleyabonner/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelleybonnerlcsw/ https://view.flodesk.com/pages/63a215d8531f97890ef2a34f

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

#straightfromcaitandsarah: How to Assess, Access, and Assemble the Resources You Need for Optimizing Burnout Recovery

Sun, 04 Jun 2023 04:00:00 +0000

During burnout, it’s common to not use your resources in the most efficient way. An important step in burnout recovery is to look at how you are using your resources like time, energy, money, and community and see where you could be resourcing more sustainably. In today’s #straightfromcaitandsarah episode, host Cait Donovan and FRIED Burnout Recovery Guide, Sarah Vosen, discuss how to assess, access, and assemble the resources you need to optimize your burnout recovery.

In Sarah’s burnout recovery group coaching, she leads a resourcing exercise which compares the human body to a tree using resources from the Earth to survive. A tree naturally uses its available resources in a sustainable way. For a sustainable burnout recovery plan, you have to be really intentional about budgeting your resources and seeing where you might need to prune the tree a bit. If you put all your focus on one resource like money and neglect others, your tree will be unbalanced. In order to re-resource, look at where you are spending your time and energy and see where you can make space for recovery and rest.

Burnout recovery requires rest. If you do not budget time and energy appropriately, you will be too busy to make adequate space in your day for rest and may find yourself trapped in a repeating cycle of burnout. Be honest with yourself and assess how you are using your resources and how to re-assemble them so that your tree can thrive.

Quotes

• “During burnout, you're exploiting your resources the same way we're exploiting the resources of the Earth.” (5:14-5:20 | Cait)

• “If you're only focused on money, and you're only doing things that make you money, and you're ignoring all of your other resources, you're probably not going to feel the greatest.” (15:02-15:12 | Sarah)

• “Burnout is a valid reason to take a break, to shift some things in your life, to meet your own needs and ask for help getting your needs met from other people if that's what it takes, and to recover.” (24:01-24:20 | Sarah)

• “Having other people to support you in your life and working with other people doesn't dilute your ideas. It makes you more resourced.” (30:25-30:35 | Cait)

Links

To explore burnout, leadership, and sustainable performance through a workplace and organizational lens, connect with Cait Donovan: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-minute reel: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Karina Schneider: How to Prepare for Your Return to Work after Burnout or Mental Health Leave

Sun, 28 May 2023 04:00:00 +0000

Karina Schneider spent nearly two decades working in a corporate environment prior to setting up her own private coaching and consulting practice with a focus on helping workplaces become spaces that support employee wellbeing. Now, as a reintegration coach, Karina consults with employees and their leaders as they navigate a return to work after a mental health leave. Karina is uniquely qualified to help both employees and employers through this process, as she has prior experience in the HR field and navigated her own return to work after seven months of leave for burnout recovery.

Whether you are returning from a longer FMLA leave, or even a shorter period of time, it is important to understand that your return to work is actually still part of the recovery process. Those first few days and weeks will be all about figuring out if you can apply what you learned during your time away to your work environment. You should not expect to have the same amount of energy that you had prior to your leave or try to push yourself too hard too fast. As part of recovery, those initial days are mostly about learning how to show up again and re-training your body for your work routine. Before even considering when to return to work, take time to think about what you have learned about yourself and what really matters to you. When you know what is most important to you, then you can set proper boundaries and advocate for yourself to your managers and HR team.

Pay close attention to signals from your body when you think about your return to work. Is your body telling you that now is the right time or are you feeling pressure or guilt from outside sources? It is critical for your burnout recovery and the prevention of future burnout that you go at your own pace and do not jump back full swing into work too quickly after a medical leave.

Quotes

• “We're not going to talk about day one until we're clear what you've learned about yourself and what matters to you.” (15:03-15:09 | Karina)

• “We should create an environment where people feel like it's okay to just put a name to it that I struggle with ADHD, or I live with depression, or I went through burnout.” (23:48-23:59 | Karina)

• “As much as I advocate for the employee owning the planning, HR and line managers play a crucial role. And if they can do that together, even better.” (33:26-33:36 | Karina)

• “One of the biggest challenges they face in their first weeks is energy.” (34:44-34:48 | Karina)

• “I don't say that as a weakness of ‘I only can work three days a week’, but rather, ‘I choose to work three days a week’, because that's what's right for me and for my family.” (42:28-42:39 | Karina)

Links

Connect with Karina Schneider:

Website: www.karinaschneider.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karinaschneider_ccs/

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/karschneider

Website: https://www.karinaschneider.com/returntowork

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

#straightfromcait: The 3 Types of Self Care that are Critical to Burnout Recovery

Sun, 21 May 2023 04:00:00 +0000

When people think about self-care they often picture soaking in a bubble bath, but in reality, self-care is so much more than that. Self-care is an absolutely critical part of burnout recovery. In today’s #straightfromcait episode, Cait Donovan, host and burnout speaker, shares the three types of self-care that are crucial for both burnout prevention and recovery.

Cait explains that the number one type of self-care for burnout is foundational self-care. This means that you must take the time to learn how to recognize your body’s signals and actually respond to them. As you do this more, your body learns that it can trust you to meet its needs such as needing to go to the bathroom or being hungry or thirsty. Once you have invested in foundational self-care, you can move on to self-advocacy, which requires you to start speaking up for yourself and asking for what you want. This is much easier to do after building up your sense of self worth with foundational self-care. Lastly, Cait shares that sometimes coping mechanisms that used to be beneficial can become maladaptive and need to be revised. Take a look at your coping mechanisms to see which ones might still work for you and which may need to be upgraded.

You know that self-care is much more than just taking a bubble bath or meditating for a half hour. True self-care is all about investing time into taking care of yourself both physically and mentally and realizing that you are deserving of having your needs met.

Quotes

• “Taking self care out of the burnout recovery equation is doing a massive disservice to everyone who needs to recover from burnout because you can't actually get out of burnout without some sort of self care.” (1:20-1:34 | Cait)

• “If you do not ever learn how to speak out loud the things you want, need, desire and prefer, you are very unlikely to get those things.” (7:35-7:44 | Cait)

• “If you want to recover from burnout, you must engage in the self care of self advocacy.” (9:19-9:25 | Cait)

• “This unwinding of your current coping mechanisms and keeping the ones that work well and upgrading some other ones that maybe don't work so well, is an absolutely necessary part of self care.” (12:13-12:32 | Cait)

• “Coping mechanisms sometimes become maladaptive and they need to be upgraded.” (14:19-14:22 | Cait)

Links

Heather Hansen (Self Advocacy): https://www.instagram.com/anelegantwarrior/

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Rebecca Kase: Polyvagal Informed EMDR: A Neuro-informed Approach to Healing

Sun, 14 May 2023 04:00:00 +0000

Rebecca Kase is the Owner of Rebecca Kase & CO, LLC as well as a licensed clinical social worker and author of Polyvagal Informed EMDR: A Neuro Informed Approach To Healing. You may remember her burnout story from a previous episode of FRIED. Rebecca began studying polyvagal theory at the start of the pandemic and is now an EMDR consultant and trainer. Today, she discusses the science behind polyvagal theory, how EMDR works, and how to use neuroception for healing the stress responses of the autonomic nervous system.

Polyvagal theory was developed by a researcher who was studying the heart rate changes in NICU infants in response to both safety and stress. This study was a breakthrough in seeing how stressors impact the autonomic nervous system. The symptoms of burnout all come from the autonomic nervous system. When you’re experiencing burnout, you may think that your nervous system is out to get you, but in reality it is just doing what it has adapted to do to–keep you alive. When you experience trauma or toxic stress, those memories can get stuck in your autonomic nervous system and cause physical symptoms every time the memory is triggered. EMDR can be used to unstick those memories and remove the stress response.

Toxic stress, or stress that continues for a long time and overwhelms your abilities to cope, can lead to a slew of serious and chronic health issues. When you take the time to befriend your autonomic nervous system and retrain it to recognize safety cues, you can reduce unwanted stress responses.

Quotes

• “The symptoms of burnout are all held within your autonomic nervous system.” (8:41-8:45 | Rebecca)

• “Toxic stress is really about those experiences that overwhelm your capacity to cope with and often, not always, have a pretty big dose.” (14:49-15:00 | Rebecca)

• “These circuits are all adaptive. They're not your enemy. They have worked, or you wouldn't be here.” (23:48-23:54 | Rebecca)

• “There's a humongous, overwhelming correlation to toxic stress and degenerative diseases.” (34:27-34:34 | Rebecca)

• “You don't just think about your memories, you feel your memories.” (41:35-41:38 | Rebecca)

• “When we can consciously appraise neuroception, we can increase the autonomic nervous system’s awareness of safety.” (50:14-50:21 | Rebecca)

Links

Connect with Rebecca:

Rebeccakase.com

https://www.linkedin.com/company/69036196/admin/,

Buy Rebecca's Book, Polyvagal-Informed EMDR: A Neuro-Informed Approach to Healing: https://www.amazon.com/Polyvagal-Informed-EMDR-Neuro-Informed-Approach-Healing/dp/1324030313

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Shelley Kemmerer: Dealing with Parental Burnout

Sun, 07 May 2023 04:00:00 +0000

Shelley Kemmerer is a parent, a board certified physician assistant and the founder of Run Tell Mom, LLC. During her clinical year to become a physician’s assistant, Shelley became pregnant. She chose to keep her pregnancy a secret, even while enduring constant sickness. Her child was born right as she was taking her boards and afterward she threw herself into work, extending her hours so that she could work fewer days. This very quickly led Shelley right into the dual role collision of the responsibilities of being a mother and working outside the home. Today, Shelley discusses parental burnout, burnout prevention as family planning, and her own advice for already burnt out mothers and expectant parents.

Mom burnout is incredibly common, especially in places like the United States where there is no federally mandated parental leave for working mothers. When moms experience parental burnout it differs from the experience of workplace burnout in that it involves a sense of detachment from one’s own child and a feeling of ineffectiveness as a parent. For those already at that stage, reaching out to an integrated care team can be a great help. If you’re not quite at that stage yet, but are looking to prevent burnout, it is important to analyze how your time is being used, reassign household tasks, and prioritize your own self investment.

Juggling the responsibilities of parenthood and work can lead to a lot of physical and mental exhaustion. Before hitting the tipping point, lean into self strategy and figure out what you can do to regain more time for yourself throughout your day.

Quotes

• “You're asking people to take care of other people, but not taking care of yourself.” (11:12-11:15 | Shelley)

• “What I would love is if burnout prevention was considered a real component of family planning.” (20:30-20:37 | Shelley)

• “There's a lot to be said about burnout prevention or burnout strategies. Instead of saying self care, I'm talking about the self strategy of how to clean things up and lean into what is most necessary for myself right now.” (33:31-33:46 | Shelley)

• “Prior to that boiling point, you need to start thinking about your time and how much of it is consumed with all the tasks and responsibilities that you have throughout the day, in comparison to the time that you have to rest.” (36:33-36:48 | Shelley)

Links

Connect with Shelley Kemmerer:

https://runtellmom.com

https://www.instagram.com/runtellmom/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/shelleykemmererpac/

https://runtellmom.com

https://www.katemangino.com/media-page/print

https://www.fairplaylife.com/the-cards

https://www.amazon.com/Real-Self-Care-Transformative-Redefining-Wellness/dp/0593489721

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Monica Monfre Scantlebury: Teacher Burnout & Pivoting from Teaching with a Side Hustle

Sun, 30 Apr 2023 04:00:00 +0000

Monica Monfre Scantlebury is a certified life coach, health coach, and yoga instructor, but she did not start that way. Monica spent 8 years working as a teacher at the university level and then another 15 working as a highschool teacher. Even though she loved being a teacher, by year 7 educator burnout was having significant effects on her health and wellbeing. She decided to walk away from teaching and turn her side hustle of being a yoga instructor into a full-time job. Today, Monica discusses teacher burnout and how she used her side hustle as a way to pivot from teaching.

Teachers encourage students to take proper care of themselves and to follow their dreams, but they are not allowed to actually model what they teach. Neither teachers nor students can go to the bathroom or eat when they need to, and teachers are penalized for taking sick days. Monica received her first ever low evaluation score her final year of teaching, not because she was doing anything wrong, but because she had dared to use 9 out of her 10 sick days to have a hysterectomy after discovering cancer cells in her fallopian tubes. With teachers not being given the ability to take care of themselves, it is only natural that educator burnout would occur at extremely high rates. Although Monica was nervous to pursue her side hustle full-time, she is now making more money and experiencing a much more manageable level of stress.

Sometimes teachers worry that all they can do is teach, but being a teacher requires a slew of skills that can translate over to other professions. Teachers spend all day marketing ideas to their students, trying to persuade them to do what they want, and they also have a lot of experience as speakers. It is easy to feel stuck after being in the same profession for a long time, but there are always opportunities to pivot.

Quotes

• “I walked away from a $106,000 salary in New York City, because I was burned out.” (7:34-7:40 | Monica)

• “80% of teachers are women. The time off that it takes us to recover whether you're having a child or you're having a health condition, I don't think that people do it from a place of, ‘I'm out to get you,’ but 10 days off is not enough.” (8:24-8:42 | Monica)

• “We can't say that we want our teachers to be well and that we want them to practice social-emotional learning with their students when in fact our teachers are unwell.” (9:05-9:16 | Monica)

• “A lot of teachers don't take their time off because it goes against our evaluation, and it costs more work to actually prepare to be out of the classroom, which leads to more burnout.” (15:25-15:37 | Monica)

• “If you tell your students that they can chase their dreams and do the things and take care of themselves, then we have to model that.” (21:57-22:03 | Monica)

• “People say if you can't do something you teach, and I would tell you that we teach, because we can do all the things.” (33:54-34:00 | Monica)

Links

Connect with Monica Monfre Scantlebury:

https://www.monicamonfre.com

https://www.instagram.com/monicamonfre/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/monicamonfre/

https://www.monicamonfre.com/reliablerevenuetraining

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Nikki Hume: Teacher Burnout and the International Teaching Experience

Sun, 23 Apr 2023 04:00:00 +0000

Nikki Hume is an art teacher at an international school in Manila. She taught for 9 years in the states before teaching abroad and attributes her two burnout experiences with helping her to learn very valuable life lessons. Today, Nikki discusses teacher burnout and how it relates to her own experiences teaching internationally.

Educator burnout has a variety of root causes, but one of the largest is a lack of proper work life balance and well-established boundaries. Nikki explains that in international schools there is actually even less of a clear divide between school and personal life, because there is more of an expectation for teachers to be socially involved with their colleagues. Unless you put in significant effort to make outside friends, the majority of your friendships will likely be with other teachers. Another issue causing burnt out teachers is that there is often a lack of clarity on job responsibilities from day to day. Teachers may burn out simply because they are overwhelmed by the amount of demands being put on them that are technically outside of their job description.

As the world changes, so too do the expectations and requirements for teachers. Kids have different needs than they did in the past and there is a lot of pressure on educators to take on an emotional caregiver type role in addition to their educational role. By establishing strong boundaries and being very intentional about upholding them, teachers can prevent burnout and keep doing what they love.

Quotes

• “If you love teaching and you don't want to burn out from it, you don't want to make a full career change, then you have to protect yourself.” (18:42-18:52 | Nikki)

• “Colleagues aren't just your colleagues in the international world.” (21:15-21:18 | Nikki)

• “It's a lack of an understanding of collaboration and what that means for teachers working within teams, and teachers connecting also to administrative support.” (26:36-26:49 | Nikki)

• “There's times where the expectations for what your role is on that day is not clear.” (28:15-28:20 | Nikki)

• “The one thing teachers say is there's never enough time. There's never enough time in the school day, in their own day sometimes to get all the things done. And so I wonder if we just let teachers do their job, what is in their job description, and not keep adding to the plate without taking something else off, would that idea of expectations shift?” (28:38-29:08 | Nikki)

• “Everyone's definition of collaboration is different.” (33:46-33:48 | Nikki)

• “The world has also shifted and the things that kids need is very different. Sometimes I can’t relate to it, so I just have to be empathetic to it.” (44:15-44:24 | Nikki)

Links

Connect with Nikki Hume:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikki-hume-3b90b632/

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

#straightfromcait: Celebrating 100 Guests and 100 Burnout Recovery Tips

Sun, 16 Apr 2023 04:00:00 +0000

From learning body signals to learning about the link between energy expenditure and finances, over 100 guests have opened up and shared their burnout stories. In today’s #straightfromcait episode, Cait Donovan, host and burnout speaker, shares burnout recovery tips from 2 guests from each season of FRIED, including lessons from guests like Ashley Rose, Maggie Reyes, Simone Craig, Dr. Valerie Ryan, and more.

Ashley Rose was the first guest ever on FRIED. She and Cait spoke about how childhood trauma creates a greater risk of burnout as an adult. Next, Cait recalls the episode with Maggie Reyes about how there can be a physical component to burnout. You can do all the therapy you want, but if something is physically wrong like a thyroid deficiency or anemia, you will not be able to fully recover without addressing it first. Cait goes on to share more stories from past podcast guests, delving into topics like addiction and codependency, the patriarchy, and the neuroscience of burnout.

There is a lot of valuable information provided throughout the six seasons of FRIED thanks to over 100 guests opening up and sharing their stories of burnout recovery. With tips about being more in touch with your body, following the breadcrumbs to make small changes, surrendering control, and more, you can be sure to learn something that will resonate with your own experiences.

Quotes

• “Burnout was part of the story, but part of her burnout was this physical portion. And I think that's so important to remember in a world that is telling us constantly that trauma is the root of all of our problems.” (6:46-6:57 | Cait)

• “Follow the breadcrumbs. Look to the smallest little hints of what you should be doing next and follow those and allow them to slowly transform you, instead of trying to make this big massive change. Because big massive changes take big massive energy that you just don't have right now.” (7:25-7:42 | Cait)

• “Codependence is this way that we give to other people so much until there's nothing of us left, until we are completely lost. This is such a common thing in burnout.” (10:21-10:31 | Cait)

• “When you don't have systems in place to make your life easier, you're spending extra energy figuring everything out fresh every time you do it. Which means that you are blocking the energy that you need to have available for creativity, for joy, for fun, for things that are not get this task done kind of energy.” (15:29-15:48 | Cait)

Links

https://www.friedtheburnoutpodcast.com/post/ashley-rose

https://www.friedtheburnoutpodcast.com/post/maggie-reyes

https://www.friedtheburnoutpodcast.com/post/dr-valerie-rein

https://www.friedtheburnoutpodcast.com/post/simone-craig

https://www.friedtheburnoutpodcast.com/post/melanie-moberg

https://www.friedtheburnoutpodcast.com/post/shonte-javon-taylor

https://www.friedtheburnoutpodcast.com/post/jim-young-ceo-dad-burnout-emotional-gold-digging-and-why-relationships-matter

https://www.friedtheburnoutpodcast.com/post/casey-davidson-alcohol-use-overwork-and-the-societally-accepted-addiction-that-feeds-them-both

https://www.friedtheburnoutpodcast.com/post/dan-sykes-the-somatic-fanatic-talks-the-power-of-curiosity-for-nervous-system-training

https://www.friedtheburnoutpodcast.com/post/nneka-roberts-using-systems-to-create-more-time-mental-space-creativity-and-money

https://www.friedtheburnoutpodcast.com/post/newton-cheng-i-burned-out-in-corporate-and-stayed-this-is-how

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Aesha Tahir: How Your Posture Affects Your Stress System and Your Burnout Recoverability

Sun, 09 Apr 2023 04:00:00 +0000

Aesha Tahir is the founder of Tone and Strengthen, a corporate wellness company, as well as an author and exercise physiologist. Her book, Unhunched: Discovering Wellness Through Posture, is set for release this Spring. Today, Aesha shares how posture impacts the stress system and burnout recoverability.

Aesha is no stranger to burnout after having experienced it twice. Her first experience led her to the ER, fearful that she was having a stroke when her left foot went completely numb. It turned out that her stressful highly sedentary corporate lifestyle coupled with being a wife and mother was causing sciatica. She spent 12 hours at work slouching and all day stressing out about her responsibilities while ignoring her body’s signals for help until she literally had no choice but to listen. When she had her second child, Aesha decided to step back from work and got more active. Within six months of being more active, her back pain was gone even though she was caring for a newborn. Being pain free was not the only benefit either. As Aesha worked on her posture and stopped slouching and unknowingly taking a submissive stance, people began to compliment her and view her as more confident.

Body language accounts for 93% of all communication. So it is important to set yourself up for success through having good posture. Slouching puts stress on your nervous system and causes it to activate flight or fight mode, increasing your risk for burnout. Tune into today’s episode of FRIED. The Burnout Podcast for a conversation with Aesha Tahir on how posture affects the stress system and what steps you can take to improve it today.

Quotes

• “A lot of times we are not aware of what's happening within our bodies.” (9:17-9:21 | Aesha)

• “When I started working out regularly, and I removed the excessive stress from my life, now I had the room to understand and be in tune with my body.” (9:53-10:06 | Aesha)

• “93% of the communication is through body language. So, is your body language set up for success or not?” (15:32-15:40 | Aesha)

• “When we have this rounded shoulder posture or hunched over posture, literally we are collapsing our lungs and our diaphragm.” (20:12-20:19 | Aesha)

• “When you have poor posture the stress center in our brain, which we call the red nucleus, responds to the physical poor posture and activates the sympathetic nervous system.” (30:49-31:05 | Aesha)

• “You can use your posture, your body language, for success, not just physically, not just to be pain free, but also to step into the greatness of your own being.” (40:15-40:30 | Aesha)

Links

https://www.ted.com/talks/amy_cuddy_your_body_language_may_shape_who_you_are/comments

www.toneandstrengthen.com

https://www.instagram.com/tone_and_strengthen/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/aeshatahir/

https://unhunched.ck.page/ecf6947f70

Convertible Desk: https://www.amazon.com/VIVO-Converter-Adjustable-Workstation-DESK-V028KB/dp/B0BGYGTSR5/ref=pd_ci_mcx_mh_mcx_views_0?pd_rd_w=ZG4Z5&content-id=amzn1.sym.1bcf206d-941a-4dd9-9560-bdaa3c824953&pf_rd_p=1bcf206d-941a-4dd9-9560-bdaa3c824953&pf_rd_r=3SZ9QRR6YD717QCZKHBP&pd_rd_wg=3jvQv&pd_rd_r=b73baebf-13dd-43b5-81cd-ef276cdd273a&pd_rd_i=B0BGYGTSR5

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

#straightfromcait: Burnout and Exercise - What, How Much, and When

Sun, 02 Apr 2023 04:00:00 +0000

If you used to have an exercise routine before burning out, you may be wondering when it is safe to start exercising again. The truth is that it differs for everyone, and you know your body better than anyone else. Learning to listen to your body and make adjustments based on what it is telling you is key for burnout recovery. In today’s #straightfromcait episode, Cait Donovan, host and burnout speaker, shares tips for incorporating exercise into your burnout recovery.

Movement is critical for your overall health. Resting is a big part of recovery too, but that does not mean sitting around doing nothing all day every day. Start incorporating movement back into your life slowly and see how it goes. Don’t try to do a high intensity workout or a big run right away as those things are likely to overuse your energy stores and cause you to crash harder. Just adding in a short ten or twenty minute morning walk can make a huge difference. Energy building exercises like Tai Chi and Yin Yoga can be excellent tools to add movement back into your day without pushing your body too far.

Everyone’s body is different, so only you can really know how much exercise your body is ready to take on. Listening to your body and getting really in tune with how it is feeling is the best thing you can do for your overall burnout recovery. Start by going slow, checking in with your body after every movement, and making sure you are getting enough fuel through what you are eating.

Quotes

• “The best time to do this 10 or 20 minute walk is as close to sunrise as possible, that way you are starting the proper cascade of hormones in your body right from the get go.” (7:19-7:31 | Cait)

• “Pushing it with exercise when you're feeling strong is a good thing to do, that's a healthy thing to do. But when you're burned out, it can be a little bit tricky, because it overuses your energy.” (10:25-10:33 | Cait)

• “In order to exercise efficiently and to use the energy well, and for your body to get stuff out of it, you should have quality food.” (13:47-13:54 | Cait)

• “Keep moving any way that you can. Add more when you feel up for it, scale back if it exhausts you, and check in with your fuel sources.” (15:22-15:33 | Cait)

• “Listening to what your body is telling you is the most critical factor in your recovery.” (15:39-15:44 | Cait)

Links

https://instagram.com/carolynbrownie

https://instagram.com/isabelsmithnutrition

https://instagram.com/themetabolismmakeover

https://drinklmnt.com/

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Lauren Baptiste: The Magic of Small Steps for Burnout Recovery

Sun, 26 Mar 2023 04:00:00 +0000

Lauren Baptiste is the founder of Acheloa Wellness. She is approaching her 10 year burnout anniversary and attributes much of her healing to the practice of Ayurveda. Today, Lauren shares the magic of small steps for burnout recovery that helped her get to this point.

When Lauren began to burnout, her body reacted in very serious ways. She ended up covered head to toe in hives and needed to go to the emergency room. Even covered in hives, her boss expected her to bring her computer to the hospital and to report for work the next morning. Lauren’s doctor explained that she was burned out and needed to make changes before her health got worse. As she realized how much stress impacts health, Lauren discovered Ayurveda, the study of life and longevity. It has been around for around 3 to 5,000 years and is an Indian practice grounded in Chinese medicine. Ayurveda provided tools for Lauren to make small, simple changes to her day that would ultimately lead to her burnout recovery. These changes included things like waking at sunrise to really take advantage of her morning and incorporating daily moments of gratitude.

It takes time to become burned out, and recovery can take just as long, or even longer. Instead of being frustrated by how long recovery is taking, know that there are small steps you can take right away that will help you. Tune into today’s episode of FRIED. The Burnout Podcast for a conversation with Lauren Baptiste on the magic of small steps for burnout recovery.

Quotes

• “I learned that day that I had burnout. The doctor came back. He said to me, ‘Lauren, you're dealing with stress. You need to change something. Otherwise you're going to come back to me with much bigger problems one day’.” (9:41-9:55 | Lauren)

• “I knew in those first formidable years of corporate, it's kill or be killed. And I didn't realize that I was the one killing myself.” (20:45-20:53 | Lauren)

• “When I think of an exit strategy from burnout, it's understanding that it took years to get into this and it can take years to get out of it.” (29:10-29:22 | Lauren)

• “If we can prep our body the best way possible, it does have an effect on our overall well being. It does give us the best poker hand possible to win this game of burnout.” (41:52-42:06 | Lauren)

Links

Connect with Lauren Baptiste:

www.acheloawellness.com

https://instagram.com/acheloawelness

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-baptiste/

3 Steps to Set Healthy Boundaries: https://www.dropbox.com/s/gxrsodqox89jd0v/Acheloa%20Wellness%20-%20Freebie%20-%203%20Steps%20to%20Set%20Healthy%20Boundaries.pdf?dl=0

Self Massage:

Self Massage

Customizing Your Self Massage

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

#straightfromcait: Getting Your Energy Back During Burnout Recovery

Sun, 19 Mar 2023 04:00:00 +0000

During your burnout recovery, you will likely still not be at your original energy level for a while. It takes a different amount of time for everyone, but in Cait’s experience the average time frame has been around 18 months. In today’s #straightfromcait episode, Cait Donovan, host and burnout speaker, shares 8 tips for helping to get your energy back during recovery.

Doing too much all at once can cause you to do more harm than good for your recovery. Start with choosing one thing to work on, and then once it becomes a habit you can move on to the next. A good place to start is seeing your doctor for blood work, or if you can afford it going to a functional medicine practitioner. If you have an underlying medical issue like anemia or low Vitamin D, you will not be able to feel energized regardless of how much mindset work you do. Another simple tip to improve your energy is to drink more water. Just adding one additional glass of water each day is a great way to keep yourself from becoming dehydrated, especially if you add in some electrolytes.

Overdoing it is part of what causes burnout in the first place, so be patient with yourself during recovery. Be honest and take a step back if you find yourself doing too much. Start with small actionable steps like drinking more water or improving your posture and slowly work up to doing more as your energy returns.

Quotes

• “If your vitamin D or B12 are low, or if you’re anemic or your thyroid is off, you're not going to feel rested and or energized no matter how much mindset work you do.” (2:02-2:14 | Cait)

• “You can't have energy without water. If you aren't drinking enough, and you know who you are out there, add one more glass a day.” (3:44-3:52 | Cait)

• “Check in and be honest about whether or not you're overdoing it, please. Because when you start to feel better, you might be inclined to work like you used to. And you might just not be able to do that yet. If you're overworking, you'll need to take a step back somehow. Learning how to rebalance your life is part of recovery, and it's impossible to feel rested when you're always overworked.” (5:14-5:36 | Cait)

• “Did you know that when you're sitting in a crappy position all day and you don't breathe fully and therefore you don't use energy well, you're basically creating an inefficient machine?” (5:40-5:50 | Cait)

• “If you aren't moving because exercise still feels like it's too much, you might need to shift your mindset around what exercise means.” (6:29-6:37 | Cait)

• “Be patient with yourself, please. The desire to push yourself beyond your energetic means is a piece of what drew you to burnout in the first place.” (7:43-7:52 | Cait)

Links

https://instagram.com/carolynbrownie

https://instagram.com/isabelsmithnutrition

https://instagram.com/themetabolismmakeover

https://instagram.com/lalunehealing

https://www.youtube.com/@SpringForestQigongYouTube

https://www.friedtheburnoutpodcast.com/post/riley-jarvis-the-big-secrets-of-exceptional-sleep-with-the-sleep-consultant

https://www.friedtheburnoutpodcast.com/post/carolyn-brown-love-where-you-live-beautify-your-home-and-drink-your-damn-water

https://www.friedtheburnoutpodcast.com/post/isabel-smith

https://www.friedtheburnoutpodcast.com/post/elizabeth-collins-the-burnout-witch-talks-leaky-gut-tarot-and-optimal-blood-work

https://drinklmnt.com/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&gclid=Cj0KCQiA3eGfBhCeARIsACpJNU9X5rms3Ys7g762nRUemppIJhQg3yl1Uiv6-UzrHte5xRkyD_4ZjwAaAuY7EALw_wcB

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Ewa Błaszczak: Heal Your Burnout by Detoxing Your Communication

Sun, 12 Mar 2023 05:00:00 +0000

Ewa Błaszczak is a mentor for leaders and teams, an author, professional speaker, and coaching mentor to host Cait Donovan. Recently she wrote a book in Polish that began as a TED talk about the toxicity of sarcasm and developed into a deep dive on how to detoxify communication.

Communication toxins are a natural defense mechanism that developed in response to our reptilian brain’s need for psychological safety and early humans’ reliance on one another to survive. When you are in a toxic environment, you are likely to fight others through your communication choices, whether by using sarcasm, ignoring people, or being overly critical. These dangerously toxic communication mechanisms reduce the psychological safety of not only yourself, but also those around you and can lead to burnout. It is impossible for trust to thrive in a toxic environment, so removing those toxins is pivotal for healthy relationships to grow.

Pay close attention to the language you use with yourself. When you improve the way you communicate with yourself, it will have a positive impact on how you communicate with others. Tune into today’s episode of FRIED. The Burnout Podcast for a conversation with Ewa Błaszczak about how to heal burnout by detoxing your communication.

Quotes

• “There's a specific thing that makes our relationships crumble, that makes our lives literally miserable, and these are communication toxins.” (18:38-18:47 | Ewa)

• “We lack psychological safety. We are warring with ourselves and others constantly.” (19:09-19:16 | Ewa)

• “If you are subject to sarcasm on a daily basis, your immune system gets compromised for the next four years and it causes all those autoimmune diseases.” (23:20-23:33 | Ewa)

• “We have to pay close attention to how we treat ourselves on a daily basis.” (36:39-36:45 | Ewa)

• “Start with yourself and start with monitoring your own inner communication, because once you change the way you communicate with yourself, there will be less pain and you'll be less vulnerable.” (38:37-38:49 | Ewa)

• “We are all wounded and toxicity is a natural defense mechanism not to feel our own pain.” (41:46-41:56 | Ewa)

• “There's no trust in a toxic environment. There's no possibility that the trust is going to thrive.” (48:17-48:23 | Ewa)

Links

Connect with Ewa Błaszczak:

https://ewablaszczak.com

https://www.akashicreadings.eu/

https://gottman.com

https://www.ted.com/talks/ewa_blaszczak_let_s_put_an_end_to_sarcasm

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

#straightfromcait: Healing a Burnt Out Brain

Sun, 05 Mar 2023 05:00:00 +0000

The steps for healing from burnout are different from what is required to prevent burnout. When you are burnt out and experiencing chronic stress, the part of your brain responsible for executive functioning actually loses neurons. This means that you may struggle more with memory loss and keeping up with all of the day to day responsibilities that come with adulting. In today’s #straightfromcait episode, Cait Donovan, host and burnout speaker, shares her tips for healing a burnt out brain.

In order to heal your brain and regain executive functioning skills, you should aim to make progress slowly. You cannot undo 20 years of chronic stress in three weeks and expect your brain to function like new. It takes time to heal and it is best to start small. No one can completely focus and be productive when they are hungry, thirsty, tired, or need to use the bathroom. Even just fixing things like your sleep patterns, making it a habit to eat regularly, and letting yourself pee when you need to are huge for building a healthy foundation.

Chronic stress often leads to burnout, and burnout actively shrinks the part of your brain that handles executive functioning. Healing your brain will take time and intentionality. Start small with activities like brain games on your phone to help improve memory and devoting time to foundational self-care.

Quotes

• “The steps that are required to heal from burnout are different than those that are needed to prevent burnout.” (1:46-1:52 | Cait)

• “The part of your brain that is responsible for executive functioning loses neurons with chronic stress.” (3:21-3:26 | Cait)

• “You're gonna make the most progress with your burnout recovery when you are aiming for things that are just slightly out of your current ability. What I see happening all the time in burnout recovery is that people want to rewind 20 years of stress and damage in three weeks and get back functions that are too many steps ahead of where they are.” (5:31-5:53 | Cait)

• “If you do everything for children, then that interferes with their executive functioning development because they're not being asked to task their brain to learn a new thing.” (8:46-8:56 | Cait)

• “Executive functioning skills are at their best when we are at our best.” (9:23-9:28 | Cait)

• “We never expect a young child or a student to be able to grow and learn when they're tired and hungry. Why are you expecting yourself to?” (10:13-10:22 | Cait)

Links

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKGrmY8OSHM (Non Sleep Deep Rest)

https://insighttimer.com

https://instagram.com/themetabolismmakeover

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

#straightfromcaitandsarah: Answering Your Most Common Burnout Questions

Sun, 26 Feb 2023 05:00:00 +0000

Recovering from burnout requires you to be okay with being uncomfortable. Rest is actually incredibly productive, and even though you might feel restless or guilty about sitting still it is vital for recovery. In today’s #straightfromcaitandsarah episode, Cait Donovan, host and burnout speaker, and Sarah Vosen, FRIED burnout coach, answer your most common burnout questions from the FRIED Facebook group.

If you are expending too much time and energy and not receiving enough resources back, this will contribute to burnout. You can’t go into burnout recovery the same way as you tackle other issues, because it requires an entirely different approach. When your resources are depleted, you need to rest in order to refill those resources. Your body is likely to start sending signals in the form of various ailments and symptoms if you ignore the signs for too long and refuse to rest.

When you are experiencing signs of burnout, it is time to stop and take a break. Allow your body to rest and check in on your routine to see where you may be able to change things. Often you will find yourself running on autopilot and doing things a certain way when there may be a simpler way to do them that enables you to expend less resources.

Quotes

• “Recovery requires a different way of being, a different way of doing, a different mode of operation.” (3:35-3:40 | Sarah)

• “A lot of burnout recovery happens in these spaces where you learn to sit with feeling uncomfortable.” (6:59-7:07 | Cait)

• “When you are faced with the choice of guilt or resentment, choose guilt every time; because resentment eats at you.” (8:09-8:21 | Cait)

• “The guilt isn't the problem. The avoidance of the guilt is the problem.” (10:09-10:12 | Cait)

• “When we're burnt out, we have depleted our resources oftentimes, especially time and energy, and we're giving too much. And we're giving too much out to things that aren't refueling our resources. So pausing for a second and a break is a good time to do this, to take an inventory of what am I spending my time, money, and resources, energy on? And what can I stop giving to?” (16:09-16:40 | Sarah)

• “Rest is receiving resources.” (17:52-17:55 | Cait)

• “Any symptom from head to toe can be part of a burnout scenario.” (30:52-30:56 | Cait)

Links

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

To explore burnout, leadership, and sustainable performance through a workplace and organizational lens, connect with Cait Donovan: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-minute reel: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Kute Blackson: Accept, Grieve, and then Surrender to Recover from Burnout

Sun, 19 Feb 2023 05:00:00 +0000

Kute Blackson is an inspirational speaker and transformational teacher. He is a member of the Transformational Leadership Council, a group of 100 of the world’s foremost authorities in the personal development industry. He learned about the power and the magic of surrender when his mother was diagnosed with stomach cancer and his time with her became more precious than ever before.

Surrender is a powerful tool for transformation and is an important part of burnout recovery. Humans are naturally hardwired to surrender, but as we grow up, we become resistant to it. We tend to forget that the ego is simply a pattern of behavior and not actually who we truly are. When we mistake ego for personal identity, surrender can feel like death instead of being seen for what it really is, a chance to let go and fully accept life for what it is.

Resisting surrender is exhausting and can lead to burnout. When we fully accept surrender for what it is, we can grieve and then move forward. Tune into today’s episode of FRIED. The Burnout Podcast for a conversation with Kute Blackson about the magic of surrender.

Quotes

• “When I began to surrender and accept that she may not live, maybe this is it, it’s as though it transformed me because every moment became sacred.” (7:08-7:22 | Kute)

• “It was so profound, because I would sit in chemo sessions with my mother holding her hand in such gratitude for this moment that I had with her. I would sit in the park with her, all the things that I deemed a waste of time, because I was busy saving the planet, that I didn't have time to just sit and take a walk in the park with my mother because it was just not productive was so precious for the first time like it could be the last moment. And so the process of surrendering transformed my relationship to the moment, my relationship to her.” (7:47-8:23 | Kute)

• “Surrender is the most powerful thing that we can do as human beings.” (11:58-12:01 | Kute)

• “Surrender is when we stop trying to force or manipulate life to fit our limited idea of how we think it should be and how we think a relationship should be. It's letting go of who we think we should be, and how we think life should be so that we take the limitations off of life so that we can be truly open and available to the highest unfolding that is seeking to happen.” (15:08-15:37 | Kute)

• “When we surrender, that’s when the magic happens.” (15:44-15:47 | Kute)

• “Surrender is our natural state. That's what I just want people to get. Surrender is in fact hardwired into our physiology.” (24:10-24:19 | Kute)

• “Surrender is a death and when we allow ourselves to fully, fully, fully accept, then we can fully grieve. And when we fully grieve that’s when we're able to let go.” (41:10-41:21 | Kute)

Links

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Connect with Kute Blackson:

Website: www.kuteblackson.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kuteblackson/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kute-blackson-35755519/

Book: www.themagicofsurrender.com

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

BONUS: FRIED Burnout Recovery Group Coaching with Sarah Vosen starts Feb 19th!

Tue, 14 Feb 2023 17:28:00 +0000

To explore burnout, leadership, and sustainable performance through a workplace and organizational lens, connect with Cait Donovan: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-minute reel: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

#straightfromcait: The Workplace is a Trauma Recycling Center

Sun, 12 Feb 2023 05:00:00 +0000

There are two major theories when it comes to burnout. The first is that it is entirely preventable through a simple shift in workplace culture. The second is that burnout is not always avoidable but can be eliminated through self-care, establishing boundaries, and self-advocacy. According to Cait, the truth is somewhere in the middle. In today’s #straightfromcait episode, Cait, host and burnout speaker, talks about the workplace as a trauma recycling center and what that means for burnout.

A toxic workplace often is the result of people recycling their own traumas back onto their peers. Everyone in your workplace, even the people you dislike, has their own trauma that they are bringing to work with them. Our society is not equal and there are many social determinants of health that impact a person’s susceptibility to burnout. Also, since everyone comes from different life experiences, your idea of workplace trauma might be very different from your coworker’s.

By working with a trauma informed therapist and making time for self-care and self-advocacy, you can work to heal from trauma so that you bring less of it with you to your job. Give yourself grace and compassion above all else, and then find compassion for others as well.

Quotes

• “After interviewing more than 100 people for this podcast and working with countless others, I have yet to meet a person who recovered from burnout without engaging in some form of self care.” (2:24-2:35 | Cait)

• “The workplace is a trauma recycling center. Workplace culture can be toxic, and we like to blame that on the system. Listen up everybody. I've said this before I'm gonna say it again. We are the system. The people making decisions at the top have just as much trauma as the people burning out along the path. Do you think that the bullies are people who have worked through their own sh*t? Hell no. Do you think that bosses who demand nonstop working and don't understand that you don't want to slash can't actually work 27 hours a day have been through successful therapy or trauma healing? Hell to the no.” (3:23-4:08 | Cait)

• “Until we have created a culture where there aren't large percentages of people who are neglected, abused and traumatized, burnout is always going to end up being one of the results.” (4:28-4:39 | Cait)

• “A psychologically safe workplace for you is not a psychologically safe workplace for someone else.” (6:42-6:47 | Cait)

• “When you respond with harshness, even internally, what you're doing is recycling your own trauma in your own body every day. Freeing yourself from that is a powerful step towards reclaiming power over your life and healing from burnout.” (11:48-12:05 | Cait)

Links

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Erica Cuni - https://www.ericacuni.com/

Nidha Tewari - https://www.wellbeingspeaker.com/

Holly Doll - https://www.hollyangeladoll.com/

Kari Zee - https://www.karizeecoaching.com/

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Nina Blackshear: Eliminate Imposter Syndrome in High Achievers

Sun, 05 Feb 2023 05:00:00 +0000

Nina Blackshear is an attorney and executive coach who specializes in coaching high power and high potential women to overcome obstacles like imposter syndrome. She experienced burnout while working in a high achieving career at a large pharmaceutical company. Getting let go turned out to be a blessing in disguise, because the blinders came off to reveal the toxic environment Nina had been keeping herself in. She spent the next six months working on herself and re-evaluating her next career moves before getting involved with coaching other high achieving women.

While evaluating the source of her imposter syndrome with a therapist, Nina became aware of her mother’s narcissistic behavior and how it was still affecting her as an adult. Since she was unable to get the desired attention from her mother, she was seeking someone to fill that role even in her professional life. By attributing this mother role to co-workers, she created unhealthy attachments that left her emotionally unregulated anytime these women would provide even remotely negative feedback.

Imposter syndrome is caused by both internal and external factors. There is only so much you can do about the external factors, but you can change your mindset to eliminate the internal factors. Tune into today’s episode of FRIED. The Burnout Podcast for a conversation with Nina Blackshear about eliminating imposter syndrome, stopping the lies, and being unapologetically authentic.

Quotes

• “There are other places to go. There are other places to work. There are other things that you can be doing. It's not just this, you don't have to succeed in this particular place” (11:48-12:01 | Nina)

• “When you start to compromise the integrity of who you actually are in order to fit a culture, in order to gain an opportunity, in order to achieve in a culture that may not be that interested in your success. That's when that happens. Imposter syndromes also starts to creep in, in addition to the burnout, right? And it feeds on each other like a snake eating its own tail, because the more you pretzel yourself and strive to be something that you're not, the more stressed out you're going to be. And so you add that internal burnout on top of what external factors are creating burnout, and it's a recipe for like bursting spontaneously into flame.” (14:45-15:21 | Nina)

• “You might feel like an impostor because you are one.” (28:44-28:47 | Nina)

• “High achievers don't like to tell you that they don't know something. They want to come up with something on the fly in the moment that sounds good, and they're hoping you don't catch that maybe they don't really know as much about it as you think they do.” (30:13-30:23 | Nina)

• “I really think you can eliminate slash overcome impostor syndrome. I don't think it's something you’ve got to live with like a backpack you carry all the time.” (41:16-41:24 | Nina)

• “Stop lying, but also unapologetically be your authentic self.” (42:35-42:39 | Nina)

• “Even if you're not in an environment that’s showing you your value and your worth or appreciating it, you have so much to offer. You have so much to give, you just might need to change the scenery to feel fulfilled, to feel seen, to feel like you're contributing.” (56:42-56:59 | Nina)

SPONSOR:

Bearaby - the anti-anxiety weighted blanket that Cait swears by!

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Connect with Nina Blackshear:

Website: www.ninablackshear.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nina-blackshear/

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Susie Moore: Let It Be Easy

Sun, 29 Jan 2023 05:00:00 +0000

Susie Moore is a world renowned life coach, author of Let It Be Easy: Simple Ways to Stop Stressing and Start Living, as well as the host of the Let It Be Easy podcast. Susie’s life growing up was anything but easy. She grew up on welfare, moving frequently between domestic violence shelters, and her main hope for her future was to have stability and financial independence. However, once Susie was out of that situation and married in her own place, she realized that she was still unhappy. It wasn’t until she did a lot of inner work with consistency and intentionality that she was able to change her thought patterns and her life.

The first step toward an easier life is taking responsibility for your emotions. The way you feel inspires your actions, so by controlling your emotions you can change how you show up in the world. Next, be selective about who has access to your time and energy. If you are always hanging around people who are negative, it will be that much more difficult to remain positive and handle stressful situations. The more you fill your days with hobbies, carefully curated friends, and rich life experiences, the more you will be able to stay calm when something does not go your way.

You don’t have to live your life on hard mode. Tune into today’s episode of FRIED. The Burnout Podcast for a conversation with Susie Moore about how to let life be easy, take control of your emotions, get out of your own way, and surround yourself with the right people.

Quotes

• “Being very selective about who has access to you, and your energy, and your time and attention is critical.” (9:37-9:44 | Susie)

• “Sometimes we tell ourselves a story that well, this is it, there's nowhere else and it might not always be true.” (13:46-13:52 | Susie)

• “Just taking responsibility for my emotions is the number one thing in my life, because we act based on how we feel.” (16:28-16:35 | Susie)

• “If I have a rich life, if I have hobbies, if I have friends, if I have experiences, I'm going to be just naturally more soothed because I'm less attached to any one thing going my way.” (34:34-34:43 | Susie)

• “The reason that I think some people can create and move forward and have momentum is not because they're talented, or special, or unique or different. They just don't have sloppy thinking. Right? It's like, wait, let me rethink this. Do I sound like an idiot? Wait, oh, no, I'm not good enough, actually not ready for that, she's gonna reject me. I am not playing that game with myself. Like, I'm simply not. And if I'm with my heart creating something that I feel is of use or is beautiful or is interesting, that's enough. And if there are errors, or typos, or I missed the mark, that's also okay.” (55:41-56:16 | Susie)

Links

SPONSORS:

Cuely - the AI + you tool to help you get those health habits in place - in a way that really works for your calendar! https://cuely.ai/FRIED

Bearaby - the antianxiety weighted blanket that Cait swears by! https://bearaby.com

Connect with Susie Moore:

Website: https://susie-moore.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/susie.moore/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susiemoore/

Workshop: http://becomeyourownlifecoach.com/

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

#straightfromcait: Burnout, Depression, Anxiety, and Medication

Sun, 22 Jan 2023 05:00:00 +0000

Have you been feeling numb and mentally disconnected from your life? This is a very normal way to feel when you are experiencing burnout. There is a natural overlap that occurs between symptoms of burnout and symptoms of depression and anxiety. In today’s #straightfromcait episode, Cait, host and burnout speaker, talks about the debate on whether to use mental health medications to treat the depression and anxiety symptoms that can occur with burnout.

Sometimes people worry that it would be cheating to use medications to treat their burnout. They think they should be able to do it all on their own and may feel uncomfortable about the concept of trying mental health medications. However, you are serving no one by refusing to utilize all the resources at your disposal. Sure, exercise and eating right and building a support system will all help you improve, but when you’re burnt out it is extremely difficult to engage with your life in that way. So if you have access to a therapist or a psychiatrist and are diagnosed with a mental health condition and your doctor wishes to prescribe medication for you, you should try it! It is not unfair to anyone for you to use the privileges that you have available to you in order for you to recover.

This is your permission to use any advantage and resource you have access to. Go see that therapist, get that prescription your insurance covers, do whatever you need to do in order to get yourself back on track. The more you heal from burnout the more you will be able to use that energy to give back and help others who are struggling. The more people collectively heal from burnout the more we can work together to end burnout culture.

Quotes

• “In the working definition of burnout as it currently exists, which I personally find to be incomplete, it tells us that mental distance is about work. What I've found is that that sense of disconnectedness, that separation from life, occurs across the entire life spectrum.” (2:50-3:09 | Cait)

• “This distance, this numbness, this inability to feel close or connected to people is often in a strange overlap place with depression.” (4:26-4:37 | Cait)

• “I got caught up in this idea that most medication can be avoided, and a lot of people I know in the Chinese medicine world are pretty anti-prescription overall. Over time, I've learned to realize that this is not really my stance. I know the research that says that exercise, good food, proper rest and building a support community are just as good for depression as medication if not better, in some cases. But I also think that it is absolutely bonkers that we would ask someone who was depressed to try and do those things. You don't have the wherewithal when you're burnt out or depressed to engage in your life in that way. So if you need medication to be able to do the things that you need to do to improve your situation, and you've been diagnosed, and you've been offered a prescription, you should at least try it.” (5:47-6:40 | Cait)

• “Do not try to hero your way through burnout by being tough and not relying on options that could make it easier for you.” (6:54-7:01 | Cait)

• “The more that I use my privileges to my advantage, the more I can serve the people I'm here to serve, the better I feel, and the better my life becomes.” (10:30-10:42 | Cait)

• “If you have access to making something better for yourself take it, use it, get your energy back, spend that money honey and get that prescription that's covered by your insurance. Take every single advantage that you have and then when you're feeling strong enough and fulfilled enough and happy enough, spread that sh*t around like wildfire.” (14:34-14:52 | Cait)

• “We don't end burnout culture by making a massive culture shift. We end burnout culture by not participating in it anymore. We don't participate in it anymore when we heal. So use your advantages, every single one you've got, so that you can reach behind you and pull the next person up in any way that you can.” (17:09-17:32 | Cait)

Links

SPONSORS:

Cuely - the AI + you tool to help you get those health habits in place - in a way that really works for your calendar! https://cuely.ai/FRIED

Bearaby - the antianxiety weighted blanket that Cait swears by! https://bearaby.com

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Julie Brown: Can I Just Get A Quick 3 Day Coma?

Sun, 15 Jan 2023 05:00:00 +0000

Julie Brown is a high energy Keynote Speaker who teaches the importance of networking. She is also the author of This Sh*t Works: A No Nonsense Guide to Networking Your Way to More Friends, More Adventures, and More Success, as well as the host of the This Sh*t Works podcast. Prior to her burnout, Julie was overworking herself to the point that she jokingly was jealous of a woman who had awoken from a three day coma, because at least that woman got to sleep. She and her husband were working such hectic schedules that they would not see each other at all during the week. Everything changed when the pandemic hit and Julie realized that the hustle lifestyle had tricked her.

Hustle culture is causing people to overwork themselves until they burn out. Julie was going ‘balls to the wall’ for everything every day of her life, except when it came to resting. She shares that the pandemic was a real wake up call, because she and her husband were unsure how they would ever go back to that jam-packed scheduled to the minute lifestyle. In addition to talking about Julie’s burnout story, Cait and Julie talk about the importance of networking, how to build a community, and the underestimated strength of weak connections.

Have you ever thought a three day coma sounded appealing? Tune into today’s episode of FRIED. The Burnout Podcast for a conversation with Julie Brown about building relationships, the dangers of hustle culture, and allowing yourself to rest.

Quotes

• “Your question to me was, ‘Oh, do you have a burnout story?’ And it was like, ‘Oh, you mean the time I was getting ready for work, and I heard the story about a woman who had just woken up from a three day coma. And I was jealous of her, because she got to sleep.’ And then I said to myself, ‘well, that's what I need. I just need a well timed coma. And then I'll just rest and then I'll be able to get up and I'll be good to go.’ And I knew something was wrong in my life where I didn't have time to rest unless there was a medically induced coma in my future.” (2:37-3:21 | Julie)

• “There was a point when I was hoping for a coma that I said, ‘Why am I working so hard for someone else? Why do I have this drive to do this for someone else? Can I convert this energy into something else for myself?’.” (6:11-6:29 | Julie)

• “You need to have that community in place before a crisis hits, because it's very hard to build a community in crisis.” (19:40-19:48 | Julie)

• “Asking for what you need, what would be helpful to you, because you have already given back to your network, because your network wants to be there for you, is invested in your success, whether that success is your mental success, whether it's your financial success, that's not needy.” (21:01-21:19 | Julie)

• “It's okay for us to be in places of need sometimes and be in places of abundance sometimes, as long as when we're in places of abundance, we are giving back to our community and giving back to our network.” (21:21-21:32 | Julie)

• “If you are keeping score in your relationship, and you are always expecting tit for tat, you're never going to be happy.” (25:08-25:18 | Julie)

• “I always tell people to build their network slowly and with purpose, because you cannot manage growing, fostering a number of relationships and do it correctly. And do it without getting tired, because managing relationships takes a lot of time and energy.” (40:04-40:28 | Julie)

Links

SPONSORS:

Cuely - the AI + you tool to help you get those health habits in place - in a way that really works for your calendar! https://cuely.ai/FRIED

Bearaby - the antianxiety weighted blanket that Cait swears by! https://bearaby.com

Connect with Julie Brown:

Website: https://sayhitojulie.com/

https://juliebrownbd.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juliebrown_bd/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliebrownbd/

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

#straightfromcait: How to Ask for Help

Sun, 08 Jan 2023 05:00:00 +0000

Is asking for help something that makes you feel very uncomfortable? Do you struggle with figuring out your needs, feeling safe when asking for help, and with actually accepting the help that is offered? Contrary to what many of us like to believe, we cannot do everything on our own. People need each other. In today’s #straightfromcait episode, Cait, host and burnout speaker, talks about how to ask for help.

Asking for help opens the door for other perspectives and possibilities you may not have been able to see on your own and also increases your access to resources, which in turn increases your resilience. However, it does not come naturally to everyone. People have this warped idea that asking for help is a sign of weakness or would somehow be an inconvenience to others. The best way to get better at asking for help is to practice. Start practicing asking for help in safe low-stakes situations until you feel more comfortable with the concept. Small daily asks like asking for a glass of water, having someone hold the door open for you, or simply borrowing a pencil can help train your body that asking for help is actually safe.

We are all interconnected and rely on each other for a functioning society. It is important for people to be able to ask each other for help and to feel safe in doing so. No one can succeed purely on their own all the time and trying to do everything by yourself will likely lead to burnout. Learn how to get more comfortable with asking for help, how to determine your needs, and how to accept the help that is offered.

Quotes

• “I want you to be able to take this year, use it for practicing asking for help, and do it so often that by the time we get to 2024 asking for help is so natural to you that you forgot that you ever really sucked at it.” (2:09-2:26 | Cait)

• “Asking for help is the only behavior that's even known to increase your resilience by way of increasing your access to resources.” (3:07-3:15 | Cait)

• “When you're burnt out, different perspectives and possibilities can be really hard to see, and simply asking for help increases your ability to see possibility, as well as opens the door for other people to present options that you might not have thought of yet.” (7:04-7:20 | Cait)

• “My favorite way to figure out where you need help and support and boundaries is to look toward the anger group of emotions, specifically resentment, but including anger, irritation, frustration, annoyance. The anger group is where we find so much great information.” (10:01-10:17 | Cait)

• “If you find yourself crowdsourcing for an opinion and nothing fits, I might want you to dig a little deeper to find out if you're completely help resistant. And if you are, it might be time for a coach or a therapist, right? Because we need to find a way to actually get the help in. If you're not going to let any of it in then asking for it is useless.” (14:52-15:12 | Cait)

• “Try practicing small asks to gain comfort with the act of asking. We have spoken at length about the fact that burnout recovery requires feelings of safety and asking can feel unsafe. So it is imperative that you ask with training wheels on before you hop on your bike and ride through the streets without a helmet.” (19:47-20:08 | Cait)

• “Learning to ask for help by starting small isn't just about your burnout. It's about your humanness. It's about interconnectedness, it's about not buying into and adding to individualistic burnout culture. It's about squashing this idea that alone equals better, and it's about finding ways to protect your long term health starting today.” (23:43-24:07 | Cait)

SPONSORS:

Cuely - the AI + you tool to help you get those health habits in place - in a way that really works for your calendar! https://cuely.ai/FRIED

Bearaby - the antianxiety weighted blanket that Cait swears by! https://bearaby.com

Links

https://friedtheburnoutpodcast.com/

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

BONUS EPISODE: The Burnout Panel Talks Quiet Quitting

Sun, 01 Jan 2023 05:00:00 +0000

Today, Cait reports live from The Burnout Panel. She joins Vanessa Zamy, Audrey Holst, Aileen Axtmayer, Dr. Sandra Lewis, and Dr. Sharon Grossman to talk about quiet quitting. These experts in the burnout field weigh in on what they believe is causing quiet quitting to be so rampant and the changes business leaders can make to help their employees feel included, safe, happy, and valued.

Quiet quitting is often a response to overwhelm and can be a coping mechanism for burnout. If your body does not feel safe in your work environment, you are likely going to start to disengage. It is also important to evaluate your current interests and values and see that they align with your role. When people choose to quiet-quit it tends to be due to no longer feeling aligned with their work. To get a handle on quiet quitting, first you need to regenerate your nervous system, so that it is not always on high alert for danger. In order for employees to feel valued, leaders must pay attention and create a safe, fun, and inclusive work environment. If employees start to feel undervalued, they will become resentful and more likely to engage in quiet quitting behaviors.

quiet quitting is not always a choice, sometimes it is a natural reaction to burnout. When it is not being used as a coping mechanism and is instead a conscious choice, it is important for leaders to really pay attention to the work environment. If employees are actively choosing to disengage, they likely feel resentment for some perceived unfairness and they may even feel completely out of alignment with the work they are doing. When employees and employers understand the causes behind quiet quitting, changes can be made to make a better work environment for all.

Quotes

• “There are two questions that the body is always scanning for is, am I safe, and do I belong. And this combination of perfectionism with an individual and within an organization can create a bit of a survival situation where people are showing up to work, their bodies are feeling like they are walking into a tiger's cage every single day, their body is getting flooded with cortisol on an everyday basis. And that is bouncing off of coworkers, and it's creating a really tough environment, which is creating those people who are starting to disengage out of survival.” (2:12-2:42 | Audrey)

• “When you can create space as an employer or as an employee to really examine these parts of yourself and understand where you're at with each of them, you can then use that framework to understand where your work might not be in alignment anymore, and what you can do to really shift and feel like your values, interests, personality and skills are aligned with the work that you're doing.” (5:29-5:51 | Aileen)

• “Achievement is what will allow you to feel pleasure once you've put in the work.” (7:33-7:41 | Dr. Sharon)

• “Resentment and quiet quitting have one major thing in common and that is a feeling or perception of unfairness.” (8:34-8:42 | Cait)

• “With support we can create conversations that allow resentment to be explored in a positive and beneficial way. Resentments turn into boundaries, and boundaries help protect us.” (9:17-9:28 | Cait)

• “The first thing is to start with regenerating and rejuvenating our nervous system so that then we can start to hear our creativity again.” (11:15-11:21 | Dr. Sandra)

• “Whether you're leading an entire business, or you're leading a team in a department, or you're about to become a leader, and you want to do it better than your current boss is, remember rewards, refreshments and recreation. Quiet quitting is preventable.” (13:51-14:04 | Vanessa)

• “Quiet quitting is a coping mechanism for burnout when it is used not as a choice but as a natural reaction. So I think we have to separate choosing quiet quitting to protect yourself and quiet quitting because you're so burned out that you have no other choice and you're just trying to make it through your day and not get fired.” (14:48-15:09 | Cait)

Links

Connect with The Burnout Panel:

Aileen Axtmayer https://www.linkedin.com/in/aileenaxtmayer/

Cait Donovan https://www.linked.com/in/caitdonovan

Sandra Lewis https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandraylewis/

Audrey Holst https://www.linkedin.com/in/audrey-holst/

Sharon Grossman https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharongrossman/

Vanessa Zamy https://www.linkedin.com/in/zamyvanessa/

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

BONUS: Introducing the Wellness While Walking Podcast with Carolyn Cohen

Sun, 25 Dec 2022 05:00:00 +0000

Today, Cait shares a podcast recommendation, an episode of Wellness While Walking Podcast, hosted by her friend Carolyn Cohen. Carolyn is a health coach that has designed her podcast as a way to inspire people to take the next step of their health journey. These episodes are 30 minutes long and are made to be listened to while taking a walk. There is even a handy beep at the halfway point in the episode to remind you to turn back around on your route. So, bundle up, put on some headphones, and take a stroll while learning wellness tips.

It may sound strange to think about wanting to increase stress, but there actually is good stress that can result in physical and mental health benefits. In the same way that too much of a good thing is bad and too much of a bad thing is still bad, there is a sweet spot somewhere in the middle for everything. People need a certain level of hormetic stressors to thrive. Hormetic stressors are intermittent stressors of a certain duration and strength that can have systemic benefits. Some examples of ways to increase hormetic stressors are through temperature like hot and cold therapies, intermittent fasting, and high intensity interval training. By increasing hormetic stress, you can have increased energy, improved health, and even slow the aging process.

Stress is not always a bad thing. Tune into today’s episode of FRIED. The Burnout Podcast for an exciting podcast recommendation from Cait. Listen to hear an episode of Wellness While Walking Podcast hosted by Carolyn Cohen and learn about the ways certain stressors can actually be beneficial to your overall wellness.

Quotes

• “Sometimes we need to stress our systems for growth. And I'm not just talking about stress as we think of it, I'm talking about things like when we eat, what we eat, how we move, and other daily activities in our day. So tweaking them might give us more energy, improved health, and even could help slow aging.” (2:16-2:36 | Carolyn)

• “The fact that adversity can be good is also a concept that rings true within health.” (7:37-7:42 | Carolyn)

• “Stressing ourselves in one way likely has benefits across all our systems. So we can find the one thing that works for us and our health situation and our lifestyle and then it can often have systemic benefits.” (24:16-24:27 | Carolyn)

• “Biologically, the lack of acute stressors prevents the intermittent episodes of cellular “housecleaning” activities that slow aging. So we just have to keep in mind that taken to either extreme, the stressors are problematic, and so we need to be careful if we pursue any of these hormetic activities.” (25:29-25:48 | Carolyn)

• “What I've always wanted to share here on the show is the question of nuance, just because a bit of something might be beneficial doesn't mean a whole lot better. And similarly, just because something is poison, or detrimental and extreme doesn't mean that the other extreme, there's none of this is optimal, either. There's nuance, there's dose to be considered. And sometimes that's not what we get from the headlines.” (27:00-27:22 | Carolyn)

Links

Connect with Carolyn Cohen, Host of the Wellness While Walking Podcast

https://wellnesswhilewalking.com/

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Dr. Sharon Grossman: Decoding Your Burnout: Are You A Thinker, A Feeler, Or a Doer?

Sun, 18 Dec 2022 05:00:00 +0000

Dr. Sharon Grossman is a clinical psychologist turned burnout coach, an author, a speaker, and host of the Decode Your Burnout podcast. When she was a psychology student, she attended a workshop about what it is like to work in private practice. The speaker talked a lot about how prevalent burnout is in the private practice world and this actually caused Dr. Sharon to shy away from going in that direction for many years. Eventually there was nowhere left to go but management, which is not something she was interested in pursuing, and Dr. Sharon had to consider opening up her own practice. She decided to build in ways to protect against burnout right from the start such as choosing an office location within walking distance of her gym. She moved from therapy to burnout coaching and prefers it as in her experience her coaching clients are more dedicated to doing the work required to really improve.

There are many factors that contribute to burnout and not everyone burns out from the same circumstances. Tune into today’s episode of FRIED. The Burnout Podcast for a conversation with Dr. Sharon Grossman about decoding your burnout. Learn which burnout profile applies to you so that you can have a better understanding of the lifestyle changes you need to make to heal from and prevent burnout.

Quotes

• “The important thing is to really focus on what your needs are, and how do you get those needs met.” (12:03-12:08 | Dr. Sharon)

• “How is it that we're burning out, and we don't even have the words to describe it? We don't even have the right diagnosis, if you will. Which is important, because then you don't have the right treatment for the problem. So I kind of made it my mission to go out there and to educate the public about what burnout is and what to look out for so that people can identify it in themselves, so that they can get the appropriate kind of help or use the right kind of strategies and tools to get back to themselves.” (14:01-14:29 | Dr. Sharon)

• “I remember as a therapist even just thinking my job is not to babysit people. I need to get them up and running so that they have social support, that they're out there doing what they need to do to take care of themselves, that they're not just showing up here for the next 12 years.” (23:23-23:39 | Dr. Sharon)

• “Thinkers are focused on quality, because they're perfectionists. The doers are focused on quantities, like how much can I do, and it just never feels like it's enough. And so you're taking on another thing and another thing, and then eventually, you take on like the smallest little thing, and you break, because you just can't take anymore.” (30:57-31:21 | Dr. Sharon)

Links

SPONSORS

https://drsharongrossman.com/

Connect with Dr. Sharon Grossman:

https://www.instagram.com/theburnoutdoc/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharongrossman/

http://drsharongrossman.com/burnoutchecklist

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/decode-your-burnout-formerly-optimize-your-life/id1548603864

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

#straightfromcait: How Companies Can Use Burnout to Heal Culture Issues

Sun, 11 Dec 2022 05:00:00 +0000

It might seem odd to even consider seeing burnout as something that could potentially benefit a company. However, when burnout occurs frequently enough in the same workplace it can serve as a handy red flag. If you keep quiet while experiencing burnout, it will be more difficult for your employer to recognize and address a potential systemic issue. When multiple employees experience burnout it may be an indicator of a larger issue at play such as a problem with the system or workplace culture that needs to change. In today’s #straightfromcait episode, Cait, host and burnout speaker, explains why companies should pay attention to burnout and how burnout data can help companies to heal culture issues in the workplace.

Your burnout may be a symptom of a larger systemic issue, and companies should pay closer attention when they have burnt out employees. Sometimes burnout is an individual experience, but there is also organizational burnout that impacts multiple employees at once. By being up front with your employer about your burnout, they can use that information to discern whether widespread organizational change needs to be made. Research shows that burnout and “quiet quitting” are costing U.S. companies trillions of dollars. Employees with burnout are more likely to visit the emergency room and have higher medical costs overall. Companies can save major money by working toward burnout proofing cultures.

Burnout is often experienced silently which causes leaders to be blissfully unaware of any larger systemic issues that may be at play. Speaking up about your burnout experience can lead to others being more willing to also speak up. The more employees that are impacted, the more likely it is that a company will make dramatic organizational changes which can lead to a healthier workplace for all.

Quotes:

· “If burnout is a symptom of a larger system malfunction, and in this case, the system is society at large as the macrocosm and the microcosm is being community, company, neighborhood, family and finally self, then shouldn't companies be paying closer attention to it so that they can find out where the system is causing more wear and tear than necessary?” (2:29-2:53 | Cait)

· “When a system is adding to the burnout of multiple people within short timeframes, something is wrong. It's really normal to have one person burnout in a company that seems to work for everyone else. So maybe this company is doing everything it can and is really supportive and is really okay with making as much change as possible to support people. But there is something about it, about the system, about the culture, about the work that doesn't agree with a particular person. That doesn't necessarily mean that the system has to continue to change. That means that this is not the right relationship.” (4:07-4:48 | Cait)

· “In order for burnout to be a useful red flag for companies, people who are burning out or who are already burnt, fried crispy, need to be able to tell someone what's going on. It is not possible to use a symptom to diagnose a problem if the symptom doesn't make itself known or the symptom is ignored.” (5:37-5:55 | Cait)

· “I just want you to consider the fact that by letting your company know that you're burnt out, by telling your story, by talking to other people within your company that you're experiencing burnout, you might be a trigger that helps more people to speak up, that would help your company to work through something and make a change further down the road.” (10:04-10:28 | Cait)

· “The cost of providing support for burnt out employees and teams is far outweighed by the costs of not addressing burnout in your companies.” (12:32-12:41 | Cait)

SPONSORS

https://www.gallup.com/workplace/393497/world-trillion-workplace-problem.aspx

Links

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/ariannahuffington_what-will-hr-focus-on-in-2023-activity-6999358051849777152-vmm7?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop

https://www.gallup.com/workplace/282659/employee-burnout-perspective-paper.aspx?thank-you-report-form=1

https://www.friedtheburnoutpodcast.com/post/straightfromcait-how-to-tell-people-about-your-burnout

https://www.friedtheburnoutpodcast.com/post/newton-cheng-i-burned-out-in-corporate-and-stayed-this-is-how

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Zenica Chatman: How to Recover From Workplace Bullying that Leads to Burnout

Sun, 04 Dec 2022 05:00:00 +0000

Zenica Chatman is a life coach with a professional background in journalism and communications. While working as a communication strategist in what she initially excitedly thought of as her dream job, Zenica became the victim of workplace bullying by her manager. She felt like she was really crushing it at work, and yet her manager found ways to make even her strengths seem like a bad thing. She was continually put down and told that she was the weakest team member regardless of her attempts to make improvements. Looking back at her performance evaluations and skills assessments, Zenica soon realized that there was no factual basis for any of the bullying she received about her job performance. After doing some research, Zenica learned that 30% of American workers report being the victim of workplace bullying.

“The new job did not heal me from the trauma that I experienced in the old job. That same person who didn't have any confidence, who was taking an hour to send simple emails, she went right on into that next job. And so there was a lot of inner work that I had to do in order to get back to the person that's talking to you today,” shares Zenica Chatman, life coach. If you are being bullied at work, you are at a higher risk of burnout. Between working harder to try to stay ahead of the criticism, stress over being talked down to, and the fear surrounding the possibility of needing to change jobs, there are a lot of factors that tend to pile up and cause burnout. Workplace bullying destroys confidence and often does not have a satisfying resolution from the company. It is important to learn how to move forward and heal from workplace bullying in order to succeed at your next job.

Workplace bullying is unfortunately a common experience, even with remote workers. Bullies often convince you to believe lies about yourself, so it is important to stay clear on the facts. Tune into today’s episode of FRIED. The Burnout Podcast for a conversation with Zenica Chatman about how to recover from workplace bullying, so that it does not lead to burnout.

Quotes

· “I was in an environment where even my strengths now are being used against me.” (8:07-8:11 | Zenica)

· “That was the summer that George Floyd was murdered. And so it sparked this whole conversation in the workplace about diversity, equity, and inclusion. And I was in all of these different social media groups and on all these different chats, and I was hearing the stories of other women of color, mostly black women, who were having identical situations to me. And that was very scary to me, that these women that I didn't know in different states in different industries, we're all describing exactly the same scenario. And that just prompted me to say, is this a thing? Is workplace bullying a thing? Is that real, did I make that up? And come to find out, no, I didn't make it up. Actually, 30% of American workers report being bullied.” (8:42-9:32 | Zenica)

· “I think particularly when you're a woman in the workplace, and when you're a person of color, you know when you're being mistreated, but we all will start to lie to ourselves because we don't want to be that person. We don't want to be that person of color that says, ‘I think I'm being discriminated against,’ for whatever reason.” (14:39-14:56 | Zenica)

· “The new job did not heal me from the trauma that I experienced in the old job. That same person who didn't have any confidence, who was taking an hour to send simple emails, she went right on into that next job. And so there was a lot of inner work that I had to do in order to get back to the person that's talking to you today.” (24:05-24:29 | Zenica)

· “Once I saw on that StrengthsFinder that what they said was not true in black and white. They said I wasn't a good communicator, but my actual assessment says that I was. Went back through old assessments, communication was always at the top and never, ever, ever not been a great communicator. And I started to say, what other lies did they try to put in your spirit that are not true? And so I started to peel back all the lies and I got very clear about what was true.” (29:49-30:18 | Zenica)

· “Those environments have a way of making you believe things about yourself that are not true. So what's the lie that your environment has tried to put on you that is absolutely not true? And then replace it with the actual truth.” (30:53-31:07 | Zenica)

· “Usually, HR is not going to help you. So you have to learn how to validate the experience for yourself so that you can move forward without resolution from the company.” (31:56-32:09 | Zenica)

· “Why am I going to kill myself for a job that if I die tomorrow, they won't even trouble themselves to call my mother and send her a card? Because now I have clarity on what is important to me, and I don't feel like I'm sacrificing anything when I set boundaries for myself.” (56:10-56:37 | Zenica)

Links

SPONSORS

Connect with Zenica Chatman:

Website: https://www.zenicachatman.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/z_chatman/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenapministry/?hl=en

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

#straightfromcait: How Do You Recover From Burnout While Still Working?

Sun, 27 Nov 2022 05:00:00 +0000

It would be incredible if every time you were burned out, you could stop working and run off to rest in a magical Cinderella fantasyland where talking mice take care of all your problems. Unfortunately, that’s not the case for most of us. It is not always possible to stop working when you are burned out, and actually by staying, you may be doing yourself a favor in the long run. If you take a break from the toxic environment that was causing your burnout and then try to go back when you are feeling better, it is likely you will end up burned out all over again. This is because regardless of how well rested you may feel, you did not take the time to do the work required to change the behavior that caused you to become burned out originally. In today’s #straightfromcait episode, Cait explains how to recover from burnout while still working and why it may actually be a good idea to continue working while healing from burnout in certain cases.

If you are burned out and unable to leave your job even temporarily, there are still ways to work on burnout recovery. Determine which internal and external factors apply to you and start making small shifts in your life based on those results. This way you are making small, manageable changes and not taking too much away from your energy that it leaves you depleted at work. By making the necessary behavioral shifts while still in your work environment, you may have a more smooth transition into burnout recovery than if you had taken a break or left your job.

Quotes

· “If you removed yourself from a situation that was requiring you to act in certain ways, and you didn't have to practice acting in better ways and shifting your behavior to protect yourself better, then when you go back into that environment you might not be prepared even if you're rested.” (4:58-5:16 | Cait)

· “If you can't take time off work, you might really be doing yourself a favor by staying and working through some sh*t on the fly.” (8:15-8:22 | Cait)

· “The trick here, once again, is to do the easiest thing first. Allow it to have impact, and then move to the next easiest thing on the list. If you fill out your list, and you're not sure how to tackle any of your items, choose one of them and ask the Facebook group for ways to shift that behavior.” (15:12-15:30 | Cait)

· “Asking for help and asking for other people's perspectives is one of the main ways we build resilience. So don't go this alone. If you're not sure what the answer is for you, let's do it together.” (15:36-15:49 | Cait)

· “You cannot long term stay in a toxic environment and heal fully from burnout. Your physical and mental health will continue to deteriorate…Your best bet is to do everything within your power within the situation and then use whatever energy you create by making those changes to formulate a graceful exit strategy.” (17:00-17:33 | Cait)

· “You're not going to find motivation when you're burned out just by looking for it. You're going to create energy by caring for yourself differently and by shifting the way you interact with your environment.” (19:40-19:52 | Cait)

SPONSORS

https://womensmeditationnetwork.com/

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Becca Powers: Burnout Stages 1 & 2 - The Unders that Lead to the Overs

Sun, 20 Nov 2022 05:00:00 +0000

Becca Powers is an award winning fortune 500 high tech sales executive, founder and CEO of Powers Peak Potential, a best selling author and a speaker. With over 20 years of high level sales experience, she spent most of her life being an overachiever and unwittingly drove herself into major burnout. Becca’s burnout came after a particularly challenging sequence of 12 hour work days in a job where she was majorly overextending herself and unable to spend any time being there for her family. In hindsight, she recognizes that there were signs from her body mere months into the position telling her that it was not the right fit, but she dismissed those signs at the time. It took falling apart on the floor of her bathroom in a complete nervous breakdown after feeling like she was letting her children down for Becca to realize that change was overdue.

“Burnout ignites in feeling ‘undered’ and whether that's undervalued, underpaid, under-resourced, under-recognized, under-appreciated. I mean, you can put the under attached to it but it triggers our worth or it triggers deeper feelings of being unseen, unheard and feeling like we don't matter. And when that happens, we ‘over’,” shares Becca Powers. Becca grew up with hippie parents who were very involved in their band and party scene. She learned as a child that in order to gain her parent’s love and attention she needed to overachieve. This feeling unknowingly followed Becca into adulthood and caused her to overcommit at work which ultimately led to her feeling undervalued. The pattern of going over and above and then feeling the ‘unders’ is one that is very intrinsic to the burnout experience. The ‘overs’ and ‘unders’ can put you into a feedback loop that is difficult to extract yourself from.

When you find yourself feeling underappreciated, undervalued, or under-resourced, it is a sign that you need to implement healthy boundaries and take control back over your own energy. You do not have to overextend yourself constantly in order to have worth and it is okay to say no or ask for help. Tune into today’s episode of FRIED. The Burnout Podcast for a conversation with Becca Powers about how the ‘unders’ lead to the ‘overs’ and what you can do to pull yourself out of that loop.

Quotes

· “So many of us have the full plate and we don't really get to talk about it and we kind of be like, ‘Oh I'm okay’. Well, are you really? You got a full plate, it's okay not to be okay.” (4:53-5:03 | Becca)

· “When I was broken on the bathroom floor, all of a sudden, I remembered that I was the CEO of my life… I remember thinking, ‘If I'm the CEO of my life, then I'm a lot more powerful in this situation than I thought’.” (7:45-8:09 | Becca)

· “Is what I'm doing serving me or is it sabotaging me?” (9:54-9:56 | Becca)

· “Burnout ignites in feeling undered and whether that's undervalued, underpaid, under resourced, under recognized under appreciated, I mean, you can put the under attached to it but it triggers our worth or it triggers deeper feelings of being unseen, unheard and feeling like we don't matter. And when that happens, we over.” (11:59-12:24 | Becca)

· “For me to get the attention, love, and acceptance I wanted from my parents I had to overachieve. I had to do. I had to over a lot.” (15:19-15:29 | Becca)

· “Burnout is a very external response to us seeking externally what we weren't able to either give ourselves internally or like you said to our childhood just didn't get. It's not programmed in us to know that we have the innate wisdom within to give ourselves everything that we need.” (20:16-20:37 | Becca)

· “In hindsight, what I have learned is when I was surviving, my kids were surviving. And when I'm thriving, my kids are thriving.” (26:51-27:00 | Becca)

· “By building boundaries, you can create space for other people's growth and success.” (34:25-34:31 | Cait)

· “What is your role? And are the actions and responsibilities that you're doing supporting the role that you have and want in your life, whether it's at work or at home?” (38:19-38:31 | Becca)

Links

SPONSORS:

Cuely - the AI + you tool to help you get those health habits in place - in a way that really works for your calendar! https://cuely.ai/FRIED

Bearaby - the antianxiety weighted blanket that Cait swears by! https://bearaby.com

Connect with Becca Powers

https://www.instagram.com/beccapowers1313/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/beccapowers1313/

https://www.beccapowers.com/burnout

Connect with Cait:

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

#straightfromcait: Quiet Quitting, Loud Quitting, and Resentment

Sun, 13 Nov 2022 05:00:00 +0000

Quiet quitting is not a new concept, but has gotten a lot of attention recently after the pandemic shook up the job market. The basic idea of quiet quitting is being disengaged from your work and this can often be mistaken for burnout. The key difference is that quiet quitting is intentional, whereas if you are burned out, you are likely to be disengaged as a result rather than as a choice. In today’s #straightfromcait episode, Cait explains quiet quitting vs. loud quitting, and the way resentment fuels disengagement.

Resentment is the primary emotion that leads to quiet quitting. This could be resentment for how you are being treated at work, resentment for being forced back into the office, resentment over your job role not being clear enough, or any multitude of reasons. If you are disengaged because you really don’t feel like your current position is a good fit for you, it is best to loud quit rather than sticking around and growing more resentful. That resentment builds over time and can lead to burnout, so planning an exit strategy and leaving your job may be the best option for your long term mental health. If you need help working to transform your resentment and make a plan for moving forward, Cait has created the Resentment Journal specifically for that purpose which can be accessed from her website.

Sometimes your job or the company you are working for won’t be the best fit for you. It does not always mean that there is something inherently wrong with you or the company. In those situations, it is best to form an exit strategy and leave to find a better fit. In other cases, your company may be willing to work with you to help better meet your needs, and it may come down to having a conversation with your boss or an HR professional to see what can be done. Regardless of the reason causing you to disengage, it is always best to loud quit versus quiet quitting, because in the long run quiet quitting will increase resentment and damage your mental health.

Quotes

• “There are going to be situations where you and a company are just not a good fit. And it doesn't mean that either of you are bad or good.” (4:31-4:41 | Cait)

• “If something's not a fit, just loud quit, get out of here, go do something else.” (5:38-5:43 | Cait)

• “When you are burnt out and you find yourself in a situation similar to quiet quitting, I want you to understand that that's likely a coping mechanism and not necessarily part of an actual decision that you're making.” (6:34-6:46 | Cait)

• “Quiet quitting as a short term coping mechanism, acceptable. Quiet quitting as a long term plan for life will destroy your mental health.” (10:15-10:25 | Cait)

• “If we start building enough courage to speak up about our needs, we will find quite often that people are willing to meet them.” (11:47-12:00 | Cait)

“The emotion that sits behind quiet quitting is resentment. And the answer to that is creating space for and transforming that resentment.” (13:51-14:07 | Cait)

Links

https://www.caitdonovan.com/resentment-journal

https://womensmeditationnetwork.com/

XOXO,

If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Newton Cheng: I Burned Out in Corporate and Stayed - This Is How

Sun, 06 Nov 2022 04:00:00 +0000

Newton Cheng is the Director of Health and Performance at Google, a world champion powerlifter, and a father. Throughout his 14 year career at Google, he overworked himself due to people-pleasing tendencies and began getting misaligned from his priorities and values, leading Newton to take a mental health leave in January of 2022. In February of 2021 his symptoms of burnout, anxiety, and depression got to the point where he started to realize just how significant the toll on his mental health was. He found himself struggling to get out of bed and felt a lot of shame for how he was failing to show up the way he wanted to as a husband and father. However, it still took awhile for him to decide to go on leave, because it felt like giving up. When Newton returned to Google after his mental health leave, he decided to share his story and be very upfront about his experiences to help others who may be suffering alone.

“I was raised in a culture where we talked a lot about mental toughness and this felt like the opposite of that. But what I knew was I was not showing up the husband and father that I wanted to be, so something had to change,” shares Newton Cheng. When Newton started talking about his leave at work, he was a little surprised by how many of his co-workers chose to refer to it as a sabbatical. Mental health is still so stigmatized in today’s society that people can feel uncomfortable even just saying the words out loud. However, this does a disservice to everyone who is suffering in silence and who just needs someone to listen and understand what they are going through. Newton had gotten to the point where he was unable to get out of bed and dreading going to work, even though he loved his job and felt his work was important to him. He was not able to be the father he wanted to be or the husband he wanted to be, and the shame ate away at him. As he began to share his mental health struggles more, Newton found that many of his co-workers of all levels across the organization were suffering from similar symptoms of burnout and depression. Many people who burn out in these situations choose to quit their job completely, but Newton’s problem was not with the job, but rather with his approach and how he chose to structure his boundaries or lack of boundaries. Once he stepped back and reorganized his life to align better with his values and put boundaries in place that allowed him to spend more time with his family, Newton was able to break through his burnout and stay on at Google.

Burning out at work does not necessarily mean you have to change your job. Sometimes all you need is to take a step away and restructure how you are approaching your work so that it can align better with the lifestyle you want. Tune into today’s episode of FRIED. The Burnout Podcast for a conversation with Newton Cheng about experiencing burnout in a corporate setting and how to move forward while keeping your job.

Quotes

· “February 2021 was the first time I physically couldn't get out of bed. And I had read about this in terms of others experiences with mental health and depression, but I had never actually felt it. And it wasn't so much like a physical paralysis, it was overwhelming dread. So from there, I started seeing the employee assistance provider and he told me I was exhibiting early signs of burnout.” (7:18-7:42 | Newton)

· “I was raised in a culture where we talked a lot about mental toughness, and this felt like the opposite of that. But what I knew was I was not showing up the husband and father that I wanted to be, so something had to change.” (10:13-10:30 | Newton)

· “When I told people I was going on leave, people started calling it my sabbatical. And I kept reframing. I'm like, my ‘mental health leave’. And that was very interesting. I’m like, I think you're probably doing that out of respect, because you don't know my boundary there and I very much appreciate that, but I don't think that's helping anyone. It's not a sabbatical and people know it's not sabbatical. But if we call it a sabbatical, we're just reinforcing that we have to hide things.” (28:26-28:56 | Newton)

· “If we don't name what's actually going on, we can't actually address it.” (29:18-29:21 | Newton)

· “As I have shared my story, the people who have come to me privately to say, ‘I'm suffering too’, they are people like me. They are people junior to me in organizations, they're my peers, they are above me. They're all around us.” (55:22-55:40 | Newton)

· “If you are suffering and you're in a situation similar to me, you are not alone.” (55:49-55:53 | Newton)

· “To leaders who are in a position like mine, change doesn't happen, transformation doesn't happen without true leadership. True leadership requires those of us with the privilege to take some risks, to try some things, maybe to take some things and fail. But we got to do it and we got to share what we learn. And that's how we're going to move forward.” (56:06-56:25 | Newton)

Links

https://womensmeditationnetwork.com/

Connect with Newton Cheng:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/newtoncheng/?hl=en

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/newtoncheng/

https://www.friedtheburnoutpodcast.com/post/jim-young-ceo-dad-burnout-emotional-gold-digging-and-why-relationships-matter

Resource Newton Mentions:

Byron Katie: https://thework.com/

XOXO,

If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

RE-RELEASE: Elizabeth Collins: The Burnout Witch Talks Leaky Gut, Tarot, and Optimal Blood Work

Sun, 30 Oct 2022 04:00:00 +0000

“Just keep going, it will change.” This is Elizabeth Collins’s burnout story, simplified into six words. The Cait-proclaimed Burnout Witch, Elizabeth now specializes in helping others recover from burnout. However, she was only able to truly thrive in this role after confronting her own feelings of not-enough-ness and developing the boundaries and coping skills she needed to regain a sense of balance in both body and brain.

Elizabeth is the owner and director of The East West Company, an integrative wellness practice specializing in burnout recovery coaching, functional medicine, acupuncture and more. Elizabeth explains that functional medicine is a crossover between biomedicine and Eastern medicine; it uses a wide range of testing to identify and address the root cause of a presenting issue. Because the incredible breadth of functional medicine testing can seem overwhelming to someone who is burnt out, Elizabeth suggests starting simple with a blood panel and a stool test. This approach helps individuals correct any initial imbalances, which sets them on a more manageable path towards burnout recovery.

Tune into this week’s episode of FRIED. The Burnout Podcast to hear more about the intersections between functional medicine and burnout. Learn about the ins and outs of leaky gut, why Elizabeth uses tarot cards to broaden her clients’ perspectives, and why feelings of gratitude and frustration can and should co-exist.

Quotes

“I had ‘Big T’ trauma, so that very much set me up for a lifetime of perfectionism, a lifetime of not really understanding that I am worthy of love simply because I exist.” (04:00-04:10)
“My burnout story was: ‘just keep going, it will change.’” (07:26-07:32)
“That happens to people who are chronic people pleasers, who are prone to burnout….It’s very easy for you to set aside what you like because you’re more concerned about what needs to happen now, and it’s like, but what you like is what needs to happen now!” (10:49-11:05)
“[Functional medicine] is kind of like if biomedicine and Eastern medicine had a baby.” (15:14-15:17)
“When we’re in burnout, it’s very difficult to see anything other than what we’re focusing on, which is usually panic, stress and anxiety. And the benefit when I started reading my own tarot cards again was...oh, this card popped up and it means this. How does that relate to my current situation? What is it about this card that can give me the opportunity to stop focusing on the minutia and look at the bigger picture?” (31:28-31:55)
“Being able to address different aspects of your personality and speak to them directly like they’re individuals gives a sense of agency to the experience, and it really gives people the opportunity to fully integrate those personalities.” (36:28-36:42)
“We are complicated enough individuals that we can feel very bad about something that we’re going through and still be very grateful for the good things that it gives us or the other good things in our life….They’re not mutually exclusive, and the idea that we have to inhabit one thing at any given time is unsustainable and unfair and will absolutely perpetuate burnout.” (38:00-38:28)
“If you have symptoms or you are living a life that is in your experience suboptimal, but in the greater perspective not catastrophic....you are not crazy, and there is help.” (49:10-49:35)

Links

https://insighttimer.com/

www.theeastwestco.com

www.instagram.com/theeastwestco

www.instagram.com/thevintagemystic

XOXO,

If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait

#straightfromcait: Are You Exhausted Trying To Meet Other People's Assumed Expectations?

Sun, 23 Oct 2022 04:00:00 +0000

Are you always trying to meet other people’s expectations, even when those expectations may not be completely clear? Unclear expectations for a role, whether that be in relation to a job or a relationship, can reduce feelings of psychological safety and increase the potential for burnout. In today’s #straightfromcait episode, Cait explains the research behind why external expectations and role ambiguity play a role in burnout and how to ask for clarity when it is lacking.

When you are having to guess at someone’s expectations, you will end up feeling on edge and pushing yourself harder and harder trying to reach that unspecified goal. Research shows that role ambiguity, or a lack of clarity in your job role, can come into play not only at work, but also within relationships at home and with friends. When you are able to predict how another person will react and set up expectations for yourself relative to that predicted outcome, your feelings of safety will increase and your risk of burnout will decrease. By simply having a conversation that focuses on clarifying and setting expectations, you can improve overall communication and increase your own internal feelings of safety.

It is exhausting trying to meet expectations all the time, especially if the expectations you are trying to meet are unclear or simply a guess on your part. In order to gain clarity, improve your relationships, and reduce overall stress, it is important to communicate effectively. Tune into this week’s #straightfromcait episode for a conversation about how to determine other’s actual expectations. Learn why assuming other’s expectations can lead to burnout and how to ask for clarity.

RESEARCH:

Maslach et. al. (2001). Job burnout. Annu Rev Psychol. 52. 397-422.

Quotes

· “If you are feeling unclear about someone's expectations, and you are guessing at them, and you never quite get feedback on whether or not you're hitting the target, you're always going to feel on edge. And you're always going to push for doing things a little bit harder, a little bit more intense, to a better degree, to a higher degree. It'll never stop because you don't know when you've met the expectation.” (3:54-4:20 | Cait)

· “Burnout recovery happens when we increase our feelings of safety internally and externally.” (5:41-5:46 | Cait)

· “You are more likely to experience burnout while also experiencing role ambiguity, a lack of clarity in your job role.” (7:06-7:14 | Cait)

· “Sharing with someone what your thinking is behind the situation gives them a better idea of how you're looking at it and what's happening in your world, so that they can respond appropriately.” (10:33-10:44 | Cait)

Links

https://caitdonovan.com

https://friedtheburnoutpodcast.com

XOXO,

If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Farnoosh Torabi: Financial Safety, Knowing When to Quit, and Creative Money Making

Sun, 16 Oct 2022 04:00:00 +0000

Farnoosh Torabi is an award winning personal finance journalist, author, keynote speaker, television reporter, and host of the So Money podcast. She uses her 20 years of experience to help people master their money. While living in New York City with her husband, she realized that changes needed to be made to their lifestyle to reduce stress and improve their overall quality of life. They ended up deciding to move out of the city to save money, which ultimately reduced stress and opened up more time for other opportunities. Now Farnoosh helps everyone from entrepreneurs to influencers learn how to manage their finances and make the most of their money.

“When I was a little girl, I thought two things equaled freedom, and I don't think I was wrong. Money in the bank and a driver's license,” shares Farnoosh Torabi. She explains that having money literally puts you in the driver’s seat of your own life. It provides you with agency over your decisions that no one else can question. A lot of entrepreneurs are glamorized for taking big risks, maxing out their credit cards, and starving themselves while they try to get their business running. This should not be the norm at all. Instead, it is better to not treat it like a race and to spend as much time as necessary building financial security prior to starting a business. There are many opportunities to earn money nowadays outside of a traditional 9 to 5. You can make extra money by taking up an hourly gig, pet sitting, selling unwanted items on Facebook Marketplace, babysitting, or in any number of ways. The most important thing is to reframe your idea of success and of what a job is supposed to be and recognize that a job can truly be just a job. You do not have to monetize your passions or be extremely emotionally invested in your job.

There are a lot of misconceptions about finances and it is important to be innovative when it comes to finding ways to make and save money. People are living longer and retirement at 60 is no longer the goal for everyone, nor is it necessarily attainable. However, a pension is not the only way to secure financial stability for your future and it is vital to save money regardless, because that pension is not guaranteed in today’s world. Tune into today’s episode of FRIED. The Burnout Podcast for a conversation with Farnoosh Torabi about how to build financial safety, when to quit a job and when to stick it out, and creative ways to make extra money.

Quotes

· “I remember picking up a book called The Upside of Stress. Because I was like, I need to learn how to live with this. I don't think this is going away.” (7:09-7:17 | Farnoosh)

· “Changing your definition of success is one of the key factors in creating a burnout proof life after you've recovered. Because you can't go back to the system that you were in. You are not going to build enough resilience to live in that system as it is unless some of it changes.” (14:44-15:02 | Cait)

· “When you are burned out at work, maybe the response is not to quit, but rather, ‘Have you even had a conversation with your manager?’ And so you don't have to throw out the baby with the bathwater. You don't have to think, 'Well, my only option is to quit and lose everything that I've worked towards.'” (20:46-21:02 | Farnoosh)

· “When you feel behind in your 40s, don't let that discourage you from just continuing the good work of putting the consistent money into that bank account, into that investment account, because it is never too late.” (28:47-29:01 | Farnoosh)

· “When I was a little girl, I thought two things equaled freedom, and I don't think I was wrong. Money in the bank, and a driver's license.” (41:22-41:30 | Farnoosh)

· “Don't tell me that money doesn't earn you safety. It at least buys you the opportunity to make choices for yourself that nobody else can enforce. It gives you agency.” (43:40-43:51 | Farnoosh)

· “Sometimes it's really about a reframe, and thinking like, ‘Okay, well, this job, I'm grateful for the fact that I can do it. The paycheck comes every two weeks. I get benefits. I get some paid time off. And then I can go and live the other life that I have.” (47:18-47:33 | Farnoosh)

Links

Connect with Farnoosh Torabi:

http://www.somoneypodcast.com

http://www.instagram.com/farnooshtorabi

https://www.cnet.com/feature/signup-so-money/

XOXO,

If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

#straightfromcait: Burnout Risk Factors - A Holistic View

Sun, 09 Oct 2022 04:00:00 +0000

There are many risk factors for burnout. The good news is that each risk factor is multidirectional and by working on any one of them, you are likely to positively change others. It can feel overwhelming to confront all of the risk factors for burnout, so in today’s #straightfromcait episode, Cait breaks them all down into six overarching categories. These categories are workplace, family, self, culture, environment, and health.

Here in the United States there is an extreme amount of pressure and importance placed on hard work and individuality. The issue with these being the major cultural values is that overworking can and does quite literally cause death through having an overall negative impact on long-term health. In addition, relying completely on yourself to accomplish every single thing and not leaning into the strength of our communities is a large contributor to eventual burnout. When considering burnout, the majority of research comes from workplace studies, however, there are several other categories to consider for a broader view. How you were raised, the family you have currently, the environment you live and work in, and your physical and mental health conditions all contribute toward burnout in their own ways. By setting aside time for self care, making necessary lifestyle changes, and really considering each of the burnout risk factors that you identify with, you can make lasting and significant changes that help you to prevent or heal from burnout.

The risk factors for burnout are too numerous to count, but they do all tend to fall into six main interconnected categories. By making improvements in one area, you are likely influencing several others at the same time. Tune into this week’s #straightfromcait episode for a conversation about the six categories of burnout risk factors. Learn what to keep an eye out for and what changes to make in order to positively influence your burnout recovery or even to prevent burnout before it occurs.

Quotes

· “We might be talking about some sort of family trauma, and you have to know that that affects your environment. And that also affects your health. And it also affects your sense of self and how you function in the world. Right? So there's a lot going on here. Everything affects everything else.” (4:28-4:45 | Cait)

· “A study that was combined between the World Health Organization and the International Labor Org showed that working 55 plus hours a week resulted in approximately three quarters of a million deaths over the course of a year through stroke and heart attack mostly. And this was shown to be especially true for those over 45.” (5:38-5:59 | Cait)

· “If it is an epigenetic change, we can affect change on it. Because epigenetics are fluid, right? We can move them, they can change. But it does require a lot of self care.” (12:20-12:31 | Cait)

· “If you did not have access to or take advantage of access to green space, being in nature, your overall health will suffer and your energy will suffer and increase your risk of burnout.” (12:58-13:09 | Cait)

Links

https://caitdonovan.as.me/inquiry

These references should be in the show notes:

REFERENCES

Bar, M., & Maital, N. (2007) Visual elements of subjective preference modulate amygdala activation.” Neuropsychologia. 45(10). pp. 2191-2200. 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2007.03.008.

Berk, L. (2019). Exploring Adult and Adolescent Development. Pearson. Cht 3.

Huberman Lab. (2022). Using light to optimize health. https://hubermanlab.com/using-light-sunlight-blue-light-and-red-light-to-optimize-health/

Ishizu, T., and Semir Z. (2011). Toward a brain-based theory of beauty. PLOS One, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0021852.

Maslach, C., Schaufeli, W.B., Leiter, M.P. (2001). Job burnout. Annual Reviews of Psychology. 52. 397-422

World Health Organization. (2021). Long working hours increasing deaths from heart disease and stroke. https://www.who.int/news/item/17-05-2021-long-working-hours-increasing-deaths-from-heart-disease-and-stroke-who-ilo

XOXO,

If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Nicole Kalil: Head Trash vs Inner Knowing: How to Build Self Trust and Confidence

Sun, 02 Oct 2022 04:00:00 +0000

Nicole Kalil is a speaker, leadership strategist, respected coach, author, and podcast host. She spent 15 years working for a financial planning company where she was frequently the only woman in the room. After so many years of working hard for promotions, pushing down her feminine qualities in favor of leaning into more stereotypically masculine traits, Nicole realized she no longer even knew who she was authentically anymore. She had become so burned out that she hated her job, hated the people around her, and had lost herself in endless people-pleasing. Now Nicole helps other women to put aside gender expectations, regain their confidence, and learn to hear and trust their inner voices so that they can live authentically.

“Our confidence lives inside of us, and it's accessible anytime we want. We have just been socialized and received messaging to the contrary pretty much our whole lives,” explains Nicole Kalil. Due to the way girls are often socialized while growing up, many women falsely believe that confidence is something that exists externally. So much of societal conditioning tells women that confidence can be found by dressing a certain way, behaving a certain way, having perfect children, or having the right job. Nicole refers to this as the ‘confidence con’, because the truth is that confidence exists within everyone and it is accessible as soon as we choose to trust ourselves. The first step to regaining confidence is to learn how to listen for your inner voice and how to differentiate it from ‘head trash’ or how Nicole refers to the bullying voice that exists within our minds, usually consisting of mean statements from others. The easiest way to differentiate head trash from your true inner voice is that head trash is always mean. If you are speaking to yourself in a way that you’d never speak to a loved one, that is head trash.

We have been conditioned all our lives to believe that confidence exists externally and that we have to fit into certain societal standards in order to deserve it. The truth is that we are all deserving of confidence and it lives within us, ready for us to tap into at any time. Tune into today’s episode of FRIED. The Burnout Podcast for a conversation with Nicole Kalil about the confidence con, how to differentiate head trash from your inner voice, and how to compost or recycle head trash into something that can help rather than hinder your growth.

Quotes

· “I didn't know who I was authentically anymore. And I was hating my work, was hating the people I was doing it with, through no fault of their own, just because I had put myself in this position where I tried to show up and please everyone else, but myself.” (5:49-6:06 | Nicole)

· “I think women far too often are waiting to be ready. They're waiting for the fear and the nervousness to go away and only have excitement and readiness. And I'm like, oh, gosh, we're waiting too long.” (12:34-12:48 | Nicole)

· “Our confidence lives inside of us, and it's accessible anytime we want. We have just been socialized and received messaging to the contrary pretty much our whole lives.” (13:45-13:55 | Nicole)

· “I would encourage you to think about how you build trust with another person or how somebody else builds trust with you. That's probably going to give you the best insight into how you build trust with yourself.” (38:47-38:57 | Nicole)

Links

Connect with Nicole Kalil:

www.nicolekalil.com

https://nicolekalil.com/book

https://www.instagram.com/nicolemkalil/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolekalil/

http://eepurl.com/gOrQLL Join our community!

XOXO,

If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

#straightfromsarah: Can High Sensitivity Decrease as We Heal from Burnout?

Sun, 25 Sep 2022 04:00:00 +0000

Highly sensitive people often assume they are simply wired that way from birth and that there is nothing that can be done to change their sensitivity. In this week’s #straightfromsarah episode, FRIED Burnout Coach Sarah Vosen discusses changes in her sensitivity levels that she has experienced since recovering from burnout and the potential for negative effects of high sensitivity to lessen as the nervous system heals.

Chronic stress can cause our nervous system to get stuck in a feedback loop of more and more stress that ultimately leads to burnout. If you already have a higher level of sensitivity, burnout is going to be an even more likely result of chronic stress and troubling experiences. Sarah explains the six defining characteristics of highly sensitive people and how these characteristics have diminished throughout her healing journey. These characteristics are needing more time and space for processing experiences, differential susceptibility, overstimulation, empathy, emotional responsiveness, and awareness of subtle stimuli.

Although some aspects of high sensitivity may not entirely go away upon healing from burnout, there is strong evidence to suggest that as healing occurs, certain characteristics decrease. Tune into this week’s #straightfromsarah episode to learn more about each of the six characteristics of highly sensitive people and to discover how they relate to your own journey as you are healing from burnout.

Quotes

· “If we have had troubled lives, we are more susceptible to feeling the things we deem negative stronger and are prone to more anxiety and depression than others. But if we've had an easier life, we are more susceptible to feeling the things we've labeled as positive like joy and happiness more strongly.” (7:43-8:00 | Sarah)

· “When you step back and look at your life, has the course of it had an overall ongoing positive trend or continuously negative one? Since we're all here and fried, perhaps the latter resonates most which would qualify us as an example of differential susceptibility.” (8:28-8:44 | Sarah)

· “There's a part of our brain that determines whether our nervous system responds sympathetically or parasympathetically due to our present circumstances. It's called the reticular activating system and it's a part of the brainstem.” (9:48-10:00 | Sarah)

· “When we're chronically stressed, this part of our brainstem gets stuck firing the sympathetic pathways, keeping us in the stress loop, which fries our nervous system and leads to the burnout we have all experienced. In order to stop this cycle, we need to give our brain location info about our body and space.” (10:15-10:31 | Sarah)

· “In my recovery process, it's now easier to discern what I can control and what I am responsible for taking care of. I still can't witness a struggling human or plant right in front of me and not want to help. The difference is that I have awareness of my savior tendencies and I know how to ask people if they want my help instead of offering unsolicited advice.” (13:07-13:29 | Sarah)

· “I've realized that as much as I used to feel validated by the idea that my high sensitivity was just how I was wired and wasn't something that I needed to fix, I am currently pleasantly surprised and quite relieved that the hardest parts of being highly sensitive have minimized.” (18:36-18:51 | Sarah)

Links

Holistic Biomechanics classes: https://transformationspdx.com

Highly sensitive person website: https://hsperson.com

Sarah's contact: sarahvosen@gmail.com

Book a call with Sarah: https://caitdonovan.as.me/sarah

XOXO,

If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Crystal Frazee: Burnout Recovery Happens In Your Body (It's time to get out of your head!)

Sun, 18 Sep 2022 04:00:00 +0000

Dr. Crystal Frazee is a burnout recovery and stress resilience coach with 16 years of experience. She grew up in the South raised by strong, independent women with the ingrained mindset that women were supposed to take on everything themselves and be able to have it all. She spent many years working as a yoga teacher and yoga therapist and had a keen sense of bodily awareness. When she started to notice a disconnect between being able to feel and notice her own bodily sensations and emotions, Dr. Frazee knew something was wrong. She was suddenly unable to even feel her young children against her on the couch and that being a big wake up call. She was working in healthcare on the frontlines at the height of the pandemic while also running her coaching business, raising two kids, being the breadwinner, and managing chronic illness. Trying to take on everything by herself, as she was raised to think she had to do, was causing Dr. Frazee to mentally disconnect from her body.

“The more we stand up for ourselves, and understand our own limits, and why this is so important, and why we don't need somebody else from outside to give us permission for this, we claim it and that's how the change happens,” explains Dr. Crystal Frazee. Burnout recovery truly takes place within the body and in order to heal, you must get out of your head and reconnect with your bodily sensations. Women in particular have grown up attuned to the needs of others and told to be quiet and not get in the way, so there is relearning required to begin allowing yourself to have boundaries and standing up for your own needs.

Tune into today’s episode of FRIED. The Burnout Podcast for a conversation with Dr. Crystal Frazee about body literacy, combating internalized scripts, and learning to actually fulfill your own needs.

Quotes

· “When I was laying with my small children, which at the time were like one and almost four. I couldn't feel them. Like I couldn't feel the connectedness with their body from my body, which I had always previously been able to feel and that was kind of a real big like, wow, what is going on here?” (4:35-4:58 | Dr. Frazee)

· “You could do a body scan, you could list off lots of physical sensations and people are usually really good at pointing out pain. But also, there's an emotional layer to your being. So what emotions are you feeling? Which can be conflicting, you can be grieving and you can have gratitude at the same time.” (11:33-11:51 | Dr. Frazee)

· “We're not intended to live in crisis management as a lifestyle. It’s a short term response. I think it was just really like, I've got to do this by myself and it's all on me. That was just kind of what I kept coming back to.” (23:19-23:35 | Dr. Frazee)

· “That work of getting support with your burnout means that you're not just living in your head, that you can be in your body, and that you can learn what those signs are that you really do need to pay attention to.” (29:11-29:21 | Dr. Frazee)

· “The more we stand up for ourselves, and understand our own limits, and why this is so important, and why we don't need somebody else from outside to give us permission for this, we claim it and that's how the change happens.” (37:47-38:01 | Dr. Frazee)

Links

Connect with Dr. Crystal Frazee:

Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/drcrystalfrazee/

LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/drcrystalfrazee/

Website | https://crystalfrazee.ck.page/

XOXO,

If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#straighfromcait: Is Crashing During Burnout Recovery Normal?

Sun, 11 Sep 2022 04:00:00 +0000

During the process of burnout recovery, you are likely to overdo it and cause yourself to feel fatigued. This is perfectly natural as you are re-learning how to interact with your environment, relationships, and your body in a healthier way. As you explore these boundaries to your own energy, you will slowly start to recognize them more and more and be able to better understand your body’s signals. In today’s #straightfromcait episode, Cait explains how to handle the frustration that comes with feeling fatigued and how to test the limits of your energy.

Recovery is not only about resting, but also about re-learning how to interact with the world around you in a way that does not leave you totally drained. It is inevitable that you will end up bumping into these boundaries many times along your recovery journey and this can cause problems if you allow frustration to be your main take away. Instead, look at these instances as learning opportunities for you to collect data on how your body works. The more times you bump into those boundaries, the more you will start to recognize them and understand the messages your body is trying to send you.

Being in burnout recovery does not mean that you will never experience fatigue or overwhelm again. It is completely normal to find yourself hitting the limits of your energy at times. Tune into this week’s #straightfromcait episode for a conversation about learning how to be more in tune with the energy within your body. Learn how to turn frustration into curiosity, so that you can ultimately benefit from feeling those invisible boundaries.

Quotes

· “In the beginning of recovery, you will need to try to find your boundaries when it comes to energy. This means that sometimes you're going to overdo it and that will help you learn what overdoing it feels like in this recovery state. You'll have to bump up against boundaries to know where they are.” (2:10-2:28 | Cait)

· “Part of burnout recovery is resting and understanding that your body actually needs that rest. But part of burnout recovery is relearning how to interact with the world in a way that will not drain you so much.” (3:43-3:56 | Cait)

· “You might not be able to feel anything or describe anything right away, but with practice, you'll start noticing some clues that were previously hidden that you can now use to help yourself.” (5:42-5:55 | Cait)

· “The more time you spend bumping up against these invisible boundaries to your energy, the more fluent you will become in the language of energy in your own body.” (6:18-6:31 | Cait)

· “Recovery is not just about rest. It's about relearning how to interact with your environment, with your life, with yourself, with your friends, with your relationships. It requires upgrading and in order to upgrade, we need to know where our baseline is. And in order to know where the baseline is, we need to be paying attention to it. So bump up against those boundaries. You aren't really starting over, you're just learning.” (7:48-8:20 | Cait)

XOXO,

If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait

https://facebook.com/groups/friedtheburnoutpodcas,

https://caitdonovan.com/speaking

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

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Martha Bodyfelt: Use Your Empowered Voice To Recover From Burnout

Sun, 04 Sep 2022 04:00:00 +0000

Martha Bodyfelt is a divorce recovery coach with an extensive military background. She spent decades suffering from burnout after enlisting in the military at 23, dealing with immigration difficulties for her Iranian now-ex husband, and experiencing secondary PTSD from handling the internal allegations of sexual harassment and assault made by fellow female military personnel. After a terrible training accident where she injured her spine so badly that it was a miracle she was not paralyzed, Martha was medically discharged from the army and moved to DC where she took on a job as a defense contractor. Her own burnout combined with that of her then-husband resulted in divorce, because they both knew they would be unable to heal if they stayed together. After the divorce, she took time away from work to travel around Asia and try to reset herself. However, when she returned she found herself back in the same stressful work environment in DC and realized something drastic had to change. She quit her job and spent time working on herself in therapy and ultimately decided to lean into her side hustle, divorce coaching. Now she has helped thousands of women empower themselves and prides herself in giving a voice back to the women that are often ignored or silenced by society.

“You always have options. Your career will sometimes gaslight you into thinking that you don’t, but you do,” shares Martha Bodyfelt. In order to embrace burnout recovery, it is important to put yourself in an abundance mindset; because if you remain in a scarcity mindset, you will be resistant to change. Working a job that treats you poorly and causes both your relationships and health to suffer is just going to do more damage the longer you stay. You have permission to create an exit strategy and to get out of that toxic situation, whether it is a job or a relationship, and to start living for yourself.

Women are often disempowered in the workplace and in their relationships, because of societal pressures to always behave a certain way. In order to heal from burnout, you must put yourself first and reclaim your voice. Tune into today’s episode of FRIED. The Burnout Podcast for a conversation with Martha Bodyfelt about life after divorce, toxic workplaces, and saying goodbye to the “good girl” mentality.

Quotes

· “The divorce coaching and the dating coaching was calling to me, but there's that ego because I want to make that money and it might be a while before I recoup that. And so working with energy work and with human design folks, and things like that, and even my therapist saying, your body's gonna let you know when the time is ready. And I was like, Well, I don't know what that means, though. But in one fucking weekend, I started having that PTSD and anxiety attack. And I'm like, well, it's ready.” (17:40-18:11 | Martha)

· “I think the best advice I can give is, no job is going to love you back.” (23:16-23:23 | Martha)

· “Think about putting yourself in abundance and not scarcity and understanding that you always have options. Your career will sometimes gaslight you into thinking that you don’t, but you do. And that's the same with relationships, too.” (28:51-29:05 | Martha)

· “You have the right and, at this point, the responsibility to get to the fucking point and let people know what you want. Because nobody's here to save you. Nobody but you is going to advocate for you.” (41:32-41:50 | Martha)

Links

Connect with Martha Bodyfelt:

Website | https://marthabodyfelt.com/

Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/marthabodyfelt/

LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/coach-martha-b-306516215/

Schedule time with Martha | https://marthabodyfelt.com/schedule

XOXO,

If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#straightfromsarah: Guided Meditation for Grounding, Filling up, and Protection

Sun, 28 Aug 2022 04:00:00 +0000

Guided meditation is a great way to center yourself by reconnecting with your body and the Earth around you. Meditation provides a safe space for your body to heal and replenish itself while keeping your mind clear enough for you to receive messages from your heart. In this week’s #straightfromsarah episode, FRIED Burnout Coach Sarah Vosen guides listeners through a meditation for grounding, filling up the body with energy, and creating a protected space.

Often burnout occurs after a long period of ignoring the messages being sent by your body. When you slow down and meditate, those messages can actually come through and provide clarity on situations where you may have otherwise struggled. Meditation does not require you to have perfect posture or to measure your inhales and exhales. It is best to get into whatever is the most comfortable position for you. Really listen to what feels right for your body and go with it. Use your inhales and exhales to bring the nourishing energy from the Earth into your body and to release the negative energies that are no longer serving your interests. When your mind is quiet and you have created a sphere of protection around yourself, then is the best time to ask yourself any question that you need direction on. Listen for the answer from your body, from your heart, instead of from your mind. It may not sound like a conventional answer, so be open to receiving answers that may seem illogical or that may appear in sounds or pictures in your brain rather than clear thoughts or words.

Meditation is a great method for reconnecting with yourself, because it can be done from anywhere and requires no tools. Tune into this week’s #straightfromsarah episode to experience a guided meditation and learn how to use meditation on your healing journey.

Quotes

· “The best way to do this meditation is however you will be the most comfortable in whatever position provides you with relief in this moment.” (2:05-2:13 | Sarah)

· “If you have a question that's been spinning around or a decision that you need to make, answering it from this meditation space is often much easier. Because we're not being bombarded with other people's shoulds and energy. We can just ask ourselves the question and we can just listen for the answer. See if you can listen for the answer to just arrive from your heart, from your body, rather than from your mind.” (13:43-14:14 | Sarah)

· “Sometimes, when we get answers from our body, from our heart, the answers come in pictures, or colors, or sounds rather than words.” (14:50-15:00 | Sarah)

· “Trust that what you get is correct for you.” (15:19-15:21 | Sarah)

Links

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

XOXO,

If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sophia Lepage: Reconnect with Deep Core Desires to Recover from Burnout

Sun, 21 Aug 2022 04:00:00 +0000

Sophia Lepage is a feminine embodiment and leadership coach who has spent the last 4 years helping women break free from the good girl mentality, reclaim pleasure, reconnect with their femininity, and recover from burnout. Sophia lived her entire early life trying to be a “good girl” at the expense of herself. She got so caught up in people-pleasing to avoid conflict and the potential of being the outcast that she lost sight of who she was and what she really wanted for her life. When an affair ended her marriage, the good girl facade fell apart, and Sophia had to start listening to her true deeper feelings and desires in order to rebuild her life into one that actually reflects her own goals and values. She went traveling and began an internal healing journey that ultimately led not only to her own recovery, but to helping others. She now lives in Bali with her second husband and helps women by teaching them to reconnect with their feminine power.

“When we come into that space of alignment then it's easier to attract those people who are our tribe. And it's easier to not get caught up in these other people who don't agree with you, because you're not going to please everyone,” shares Sophia Lepage. The pressure of always having to be the “good girl” causes many women to hide their true selves around others. This leads to burnout, because it is a huge energy drain to live out of alignment with yourself. By tapping into feminine energy, reconnecting with your intuition, and really listening to your body, you can break free from burnout and live a more authentic life. Often by the time burnout occurs, the body has been sending distress signals for ages. It is vital to learn how to be fully present in your body in order to recognize the signals coming from within.

People-pleasers tend to end up burned out, because they live based on the desires of others instead of honoring their own values and desires. Tune into today’s episode of FRIED. The Burnout Podcast for a conversation with Sophia Lepage about reconnecting with feminine energy, reclaiming pleasure, and saying goodbye to always having to be a “good girl”.

Quotes

· “The thing that helped me was discovering feminine embodiment practices, discovering pleasure practices. That's what helped me get back into connection with my body, started listening to her rhythms. Once I learned how to circulate pleasure, it opened up these wells of vitality and radiance that I didn't know that I had the capability to feel.” (5:00-5:22 | Sophia)

· “I've invested so much time and energy into making sure that everybody likes me. But do I like me? Who am I doing this for?” (10:22-10:34 | Sophia)

· “When we come into that space of alignment, then it's easier to attract those people who are our tribe. And it's easier to kind of not get caught up in these other people who don't agree with you, because you're not going to please everyone. It’s just impossible.” (15:55-16:11 | Sophia)

· “The deeper longing of my soul, the real desire, was to really reach my full potential in this life, which isn't about getting all the A-pluses, it's about being fully expressed.” (22:22-22:37 | Sophia)

Links

Connect with Sophia Lepage:

Website | https://sophialepage.com/

Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/sophia_le_page/

https://sophialepage.com/fem-embodiment-for-burnout/

XOXO,

If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#straightfromcait: How to Deal with Guilt Associated with Burnout

Sun, 14 Aug 2022 04:00:00 +0000

No one likes to feel guilty. Most often people will choose resentment over guilt, because it feels easier to blame someone else than it does to process their guilt. Resentment takes a large toll on relationships and overall mental health and can worsen burnout. In today’s #straightfromcait episode, Cait explains how to skip over the resentment stage and instead process your guilt in order to be better protected from burnout long term.

Resentment occurs when you do an action you don’t agree with in an attempt to prevent guilt. By choosing guilt over resentment, you can avoid a lot of extra stressors. Guilt occurs when you choose to do an action that goes against your internalized morality. However, often what we think of as our morals are not actually entirely our own. They are influenced by what we have been taught, by our culture, our family, our education and experiences and may not reflect what we actually believe in our hearts to be true. In order to process your guilt, you’ll need to examine your morals and really think about which ones you still align with. Write down the action that has caused you guilt, examine whether or not it is actually immoral to you, and explore why you feel that way. Then give yourself the grace in that moment to realize that you are still a good person regardless of your findings and that you don’t always need to feel guilty for choosing yourself over your preconceived morals.

Tune into this week’s #straightfromcait episode for a conversation about resentment and guilt. Learn why it is better to choose guilt over resentment and how to properly process guilt when you experience it.

Quotes

· “The more you are able to shift away from actions that breed resentment, the better your relationships will be, the less burned out you'll be and the more space you'll have to be generous in whatever way suits you best. So I want you to avoid choosing resentment when you can, because it will help protect you from burnout long term. But if you're like most people, you choose resentment, because feeling guilty feels like too much to bear.” (2:13-2:40 | Cait)

· “If you know that you're going to end up resentful over doing this thing, skip right over it, go straight for the guilt, and process the guilt.” (5:32-5:39 | Cait)

· “My goodness is inherent and I love to give with gusto when my physical, mental and emotional energy allows. I also love to grant myself the permission to refuel when that is the thing that I need.” (11:38-11:55 | Cait)

· “I want you to understand that the fact that something is sacrificial for you doesn't automatically make it morally good.” (13:01-13:12 | Cait)

Links

References:

Mancini, A., Granziol, U., Migliorati, D., Gragnani, A., Femia, G., Cosentino, T., . . . Mancini, F. (2022). Moral orientation guilt scale (MOGS): Development and validation of a novel guilt measurement. Personality and Individual Differences, 189, 1. doi:10.1016/j.paid.2021.111495

XOXO,

If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rebecca Kase: EMDR for Healing Trauma, Self-Care Cakes, and Hope for the Future

Sun, 07 Aug 2022 04:00:00 +0000

Rebecca Kase is a licensed clinical social worker and expert in EMDR. She experienced her worst burnout when working with a nonprofit organization in community mental health. A combination of toxic authoritarian leadership, unsafe work environment, and clinically challenging patients was the perfect recipe for burnout. Rebecca started to fall into maladaptive coping behaviors and received signals from her body that it was time to change paths. She realized she could not fix the problems with the mental health system that she was part of and instead needed to find ways to help others that would also allow her to also better serve herself. Through a greater understanding of how the nervous system works and how to use EMDR as a biohack for healing from trauma, Rebecca has found a way to help others that still aligns with her own values. Tune into this episode to learn more.

“I think of EMDR as kind of like Drano for the brain-o. Like an antacid for your nervous system,” shares Rebecca Kase when explaining how EMDR helps to clear away old, harmful memories, patterns, and feelings from where they have become stuck in the nervous system. EMDR or eye movement desensitization reprocessing is an evidence-based treatment approach that is the standard treatment for PTSD, but also helps with anxiety, chronic pain, depression, and a myriad of other conditions. EMDR uses bilateral stimulation through visual or auditory cues to cause a patient’s eyes to move back and forth in a way that is similar to how our eyes move during REM sleep. This helps patients to reprocess traumatic memories in a healthier way so that they can finally move forward and their nervous systems can get unstuck.

Tune into today’s episode of FRIED. The Burnout Podcast for a conversation with Rebecca Kase about using EMDR to heal from trauma. Learn more about the three different states of the nervous system, how neuroception works to keep us safe, and how sometimes the best self care is a box cake.

Quotes

· “One of my self care items is I make myself just a cheap box cake and I just go to town on it for about a day. So my husband always knows when he sees the self care cake. He's like, ‘Oh, that's where we are. We're calling out the big guns’.” (4:21-4:38 | Rebecca)

· “My number one tip is reframe your burnout as a sign that your nervous system is working as it's supposed to and it’s not always something to fix, or mend, or self care gratitude journal away.” (6:27-6:39 | Rebecca)

· “It's not meant to be like toxic positivity or spiritual bypassing, because it's not saying, ‘shits not on fire’, yes, shits on fire, and the birds are singing while it's burning down. It’s about being able to find the balance, the dialectic of life, that I think is really important and helpful when our neuroception is like, ‘danger, danger, danger’.” (13:38-13:58 | Rebecca)

· “All of our strategies that we go to when we are out of that window of tolerance are all attempts to cope, whether they’re adaptive or not, everything you do throughout the day is an attempt to regulate yourself.” (20:46-20:57 | Rebecca)

· “There's a shortage in the mental health community and in the medical profession. I see that as leverage. That is leverage. So therefore, you do not have to settle for some shitty deal that is not good for your wellness, your sanity, your body, your mind, heart, brain or your family.” (27:13-27:31 | Rebecca)

Links

Connect with Rebecca Kase:

https://rebeccakase.com

https://instagram.com/rebeccakase.co

https://emdria.org

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists?search=emdr

XOXO,

If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#straightfromsarah: What “Healing Isn't Linear” Means for Your Burnout Recovery

Sun, 31 Jul 2022 04:00:00 +0000

Are you having a hard time recognizing whether you’re recovering from burnout due to the ebbs and flows of the healing process? Healing is not linear and at times you may feel worse before you feel better. In this week’s #straightfromsarah episode, FRIED Burnout Coach Sarah Vosen talks about how to recognize the signs that you are in fact recovering and explains that healing is not linear, because nothing in life is linear.

When Sarah began to heal from her burnout and her adrenaline stopped pumping 24/7, she was left feeling utterly depleted and exhausted. In order to recover from burnout, she had to first allow her body time to rest and rebuild the trust that it was truly safe to do so. When we begin to recover, our bodies go through a lot of internal, subtle changes. We may feel better one day and worse the next due to the processes occurring within us as our bodies relearn how to properly shift between sympathetic and parasympathetic modes. Healing can be a very messy process and requires a lot of patience, but is well worth the wait. When we start truly healing from burnout, our body sends many signals that we can watch out for such as the ability to fall asleep easier and stay asleep, the ability to properly digest food, the ability to say no without feeling guilty, and the return of the sparkle to our eyes that makes us appear more vibrant and alive.

Tune into this week’s #straightfromsarah episode to hear more about why healing truly is not linear. Learn how to recognize the signs that you are in fact healing from burnout, even when it doesn’t always feel like you are improving.

Quotes

· “It takes time for our body to trust that it actually has time and space to heal.” (2:48-2:51 | Sarah)

· “Once the adrenaline stopped flowing all day, every day, I was emotionally, physically, and mentally really low for a few months until the cumulative effect of all that I was doing started to show up. And I had some moments that let me know that I was indeed on an overall upward path towards health, but it was definitely not linear.” (3:57-4:15 | Sarah)

· “If your sensory information tells your brain that you aren't safe, it will put you in sympathetic stress mode, which shifts the way your body works so that you can fight, run, or freeze to save your life.” (5:33-5:43 | Sarah)

· “Even if you want to pull your hair out along the way, just keep on keeping on through the peaks and valleys.” (18:00-18:06 | Sarah)

· “Healing isn't linear, because living life isn't linear.” (18:17-18:20 | Sarah)

“We are not straight lines. Our bodies cannot be drawn with straight lines. Nature cannot be drawn with straight lines, and neither can our paths in life, so our healing journey cannot be a straight line either.” (19:55-20:08 | Sarah)

· “Healing is a messy process at times, so many tears and so much snot. But when we have been warned that it may happen, we can rest easier when it is happening and trust in the process.” (21:43-21:57 | Sarah)

· “When you are coming back from burnout, you have to feel different. Your body will present differently. Your body will change as you heal, because it has to in order to get better.” (23:58-24:08 | Sarah)

Links

https://www.friedtheburnoutpodcast.com/post/straightfromsarah-honoring-cycles-to-boost-burnout-recovery

XOXO,

If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Danielle Cobo: Transforming Self Doubt and Using Resilience as a Resource

Sun, 24 Jul 2022 04:00:00 +0000

Danielle Cobo is a fascinating and inspiring force of a woman. She works as a career leadership and sales performance coach, hosts The Dream Job with Danielle Cobo podcast, and is a devoted military wife and mother. Her challenging life experiences helped her to become resilient and lead her down the path to entrepreneurship after a career in sales. Kidnapped by her mother at the age of 2, forced to grow up faster due to being left to fend for herself often from an early age, and kicked out of the house at 17 with nothing but four trash bags worth of clothing to her name, Danielle knows first hand the importance and power of resilience. Through inspiring amounts of self awareness and perseverance, Danielle has learned to transform her self doubt into confidence and courage. Tune into this episode to learn more.

“Either you can fall victim to your circumstances or you can choose the direction that you want to go,” shares Danielle Cobo on how she thrived in spite of the many obstacles she faced. She realized from an early age that she needed to be resilient and listen to her own intuition rather than being held back by the limiting beliefs of those around her. Through her self-awareness, Danielle is able to notice signs of potential burnout early enough to reverse their course such as noticing when her weight changes or her stomach is in knots. She recommends reaching out to family and friends when you are experiencing self-doubt and asking for them to describe you, because often the way we speak to ourselves is very different from how others would.

Tune into today’s episode of FRIED. The Burnout Podcast for a conversation with Danielle Cobo about her inspiring story, why resilience is so important for entrepreneurs, and how to recognize the body’s signals about burnout. Learn how to increase your self-awareness and trust your intuition in order to transform self-doubt into confidence.

Quotes

“It's through some of these challenges in my life that I've learned to turn some of my biggest challenges in life into my greatest strength and I don't regret my past. I'm very grateful for it because I've learned to overcome self doubt and transform it into confidence and courage” (4:32-4:51 | Danielle)
“Either you can fall victim to your circumstances or you can choose the direction that you want to go.” (9:30-9:38 | Danielle)
“It's really listening to your body. Your body is a powerful resource to tell you what's going on.” (12:29-12:45 | Danielle)
“Resiliency is essential to being successful as an entrepreneur, because you're on your own.” (16:49-16:55 | Danielle)
“The more that you get back to your why and you understand the impact that you can make on others, that's going to help you prioritize where you're spending your time and who you're spending your time with.” (29:40-29:49 | Danielle)
“We want to live our life. That mentality of work, work, work, I'll sleep when I'm dead. No, that's not the point, I want to work and I want to make an impact. And I want to be able to live my life and be there and be present for my kids and my friends and not feel guilty about it at all.” (35:06-35:28 | Danielle)
“Don't quit on yourself before you even start. If it gets to a point where it's too much, then re-evaluate, but just put one foot forward, take it a day at a time.” (44:00-44:11 | Danielle)

Links

https://www.daniellecobo.com/

https://www.instagram.com/thedaniellecobo/?hl=en

https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniellecobo/

https://www.daniellecobo.com/company-culture

XOXO,

If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#straightfromcait: How Do I Know if I’m Recovering From Burnout or Stuck on the Burnout Cycle

Sun, 17 Jul 2022 04:00:00 +0000

During your burnout recovery, it may feel difficult to tell whether you are truly on the right path to recovery or still trapped in the burnout cycle. You will have ups and downs that may cause you to feel that your recovery is slipping back toward burnout again. In today’s #straightfromcait episode, Cait explains five signs to watch for that will let you know that you are on the right path.

Burnout recovery can feel a bit like a seesaw with all its ups and downs, but that is perfectly natural and nothing to be concerned about. The goal of recovery is to start having more moments of feeling like yourself interspersed with fewer moments of feeling burnt out. You will start to feel more like your old pre-burnout self more frequently, begin enjoying old hobbies that you were unable to enjoy while burnt out, and experience less issues with brain fog and memory lapses. You’ll still feel tired, but instead of feeling depleted and empty, you should begin to feel satisfied and good about your day. When you start to realize that you’re laughing more and getting more enjoyment out of your daily life, that’s when you know you are on the right path to burnout recovery.

Tune into this week’s #straightfromcait episode for a conversation about how to tell the difference between burnout recovery and being stuck in the same toxic cycle of burnout. Learn what signs to look out for to know whether you are on the right track with your recovery.

Quotes

· “Recovery feels a whole lot like just simply feeling more normal again, interspersed with moments that feel like you're still totally burnt out. What we're looking for is longer and more frequent feelings of normal, of your norm, your old norm, your pre burnout norm and shorter, less frequent moments of feeling burnt out.” (01:27-01:52 | Cait)

· “Having a down day does not necessarily mean burnout.” (3:56-3:59 | Cait)

· “If you find yourself finding moments of amusement and joy during your days, then you know you're on the right track.” (6:15-6:22 | Cait)

· “The sign that you're recovering is that you're still tired at the end of the day, but it feels like a good, satisfied tired, not a depleted, empty, crappy, tired.” (7:06-7:20 | Cait)

Links

https://friedtheburnoutpodcast.com/resources

https://caitdonovan.as.me/freecall

XOXO,

If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Merel Kriegsman: Success on Your Own Terms, Suicidal Ideations, Erotica, and All

Sun, 10 Jul 2022 04:00:00 +0000

Merel Kriegsman is the CEO and founder of her own company which helps women achieve their full wealth potential by marketing their most valuable gifts. She has helped countless women become successful entrepreneurs by assisting them with selling premium offers and programs. Merel began her career as an opera singer and then started her own business as a conversion copywriter which quickly grew into a business mentorship program. As she fought to maintain her expanding career, raise her children, be the main earner for her family, and confront blindspots in her worldview, Merel began to succumb to burnout. She shares how she got herself through burnout, adopted an abundance mindset, and learned how to listen for signs from her nervous system. Tune into this episode to learn more.

“It became sort of like this perfect storm of postpartum, mental health fragility, plus sort of questioning everything about myself and my business and it just created this perfect storm where I stopped sleeping,” shares Merel Kriegsman when asked about her burnout experience. Merel realized that when her mental health slipped, her boundaries did as well, because she no longer had the energy to maintain them. She found her way out by learning to listen to signals in her body that were trying to tell her when someone or some situation was making her uncomfortable. At first it can be difficult to walk away from clients who are violating boundaries, because of the fear that there won’t be new clients to replace them. To counter this, Merel chose to take on an abundance mindset, realizing that as an entrepreneur she would get to actually create those opportunities for herself. She found moments of healing in taking some time to herself to rest, read erotica, and reset her boundaries.

Tune into today’s episode of FRIED. The Burnout Podcast for a conversation with Merel Kriegsman about boundaries, mental health, erotic fiction, and recognizing our most valuable work for what it is. Learn how to adopt an abundance mindset, to discover your zone of genius, and to give yourself permission to be a little bit less of a perfectionist.

Quotes

· “It became sort of like this perfect storm of postpartum, mental health fragility, plus sort of questioning everything about myself and my business and it just created this perfect storm where I stopped sleeping.” (6:47-7:06 | Merel)

· “I honestly feel I go through the seven year cycles where I just need to go into my shell and mass consume what probably would be described by most people as fresh and smut, and then I come out. And I mean, in the last seven year cycle, I put three children on this earth and I built a multimillion dollar business from scratch, and changed literally 1000s of lives and moved to a different continent. (20:34-21:11 Merel)

· “Last time I went through this, I also thought about what was wrong with me and if I were to ever come out of this, and I did. And then it's almost like I have so much fuel to just go.” (22:51-23:03 | Merel)

· “Whenever I don't know something, I just study the shit out of it.” (25:48-25:51 Merel)

· “We tend to undervalue what is actually our most valuable work. And those tend to be huge blind spots for us. So we often build offers around the things that are maybe in our zone of excellence, but not in our zone of genius, because we're not even seeing what's in that zone of genius, because we take it for granted.” (36:03-36:27 | Merel)

Links

Connect with Merel Kriegsman:

www.merelkriegsman.com

https://www.instagram.com/merelkriegsman/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/merelkriegsman/

https://merelkriegsman.com/how-to-raise-your-rates

XOXO,

If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#straightfromsarah: Honoring Cycles to Boost Burnout Recovery

Sun, 03 Jul 2022 04:00:00 +0000

Have you been trying to live a linear lifestyle in a cyclical world? The truth is, Western society tends to look at life through a linear lens with a big focus on getting from point A to point B. In reality, life is cyclical and when we live out of sync with those cycles, we can be more susceptible to burnout. In this week’s #straightfromsarah episode, FRIED Burnout Coach Sarah Vosen talks about how we can honor the natural cycles in our world by acknowledging them and aligning our lifestyles to better match up.

We know that our world runs on cycles, so why do we act like life is linear? Our planet cycles, our seasons cycle, our moon cycles, and even our hormones cycle. The hustle culture of constantly grinding through life is in direct opposition to living within nature’s cycles. If we are always forced to rise before the sun, stay up too late, and eat heavy foods because it is all that we have access to in the fifteen minutes we are allowed for lunch, it will be very hard to honor the natural cycles of the day and the seasons. When we are aligned with the cycles going on around us and within our bodies, we can be better in tune with our needs and better equipped to combat burnout.

Tune into this week’s #straightfromsarah episode to learn more about cycles and how to live your life in a way that honors nature and wards off burnout.

Quotes

· “When we think about life being point A to point Z we miss out on the wisdom we gain when we have awareness of what we learned through repetition.” (1:24-1:32 | Sarah)

· “Our circadian rhythm guides many processes in our body and is therefore a key player in determining our overall health. This is why you hear lots about the importance of morning routines and sleep hygiene. It's because it optimizes circadian rhythm.” (3:10-3:24 | Sarah)

· “When we understand this correlation of seasons to phases, and the similarities we experienced hormonally during each, we can use our knowledge of the season to guide us throughout our cycle. This takes that complicated chart with the lines going in all directions that we were shown in puberty that was supposed to describe what was happening for us inside and makes menstruation a much more user friendly experience.” (8:05-8:28 | Sarah)

· “When we embrace where we are in our cycles and utilize what our hormones are doing inside of us, we can surrender into ease with the process. This is much more desirable than fighting with ourselves and being frustrated with the pressure to be something we are currently not.” (8:43-8:58 | Sarah)

· “Burnout culture demands we be consistent, reliable, productive, happy, successful, thin and toned, faster and better forever and ever.” (15:15-15:23 | Sarah)

· “We are not linear. We cycle, life cycles, our day cycles, our moon cycles, our seasons cycle year after year. And it's not just women that cycle. It's now known that men also have hormonal cycles…We do not experience the same inner or outer environment moment after moment. So how can we expect to act, feel, or have the same needs in each moment?” (16:14-16:49 | Sarah)

Links

Fried Masterclass July 2022: https://www.caitdonovan.com/offers/wBzaoPr7

COUPON CODE: CYCLES

XOXO,

If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vanessa Zamy - Toxic Work Environments, Building a Side Hustle, and Being the Core of Your Life

Sun, 26 Jun 2022 04:00:00 +0000

Vanessa Zamy, The Business Defibrillator, is a keynote speaker, business expert, and bestselling author with her own consulting company. Her burnout occurred when she was working in a corporate job for a toxic, narcissistic boss while also trying to support and grow her new business on the side. She tried for months to make things work with her boss all while the universe kept sending her signs that it was time to leave that environment. Vanessa shares her experience with toxic work environments, how she built her side hustle into her dream career, and her tips for being the core of your own life. Tune into this episode to learn more.

“That is what kept me going was knowing that, okay, this environment is not the one. But there is hope in this other thing,” explains Vanessa Zamy. After ignoring signs from the universe repeatedly, Vanessa was dealing with severe pain, inflammation, and discoloration in her fingers that no doctor could explain. When her office closed due to the pandemic, her fingers returned to normal and she realized that it had been a physical manifestation of her burnout from working in a toxic environment. Then, Vanessa discovered the path of entrepreneurship and began running her own business on the side. Even though Vanessa was dealing with stress at her job due to a toxic boss, she was able to get through the day because her side hustle was providing her with so much hope for the future. As soon as she learned to treat her 9 to 5 as her side job and her side job as her career, things started to turn around.

Tune into today’s episode of FRIED. The Burnout Podcast for a conversation with Vanessa Zamy about handling toxic work environments, starting a side hustle, and centering yourself in your own life. Learn how to listen for signs from the universe and how to put yourself first so that your business can thrive.

Quotes

∙ “You have these signs, right? The signs that your body is approaching burnout. So then the universe sends you a bigger sign and it’s like wake up and you are like ehh and then they have a bigger sign until eventually, some people, they just end up in the hospital. And that's their wake up call.” (10:02-10:20 | Vanessa)

∙ “Before I even went to the HR office, I had tried for nine months to do different things.” (19:10-19:15 | Vanessa)

∙ “I was pretty much the only person on the team who was sharing my grievances with other people. People on the team kind of was doing what you just said where they had the issue, but they were like, I'm just gonna complain about it and just live with it and deal with it and not really trying to fix it’.” (23:36-23:49 | Vanessa)

∙ “There’s always that beginning stage where you still have that employee mindset, you still have that I work for someone else mindset. But at some point, your business becomes your main priority. And your day job is now treated like your side business.” (25:53-26:06 | Vanessa)

∙ “If it doesn't work, it just doesn't work.” (28:36-28:37 | Vanessa)

∙ “That is what kept me going was knowing that, okay, this environment is not the one. But there is hope in this other thing.” (35:55-36:03 | Vanessa)

∙ “You are the core of your business. And so as the core of your business and the core of your life, as entrepreneurs and business owners, it is important that you take care of you because otherwise, if you don't show up, no one else is going to show up either.” (43:59-44:08 | Vanessa)

Links

https://yourvisionscatalyst.com/

http://power.vzamy.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/zamyvanessa/

https://www.instagram.com/zamyvanessa/?hl=en

https://yourbusinessrevival.com/checklist

https://yourbusinessrevival.com/

XOXO,

If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#straightfromcait: How To Tell People About Your Burnout

Sun, 19 Jun 2022 04:00:00 +0000

There comes a time when you may need to tell the people in your life about your burnout. Certain people like your HR department or your spouse will need to know in explicit detail in order to support your recovery to the best of their abilities. Others like co-workers or clients may not need to know as many details, but still need to know how it will impact them. In today’s #straightfromcait episode, Cait explains how to approach these conversations differently depending on whether you are speaking at work, at home, or with friends.

The first step you need to take before initiating any conversations about your burnout is to make some decisions and collect data points. When speaking with clients, you should first figure out your answers to certain key questions they are sure to have such as whether you will be shifting a deadline, if you are stopping a project, and if you’re planning to refer them out. If you work for a company, you will need to talk to your HR department and should have a script in mind that clearly explains the symptoms burnout is causing you and what you need from your employer in terms of recovery. When speaking with your partner or spouse, it is important to be as honest as possible to help them understand how burnout is impacting you and how things might need to change at home. Making a plan and collecting data will help you to have clear, factual conversations with the people in your life about your burnout and their reactions to your requests will provide you with additional data about your environment.

Tune into this week’s #straightfromcait episode for a conversation about how to tell other people about your burnout. Learn what to say in specific situations at work, at home, and with friends so that you can get the support you need for recovery.

Quotes

• “Before you have any conversations, you need to collect your data points and you need to make some decisions. This has to happen first.” (2:33-2:43 | Cait)

• “If you know you're burnt out and you definitely need some time away, you might go to your HR professional and say, ‘Listen, I feel like I'm experiencing burnout. These are some of my symptoms. I'm unable to be as productive as I used to be at work, I'm completely disengaged. What I think I might need is XYZ. But I am not sure what the company offers as far as burnout recovery support. So I am here to find out what the possibilities are, and how we can set this up so that the company stays solid and gets everything it needs and I still get the time that I need to recover’.” (7:11-7:46 | Cait)

• “Giving people the opportunity to also use their voice because you've used yours, I think is really important.” (11:03-11:10 | Cait)

• “If you don't know what you need, it might be time to get a coach.” (13:54-13:58 | Cait)

• “Your burnout is going to be difficult for your partner. It’s going to be difficult for them to understand, it's going to be difficult for them to deal with. And they are likely to get irritated now and again that they are pulling extra weight. And I need you as much as you're granting grace for yourself in the recovery process, I need you to also grant grace to your partner and your family members who will need to adjust things for you.” (15:14-15:40 | Cait)

• “Just because you prep doesn't mean it will go well. But prepping will help you to feel solid and more neutral within the conversations. Because you're speaking about facts, and not necessarily about emotions.” (26:09-26:22 | Cait)

Links

XOXO,

If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

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Dr. Kristen Donnelly: The Truth Behind Empathy As A Tool For Healing From Burnout

Sun, 12 Jun 2022 04:00:00 +0000

Dr. Kristen Donnelly, one of The Good Doctors of Abbey Research, is an international empathy educator. She has two decades of experience and an educational background in social work. Dr. Donnelly uses her PhD in social sciences to help people all over the world learn about empathy through her Ted Talks and hybrid, in-person, and virtual coaching. She shares her tips for how to use empathy to counter burnout after it helped her get through her own burnout in 2020. Tune into this episode to learn more.

“What we have come to define empathy as is intentional understanding of yourself and others,” explains Dr. Kristen Donnelly. Dr. Donnelly reports experiencing several burnouts throughout her life, but says that her worst was in 2020 when the lockdowns started happening. Empathy played a large role in getting her through burnout, because it allowed her to change her perspective. By de-centering herself from the experience, Dr. Donnelly realized that everyone was human and was doing their best. She shares that empathy requires intentionality and curiosity. She was able to understand that while she could not control what was happening in the world, she could control her own reactions and use her privilege to help make things better for others.

Tune into today’s episode of FRIED. The Burnout Podcast for a conversation with Dr. Kristen Donnelly about what empathy actually means and how to work at it until it becomes a natural reflex. Learn how to shift your perspective and appreciate the things that are within your control and how empathy for yourself and others can help you to heal from burnout.

Quotes

• “All of us want to be heard and understood. So how can I heal from this exhaustion of not being understood? I can seek to understand others.” (11:00-11:11 | Kristen)

• “What can I control? What can I handle because there's people on this planet right now, who can control almost nothing in their lives? So in honoring them right now, I have control and power. How can I leverage my control and power over my own life in respect to the fact that they have none? So part of de-centering yourself is understanding your place in global humanity, which I think then lets you really understand that on most days, you're doing okay.” (14:04-14:32 | Kristen)

• “For me, the best way to feel heard and understood was to seek to hear and understand others. (12:10-12:19 | Kristen)

• “What I know deeply is that If we decenter ourselves from our life experience, perspective becomes easier to obtain.” (12:48-13:03 | Kristen)

• “If you can choose to see comparison as a fact rather than an emotion, things get a little bit easier to navigate.” (19:17-19:25 | Kristen)

• “It is important for me to understand that I do not have it as bad as other people in some ways. I also have to understand that does not invalidate what I am going through. Multiple things can be true at once.” (25:32-25:50 | Kristen)

• “What we have come to define empathy as is intentional understanding of yourself and others. It's making less assumptions and asking more questions.” (36:01-36:16 | Kristen)

Links

http://www.argooddoctors.com

http://www.instagram.com/abbeyresearch

http://www.linkedin.com/in/kristendonnellyphd

http://bit.ly/ARDigest

https://www.abbey-research.com/words-we-dont-say-anymore-online-training/

XOXO,

If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

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#straightfromsarah: Knowing and Accepting Yourself Makes Burnout Recovery Faster

Sun, 05 Jun 2022 04:00:00 +0000

Do you feel like you’re not actually suited for the role you are trying to fill in your life? That role might not be the ideal one for you! In this week’s #straightfromsarah episode, FRIED Burnout Coach Sarah Vosen talks about ways to get to know yourself better and how to apply what you learn to help lead a more fulfilling and more burnout-proof life.

When Sarah realized she wasn’t thriving in her chosen profession, she could not understand why at first. However, once she started taking some personality quizzes and really looking seriously at the results, it became very clear that the type of person she was and the type of career she had chosen were not perfectly compatible. She’d struggled her entire life trying to fit in and be like everyone else, but her personality types showed that she was unique and one of the rarer types of people on the planet. When we learn more about ourselves, we can make sure we are spending our time and energy appropriately instead of trying to fill roles we were never meant to fill.

Tune into this week’s #straightfromsarah episode to learn more about different personality quizzes and why it is important that your personality type be compatible with your lifestyle and career choices.

Quotes

• “I was not meant to be doing life like most people, but I had been pushing myself as hard as I could to keep up and work hard like the masses. And when I sat down and looked at all of these quiz results and descriptions, and looked at what truly resonated for me, I realized that I am not like most. My personality traits make me one of the less common members of humanity. I am on the fringe. No wonder I don't tend to want to do or buy the same things as most nor can I handle the same kind of schedule.” (4:25-4:54 | Sarah)

• “I couldn't see as many patients as my other acupuncturist and massage therapist friends. I found out later that those friends were indeed a different type than I am. They are generators or manifesting generators, which means that they are folks that are wired for getting more work done. I was trying to be someone I wasn't, and it felt terrible.” (5:22-5:38 | Sarah)

• “In order to recover from burnout I needed to accept my role, the one that utilizes my strengths. The one that I'm wired for. The one that my constitution is suited for.” (6:12-6:22 | Sarah)

• “The more we know ourselves, we gain clarity around what to take on and how to spend our time and energy. This helps us say no to what isn't ours and let the rest go. This is crucial in burnout recovery.” (7:53-8:06 | Sarah)

• “You don’t have to be everything to everyone. You just have to be you. And do the role that you’re already good at. If that sounds relieving to you, please give yourself permission to let go of offering everything that isn’t yours.” (10:21-10:35 | Sarah)

Links

Our quiz: https://quiz.tryinteract.com/#/61d4455460a67b0018a4c902

Sarah: https://caitdonovan.as.me/sarah-connect

Cait: https://caitdonovan.as.me/free

Links to personality quizzes:

Myers-Briggs: https://www.16personalities.com/free-personality-test

Enneagram: https://personalitypath.com/free-enneagram-personality-test/

Chinese 5 Elements: https://learnthefiveelements.com/5-elements-quiz/

Human Design: https://www.jovianarchive.com/get_your_chart

Ayurvedic Dosha: https://kripalu.org/content/whats-your-dosha

Highly Sensitivity: https://hsperson.com/test/highly-sensitive-test/

Astrological Sign: https://chart.chaninicholas.com

XOXO,

If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Helena Lucia: Money, Burnout, and Interrupting Old Patterns After Leaving a Cult

Sun, 29 May 2022 04:00:00 +0000

Helena Lucia, founder and CEO of SISU Journey, is a speaker, podcast host and trauma-informed money coach. Her experiences growing up in an extreme fundamentalist religious cult led her down a path where she became passionate about helping others heal from childhood trauma through gaining a better relationship with money. She shares her tips for interrupting old patterns of behavior, healing from burnout, and rethinking how we view money. Tune into this episode to learn more.

“Instead of having the prescribed identity that you've been given, who do you want to become?” asks Helena Lucia, CEO and founder of SISU Journey. Helena grew up burnt out. Growing up in a cult meant that she did not have the agency to listen to or attend to her own needs. When she finally escaped the religious cult and her abusive marriage, she was a mother of four children and had to start over from scratch while totally burned out. She went to college for a degree in computer sciences and headed into the corporate world where she found herself in a sequence of burnout after burnout. When Helena realized the pattern, she was able to learn how to interrupt it through a process she refers to as SPACE.

Helena decided she wanted to find a way to help others heal from their traumas and interrupt the patterns in their lives that were leading to burnout. By learning to give ourselves the physical space we need to pay attention to our body’s cues, access people who can help us, and redefine ourselves based on our own terms instead of trying to be what everyone else wants, we can interrupt burnout and begin to heal from trauma.

Tune into today’s episode of FRIED. The Burnout Podcast for a conversation with Helena Lucia about how to interrupt old patterns in our lives. Learn each step of the acronym SPACE and how to apply it to your own life.

Quotes

• “I use the acronym of space. So starting out with creating more space in between things. P is paying attention to how your body is reacting and responding. And then you can start interrupting the pattern of how you unconsciously react in a situation or how you desire to respond.” (21:26-21:52 | Helena Lucia)

• “If your family has a pattern that's been perpetuated through the years and you as the ancestor in charge of changing the pattern actually take the learnings from that and release the emotion, you can actually interrupt a family history pattern.” (22:14-22:36 | Helena Lucia)

• “C is create your dream identity. And that's where you start. Instead of having the prescribed identity that you've been given that you were told you are, who do you want to become?” (35:38-35:51 | Helena Lucia)

• “When we co regulate as infants we're supposed to be getting our cues for safety and freedom from our caregivers and when we don't, we develop attachment wounds. Those attachment wounds get fused very tightly to our relationship with money, because money in a scarce childhood experience gets fused with this idea of safety and freedom really deeply.” (40:11-40:44 | Helena Lucia)

XOXO,

https://www.friedtheburnoutpodcast.com/post/dr-kristin-neff-self-compassion-being-human-and-living-with-an-open-heart

If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait

Take the FRIED burnout quiz: https://friedtheburnoutpodcast.com/quiz

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#straightfromcait: The Articles Against Self-Care for Burnout Recovery Are Missing This Major Point

Sun, 22 May 2022 04:00:00 +0000

Many articles that talk about burnout make the mistake of devaluing self-care as a burnout prevention or recovery tool. But self care isn’t all just pedicures and massages, and it can be a huge factor in burnout recovery. When you take away self-care, it puts the entire focus on the systems in place that cause burnout, which may lead people to believe there is nothing they can do to influence their burnout recovery. In today’s #straightfromcait episode, Cait explains 8 factors affecting burnout that are within our locus of control.

Are you feeling like you have no control over any of the causes of your burnout? The first step is to figure out which factors are internal and which are external. If your burnout is caused mostly by external factors such as your job, then you know to start making an exit plan. Not all factors are external, and many internal factors are within our control. By getting reacquainted with our core values, learning to set boundaries, and beginning to meet our most basic foundational bodily needs, you can reduce the factors that contribute to burnout.

Tune into this week’s #straightfromcait episode for a conversation about how certain types of self care are pivotal for burnout recovery. Learn the 8 factors within our internal locus of control that can help you heal from burnout.

Quotes

• “Waiting for the system to change while you're already burned out is not a successful plan.” (3:27-3:32)

• “You might not be able to change the system, but you can leave it.” (6:50-6:54)

• “Knowing what your values are, and taking action to move yourself toward a life that is more aligned with them will catapult your recovery. Being in alignment matters. I don't mean this in a woowoo way. I mean this in a neuroscience way. If you are living a life that does not match your values, about 75 to 80% of the time, you are creating stress for yourself on a regular basis that your body has to react to.” (12:21-12:50)

• “It is really, really difficult to notice and meet your bigger needs when your basic needs are ignored. Work on being in your body enough to notice when you are thirsty, tired, have to use the bathroom, your eyes need a break from the screen, you’re full from eating, your body is asking you to move. The basics. When you start caring for yourself on that very base level, you start to believe you are deserving of even more care.” (16:33-17:35)

Links:

https://www.friedtheburnoutpodcast.com/post/straightfromcait-teach-your-brain-that-you-re-safe-and-it-will-grow-new-nerve-cells

https://www.maggiesupernova.com/yoga

https://caitdonovan.com/freebie-ie

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Reference:

Harrington, R. Personality and Stress. Stress, Health, and Well-Being: Thriving in the 21st Century. Boston. Cengage. 2013. 9781111831615. Ch. 6. pp. 171-208.

XOXO,

If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nneka Roberts: Using Systems to Create More Time, Mental Space, Creativity, and Money

Sun, 15 May 2022 04:00:00 +0000

Nneka Roberts, operations consultant at Sage Simple Solutions, has worked designing systems for 20 years. She now works with consulting clients teaching them how to implement systems to improve their businesses and lives. She shares her tips for using systems to help avoid burnout. Tune into this episode to learn more.

“I think what ends up happening is that we get on the marketing, sales delivery rollercoaster, and we forget to build in support, which is a key component of your business,” explains Nneka Roberts, operations consultant at Sage Simple Solutions. Nneka’s burnout came a few years into starting her life coaching practice. She loved her career, her clients and the freedom she had, but she did not enjoy the business aspect of running the practice.

Nneka waited too long to build systems into her business and ended up burning out. She learned afterward that systems are not only necessary, but they are a form of self care. Not having support systems in place caused Nneka to get stuck doing the parts of her job that weren’t helping her grow as a coach. These tasks sucked up not only her time, but also a lot of the joy she had for her career. By investing in systems you can avoid burnout and help yourself and your business thrive for years to come.

Tune into today’s episode of FRIED. The Burnout Podcast for a conversation with Nneka Roberts about the importance of implementing systems regardless of if you are a solopreneur or are in charge of a team. Learn how to get started recording your daily processes to create your own systems and how to utilize tools as part of your systems.

Quotes

• “The first few years it was like a dream come true. I had the freedom that I wanted to have. I was doing great work. I loved my clients. I was very passionate. But what started happening and I think every entrepreneur kind of goes through this, while I love the act of coaching like I enjoy coaching a lot. I did not enjoy the business thing of coaching, like finding clients and having sales goals and that sort of stuff.” (3:52-4:25)

• “I think what ends up happening is that we get on the marketing, sales delivery rollercoaster, and we forget to build in support, which is a key component of your business.” (9:10-9:23)

• “Yes, the time is one thing, the hours, minutes or seconds, you get that back for sure. But it's the mental space that it's taking up in your brain that's chomping at your capacity to create as a coach or as a creative. It's like you are focused on these little things that really don't matter. It doesn't help your creative mind. It is taking away from your creativity, as opposed to nourishing it and building it and multiplying it.” (12:10-12:39)

• “Systems are those lived rituals that you've had for doing things in your business. But they are in a form that can be shared with a team, or implemented in a tool.” (16:26-16:39)

• “Your work is needed. That's what I want to share with people, your work is needed. Your work is needed for your people today, it's even needed for you for today. It's needed for your people today. And it's gonna be needed in generations to come. So you want to build your business so that it's available for generations to come.” (40:57-41:18)

• “I would say that systems are self care. They are the fourth prong in your business, they call it they help you help to support you. And make the time, take the time to invest in them.” (50:18-50:33)

Links

https://sagesimplesolutions.com/

https://www.instagram.com/sagesimplesolutions/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/nnekakelly/

bit.ly/ssswhotohire

XOXO,

If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait

Check out the FRIED Burnout quiz: https://friedtheburnoutpodcast.com/quiz

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#straightfromsarah: Rebuilding Trust With Yourself During Burnout Recovery

Sun, 08 May 2022 04:00:00 +0000

Do you struggle with trusting yourself? If you’re experiencing burnout it can be extremely difficult to trust yourself. You’ve been ignoring your body’s signals for a long time, not taking care of yourself properly, and you likely feel like a shell of yourself. To recover from burnout, you must rebuild that trust. In the first ever #straightfromsarah episode, FRIED burnout coach Sarah Vosen talks about how to begin the trust building process.

Learning to listen to your body is essential to burnout recovery. It’s likely that by the time you’ve burnt out, your body has been screaming at you for quite some time. If you tune in and really listen, you will start to learn what your body needs and be able to respond accordingly. Once you start providing your body with what it needs and stop forcing yourself to do things that you hate, you will naturally rebuild trust in yourself.

Tune in to this week’s #straightfromsarah episode to learn about how to get started with rebuilding trust in yourself. Learn how to listen to signals from your body in order to aid your burnout recovery.

Quotes

• “The good news is that we can learn new ways of being and doing that rebuild trust with ourselves. I know that it may sound impossible to trust yourself, especially if you're at the peak of your burnout. You just don't feel trustworthy, you feel like a shell of yourself. But lucky for us, we can bounce back.” (1:56-2:12)

• “Overall, I have a much better relationship with my body than I've ever had, since I started listening and providing instead of forcing myself to do what someone told me was right. “ (8:30-8:41)

• “Really notice anything that you're feeling that you don't like, notice the symptom and take a second to say, “Hello body part. I hear you. I'm listening now.” And then make a page in your journal or in a note on your phone and list the body part that is talking to you. This is enough to start, just keep tuning in and noticing the body parts that are talking to you or yelling at you.” (10:48-11:14)

• “If you've been ignoring your body's messages for years, your body might act like a cat that you left home while you went on vacation. At first it might be pretty pissed and poop on your bed until it realizes that you are here to stay and actually ready to listen.” (11:49-12:04)

• “Remember, the road to healing is not a straight line.” (12:18-12:20)

• “We are not trying to listen to our minds, because that's where the mind beasts lives. And our minds are evolutionarily negative because they want to keep us safe and don't want us to do new things. But we want to recover from burnout and that requires new things. So we're gonna shift and listen to our body instead.” (14:02-14:19)

XOXO,

If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait

Check out the FRIED Burnout quiz: https://friedtheburnoutpodcast.com/quiz

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dan Sykes: The Somatic Fanatic Talks the Power of Curiosity For Nervous System Training

Sun, 01 May 2022 04:00:00 +0000

“If you are no longer curious, the best of your life is behind you because the best of your life is being curious,” shares Dan Sykes, Founder of the Somatic Training Network and author of Somatic Fanatic. Dan’s burnout came as a result of a midlife crisis. He found relief in the somatic arts, the art of training the nervous system, and aims to share the importance of nervous system training with the world.

Dan found himself experiencing a midlife crisis after his divorce, in part because he had chosen his wife over his desired filmmaking career. He found himself divorced, seemingly shut out of the career he had desired for himself decades prior, and staring down another thirty to forty years of life. When Dan discovered sistema, a Russian martial art that trains the nervous system, he found both psychological and physical relief from his burnout. He now works to share the somatic arts with others and to make nervous system training more widely known in the Western world.

Tune into today’s episode of FRIED. The Burnout Podcast for a conversation with Dan Sykes about the importance of the nervous system and the roles it plays in all aspects of life. Learn to retrain your nervous system as a way to heal from burnout.

Quotes

• “Midlife crisis to me is when you come to feel that the world is still in the midst of having this party of being alive and you’re no longer invited, and yet you’re looking at another 30 or 40 years of being around the planet. That’s what midlife crisis felt like to me.” (8:16-8:36)

• “The reason we retain all this chronic tension is because our nervous system has forgotten how to feel these muscles. As it forgets how to feel them, it forgets that it can let go.” (19:51-20:09)

• “I learned once again to lead everything I do curiosity first. Where instead of me pushing myself to accomplish, I got curious of what might be possible in every area of my life.” (26:45-27:11)

• “Nervous system is as crucial a part of wellness as nutrition or strength training or relaxation of other kinds. It’s kind of the missing link. My mission is that hopefully 10 years from now everyone in the West will know that you have to train your nervous system on a regular basis.” (45:16-45:39)

• “Your nervous system runs your entire experience of living. It takes in all sense and it does all commands so when you improve the function of your nervous system, all these areas of life get simultaneous benefit.” (46:05-46:20)

• “If you’re predominantly feeling emotional pain, focus on the physical side of nervous system training. Move and feel. If you’re predominantly feeling physical pain, you should focus temporarily predominantly on the emotional side.” (48:00-48:27)

• “If you are no longer curious, the best of your life is behind you, because the best of your life is being curious.” (52:57-53:21)

Links

https://linkedin.com/dansykes

https://somatictrainingnetwork.com/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUemR2opnKZBeClFxarQbSg

https://podcastconnection.org/dansykes/

https://www.youtube.com/c/EMERGENCYFISHPARTY

XOXO,

If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#straightfromcaitandsarah: Healing the Healers, Hyper-Independence, and Rules for Helping

Sun, 24 Apr 2022 04:00:00 +0000

Are you a healer that struggles with asking for help? When you’re used to wearing all the hats and doing everything yourself, it can be really difficult to realize when you need to reach out. In this week’s #straightfromcaitandsarah episode, Cait and FRIED Burnout coach Sarah Vosen talk about how to recognize hyper-independence and how to ask for what you need.

Highly sensitive people have a strong pull toward helping others, but often neglect themselves. If you try to do everything yourself, you run the risk of heading straight for burnout. Healers are so used to taking care of everyone else and never asking others for similar help. It can be uncomfortable to release that control and ask for help or to recognize when it is time to hire someone so you can take off some of those hats. When you find yourself feeling resentment toward responsibilities in your life, it is important to evaluate those feelings. If something you are doing causes resentment, it may be possible to stop doing that thing or to delegate it to someone else.

Tune into this week’s #straightfromcaitandsarah episode for a conversation about healing the healers, recognizing hyper-independence, and asking for help. Learn how to evaluate your needs and set healthy boundaries.

Quotes

• “It’s totally acceptable and okay to know things as well as you know them today and then learn something new tomorrow and have that be truer or newer or updated information.” (8:42-8:55 | Cait)

• “I do think that highly sensitive folks tend to want to help and I think that’s because of the heightened empathy that people tend to feel.” (11:20-11:30 | Sarah)

• “I had big aspirations and this desire, but I didn’t recognize that I didn’t have what it took. I set myself up for failure with these huge expectations, but I never actually looked and asked myself, is this realistic?” (16:06-16:22 | Sarah)

• “I really don’t believe that you can keep yourself out of burnout long term if you’re not really clear on what success means to you.” (17:02-17:14 | Cait)

• “I wasn’t recognizing that investing in someone would be a benefit. I was just seeing it as a loss. But also, I always felt like I couldn’t ever work enough to really get my head above water. I think it’s kind of the way I’m wired. I can’t see that many people. I give a lot, I want to spend time with people. And I wasn’t charging enough for what I was giving to make it work. So I was charging the same amount as an acupuncturist who would just throw needles in and leave, but I was doing massage, I was doing acupuncture, coaching them, giving a lot of attention and lifestyle suggestions and all sorts of things. But I wasn’t charging accordingly. I was doing all the admin, the insurance billing. I was cleaning. I don’t know, all the things. All the hats.” (20:35-21:30 | Sarah)

• “Something gave me the idea early on in life that I will not get what I want. So I shouldn’t even ask. Shouldn’t even try.” (21:53-22:04 | Sarah)

• “If you find out you have resentment about something, the first question is, does this thing actually need to be done at all?” (32:40-32:48 | Cait)

Links

XOXO,

If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Frenchie Ferenczi: Your Success as an Entrepreneur Depends on Clear Expectations and Great Boundaries

Sun, 17 Apr 2022 04:00:00 +0000

“I think that it all comes down to understanding your priorities and letting those shift and evolve,” explains Frenchie Ferenczi, Business Growth Strategist who works with entrepreneurs to maximize their income. When Frenchie first experienced burnout, she did not immediately recognize it for what it was. As she learned more and recovered, Frenchie changed her career path and began to teach her clients how to protect themselves from burnout.

Frenchie worked in hospitality for her entire career and enjoyed it until the strain of never honoring her boundaries caused her to resent the members. She had been expected to accommodate every request and every possible need that the members had and were unable to prioritize her own needs. Frenchie ended up burning out and transitioned from working in hospitality to working directly with entrepreneurs, helping them to grow their businesses. She teaches her clients how to create a great customer experience while maintaining healthy boundaries and avoiding burnout.

Tune into today’s episode of FRIED. The Burnout Podcast for a conversation with Frenchie Ferenczi about how to set clear expectations in order to uphold healthy boundaries. Learn how to organize your priorities in a way that keeps you and your mental health at the top of the list without sacrificing the growth of your business.

Quotes

• “The joy of bringing joy was my favorite thing. And then the level of resentment that grew towards the members of this company was just so clear to me.” (4:47-5:04)

• “I think that this idea that we need to go all-in is common and I typically try and reframe that around, ‘What’s 100% of what you can give?’ because that’s a very different piece. I think that you need to be all-in in your ambition and in your motivation, but that doesn’t mean that you need to be all in with all of your resources, meaning all of your money, all of your time, all of your energy.” (9:38-10:02)

• “I think that it all comes down to understanding your priorities and letting those shift and evolve. What comes along with that is also getting comfortable with the very uncomfortable fact that everything is a little bit of a tradeoff.” (39:42-40:03)

• “If you, yourself, and your mental health are not very near the top or at the top of your priority list, that’s something to explore.” (41:01-41:12)

Links

www.frenchieferenczi.com

www.instagram.com/frenchie.ferenczi

https://www.linkedin.com/in/frenchieferenczi/

https://content.frenchieferenczi.com/trim-your-todos

XOXO,

https://caitdonovan--consultingsuccess.thrivecart.com/escape-demo/

Join the Newsletter: https://caitdonovan.com/newsletter-office-hours

If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait for Cait and https://caitdonovan.as.me/sarah for Sarah!

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

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#straightfromcait: Job Characteristics that Cause Burnout (Through the Entrepreneurial Eye)

Sun, 10 Apr 2022 04:00:00 +0000

Are you struggling with your workload as an entrepreneur? You could be headed toward burnout without even realizing it. Studies done on burnout often overlook entrepreneurs, but there are many ways the studies can still apply whether you work for a company or for yourself.

The top job characteristics that can lead to burnout include workload, time pressure, role conflict, and role ambiguity. Without HR to go to for help, entrepreneurs must have these difficult conversations with themselves to determine if the workload can be trimmed or if time can be better organized. Entrepreneurs will often take on too many responsibilities and can be reluctant to outsource job roles to others. These strains plus a lack of built-in community and lack of positive feedback can lead to burnout.

Tune into this week’s #straightfromcait episode for a conversation about the job characteristics that can cause burnout for entrepreneurs. Learn what to watch out for and how to reassess your work life to protect yourself from burnout.

Quotes

• “An unmanageable workload applies to everyone, whether they work for themselves or not.” (2:41-2:46)

• “You have to get really clear on what actions are bringing value to your work and which actions are a distraction that you think you should be doing, but maybe don’t really need to.” (2:50-2:59)

• “I know that there is all this information out there that says, ‘You have to have a smashing TikTok account. You have to have 10,000 followers on Instagram.’ No, you don’t. You have to be real good at the thing that you do, and you have to know where the people who need you are so that you can reach them. That’s it. And if you’re trying to be really good at being at all the places all the time, you are giving yourself an unmanageable workload that is going to lead you to burnout. So you’re gonna have to cut some things off that to-do list.” (4:07-4:37)

• “Often, when we are wearing all the damn hats, we sometimes forget what we’re good at, what we love doing most, and what we should be focusing on the most as business owners.” (7:05-7:20)

• “Do not skate over people sending you love. Stop. Let it in. You need it. You need it to protect yourself from burnout and you deserve it.” (12:12-12:23)

Links

Look out for Frenchie Ferenczi’s episode that releases on April 17th!

https://www.annickina.com/

https://caitdonovan--consultingsuccess.thrivecart.com/escape-demo/619d7d55cbc4a/

Maslach, C., Schaufeli, W.B., Leiter, M.P. (2001). Job Burnout. Annual Review of Psychology. 52. 397-422. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.psych.52.1.397

XOXO,

If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait

Join the Newsletter https://caitdonovan.com/newsletter-office-hours

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

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Dr. Kristin Neff: Self Compassion, Being Human, and Living with an Open Heart

Sun, 03 Apr 2022 04:00:00 +0000

“An open heart can hold everything,” shares Dr. Kristin Neff, Associate Professor of Educational Psychology, self-compassion research pioneer, and author of bestselling novel Self-Compassion. Dr. Neff developed the Mindful Self-Compassion program along with her colleague, Chris Germer, which is now taught internationally. She turned to self-compassion to help her overcome burnout.

Dr. Neff’s burnout came when she was being a caregiver for her autistic son when he was young. She explains that learning to have self-compassion allowed her to set boundaries, recognize her intrinsic value, and focus on the connection between herself and the world around her. Along her journey, she conducted the first empirical studies ever done in self-compassion research and is recognized as one of the most influential researchers in psychology worldwide.

Tune into today’s episode of FRIED. The Burnout Podcast for a conversation with Dr. Kristin Neff about self-compassion and how to open yourself up to conquering difficult situations and painful moments. Learn about how to reclaim your worth and start setting boundaries.

Quotes

• “One of the things that’s challenging for women especially is we’re raised to be people pleasers. We’re uncomfortable saying no because we’re afraid people won’t like us, learning to draw boundaries and to say no, and to say ‘you know, I’m sorry if you don’t like me, but my worth doesn’t stem from whether or not you like me. My worth is intrinsic because I’m a human being who is worthy of respect just like every other human being.’ That allows us to draw boundaries which is a really big thing for reducing burnout culture.” (17:56-18:41)

• “All life is intrinsically valuable. When we’re talking about human beings, every life is worthy. And who we are is totally, inextricably intertwined with the rest of life.” (31:01-31:32)

• “If your heart is open enough, there can even be joy in moments of real suffering. The joy isn’t in the contents of what’s happening, it’s in just having an open heart.” (35:09-35:22)

• “An open heart can hold everything. That’s where we should be investing in. The more we focus on ‘how can I open my heart in this moment, the happier we’ll be.'” (48:17-48:38)

Links

www.self-compassion.org

https://www.instagram.com/neffselfcompassion/

XOXO,

If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#straightfromcait: You're Burnt Out. Here's What That Means About You

Sun, 20 Mar 2022 04:00:00 +0000

Are you constantly changing yourself to try and adjust to other people’s values? When you sacrifice your core values for other people, this will often lead to burnout.

Recovering from burnout requires you to set limits for your life that will keep you safe and healthy. By pushing perfectionism just to make other people happy, you risk burning out. Focus on your own core beliefs and do what you need to do to support yourself instead of constantly focusing on others. You have intrinsic value and deserve a life where you are protected from burnout.

Tune into this week’s #straightfromcait episode for a wrap-up of Season 4. Learn to stop criticizing coping mechanisms that your body created to protect you, stop sacrificing your core values for others, and build healthy boundaries to keep yourself safe.

Quotes

• “I am here to celebrate the best parts of you and remind you how great you are whether you’re freshly burnt out and it is your first time here or you’re long time recovered and you’re just here to keep up.” (2:01-2:12)

• “There is a platinum rule when you are working with a FRIED. Burnout Coach: there will be no demonizing of your behaviors, coping mechanisms, or habits. Yes, even the shitty ones. There are usually reasons that you behave in one way or another and most of the time behaviors that you engage in at some point had a positive intention or effect, or they were created without attention and intention as a result of someone else’s behavior when you were a child. What we do focus on is the fact that some of these behaviors leave you vulnerable to burnout, especially if you’re in shitty or toxic environments, whether those be work or home.” (2:20-3:14)

• “Where do you want to apply your perfectionism and where can you let it go because it’s based on someone else’s standards or values that don’t match your own?” (5:14-5:22)

• “That’s how we #endburnoutculture. When we all return to our core values over and over and over again.” (5:53-6:01)

• “You are not broken. You have power. You have power to utilize your gifts in a way that is supportive and useful for you and others. The parts of you that you judge have gold nuggets in them. Burnout recovery does not require that you fundamentally change who you are, but rather become more of who you are within limits that you set for yourself to keep you safe, healthy, and protected.” (6:56-7:23)

• “You have so much to offer simply by existing. You just might need to allow the rules of the game to shift a little instead of constantly trying to change yourself.” (8:12-8:24)

Links

https://caitdonovan.com

https://friedtheburnoutpodcast.com

XOXO,

If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lopa van der Mersch: Trauma Recovery, the Vagus Nerve, and Adaptogens

Sun, 13 Mar 2022 05:00:00 +0000

“My experience with burnout personally is that it can be much more of a spectrum. It’s not an on/off switch. It’s an unfolding relationship to our energy,” explains Lopa van der Mersch, Founder and CEO of Rasa, the adaptogenic coffee alternatives revolutionizing people’s relationship to their energy. Lopa’s burnout came during a tumultuous stretch of time where she experienced a series of traumatic events that caused intense dysregulation of her central nervous system.

In 2015, Lopa left a cult, fell out with her family, had a health crisis, lost a loved one and had a baby by emergency C-section. Her time in the cult left her with Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and that combined with everything else impacted her central nervous system. She learned about the importance of healing the polyvagal nerve as a part of her trauma recovery process. Through healing her relationship with her central nervous system, she also healed from burnout. She recommends exercises that help heal the vagus nerve and incorporating adaptogens into your diet to help build your body’s defenses against burnout.

Tune into today’s episode of FRIED. The Burnout Podcast for a conversation with Lopa van der Mersch about the impact of trauma on burnout. Learn about the vagus nerve and how you can heal trauma to your central nervous system and gain valuable insight into the world of adaptogens.

Quotes

• “You’ve got the healing from the Complex PTSD and that is going on with the rest of the stuff that would burn you out anyway. And then you’re like, ‘How the fuck am I supposed to do all of this?’” (3:21-4:30)

• “If you were to ask me my one word to describe society, it would be ‘inhumane’, because it’s just too much.” (5:05-5:13)

• “PTSD is often from a singular event. You get in a car accident, it can be wars and things like that. It’s a more isolated event. Complex PTSD is the result of trauma that happens, it can be micro traumas, it can be a whole spectrum of traumas. It gets into the wiring of your nervous system because it happens over such a consistent period of time. It causes this overarching alertness in your nervous system. It’s kind of always bracing for when that thing is going to happen again.” (22:30-23:25)

• “For a while I was like, ‘Maybe this is who I am now. Maybe I’ve just changed and I kind of suck.’ Not being super gentle with myself in those particular moments.” (29:06-29:22)

• “What we need to really look at in our lives is what are those systems we’re participating in and taking for granted. Take that bigger stock and say, ‘Why can’t I have the life I want? Why couldn’t I have the support that I need?’” (50:12-51:13)

• “You just have to do the next easiest thing and then celebrate that. That dopamine response will start to encourage you to keep going on that upward spiral.” (54:50-55:02)

Links

https://wearerasa.com/

Use the following codes for 15%!

• USA: FRIED15

• Canada: FRIED15RASA

https://www.instagram.com/wearerasa/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lopa-van-der-mersch/

XOXO,

If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sally Clarke: Burnout Prevention, Self Compassion, and the Beauty of Post-Burnout Growth

Sun, 06 Mar 2022 05:00:00 +0000

“I had attached my entire self-worth basically to being successful in this job that I hated,” shares Sally Clarke, Burnout Coach and Author of Protect Your Spark: How to Prevent Burnout and Live Authentically. Sally worked for many years as a finance lawyer until burnout changed the trajectory of her career. She now works as a coach helping clients through their own burnouts.

Sally’s burnout came when she was working 60 to 70 hour weeks as a finance lawyer for a prestigious global law firm. She knew she was unhappy with her career, but chose to ignore her body’s signals for another 2 years before the burnout finally became too much. She left her job, started showing herself compassion and putting her needs first, and became a coach. Sally’s burnout led her on a journey of self-awareness and growth that she is now grateful for today.

Tune into today’s episode of FRIED. The Burnout Podcast for a conversation with Sally Clarke about the importance of self-compassion and listening to your body. Tune in for tips on how to protect yourself against burnout and live a more authentic life.

Quotes

• “If we’re gonna prevent burnout as individuals…what we can do is empower ourselves right now, today. Part of that and sort of the first aspect is what I call self compassion and that’s really driven by really tapping into a sense of intrinsic worth in ourselves. Not all of us have grown up with that. Not all of us have had that reinforced from an early stage. So for a lot of us, including myself, that was something that I have had to actively work on and that’s happened since I burnt out.” (14:19-14:59)

• “We, by the very fact of our existence and our breathing and being here, have value. I think that’s a really important thing particularly for women. This can be a really tough one in the corporate environment and as entrepreneurs.” (15:18-15:37)

• “Burnout is not your fault. Burnout is caused by chronic workplace stress according to the World Health Organization. Burnout is not your fault. The most important thing I think that people who are in burnout or close to it need to know is to take that layer of shame and guilt off of themselves by expecting that they could have somehow outsmarted burnout.” (38:23-38:28)

• “I think wherever you are in the spectrum of burnout right now, if you are feeling question marks around ‘maybe I am in burnout, maybe I’m on my way towards one.’ I implore you to reach out and talk to someone, whether that is a trusted friend, a professional, your doctor. Someone that you trust. I implore you to just talk to someone and investigate what’s going on. Because we can only change our circumstances and our situations once we acknowledge the reality of what’s happening. That can be really scary, which is why talking to someone can be helpful because that person can act as a guide and a support and we all need that. Honestly, burnt out or not, we need that.” (48:17-49:03)

Links

http://www.salcla.com

https://www.instagram.com/salcla/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sallyclarkeevolve/

http://www.evolvelifecoaching.com

XOXO,

If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Riley Jarvis: The Big Secrets of Exceptional Sleep with the Sleep Consultant

Sun, 27 Feb 2022 05:00:00 +0000

“Prioritize your sleep and life will be a lot, lot better,” emphasizes Riley Jarvis, Founder, and Owner of The Sleep Consultant. Riley created The Sleep Consultant after realizing how much of an impact sleep had on his burnout recovery process. Through his company, he helps CEOs, entrepreneurs, and other high achievers optimize their performance with individualized scientific lab testing.

Riley’s burnout came when he was in the early stages of his career and began experiencing severe fatigue. When doctors discovered that he had Crohn's disease, Riley sought out functional medicine practitioners and tried every supplement he could to get his health back on track. By changing his diet, his sleep habits, and incorporating supplements into his life, Riley was able to get his Crohn’s symptoms into remission and break out of his burnout.

Tune into today’s episode of FRIED. The Burnout Podcast for a conversation with Riley Jarvis about the importance that sleep has on every aspect of your health. Listen for tips to improve your relationship with sleep and start prioritizing your health.

Quotes

• “What if we could hack the sleep that you are getting? So let’s say you only want to sleep 6 hours, where those deep sleep cycles are so rejuvenating that you just wake up with an abundance of energy, compared to if you slept 8 or 9 hours. Because it’s about quality, not quantity.” (10:58-11:14)

• “I started getting this network of clients. I wasn’t even doing any advertising or anything. I had a book of probably 15-20 clients and I noticed that I was really onto something. I noticed in the whole sleep space, a lot of people focused on exercise and diet, but sleep was kind of that missing pillar that nobody talked about. Then the idea just came to me. I could turn this into something!” (26:20-26:53)

• “Your cortisol levels hit their peak after about 90 minutes and we don’t want to have our first cup of coffee when it’s already at its peak. We wanna wait about 90 minutes when it starts to crest and then we’ll bring in the coffee. But what a lot of people do is right after they wake up, they’re already dehydrated, they go straight to coffee, which is a diuretic, making them more dehydrated.” (27:55-28:19)

• “What you really want to do is listen to your body. Find what your body’s natural rhythm is. If you can afford to do it, not having an alarm clock whatsoever and testing this for a few weeks and seeing what time does your body naturally get tired, without exposing your eyes to blue light. You can wear blue light-blocking glasses. Seeing what time does it actually wake you up in the morning. One thing that’s kind of scary, you’ll start waking up at the same time every morning. It's all self-experimentation at the end of the day. I would say listen to your gut and your intuition.” (32:01-32:43)

• “Prioritize your sleep and life will be a lot, lot better.” (39:28-39:33)

Links

www.thesleepconsultant.com

www.instagram.com/officialthesleepconsultant

https://www.linkedin.com/in/rileyjarvis/

https://www.friedtheburnoutpodcast.com/post/catherine-peters

XOXO,

If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Shelley Paxton: Shifting From Success-EMPTY to Success-FULL and How All of Us SUCK at Burnout Recovery Sometimes

Sun, 20 Feb 2022 05:00:00 +0000

“You can get to the top of a particular mountain and feel success-empty,” explains Shelley Paxton, speaker and author of Soulbattical: A Corporate Rebel’s Guide to Finding Your Best Life. Shelley worked for many years as a marketing executive including a glamorous career as the Chief Marketing Officer of Harley-Davidson. However, while she may have looked extremely successful from the outside, inside she was experiencing full-fledged burnout.

Five and a half years into her sexy motorcycle-riding, black-leather-wearing career, Shelley began to have a recurring nightmare that led her on a journey of meditation and soul-searching. After months of self-exploration, she realized that this dream was telling her that she was completely disconnected from her true self. She had aligned her idea of success with checking boxes on a list that didn’t actually make her feel fulfilled. By leaving her marketing career behind and learning how to slow down and be present, Shelley was able to discover real success and leave her burnout behind.

Tune into today’s episode of FRIED. The Burnout Podcast for a conversation with Shelley Paxton about the meaning of success, asking for help, and connecting with your soul. Hear tips from Shelley on how to slow down and make time for yourself, so you can move from success-empty to success-FULL.

Quotes

• “In my quest to be this badass, trying to be all things to all people, all my boundaries fell. I was bending over backwards and people-pleasing, and I realized this has been a pattern in my life.” (05:08-05:21)

• “Ultimately this thing called ‘success’ was somebody else’s definition of it. I was ticking all the boxes of traditional success when the majority of those – money and titles and accolades and material things – wasn’t feeding me inside and wasn’t truly connecting with me. You can get to the top of a particular mountain and feel success-empty.” (06:57-07:57)

• “You’re not alone. We’re in this together. More of us feel this way than I ever knew five years ago when I walked away from Harley. I truly thought I was alone.” (10:54-11:05)

• “If I continue living as I am now, for the next three, five, ten years or more, am I moving toward who I want to become or further away?” (18:15-18:28)

• “If you feel like this when you’re 50, you’re gonna have a short, miserable life. You’re gonna be one of those people who slugs it through until retirement and dies on the day after she retires. Or you’re not gonna make it that far. Is this the life you really want to be living? Do you want to feel this way? What I’ve realized is that success is a feeling. It’s not a checklist.” (18:41-19:14)

• “What if the most iconic brand I could ever represent is Shelley Paxton?” (19:42-19:48)

• “The value of being present is noticing, getting curious. You see the little signs that the universe has been giving you along the way. It sounds cheesy and maybe it is cheesy, but I’ve come to love it…When I’m fully present, I am noticing what’s being given to me at every moment and I am fully connected to myself and the people that I’m with.” (27:15-27:52)

• “Boundaries over busyness. Boundaries over burnout…resentment is really a sign of a violated boundary.” (38:39-38:50)

• “Success feels like I go to bed tired with a smile on my face. I go to bed tired with the knowledge that I don’t feel empty, I feel full. I feel tired because I left it all on the field today. I showed up for this conversation, for my people, and for myself. That feels so incredible.” (42:16-42:44)

Links

https://soulbbatical.com/

https://www.instagram.com/soulbbatical/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/shelley-paxton-759163/

XOXO,

If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait

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#straightfromcait: The Negative Side of Positive Thinking (Part 2)

Sun, 13 Feb 2022 05:00:00 +0000

Are you spiritually bypassing your own emotions? It’s one thing when other people force toxic positivity on us, but another thing entirely when we do it to ourselves. Trying to only focus on your own mindset and ignoring the external negative factors impacting you is a form of false positivity.

Burnout requires more than just a change in mindset. Instead, you also need to be honest with yourself about what external factors need to change in order to reduce your stress. You can’t “gratitude” your way out of burnout while doing nothing to change the situation that is causing the burnout in the first place.

Tune into this week’s #straightfromcait episode for a conversation about the negative effects of our own attempts to positive think our way out of burnout. Learn how to begin being more honest with yourself about your needs and take one small step toward changing some of the external factors contributing to your burnout.

Quotes

• “When you’re using spiritual ideas or positive thinking to avoid facing your shit, emotional or otherwise, you’re not in the long run doing yourself any favors.” (02:31-02:42)

• “We all know that when other people spread this sort of false positivity or spiritual bypassing on us, it can be really hurtful. For instance, when you’re told that your loved one is ‘in a better place’ just after they’ve died, it is another person’s way of spiritually bypassing your emotions. They are spiritually bypassing your emotions because your emotions are making them uncomfortable…Here’s the kicker. As much as we are bothered by people doing this to us, we do it to ourselves.” (02:56-03:47)

• “So often in the burnout world, people tell me that they just need to change their mindsets and then their jobs won’t be so bad. Meanwhile they’re being exploited, bullied, and emotionally abused. Thinking that you can only work on the internal stuff and avoid working on the external stuff is spiritually bypassing at its finest. Thinking that you can gratitude your way out of burnout in a job that is killing you is false positivity. Thinking that you can just really focus on the good parts of your relationship with a narcissist isn’t actually going to make that relationship any better or safer for you.” (03:56-04:35)

• “Burnout recovery requires a level of honesty that a lot of us avoid and will also likely require as many external changes as internal shifts…truth, honesty, candor, frankness. These will help you build a life where positivity is more natural, is actually a part of things in your life without you having to force it, to search for it constantly, and to fake it when you don’t feel like it because somebody else says that you’re supposed to.” (05:59-06:48)

Links

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

XOXO,

If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Michelle Melendez: Caregivers – Burnout, Guilt, and Mental Health

Sun, 06 Feb 2022 05:00:00 +0000

“Part of love and care is knowing when you need to bring in help. Even if you’re not providing the direct care, by getting appropriate care, adequate care, supervised care, you are providing care,” emphasizes Michelle Melendez, a licensed clinical social worker with over 20 years of experience. Michelle’s caregiving journey began 13 years ago when her mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. At her private practice, she now specializes in supporting clients as they work through burnout and caregiver stress to discover true self-care.

In the midst of caring for her mother, Michelle began forgetting to take care of herself. This experience taught her that seeking out help is not a sign of failure, but rather a crucial component of caring for the ones you love. While caregivers often feel a sense of guilt when they delegate some of their responsibilities, failing to do so leaves the door wide open for burnout. By carving out time for self-care and realizing she didn’t have to do everything alone, Michelle was able to break out of her burnout and become an even better caregiver to her mother.

Tune into today’s episode of FRIED. The Burnout Podcast for a conversation with Michelle Melendez about self-care, guilt and caregiving. Hear tips that Michelle has learned through caring for her mother and how she was able to overcome her burnout.

Quotes

• “This is a personal decision that you have to make. It’s not about what other people tell you to do, because you’re the one who has to live with this. This is not easy. It’s going to change your life… in every way. You don’t have to do this… You may not be the best candidate for the job, even if you have a good relationship. You don’t have to provide the care. Part of caregiving isn’t always providing the care directly…also care is, I can’t do those things but I’m going to help you get services or someone who can help you.” (11:47-12:37)

• “The idea of ‘well no one could do it as good as me.’..If you keep holding onto that idea that only you could do it right, nobody else can, then that’s just going to lead to your demise.” (25:53-26:15)

• “Part of love and care is knowing when you need to bring in help. Even if you’re not providing the direct care, by getting appropriate care, adequate care, supervised care, you are providing care. Many people think, ‘If I’m not completely immersed in it 24/7 then I’m not being a good caregiver.’ No. That’s not even a realistic expectation.” (27:00-27:30)

• “I’ve been saying goodbye for 13 years. Mom is here, but not really? So dealing with that is such a complicated experience and one in which again, it’s only over time that you can kind of adapt to it. I think for me, one of the hardest things…my mom was not only my mother, she was also like my best friend…When Alzheimer’s came, I lost all these roles in my mother. I lost mom, I lost my good friend, I lost a mentor…I got to a place in my experience and said to myself, ‘Michelle you didn’t lose your relationship with your mom. It’s just redefined now. It’s different.’ We still have that relationship, but it’s just different now… In terms of grieving that, there is no formula…It hurts…For me accepting that sure, things have changed. But it’s just different now. She still is my mom. She still is my best friend. She still is that person in my life that I look up to the most.” (34:07-36:29)

• “Self-care is a safety measure because it gives you the tolerance to deal with those difficult moments.” (44:24-44:35)

Links

Michelle's Email: selfcaresolutionsnow@gmail.com

Alzheimer's Association: https://www.alz.org/

National Alliance for Caregiving: https://www.caregiving.org/

XOXO,

If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#straightfromcait: The Negative Side of Positive Thinking (Part 1)

Sun, 30 Jan 2022 05:00:00 +0000

Are you fed up with all of the positivity memes on your Instagram feed? Do your friends tell you that you would feel better if you just changed your outlook on life? If so, you are likely a victim of toxic positivity. While positivity may sound good in theory and in many cases can be helpful, to the burnt-out brain positivity is not likely to fix anything.

Tune into this week’s #straightfromcait episode for a conversation about the damage positivity can have on an already burnt-out brain. Learn validating phrases to use in place of toxic positivity and small ways you can make progress toward getting back on track from your burnout.

Quotes

• “Here is the thing. The burnt-out mindset isn’t a negative one. The burnt-out mindset is an issue of the communication between parts of the brain that aren’t functioning as they should. When the danger alarm part of the brain is hyperactive and the reasonable adult part of the brain is napping, positive thoughts just don’t hit the same way. Mindset isn’t just about your thoughts, but about how your brain is functioning and how your neural networks are talking to one another.” (02:09-02:49)

• “When you are absolutely in burn out phase, your brain is hyper-focused on letting you know when you are unsafe, because it knows that you’re close to the edge all the time. So, it keeps the danger alarm part of your brain on Code Red all the time.” (03:03-03:22)

• “Increasing feelings of safety is paramount in burnout recovery.” (04:01-04:07)

• “Gratitude is incredibly powerful when you’re mostly balanced and your brain is online. But in the burnt out state it barely touches you.” (05:52-06:00)

• “Please stop trying to positive think your way out of burnout. And if you’re a friend to the burnt out amongst us, stop trying to use positivity to cheer up the burnt out people in your life. I understand that your intentions are good, but I promise you, it won’t work. And it might actually cause them harm.” (07:01-07:21)

• “Burnout is a bitch. I know it can be hard for you to know exactly what you need, but if you have any clarity and there is something I can help with, I’m here.” (08:57-09:05)

• “Resentment is a superpower… The more you use resentment well, the better your boundaries will be and the more you’ll be able to refuel and recharge and get yourself back.” (09:46-09:59)

• “Positivity can be toxic. Positivity can lead to spiritual bypassing where you’re just ignoring all the things that are wrong in your life because you’re looking for the silver linings all the time. And positive thinking when you’re burnt out, in the burnt out brain it just doesn’t hit those neural networks the same way.” (11:15-11:35)

Links

https://www.amazon.com/Toxic-Positivity-Keeping-World-Obsessed-ebook/dp/B094VCFSZW/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1641994250&sr=8-1

https://psu.summon.serialssolutions.com/#!/search?bookMark=eNpdkUuLFDEUhYM0OD2jG3-ABNyIUGNSqcrDXTM4D2lx065DOnUznbE6afMQ-t-bptUBk0UgfOdw7zmXaBFiAITeUHJNCRMfbaykHUrEC7Skiqmup1wu0JKQvu8I5eICXeb81JCBSfUSXfR8FCMb5BJ92exM-OHqjF1MuOwAr30pM-DNzofH_Amv8FcoplsFMx-zzzg6fJdM8aVOgB9CgfQLQvEx5FdoUVKF1-fnCn2__by5ue_W3-4eblbrzgxElg4o48YyCYQL45QQA2NguBPAe7dl1hFlpkmOaivlyNWWjNaOYJWRzvUDlewKvT_7HlL8WSEXvffZwjybALFmTQUnUvCRqIa--w99ijW1RU4UY4oNhNFGXZ-pRzOD9sHFkoxtd4K9ty1p59v_ahhbmmIgQxN8OAtsijkncPqQ_N6ko6ZEnwrRz4U0-O2fGep2D9M_9G8Dz27mYPQhH61JxdsZsq0ptWRPZpozTXVP2G9UCpVd

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07XYRXZC9/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1

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XOXO,

If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait

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Dr. Brooke Kalanick: Hormone Balance, Normalizing Stress, and Being Human

Sun, 23 Jan 2022 05:00:00 +0000

“That was a really, really low point for someone who should’ve known better. I was a hormone expert, and I completely destroyed my hormones,” shares Dr. Brooke Kalanick, licensed naturopathic doctor, author, and host of popular podcast, The Dr. Brooke Show. As someone who suffers from PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) herself, Brooke specializes in helping women identify the root cause of their hormone imbalances and get back to feeling better with targeted diet and lifestyle changes. On today’s episode, Brooke discusses her personal burnout story and how it continues to inform her day-to-day life.

Several factors contributed to the height of Brooke’s burnout. On the one hand, she was co-authoring a book about fat loss, which prompted her to enter into a damaging and dysfunctional diet and exercise cycle. Combined with a jarring personal attack in an Amazon review and an untimely injury, Brooke suddenly found herself losing the sense of balance she had worked so hard to build. Today, Brooke explains to listeners how she overcame her burnout and gained a newfound sense of authenticity and self-awareness in the process.

Tune into today’s episode of FRIED. The Burnout Podcast for a conversation with Dr. Brooke Kalanick about the impacts of stress, particularly on women’s hormones, and how hormone disturbances can lead to significant health issues in all areas of the body. Hear Dr. Brooke’s story of facing her greatest fear head on and coming out on the other side better for it.

Quotes

• “That was a really really low point for someone who should’ve known better. Right? I was a hormone expert and I completely destroyed my hormones.” (06:10-06:16)

• “I think with the wellness world, and the sound bytes on social media, and the way functional medicine is talked about, we're always after the root cause. Which in theory is great. But if you’re in a place where you’re burnt out, you’ve gone through all this stuff, time has gone on, you’ve ignored symptoms for a long time. You don’t have one root cause. ” (11:45-12:15)

• “There’s some real value in facing your biggest fear and then having to look at like why on earth was that my biggest fear?” (17:48-17:54)

• “For me, I had certain values going into that first experience and they were more recognition, more money, more success, all of these things. I very much have different goals now. Obviously being a mother was something that changed…there was I think a place for me to rein myself in better.” (26:19-26:46)

• “I think I learned the hard way that it's better to just share my pain and my experience and hope that less people will think I'm perfect and more people will feel like, ‘Oh, she understands me.’” (27:37-27:47)

• “Things are stressful, because you care about them. For better or for worse, whether it's being driven by an insecurity or you actually love your child or your husband or your family, you wouldn't be stressed out if you didn't care. So, I think the first thing to recognize is that it's okay that you're stressed….Now are you going to deal with it?” (29:11-29:30)

Links

www.betterbydrbrooke.com

www.instagram.com/betterbydrbrooke

https://www.linkedin.com/in/brookekalanick/

https://betterbydrbrooke.com/5-pillars-opt-in/

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

XOXO,

If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sarah Vosen: Intro to FRIED's Newest Coach, Specialist in HSP, Empaths and Healers

Sun, 16 Jan 2022 05:00:00 +0000

“The most compassionate people are the most boundaried,” says Sarah Vosen, FRIED’s newest burnout coach. As an HSP and an empath, Sarah is deeply tuned into the emotional experiences of the people around her. We are thrilled to welcome her to the FRIED team, where she will be offering coaching sessions alongside Cait. On today’s episode, Sarah and Cait discuss Sarah’s personal burnout story as well as the new perspectives and approach she will bring to our burnout community.

Cait has known Sarah for over twenty years, and Cait’s own mother once described Sarah as “love personified.” However, when Sarah was deep in her burnout, she lost the ability to hold the loving space for her clients that Cait’s mom and so many others had experienced. Sarah tells listeners that she found herself in a constant tired but wired state: she felt low, but she was also running on pure adrenaline. Now, Sarah is working with both a burnout coach and a functional medicine specialist to identify and address the emotional and physical contributors to her burnout. While her burnout story is ongoing, Sarah tells listeners that she is finally beginning to find love again.

Tune into today’s episode of FRIED. The Burnout Podcast for a conversation with Sarah Vosen about empathy, burnout recovery and feeling love again. Be sure to listen to the full episode for a short #straightfromcait segment about honoring yourself, even when your burnout recovery may feel sucky. And if you are interested in working with Sarah, book a FREE connection call using the link below!

Quotes

• “I feel like my burnout story starts at birth….I have an anxious attachment style, and that has certainly been a filter that has influenced my life and every single decision I’ve ever made.” (02:44-03:21)

• “I was receiving treatment – chiropractic, acupuncture, and some massage – and I started noticing that they weren’t working.” (05:25-05:34)

• “My biggest issues have been with my gut, which in Chinese medicine is spleen and stomach and all about nurturing and nourishment, whether that’s coming from food or an emotional source….And I have had difficulty receiving my whole life.” (26:46-27:19)

• “All of the emotional things have manifested physically, or all the physical things have manifested emotionally, and I see how my physical body shifts as I work and process through the emotional things.” (28:30-28:48)

• “Empathy with boundaries equals compassion and is the only way to make being empathetic sustainable.” (43:16-43:25)

• “I didn’t know I was a sensitive person. I didn’t know. I thought everybody was like me. Turns out that’s not true. So, in taking the quiz and finding this out…it was so enlightening and so validating.” (48:20-48:40)

• “All mammals – animals and humans – have 20% of their species that are highly sensitive, and this is meant to be important and evolutionary for the group.” (49:43-50:00)

• “If you allow it, your burnout recovery journey could be the most interesting, introspective journey you take in your entire life. Burnout recovery is an absolute chance to know yourself intimately, to rebuild trust in your ability to communicate between your mind and your body and to figure out how you can show up on a day-to-day basis that honors who you are, what you came here for and what kind of energy you have to do all of that today.” (1:00:46-1:01:15 | Cait)

Links

https://www.sarahpeutics.org/about-us#vosen

https://www.instagram.com/sarah.vosen/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahvosenlac/

QUIZ - Which Burnout Coach is Best For You?

https://www.tryinteract.com/share/quiz/61d4455460a67b0018a4c902

https://hsperson.com

Schedule a free connect call with Sarah here: https://caitdonovan.as.me/sarah

XOXO,

If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Jacqueline Kerr: Work Burnout, Mom Burnout, and the Systems That Keep You Stuck

Sun, 09 Jan 2022 05:00:00 +0000

“That fear of burning out again – of course it’s driving me because I don’t want other moms to feel this way,” says Dr. Jacqueline Kerr, Behavioral Scientist. “But the reality is, we are going to experience this, and it’s about how we grow.” Jacqueline realized she was burning out when she started routinely crying on both her way to work and on her way home. At her lowest point, she experienced suicidal ideation, panic attacks, high cortisol levels, and loss of purpose. However, while Jacqueline still falls into the patterns of burnout at times, she tells listeners that she now knows the warning signs and possesses the arsenal of tools she needs to pull herself up more effectively.

At the time of her peak burnout, Jacqueline was a professor at a school of medicine, supporting a group of over 40 staff and students, doing her own research, teaching, mentoring and heavily involved in community support. On top of her work responsibilities, she was also a wife and mom. Jacqueline tells listeners that she started feeling inadequate both at home and at work; she simply couldn’t balance between supporting all of the people in her life and maintaining her personal health. Now, Jacqueline specializes in helping women and organizations understand the multi-level solutions to working mom burnout.

Tune into today’s episode of FRIED. The Burnout Podcast for a conversation with Dr. Jacqueline Kerr about the systems that keep you stuck. Learn more about Jacqueline’s emotional burnout story, the importance of implementation intentions and accountability partners, and why change is a ripple process.

Quotes

• “I realized I was burning out when I literally would be going to work and crying on the way to work and coming home and crying on the way home because both places were making me feel so inadequate.” (03:52-04:11)

• “That fear of burning out again – of course it’s driving me because I don’t want other moms to feel this thing. I’m so afraid that anyone feels pain or suffering. But the reality is, we are going to experience this and it’s about how we grow.” (13:15-13:35)

• “An idea from behavior science is called implementation intentions. Unless you actually sit down and say, ‘What am I going to do? When am I going to do it? Where am I going to do it?’ then you don’t really have a plan.” (17:14-17:28)

• “There are definitely things you can do to help yourself [through burnout]. I think your mindset is so important, having a growth and curious open mindset, valuing yourself, trying to help yourself with some of your limiting self-beliefs. I think there’s so much you can do to think about your own outlook.” (28:50-29:08)

• “The social norms around [mothering] just become exhausting because you feel like whatever you do, it’s never good enough. That social expectation, the research has shown, can really affect burnout as well.” (33:56-33:14)

• “I totally understand when you’re exhausted, and you’re the victim of this system, you don’t necessarily want to be doing anything extra. But actually, that sense of fulfillment that you can get belonging to a group of people who have a purpose is part of your recovery….These social situations where you’re working as a group towards a positive goal that you care about can be so helpful for that process.” (46:43-47:21)

Links

www.DrJacquelineKerr.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-jacqueline-kerr-a62581173/

XOXO,

If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#straightfromcait: What to Do When You Suck at Relaxing

Sun, 19 Dec 2021 05:00:00 +0000

Do you ever feel like there are so many things to get done that relaxing is downright impossible? Are your body and brain so busy that sitting still just doesn’t feel like rest? If you are feeling this way, you are far from alone. The art of resting and sitting with your emotions takes patience and practice; it is something I have been working on for years and have yet to perfect.

The most important thing to realize is that rest looks different for everyone. Whether it is watching a lighthearted movie or TV show, reading a good book, or simply slowing down your pace, relaxation is ultimately whatever you need it to be. While it may seem like the more you get done now, the more you can rest later, this usually is not the case. Instead, by learning how to sit still and just be, you will ultimately save yourself time and energy in the long run.

Tune into this week’s #straightfromcait episode for a conversation about what to do when you suck at relaxing. Learn about when I first began my practice of sitting, how to become the observer of your emotions and how to reduce your speed to get more done.

Quotes

• “It was that day that my practice of relaxation and resting and sitting began nearly sixteen years ago, in a tiny hostel in Buenos Aires.” (03:50-04:00)

• “I have this internal belief that if I do more now, I can rest more later.” (04:35-04:45)

• “If I just stop once in a while and allow myself to rest in whatever way I feel, I end up still getting all the things done that actually need to get done.” (06:24-06:36)

• “Allowing myself to deep dive into fiction is what moves my business forward because that’s where my ideas come from, that’s where my brain has time to exercise itself and come up with ideas.” (10:57-11:07)

• “My best advice is to reduce your speed of doing things by 10-20%. Feel free to keep yourself moving and, at the same time, just make an attempt to be more present, more focused and move a little more slowly.” (12:38-12:55)

• “Relaxation and resting in a world that tells us we’re not supposed to is a rebellious act and it is a practice....If you start practicing rest today, you might feel lazy, guilty, non-productive and all of those things for at least the first few weeks, if not longer. It takes practice also to move through those emotions.” (13:51-14:18)

Links

https://instagram.com/friedtheburnoutpodcast

XOXO,

If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Sandra Lewis: Burnout, Your Fragmented Self, and Gluing Your Body Back Together with Qigong

Sun, 12 Dec 2021 05:00:00 +0000

“What does this have to do with what I came to the world to be?” This is the one-question reset that Dr. Sandra Lewis poses to herself each time she encounters an obstacle in her life. No matter what problem she might be facing, this question helps Sandra ground herself, return to her inner purpose, and make a conscious decision about whether the issue at hand aligns with her personal goals.

A Clinical Psychologist and Personal Energy Strategist, Dr. Sandra has a unique ability to blend evidence-based research and ancient wisdom science into practical strategies for well-being. She explains that her career path as an energy strategist was largely inspired by her own burnout, during which she utterly lost her own voice. After taking an extended leave from work and reconnecting with her core self, Sandra found a passion for helping other heart-led, high-achieving women transform burnout into sustainable, purpose-driven success and fulfillment.

Tune into this week’s episode of FRIED. The Burnout Podcast for a conversation with Dr. Sandra Lewis about committing to being yourself in the world. Learn about the versatility of boundaries, the magic of Qigong practice, and how to fall in love with the brilliance you offer the world.

Quotes

• “What I discovered in these 12 weeks of giving myself this time to reconnect with me is...I’d actually lost touch with my own voice. I was so involved in trying to get something done for an organization that I forgot what I meant to the organization and what the organization meant to me.” (05:41-06:00)

• “The question I ask myself when I get really stressed out is, ‘What does this have to do with what I came to the world to be?’” (07:44-07:50)

• “When you start to lose it, you need something to ground. So, strategy for me is about ground, just ground. Feel yourself on the earth, feel yourself settled, and then move.” (17:58-18:10)

• “So this ability to get inside is absolutely important because we are fragmented. And in order to help us start to come back together, it's necessary to see: where are the breaks? What breaks me? And how do I heal? How do I see how to fuse things back together?” (22:27-22:47)

• “What I love about Qigong practice is really literally being able to connect to sort of an infinite source of energy, and to recognize that I can reset myself and that I can do it simply and easily with a practice.” (28:53-29:13)

• “Burnout is not just the function of who we are as individuals. We live in and work in families, we work in organizations, there are things outside of us that also impinge upon us, and we react to those things. So, if systems don't change, we will still just keep having to deal with the same challenges.” (46:44-47:04)

Links

https://www.tcmworld.org/shop/energy-everybody-everyday-video/

https://www.lifein4partharmony.com

https://www.instagram.com/thelivingsource/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandraylewis/

https://tinyurl.com/energizeher

XOXO,

If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#straightfromcait: 7 Tips for Your Return to Work During/After Burnout Recovery

Sun, 05 Dec 2021 05:00:00 +0000

What strategies can I use to make my transition back to work during/after burnout recovery as smooth as possible? This question was recently posed in our FRIED Facebook Group, and the conversation that ensued was incredibly powerful. I decided to follow up on our discussion with a #straightfromcait episode that addresses some of the most helpful suggestions.

While this list is certainly not exhaustive, here are seven tips for returning to work during/after your burnout recovery:

• Watch out for feelings of resentment in order to set internal and external boundaries

• Be as honest as you feel safe being with your colleagues

• Spend a few minutes before you start working and after you finish doing some breathing exercises to set the pace for your day and for your time at home

• Take breaks during the day to protect your nervous system

• Pay attention to any of the symptoms you are feeling at peak burnout

• Build white space into your calendar

• Turn off all non-crucial notifications

To see the suggestions that others had in response to this question, join our FRIED. The Burnout Facebook group, linked below!

Quotes

• “Resentment is such an amazingly powerful tool when you are coming through burnout recovery. I want you to watch for feelings of resentment and notice that they’re a good thing, that you noticed them, and that that’s amazing because now you have some information that lets you know that a boundary needs to be put into place.” (03:02-03:22)

• “If you don’t know where the boundaries need to be, it’s impossible to put them into place and it’s impossible to reinforce them.” (03:23-03:29)

• “Our attitudes change when we know each other’s stories, and you never know who you might help by sharing yours. You can absolutely choose to protect parts of your story, but having a version of it that you can share will go a long way when it comes to asking for accommodations and creating new boundaries.” (04:40-05:00)

• “Give people the opportunity to see you, give you grace, and meet you where you are. They can’t do that if they don’t have your story.” (05:28-05:37)

• “Giving yourself mini breaks and times away from your desk and your phone will go a massively long way in keeping you safe. Remember that a huge part of burnout recovery is creating feelings of safety, so that your nervous system doesn’t have to stay on alert all the time.” (08:04-08:22)

• “Everything that you don’t need to hear, everything that doesn’t need to pop up on your screen and interrupt you, shut it down. This will also help you create some white space because you’ll be able to focus easier and therefore get things done faster. And when things are done faster, you have more white space!” (10:44-11:04)

Links

https://m.facebook.com/groups/friedtheburnoutpodcast

https://heartmath.com

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-happy-brain/id1377502232

XOXO,

If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Maggie Supernova: Entertainment Industry Burnout and Yin Yoga as a Savior for Your Body

Sun, 28 Nov 2021 05:00:00 +0000

“My life looked great, my Instagram looked great, my CV looked great, but behind the scenes of that, I was burning out in a big way,” says Maggie Supernova, Burnout Prevention and Recovery Coach. In a former life, Maggie worked for 12 years as a marketing executive in the live entertainment industry, a career that took her from the West End of London to Broadway and beyond. While teenage Maggie would have been thrilled by this career path, which had been a lifelong dream, grownup Maggie did not like the person she had become. Her job had become her entire life, and her sense of self, calm and balance were crushed underneath it.

After quite literally collapsing on the floor of her workplace after a two-week vacation, Maggie realized that her body was screaming at her to get out. She quit her job and moved back in with her parents just months before the pandemic hit. Maggie explains that the pandemic was in many ways a blessing in disguise for her, as it forced her to slow down and truly embody the practices she needed to implement to overcome her burnout. Not only did Maggie apply those lessons to her own life, but she is now using them to support others in her work as a yoga instructor and burnout coach as well.

Tune into this week’s episode of FRIED. The Burnout Podcast for a moving conversation with Maggie about the supernova moment that transformed her life. Learn more about the dangers of an all or nothing mentality, the importance of continued practice even when you don’t feel its benefits, and the magic of yin yoga to restore balance to your body and brain.

Quotes

• “My life looked great, my Instagram looked great, my CV looked great, but behind the scenes of that, I was burning out in a big way.” (05:07-05:20)

• “I can see now how completely unhealthy my life was. I was obsessed with my work, and it was the thing that completely defined me because it wasn’t just work. It was my social life, it was my friends, it was my passion.” (09:58-10:14)

• “[I’m now] figuring out who I am, who I’ve always been away from the person that I’ve spent all this time convincing myself that I had to be.” (17:02-17:10)

• “Hang on – if I’m doing all of this, if I’m putting myself through hell, if I’m putting everyone around me through hell, if my body is exhausted, my brain is broken, my heart and soul...I don’t know where they’ve gone, then what is the point?” (24:13-24:31)

• “[The key] is practicing when you don’t need to practice, practicing when you don’t necessarily immediately feel the benefits of the practice, and just keeping going because keeping going is when the magic happens.” (28:34-28:48)

• "[Yin Yoga] is a very slow and meditative form of yoga….It’s all down at the level of the mat. It’s very slow and the principles of Yin are that you create the shape, you hold the shape, you find your edge in that shape...and then you stay there, and you stay there in stillness.” (36:54-37:48)

• “When we are burnt out, we feel like we can’t relax, we can’t let go. All we need is to be held and supported for a moment, and we don’t trust ourselves, we don’t trust people around us, we are battered and bruised and broken. And something as simple as a cushion or a wall or a yoga block can be that support for you in that pose and you can completely let go of what you’re holding onto.” (41:36-42:09)

Links

https://linktr.ee/maggiesupernova

https://maggiesupernova.com/fried

https://www.maggiesupernova.com/my-burnout-story

https://instagram.com/maggiesupernovacoach

XOXO,

If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#straightfromcait: Is It Possible to Rest Without Feeling Like a Terribly Guilty Lump?

Sun, 21 Nov 2021 05:00:00 +0000

If your car were a person (and let’s be honest, don’t most of us name our cars?), would it feel guilty for using up a tank of gas and needing more? The logical answer is no: our cars are designed to use fuel! And while we humans are much more complex than machines, our energetic systems function in much the same way. Just as we are designed to be on the move, we are also designed to rest.

In today’s #straightfromcait episode, I dive deep into the logic behind rest: why we need it and why it is crucial to rejuvenate before running ourselves down to empty. Learn how to begin identifying the signals that you’re getting low on fuel, why rest is energetically productive, and how to feel guilty AND still get rest.

Then, I invite you to comment either in our Facebook group or on any of the posts that accompany this week’s episode and share something that refuels you! Let’s inspire each other with our ideas about what feels like rest, so we can motivate each other to reset and rejuvenate.

Quotes

• “I am ok with you using your gas tank until you’re empty, but you should still have those 47 spare miles in the tank as you go to the gas station to fill up. So, it’s ok for you to use your energy, but it’s not ok for you to use so much of it that you need to call AAA again because you’re on the side of the road and you didn’t make it to a gas station.” (03:48-04:16)

• “By resting and refueling your energy before you get to the critical zone, you end up saving yourself time.” (05:22-05:34)

• “Rest is not a reward. It isn’t something that needs to be deserved. You literally use up your gas, and you need to refuel. It’s just part of how this machine works.” (06:12-06:20)

• “When you are refueling, when you are resting, you are being productive….It is more productive to refuel when you need the gas than it is to putter out on the highway and wait two hours for a rescue.” (07:43-08:03)

• “While we are more than machines, our energetic systems function much the same way.” (09:51-09:58)

Links

https://instagram.com/friedtheburnoutpodcast

XOXO,

If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Erika Ferszt: Eyesight Issues, Mood Regulation, and Burning Out When You're 'Happy'

Sun, 14 Nov 2021 05:00:00 +0000

“I lost my vision working for a company that provides vision,” says Erika Ferszt, Founder of Moodally and former Media & Digital Director at Ray-Ban. During her ten years at Ray Ban, Erica loved her job, loved the people she was working with and for, and loved her life...or so she thought. Then, one morning Erika woke up with no vision in her right eye, and the immense stress of her work life began to catch up with her. While Erika thought she was “happy,” her body was telling her otherwise.

After doctors concluded that her vision loss was stress-related and due to her working lifestyle, Erika decided to quit her job and re-evaluate her priorities. She returned to school to study the effects of stress on the mind, body and brain and learned about mood induction, the scientific process of altering participants’ mood states. This inspired Erika to create Moodally, a company that brings this approach beyond the bounds of scientific studies and offers innovative, science-backed mood management solutions for the workplace.

Tune into this week’s episode of FRIED. The Burnout Podcast to hear more about how Erika’s burnout story led to the founding of her company. Learn about the science behind Erika’s vision loss, how our thoughts (whether conscious or subconscious) dramatically impact our bodily reactions, and how our mood informs just about every aspect of our day.

Quotes

• “I lost my vision working for a company that provides vision.” (13:13-13:17)

• “I think one of the things that’s probably most misunderstood about burnout is that . . the assumption is that it’s a psychological breakdown. And that can be one of the ways that it manifests, but it is a physiological issue.” (18:09-18:25)

• “One of the first things that I learned to do [after quitting my job] was to acknowledge what I needed and not feel guilty about giving it to me.” (20:25-20:32)

• “Who are you when the title goes away, when the employees go away, when the money goes away?” (23:48-23:58)

• “When you don’t know where you’re going, you don’t have to see the final destination...you just have to see enough road in front of you to get you to the next step.” (29:10-29:25)

• “Where everything ladders up to is your thoughts. The thoughts are sort of the command center for the reactions in your body. There is a cognitive element to stress: you subconsciously and automatically decide that whatever is coming at you is greater than your capacity to handle.” (35:02-35:25)

• “Music is the easiest gimme I can give you ....Outside of laughter, it’s the fastest technique to shift you into a better mood.” (52:08-52:20)

Links

www.moodally.com

https://www.instagram.com/moodally.wellness/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/erikaferszt/

XOXO,

If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#straightfromcait: Death By Burnout. The Head to Toe List of Severe Health Issues

Sun, 07 Nov 2021 04:00:00 +0000

Many people do not fully understand the gravity of burnout and the devastating effects that it can have in both the long and short term. In an effort to illuminate the head to toe list of severe health issues that burnout can cause, I recently asked members of my Facebook and Instagram communities to share their biggest and most shocking burnout symptoms.

On today’s #straightfromcait episode, I read a list of these responses, which powerfully speak to the severity of burnout rock bottom. Some of items on this list include:

• Vision loss

• Trigeminal Neuralgia (severe nerve pain to the face)

• Suicidal ideations

• Near death experiences

• Three months (!!) of strep throat

• And many more...

As this partial list demonstrates, burnout is not a joke. Instead, if it is not addressed properly, it can become the catalyst for a wide range of shocking health issues. If you are an employer, it is crucial that you properly support any and all employees who may be suffering from burnout. And if you’re not sure where to start, I can help. Just visit my website, linked in the show notes, to learn more.

Quotes

• “I asked all of you recently...to share your biggest and most shocking symptoms with me with the hopes that this information compiled in one easy place, you can use it to reach ears outside of just the burnt out amongst us.” (01:33-01:50)

• “Somebody might have a genetic predisposition to bipolar disorder that was not activated for any reason in their lives. And burnout activated it in their lives.” (03:18-03:30)

• “Panic attacks feel like a heart attack. Panic attacks make you feel like you’re dying. This is really really scary stuff.” (05:08-05:15)

• “Most commonly, the pattern that I hear is this: ‘I knew I didn’t actually want to die, but I couldn’t bear living anymore, so I started imagining driving off a road or falling off a cliff or jumping in front of a bus. And maybe I wouldn’t die, but maybe I’d get some time in a hospital, so I could rest.’” (05:25-05:45)

• “‘I was afraid that I’d be found dead at my desk. I was literally working myself to death.’” (07:10-07:16)

• “What we’re talking about with burnout is really severe illness, possible inability to function and death. We are not talking about just being a little bit tired. We’re talking about bodies physically breaking down in various ways under the pressure of stress.” (09:34-09:54)

• “When somebody comes and says that they’re burnt out, it needs to be taken seriously….A week or two weeks or even four weeks of time off is not going to solve someone’s burnout.” (10:08-10:47)

Links

https://caitdonovan.com/speaking

XOXO,

If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Elizabeth Collins: The Burnout Witch Talks Leaky Gut, Tarot, and Optimal Blood Work

Sun, 31 Oct 2021 04:00:00 +0000

Quotes

• “I had ‘Big T’ trauma, so that very much set me up for a lifetime of perfectionism, a lifetime of not really understanding that I am worthy of love simply because I exist.” (04:00-04:10)

• “My burnout story was: ‘just keep going, it will change.’” (07:26-07:32)

• “That happens to people who are chronic people pleasers, who are prone to burnout….It’s very easy for you to set aside what you like because you’re more concerned about what needs to happen now, and it’s like, but what you like is what needs to happen now!” (10:49-11:05)

• “[Functional medicine] is kind of like if biomedicine and Eastern medicine had a baby.” (15:14-15:17)

• “When we’re in burnout, it’s very difficult to see anything other than what we’re focusing on, which is usually panic, stress and anxiety. And the benefit when I started reading my own tarot cards again was...oh, this card popped up and it means this. How does that relate to my current situation? What is it about this card that can give me the opportunity to stop focusing on the minutia and look at the bigger picture?” (31:28-31:55)

• “Being able to address different aspects of your personality and speak to them directly like they’re individuals gives a sense of agency to the experience, and it really gives people the opportunity to fully integrate those personalities.” (36:28-36:42)

• “We are complicated enough individuals that we can feel very bad about something that we’re going through and still be very grateful for the good things that it gives us or the other good things in our life….They’re not mutually exclusive, and the idea that we have to inhabit one thing at any given time is unsustainable and unfair and will absolutely perpetuate burnout.” (38:00-38:28)

• “If you have symptoms or you are living a life that is in your experience suboptimal, but in the greater perspective not catastrophic....you are not crazy, and there is help.” (49:10-49:35)

Links

https://insighttimer.com/

www.theeastwestco.com

www.instagram.com/theeastwestco

www.instagram.com/thevintagemystic

XOXO,

If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#straightfromcait: How to Start Your Burnout Recovery

Sun, 24 Oct 2021 04:00:00 +0000

One of the most frequently asked questions I get from clients and in the FRIED. Facebook Group is: “But, how do I start my burnout recovery?” When you are absolutely mentally and physically depleted, figuring out where or how to start feeling better is daunting to say the least. You know you want to get better, but you might not feel like you have it in you to try.

First off, I want to say congratulations! Recognizing that you are burnt out and ready to start feeling better is a massive step. Now that you’re in that head space, I have created a series of resources for you to make the start of your recovery journey as simple and straightforward as possible.

• First, you’ll want to go to your doctor for a FULL physical examination. I’m talking blood work, a urine analysis… all of it. This will help you identify, correct and/or rule out any physical reasons for your fatigue right off the bat.

• Next, you’ll want to take my Resentment Journal Mini Course. Unfortunately, you can’t just will away resentments by “thinking positive.” Instead, you’ll need to begin where you are and transform those resentments into boundaries and spare energy.

• Lastly, you can uncover your core values with my free resource, linked below. This will help you identify what you love and care about most, so you can stop carrying or holding onto things that don’t meaningfully serve you.

And, of course, you can always reach out for support at any stage of this process. Whether it’s joining one of my free weekly calls or contacting another wellness professional you feel might benefit your recovery journey, there is someone out there who is just waiting to support you. You can do this!

Quotes

• “I gathered a really easy beginning series of steps for you to take that will help you carve out a path towards recovery without you having to do too much thinking.” (01:42-01:54)

• “It is so important for you to realize that as soon as you are able to name the problem, as soon as you realize that what you are going through is burnout, your recovery started. That awareness is so crucial.” (02:21-02:36)

• “By watching your resentments, you’ll be able to find some tasks and some behaviors that you can get rid of, probably without talking to anyone else or doing anything else. You’ll just be able to stop doing some things.” (04:25-04:37)

• “When you are in the muck, you’ve got to meet yourself in the muck.” (05:53-05:57)

Links

https://www.caitdonovan.com/blog/10-burnout-professionals

XOXO,

If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Casey Davidson: Alcohol Use, Overwork, and the Societally Accepted Addiction That Feeds Them Both

Sun, 17 Oct 2021 04:00:00 +0000

“Quitting drinking was literally my worst case scenario in life,” says Casey Davidson. “I desperately loved red wine, and I didn’t want to give it up, but I knew it was an issue.” Casey explains that before she quit drinking, she was consuming more than a bottle of wine a night, seven days a week. She told herself that the wine was a necessity, that it was the only thing helping her cope with her stressful corporate job and being a mother to her two young children. But at a certain point, Casey realized her mental health was at stake, and so she cut wine out for good.

Now, Casey is a Certified Professional Life & Sobriety Coach, host of The Hello Someday Podcast and the creator of the Free Sober Girl’s Guide to Quitting Drinking. Casey specializes in working with busy, successful women who are ready to drink less and live more. She tells listeners that many of her clients come to her saying they want to quit drinking forever….and Casey stops them right in their tracks. Instead of setting a “forever” goal, Casey instead encourages clients to stop drinking for 100 days. This tangible number gives clients the opportunity to create space between themselves and their drinking, so they can better understand how healthy and fulfilled they can feel without alcohol.

Tune into today’s episode of FRIED. The Burnout Podcast for a tough, yet powerful conversation with Casey about alcohol and burnout. Learn about Casey’s own recovery journey, how to expand your social environment to promote sobriety, and the importance of adding sober treats into each and every day regardless of your relationship with alcohol.

Quotes

• “I feel like burnout and over drinking are really tied together because drinking increases depression and anxiety and feeling like one extra thing is going to break the camel’s back and a lot of people drink as a coping mechanism, not even realizing that when you drink too much you wake up at 3am with crushing anxiety and a racing heart rate and just feeling like complete garbage.” (02:50-03:25)

• “For so many women and I know for myself, I thought the alcohol was helping me. I thought my bottle of wine at night was my only reward, the thing that was holding me together.” (04:00-04:12)

• “Alcohol is not the solution and it’s actually preventing you from really taking care of yourself, really setting boundaries, really digging into what your body needs, what your mind needs, what’s not working for you in your life.” (11:12-11:26)

• “So many women are in this gray area of struggling with alcohol, trying to limit it, trying to moderate it, and nobody talks about it. But, if someone actually decides to take a period away from drinking or to look at their relationship with alcohol, they are a million times ahead of so many women. It is brave, it is something incredible that you’re doing. It’s like deciding to run a marathon.” (36:00-36:28)

• “In the year I stopped drinking, I made more new friends that I’d made in the decade before.” (44:40-44:45)

• “In my first month not drinking, I saved $550. In three months, I saved $1,650. And five and a half years later, I’ve saved $36,000 not poisoning my body.” (47:34-47:48)

Links

https://hellosomedaycoaching.com/

https://hellosomedaycoaching.com/podcast/

https://hellosomedaycoaching.com/30-day-sober-guide/

https://www.instagram.com/caseymdavidson/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/caseydavidson/

XOXO,

If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#straightfromcait: Do I Need to Quit My Job to Recover from Burnout?

Sun, 10 Oct 2021 04:00:00 +0000

Do I need to quit my job to heal from burnout? This is one of the most common questions I hear asked in the burnout community. The answer? It depends. Like most things when it comes to burnout, your journey is unique and you may or may not need to leave your current job in order to make a full recovery.

One of the things I recommend to my one-on-one clients is to stay in their existing job (as long as it’s not extremely toxic) to see how much recovery they can accomplish in their current situation. This helps people take responsibility for their pieces of the puzzle, so that they can more easily identify and address the external factors that might be contributing to their burnout.

Tune into this week’s #straightfromcait episode to learn more about distinguishing between the internal and external causes behind your burnout. If you’re ready to start the healing process, go ahead and book a free one-on-one consultation with me using the link below! We will get clear on the specifics of your burnout story, so you can determine the approach that’s best for you.

Quotes

• “Burnout causes are such a mixed bag of your own shit and life-work shit that it can be really hard to pull those two things apart, especially in the beginning.” (01:30-01:39)

• “We are trying to figure out which pieces are internal and which pieces are external, which pieces you can control by doing some internal work and which pieces you can only control by leaving your job and changing your environment.” (02:08-02:26)

• “I do not believe that it is the work of the individual to change corporate or company culture, but some people do choose to stay in their positions and see if they can help spearhead a change. Some people realize that the change is beyond their capabilities, so creating an exit strategy becomes freeing.” (10:10-10:27)

• “So, do you need to quit your job to heal? Maybe. But first, let’s get clear on what’s happening, so that you can make that decision with clarity, with purpose and without guilt or shame.” (11:28-11:41)

Links

https://caitdonovan.com/freebie-ie

If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait

XOXO,

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jim Young: CEO/Dad Burnout, Emotional Gold Digging, and Why Relationships Matter

Sun, 03 Oct 2021 04:00:00 +0000

Jim Young’s burnout story began when he was prematurely anointed “man of the house” at nine years old. Because Jim’s single mother was stretched so thin, Jim ended up taking on a great deal of responsibility around the household. He was taught at a young age that just doing without asking questions was the ideal template for masculinity. This mindset eventually led Jim to severe burnout in all areas of his life from his work to his marriage to his personal wellbeing.

After hitting peak burnout, Jim decided to quit his job and start rebuilding a life that he loves. Now, Jim works as a men’s burnout coach, providing men with the tools and support they need to regain time, balance, energy and fun in their lives. Jim explains that financial privilege does not prevent burnout, nor does the privilege of being a white male. Instead, the paradigms that we have been taught to exist within as a result of our gender, race and/or financial status often play a massive role in our burnout stories.

Tune into this week’s episode of FRIED. The Burnout Podcast to hear more about how Jim defied the masculine template he had grown up following and rediscovered the joy in his life. Learn about the dangers of emotional gold digging, the importance of honoring our values, and why we should always find a way to fit our work into our lives rather than the other way around.

Quotes

• “My strategy as it evolved over time was to just do little things all the time that were good for me and discover. Half of the time, I didn’t know what I was doing, but I was just discovering the next thing that I needed.” (14:35-14:45)

• “My marriage ended, and I thought I was a failure as a man. So, I had all of this shame, and I didn’t want to talk to anybody.” (16:56-17:05)

• “Emotional gold diggers…[are] men who only get emotional support from one person in their life: their spouse.” (17:45-17:56)

• “You could make as much money as you want, you could be financially set forever and still be in burnout because you still have to win, you still have to compete, and you have all of these people clawing at you and those people are suffering and struggling because they’re stepping on each other.” (25:19-25:33)

• “I needed to feel like I am present to my kids….Not honoring that value was just so expensive to me.” (29:48-30:05)

• “There are so many men out there...who want to support each other. I’ve seen that from guys who have never done any of this work and guys who have been doing men’s work for years stepping in and just showing up for each other. Because one of the things that men can do is show up.” (50:35-50:52)

Links

https://www.thecenteredcoach.com/

https://www.instagram.com/jimproviser/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/thecenteredcoach/

Gratefulness.org: https://gratefulness.org/

Sympónia Men: https://www.symponiamen.com/

The ManDate Show: https://www.mandateshow.com/

The Better Man Conference: https://bettermanconference.com/

Evryman: https://evryman.com/

The ManKind Project: https://mankindproject.org/

XOXO,

If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#straightfromcait: This One Behavior Makes You Hardy in the Face of Stress

Sun, 26 Sep 2021 04:00:00 +0000

Our bodies and brains are naturally resilient – they are constantly working to achieve a state of equilibrium. However, this inherent resilience can get depleted when we are burnt out, meaning that our bandwidth is diminished and our bounce back ability is lowered.

So, what can we do to strengthen our resilience when we are feeling burnt out? In her contribution to Harvard Business Review’s Emotional Intelligence Series on resilience, journalist Diane Coutu explains that only one behavior has been strongly linked to high resilience: asking for help. While it may seem counterintuitive, facing things on your own actually decreases your capacity for resilience. Instead, leaning on support systems goes much further in boosting your ability to bounce back.

Tune into this week’s #straightfromcait episode to learn more about the characteristics and behaviors that make you hardy in the face of stress. Learn about the three main characteristics of resilient people, the importance of leaning into your core values, and why taking improv classes just might make you more resilient!

Quotes

• “Your body and brain are naturally resilient. They constantly balance and rebalance themselves to maintain homeostasis, they adjust what needs adjusting, and you just continue about your day none the wiser….But sometimes, even naturally resilient things break down.” (01:16-01:32)

• “The truth is science doesn’t really know exactly what makes one person come to a difficult situation and move through it with relative ease and grace while another person struggles and breaks down.” (02:30-02:40)

• “[When it comes to resilience], there’s both a toughness and a softness, a leaning in for help and asking and an ability to move through.” (03:26-03:34)

• “This is one of the main reasons we burn out: because we’ve adopted the values of our cultures and families without stopping to ask if they really suit us.” (05:40-05:49)

• “The one behavior that is related to high resilience is asking for help….Standing alone because you think it makes you stronger weakens your resilience.” (07:53-08:30)

Links

https://store.hbr.org/books/hbr-emotional-intelligence-series/

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

bit.ly/bouncebackorder

XOXO,

If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Andrew Lee: Jaw Clenching, Teeth Grinding, and the Tech That Will Help You Relax

Sun, 19 Sep 2021 04:00:00 +0000

**TW: This episode contains a description of a violent hate crime.**

“It’s a Fitbit for your mouth,” says Andrew Lee, Registered Dental Hygienist and Founder of Otis Dental. Drew is describing his Brux-Sensor Night Guard, a micro-dental-sensor technology that helps monitor and regulate your stress levels by recording your teeth grinding during sleep! Drew was recently awarded a patent for this technology, which he hopes will help users proactively identify heightened stress levels, even if they don’t consciously notice them.

Drew tells listeners that bruxism, or the involuntary clenching of the mouth and grinding of the teeth, is actually at the root of several top burnout symptoms. If you are experiencing headaches, neck or shoulder tension or insomnia, chances are that bruxism is involved. Drew notes that the dental industry has been relatively stagnant when it comes to addressing issues like bruxism, and the clunky night guards that dentists offer patients are often expensive and ineffective. Drew has made it his mission to create a direct-to-consumer offering that cuts out the middleman and brings customers the relief they need at an affordable price point.

Tune into this week’s episode FRIED. The Burnout Podcast to learn more about how bruxism could be tied to your burnout. Learn more about Drew’s own burnout story (he suffered from bruxism himself!), the three main causes of bruxism, and Drew’s top tips and tricks for overcoming your bruxism to reduce stress, improve sleep and protect your teeth!

Quotes

• “We’ve got to focus more in the dental industry on preventative measures rather than restoratives where it becomes too late and now you need to get botox injections in your jaw or you have to get all these fillings and crowns and implants and bridges and then eventually by the time we’re older, we end up with dentures and then we never really question, ‘What did I do to make it go this way?’” (08:15-08:36)

• “The truth is [dentists] are people, too. They have their flaws and their limitations. It’s just like seeing doctors or firefighters who smoke, and they know the dangers of it. It’s just contradictory and hypocritical – that’s just who we are. We’re humans.” (11:33-11:47)

• “Especially in this modernization of the digital world, we forget everything that our bodies are telling us and then it becomes asymptomatic where it’s still happening to us, we just don’t feel it anymore because we choose not to feel it.” (13:25-13:37)

• “That’s where meditation comes in. Find your core again. Remember who you were before this all happened. You’re there, you’re still in there – you just really need to pull that person back out of the darkness and say, ‘You’re ok, you’re gonna be ok. You can do this.’” (22:22-22:38)

• “70% of the reason why we brux is because of stress, some form of stress....The remaining 30% can be a combination of just misaligned teeth….A huge factor is also medication. There are a lot of antidepressants that actually cause bruxism." (25:15-25:40)

Links

https://hellootis.com/

https://www.instagram.com/hello_otis

support@hellootis.com

Guide to Self Gua Sha Routine for Neck and Jaw Tension from Beth Russell: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bgzy9k2x5ys

XOXO,

If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

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#straightfromcait: How Long Will It Take Me To Recover From Burnout?

Sun, 12 Sep 2021 04:00:00 +0000

When we are on the road to burnout recovery, all of us have the same question: How long will my burnout recovery last? In my professional experience, I have found that the average recovery period lasts around 12-18 months, but the reality is that burnout recovery looks different for everyone. As much as you might want to look to others’ stories for guidance, your burnout journey will always be your own.

However, there are steps you can take along the way to ease the process. On today’s #straightfromcait episode, I will share my top three tips for facilitating a smooth burnout recovery. The journey will never be easy, but by doing one thing at a time, giving yourself grace and compassion and taking responsibility only for the portion that belongs to you, you can supercharge your recovery.

Plus, don’t forget to join the FRIED. The Burnout Podcast Discussion Group on Facebook! This discussion group is an excellent place for you to receive support along the road to recovery from those who understand it best. Remember to be kind to yourself and lean on others as much as you need to along the way.

Quotes

• “What I’ve seen in clients and patients over the years is that recovery runs anywhere from about three months for burnout light situations to about two years or even longer.” (1:45-1:58)

• “When I say only do one thing at a time, what I mean is, do not overhaul your diet, go back to work and start meditating all on the same Monday. Burnout recovery works best in stages.” (2:25-2:37)

• “Give yourself grace….Everybody going through this process is on a different path, and you’ll all go through different burnout recovery stages at different times. There is no perfect order, no matter what anyone tells you about how this is supposed to unfold. Whatever order helps you to progress is the only order that matters in your life.” (5:45-6:13)

• “Grace, compassion, space, and kindness: give yourself those things as much as you can.” (6:50-7:00)

• “Reach for a point where you know as well as you can how much of your burnout is internal...and how much is due to your workplace/environment/relationships.” (7:02-7:19)

• “Burnout recovery does not require diving into your past traumatic experiences….In the beginning of your recovery, the focus is on helping your body to rewire responses and habits related to being on nonstop alert. This can be done without any revisiting of old trauma.” (9:46-10:08)

Links

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

XOXO,

If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Daniel Mangena: Jail Time, Suicide, an Asperger's Diagnosis, and Polluting Your Brain with Positivity

Sun, 05 Sep 2021 04:00:00 +0000

“Push your edge and not your buttons,” says Daniel Mangena, International Speaker, Bestselling Author, Broadcaster and Coach. If there’s one thing that listeners should take away from today’s episode, Dan says it’s to pick one change and intentionally incorporate it into your life rather than inundating yourself. The road to burnout recovery is paved with small steps rather than a massive life overhaul!

Dan’s own burnout was catalyzed by his fixation on others’ opinions. He found that he was putting so much weight on what others may or may not have been thinking about him that he lost sight of what really mattered in his life. He spent many years contemplating suicide and was stopped only by the thought of what others might think if he botched the attempt. After poring over recent studies and ancient texts in search for the missing link in his life, Dan started his burnout recovery almost by accident. He explains that by polluting his brain with positivity, he slowly began to nourish his mind and discover self-acceptance.

Tune into this week’s episode of FRIED. The Burnout Podcast for a fascinating conversation with Dan about finding your purpose and manifesting your dreams. Learn how Dan’s Asperger’s diagnosis has radically changed his outlook, why your knot is not contingent on society’s expectations, and why adding nourishment to your life is a surefire way to counteract burnout.

Quotes

• “When I look at my burnout event...it was literally closing down and giving up on life because I had given such credence, weight and value to my belief about what other people may or may not think about me.” (3:25-3:46)

• “I don’t believe anything is done in isolation, and success is always going to be, I believe, a communal effort, even if that community is indirect, even if it’s the communal effort between you and the people that buy your product from you or buy your services.” (21:34-21:54)

• “I really want to spark within people recognizing that their light, their knot, their strength is not contingent on society’s judgement about what your role is or where you’ve come from or what you create. I believe that it comes down to who you are and what’s showing up and that every single one of us do have something to contribute.” (31:25-31:47)

• “I had no intention of choosing life. It happened because the inputs that I polluted myself, I pummeled myself with, spoke to life.” (40:04-40:15)

• “When we start to starve ourselves of nourishment at any level, I believe we can start that cascading effect into what we call burnout, which may be experienced in the body last, but that’s not where it starts because the body is the last point of experience of what starts out as a vibration. So, we burn out vibrationally first, which I believe is cutting ourselves off from vibrational nourishment.” (45:27-45:49)

• “I always like to say, ‘Push your edge and not your buttons.’ Growth is going to come from pushing the edge. There’s going to be discomfort at the edge, that is growth. If there’s no discomfort, you’re not doing anything, you’re staying the same.” (58:23-58:34)

Links

https://dreamwithdan.com/

https://www.instagram.com/dreamerceo

https://www.linkedin.com/in/dreamerceo/

https://dreamwithdan.com/hmm

XOXO,

If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait

Podcast production and show notes provided by FIRESIDE Marketing

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#straightfromcait: Teach Your Brain That You're Safe, and It Will Grow New Nerve Cells and Regulate Your Amygdala

Sun, 29 Aug 2021 04:00:00 +0000

Did you know that the items you choose to surround yourself with have a direct impact on your happiness AND your productivity? Sure, you may naturally feel more content when wrapped up in a cozy blanket or holding your favorite mug. But, did you know that the items you find most comforting and beautiful produce visible changes in your brain?

On this week’s #straightfromcait episode, I share findings from three neuroscience studies showing the power of visually appealing objects to shape our brain. Learn about the changes in our brain that occur when we are under large amounts of stress and how we can use our environment to counteract these negative outcomes in a meaningful way.

If you have an everyday object that you find particularly beautiful or that adds to your sense of contentment when you are in a given space, I’d love to hear from you. Join our FRIED. The Burnout Podcast Facebook Group if you haven’t already and share with us! We’re all in this together – let’s give ourselves the best possible chance of a full burnout recovery.

Quotes

• “When you experience something that is beautiful to you, it makes you feel like you just got a treat, and it makes it easier to make decisions that are based on what you actually want from life.” (3:44-3:53)

• “Your brain becomes more sensitive to threat the longer you experience stress, which means that you might be interpreting threat when there is none.” (4:46-4:57)

• “I want you to take a look at your workspace and ask yourself if there is anything you can do to make the lines around you softer.” (8:25-8:30)

• “Absorb this idea that you can utilize your environment to help shape your brain and to give yourself the best possible chance of full burnout recovery.” (10:38-10:50)

References

Bar, Moshe, and Maital Neta. “Visual Elements of Subjective Preference Modulate Amygdala Activation.” Neuropsychologia, vol. 45, no. 10, 2007, pp. 2191-2200. 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2007.03.008.

Gourley, Shannon L., et al. “The Medial Orbitofrontal Cortex Regulates Sensitivity to Outcome Value.” Journal of Neuroscience, vol. 36, no. 16, 2016, pp. 4600-4613. 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.4253-15.2016.

Ishizu, Tomohiru, and Semir Zeki. “Toward A Brain-Based Theory of Beauty.” PLOS One, 2011, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0021852.

XOXO,

If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait

Podcast production and show notes provided by FIRESIDE Marketing

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Diann Wingert: What To Do When You Feel Rejection from Head to Toe

Sun, 22 Aug 2021 04:00:00 +0000

“I do not think it serves most humans to have a stigmatizing label,” says Diann Wingert, therapist turned Mindset and Productivity Coach. “I think once the label becomes your identity, it is a trap, and it will be your destination.” In her work as a coach, Diann has found the label of “Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria” particularly harmful, as it implies that extreme reactions to rejection, criticism and exclusion are in some way pathological. Instead of viewing RSD as a pathology, Diann instead helps her coaching clients adopt the mindset changes and resilience skills necessary to overcome rejection and move forward with confidence.

Diann tells listeners that rejection sensitivity played a key role in her own burnout experience. As a licensed therapist, she often found herself shaping the work she did with clients so that they would like her, as opposed to initiating the tough conversations that would propel them towards true growth and change. As a result, she began to resent her clients, along with just about everyone else in her life. It wasn’t until she closed her practice (and sold every last piece of furniture in the office!) that Diann was able to forge a new path for herself and establish the professional and personal boundaries necessary to end her burnout for good.

Tune into this week’s episode of FRIED. The Burnout Podcast for a conversation with Diann Wingert about coping with rejection. Learn about the dangers of pathologizing a normal human experience, why identifying resentments is a crucial step towards overcoming burnout, and how mindset changes can make a world of difference when it comes to silencing your inner shitty committee.

Quotes

• “I was seeing up to ten people a day, five days a week...and after five years of that, I realized that I was becoming impatient with my clients, I was tired of listening to stories that I thought were redundant and repetitive, and I literally wanted to stand up and say, ‘Haven’t we been talking about this long enough? Don’t you want to get on with it?’ And I thought, you can’t do this anymore. You are no good to anybody, including yourself.” (3:50-4:18)

• “The emotion that I wasn’t paying attention to and the one that ultimately propelled me out the door was resentment.” (5:05-5:14)

• “I didn’t want to be rejected by my clients. I was taking responsibility for their results, so I was shaping the work I did with them according to what I thought they could tolerate...because if I pushed them beyond what they could tolerate, they would be uncomfortable, they wouldn’t like me, and they’d leave, and I couldn’t help them anymore.” (11:20-11:45)

• “I do not think it serves most humans to have a stigmatizing label, and what I often find is that many people claim it, cling to it, and embrace it as an identity because it explains things, but it also can provide a place of safety and acceptance with others who also claim that identity. And while I think it’s very important to say, ‘This is my felt experience, this is my reality,’ I think once it becomes your identity, it is a trap and it will be your destination.” (24:30-25:14)

Links

https://www.diannwingertcoaching.com/

https://www.instagram.com/coachdiannwingert/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/diannwingertcoaching/

http://bit.ly/obstaclesquiz/

The Cook's Hookup Energy Technique: https://northeasthealing.com/stress-management-tip-cooks-hook-ups-technique/

HidrateSpark Water Bottle: https://hidratespark.com/products/hidratespark-steel

XOXO,

If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait

Podcast production and show notes provided by FIRESIDE Marketing

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#straightfromcait: Higher Education, Again, as an Adult. Learning About Burnout Science

Sun, 15 Aug 2021 04:00:00 +0000

Did you know that although I received my Masters Degree in Acupuncture and East Asian Medicine back in 2007, I never received a Bachelor’s Degree? This academic path is actually quite common around the world, but definitely less so here in the states. And, of course, I happened to settle down in New Jersey, the one state in the entire country that doesn’t allow you to become licensed in or practice acupuncture without a Bachelor’s degree in addition to a Masters.

Fast forward to this summer: I am now going backwards at age 39 to receive a Bachelor’s Degree in Biobehavioral Health at Penn State’s World Campus. I am loving the opportunity to throw myself back into academics and to establish connections between my background in Eastern Medicine and the concepts we’ve explored so far in my new courses.

Tune into this week’s #straightfromcait episode to learn more about my journey back into higher education as an adult. Learn about the overlaps between Biobehavioral Health and Eastern medicine, why science always has its shortcomings, and why it’s never too late to dive back into the world of academia.

If you have any questions you want answered about burnout and the science behind it, feel free to share your thoughts in our FRIED. Facebook Group. In the coming weeks, I’ll be sharing research articles and other relevant sources on my #straightfromcait episodes, plus I’m always on the lookout for a good research paper topic!

Quotes

• “So, I decided at the age of 39 that I’m going to go backwards and get a degree that is lesser than the one I have to be able to practice a medicine that I’ve been at for a decade and a half. I told you, it’s a little convoluted, but here we are.” (3:00-3:20)

• “Biobehavioral health is like the Western version of Eastern medicine. It’s the Western medicine’s ideal of creating a more holistic system.” (4:16-4:26)

• “I both love science and remain a science skeptic….Science is incomplete and will always be – that’s part of its definition. It’s a beautiful, powerful thing that we have to remember is here to help us explore and to learn and then to continue exploring and learning. Everything we learn is simply another step to getting another step to getting another step to allow us to go deeper or broader or connect things that weren’t connected before.” (5:40-6:11)

• “I didn’t add a full-time degree to my life and not eliminate anything else. I had to eliminate something in order to maintain my sanity and be sure that I’m not burning out while I’m researching burnout and talking to you about burnout.” (8:08-8:22)

Links

Penn State Biobehavioral Health Bachelor’s Degree: https://www.worldcampus.psu.edu/degrees-and-certificates/penn-state-online-biobehavioral-health-bachelors-degree/

FRIED. The Burnout Podcast Facebook Group: https://facebook.com/groups/friedtheburnoutpodcast

XOXO,

If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait

Podcast production and show notes provided by FIRESIDE Marketing

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Carolyn Brown: Love Where You Live, Beautify Your Home, and Drink Your Damn Water

Sun, 08 Aug 2021 04:00:00 +0000

“I think of food as medicine. Everything you eat becomes every cell in your body, so it can be healing or it can be potentially exacerbating the issue,” says Carolyn Brown, nutritionist and co-founder of Indigo Wellness Group. Carolyn explains that when it comes to burnout recovery, food can act as a healing or a harmful force, depending on how it is used. That’s why she tends to promote simple, enjoyable additions rather than harsh, restrictive diets. When we are focusing on decreasing our stress levels, hardcore changes to our diets or exercise routines will only raise our cortisol levels even more.

Carolyn is no stranger to burnout. Her burnout story began in New York City, where she was living in a shoebox apartment and seeing over 150 clients a month one-on-one. Carolyn felt stifled in just about every aspect of her life, from her physical space to her work life to the NYC dating scene. When she finally realized how burnt out she had become, she finally made a cross-country move to Colorado, where she could find the physical and emotional space to breathe.

Tune into the kickoff episode of our 4th season of FRIED. The Burnout Podcast for a conversation with Carolyn about the restorative power of simple changes. Learn why loving where you live is a crucial step towards mental and physical wellness, how seemingly small changes can make a world of difference in your day-to-day life, and why gentler is better for your body and your soul when it comes to nutrition.

Quotes

• “I had this total a-ha moment following a full-on breakdown. I was walking through the streets of Rome hysterically crying wondering if anyone had ever been so lost in their whole life.” (4:50-5:02)

• “Get the veggies that look beautiful or the plates and the mugs. That was something really important to me when I started my new, fresh life in Denver, I got rid of everything from that New York apartment. So every single mug or plate I was buying, I wanted to try to be supporting a small, woman-owned business and also have it be something I loved every single time I picked it up.” (25:42-26:06)

• “Clutter ends up impacting what we eat and how we eat, too….Clutter can make us eat up to 44% more. And we’re more likely to eat the unhealthy things when we’re in an environment of clutter.” (26:41-26:55)

• “I think of food as medicine. Everything you eat becomes every cell in your body, so it can be healing or it can be potentially exacerbating the issue….Just simply try to add one fermented food per day. I really think of addition when you’re feeling a little bit paralyzed, like what can we add in. This isn’t the time to say, ‘Let’s go on a sugar cleanse or anything like that.’” (37:26-37:56)

• “Make sure you’re hydrated. When we’re dehydrated, we’re just grouchier, especially women. There’s lots of research on this, that it really affects women’s decision-making, ability to focus and mood overall.” (39:08-39:20)

• “Please don’t try any crazy diets or extreme eating trends while feeling really stressed or burnt out. It adds to your stress levels. We want to really be focusing on decreasing stress and many of these things, whether it’s funky eating habits, severe intermittent fasting, going keto, or doing HIIT training, doing really intense exercise, actually ends up increasing our cortisol, increasing our stress hormones, doing the opposite of what you might hope to.” (39:53-40:25)

Links

Carolyn’s Website: www.indigowellnessgroup.com

Carolyn’s Instagram: www.instagram.com/carolynbrownie

XOXO,

If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait

Podcast production and show notes provided by FIRESIDE Marketing

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jess Brennan: Grief, Burnout and COVID. That Time on the Planet When We Were All Soul-Weary Simultaneously

Sun, 18 Jul 2021 04:00:00 +0000

“Grief is inevitable,” says Jess Brennan, founder of Held Massage Therapy. “Every single one of us will lose something precious.” Jess explains that grief doesn’t just occur after a death; instead, the grieving process can occur any time our expectations for the future are unexpectedly taken from us. From losing a loved one to getting a divorce to having a long-awaited graduation cancelled due to COVID, there are countless times in our lives when our visions for what “should be” are ripped away without warning.

That’s where Jess comes in. Not only has she been a birth doula for 15 years, but she is also an end-of-life doula and a spiritual mentor for times of loss and transition. She founded Held Massage Therapy after undergoing a period of intense change in her own life and hopes to provide others with the level of care she yearned for throughout that tumultuous time.

Tune into the season finale of FRIED. The Burnout Podcast for a powerful and emotional discussion with Jess Brennan about grief, burnout and COVID. Learn about the differences between grief readiness and loss literacy, the critical role that doulas play both at birth and in death, and how best to support yourself and others through the grieving process. You won’t want to miss this intimate conversation between two friends about the collective grief we have been experiencing as a people post-COVID and how to begin the healing journey.

Quotes

• “My experience of both grief and burnout, having known both of them, is that it’s an introduction back into futility and powerlessness and humility, and it’s wild and painful and, as Westerners, those things are kryptonite for us. We’re not ready for them, we don’t like them, we want to escape and numb out at all costs from those things, but no matter how hard we try to rage against the truth of what is, it’s immovable.” (3:56-4:31)

• “She listened as I talked, and she just said, ‘Yup, yup, yup.’ She literally held me and let it be exactly as it was and communicated in so many ways that I was loved and that she trusted me with myself.” (9:49-10:02)

• “We’re very low on grief readiness and loss literacy, which I think of as two different things. Grief readiness is for ourselves, and loss literacy is how well are we prepared, how skillful can we be, to support the people around us going through a loss.” (22:15-22:30)

• “The biggest lie that we tell ourselves in grief is that all I have to do is get myself back. All I have to do is get back to who I was before.” (22:45-22:55)

• “Many of the remedies are annoyingly obvious and simple. And so we don’t want to do them because it’s like no, I want a sophisticated answer, I want a complicated thing….Tend to the mammal, tend the human mammal. Give your animal body what it needs.” (28:46-29:19)

• “Grief is not a pathology. It’s a natural human response to losing something we love, and we live in a world where nothing is permanent, so it’s inevitable….Every single one of us will lose something precious.” (33:52-34:15)

• “It’s a similar skillset to grieve fully as to be with one who is grieving. The difference is that when you’re grieving, there’s the vulnerability and the freefall. You have to be willing to just free fall. When you’re with somebody, companioning a grieving person, the groundedness is essential. Being safe enough so that that person can fall in your presence and can say everything that they need to say without fear of judgement, without feeling like they’re going to be corrected.” (51:42-52:12)

Links

https://www.heldmassagetherapy.com/

https://www.heldmassagetherapy.com/free-course

www.griefandgracejourney.com

https://www.instagram.com/held_massage_therapy/

https://www.facebook.com/heldmassagetherapy

XOXO,

If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait

Podcast production and show notes provided by FIRESIDE Marketing

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#straightfromcait: Burnout and Depression – What's the Difference in Your Experience?

Sun, 11 Jul 2021 04:00:00 +0000

What is the difference between burnout and depression? I was recently asked this question in the FRIED. The Burnout Podcast Discussion Group on Facebook. Because I explored this topic at length in my book The Bouncebackability Factor: End Burnout, Gain Resilience, and Change the World, I decided to share a short excerpt on this week’s #straightfromcait episode.

While depression and burnout look different for everyone, my conclusion is that they may simply be two sides of the same coin. The key distinction seems to be that burnout is associated with high levels of stress, whether it’s due to work or to general life events, while depression may not have such a direct cause.

Tune into this week’s #straightfromcait episode to learn more about the overlaps and distinctions between burnout and depression and how they have manifested themselves differently in my own life. Once you have listened to the episode, I encourage you to join our Facebook discussion group (if you haven’t already!) and share your thoughts. Has depression been part of your burnout story? I look forward to hearing from you!

Quotes

• “The World Health Organization calls burnout an occupational hazard, but it’s an overall wellness hazard. It literally affects everything.” (2:49-2:56)

• “My view is that burnout and depression are different results with similar causes. I believe that untreated burnout can lead to depression, so burnout can be part of the road to depression, but doesn’t need to be. My feeling is that the main difference is that people that are burnt out know they are burnt out, and that it’s because of overwhelm and too much stress. With depression, it often seems unrelated to other things.” (5:45-6:13)

• “In my opinion, the depression associated with burnout manifests itself in self-doubt. When burnt out, you start questioning yourself and your abilities and/or passion for your chosen path.” (7:06-7:16)

Links

https://monkeypuzzletraining.co.uk/free-downloads/MBI_self_assessment_for_organisations.pdf

bit.ly/bouncebackorder

XOXO,

If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait

Podcast production and show notes provided by FIRESIDE Marketing

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jade Connolly Duggan: Stay With Your Senses, Get Objective, And Reconnect Your Awareness With Your Body’s Intuitive Dial – Right Now and Every Day

Sun, 04 Jul 2021 04:00:00 +0000

“I don’t want to hear anything about the theoretical translation of an ancient Chinese concept translated half-assed into English translated half-assed through your Western construct of what the hell it means,” says Jade Connolly Duggan, Corporate Culture and Wellness Expert. The daughter of two acupuncturists, Jade has had the practice of acupuncture flowing through her veins practically since birth. However, she explains that most of the time finding mind-body wellness is much more about consciously conversing with your body than it is about theory or predetermined labels. While theory has its benefits, it often fails to tell the complete story.

A high-school dropout who helped the NSA communicate more effectively with the CIA and saved Pepsi’s culture-merge when purchasing Gatorade, Jade is an expert in teaching soft skills to business and community teams. After hitting and overcoming burnout multiple times in her life, Jade has made it her mission to help others reconnect with their body’s intuitive dial, so they can lead more fulfilling and attuned lives.

Tune into this week’s episode of FRIED. The Burnout Podcast for a conversation with Jade about learning to listen to what your body is telling you. Learn why perfection is the enemy of done, why English is incredibly barren when it comes to descriptors of sensation, and why getting curious about your mind and your body is an excellent way to overcome your burnout.

Quotes

• “I was single parenting my first child, I was living on my own, and I was working and commuting and not living near family support. And I remember thinking to myself, ‘If I don’t get some help soon, I’m gonna die.’ And I was in the hospital with meningitis within two weeks.” (3:16-3:36)

• “It was very humbling to be an acupuncturist, to be in acupuncture school, to be in a family of acupuncturists and to have this sense of not knowing how to mitigate or navigate my burnout.” (8:16-8:30)

• “I recognize that there are things that I can experience in another language that I can’t experience in English. It’s a body, right? My language invents the body I get to inhabit.” (37:00-37:12)

• “How do we get these physicians who run a big portion of all of the medical schools together in their board to look at that chasm between each other and see if they can close that gap and get a little bit closer to maybe I can know a little bit more, but only if I can actually have more language around it, if I can listen a little bit closer, if I can actually get close enough to have the poetry of your existence in my own body in some way?” (42:06-42:42)

• “Part of the work for me is moment by moment to go, ‘There is no right.’” (48:53-48:56)

• “Is this what you’re actually experiencing or is it what you read in a book? Is it what you think you’re supposed to be experiencing? Is it a ‘should’ from somewhere else?...If I didn’t have the label of burnout, or I didn’t have the label of anger, or if I didn’t have the label of depression, or whatever it was, what’s the experience that I’m having right now and when does that experience change even just a little tiny bit?” (57:00-57:32)

Links

https://www.mindbodyleadership.com/

https://www.instagram.com/nsfwleadership/

https://www.facebook.com/nsfwleadership/

https://www.mindbodyleadership.com/offers/YaoELLJB/checkout (Code: CURIOSITY)

XOXO,

If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait

Podcast production and show notes provided by FIRESIDE Marketing

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#straightfromcait: Burnout 101 – Signs, Symptoms, and Understanding What Is Really Happening to Your Brain and Body

Sun, 27 Jun 2021 04:00:00 +0000

If I’ve learned anything from my experience with burnout, both in my own life and in my clients’ lives, it’s that burnout can present itself in endless ways. While there must be three components present in order to identify burnout (physical and emotional exhaustion, cynicism and detachment, and a feeling of purposelessness), there are several other symptoms that tend to show up frequently in burnout patients.

On this week’s #straightfromcait episode, we will explore the most commonly experienced physical burnout symptoms, according to 73 health questionnaire responses. Some of the symptoms, such as headaches, neck tension, digestive upset and sleep issues, may seem obvious. However, others, such as hives, PMS symptoms and frequent urination might come as a surprise for many listeners.

As always, I would love to hear from you, too! What were your predominant symptoms while you were burnt out? Or, if you are in the midst of working through your burnout, what symptoms are you currently dealing with? Comment on any post from this week with your thoughts! And remember: no matter what your symptoms, I believe you and am here to support you in your burnout journey.

P.S. Season 3 of the podcast is coming to a close, with the last episode airing on July 18! If you would like to influence what happens on FRIED. The Burnout Podcast in upcoming seasons, join our Facebook group (linked below), so you can share your suggestions. We can’t wait to have you!

Quotes

• “In order to identify burnout, according to researcher Christina Maslach, there must be at least three components present. And those components are: physical and emotional exhaustion, that’s number one; number two is cynicism and detachment; and number three is feeling purposeless, unimpactful and unaccomplished.” (4:54-5:13)

• “Seventy three percent of people experiencing burnout report having neck tension, and this might explain the high headache and migraine reports. If everyone’s necks are tense, it’s logical that headaches and migraines will arise. This also tells us where we should focus should we want to help the body decrease burnout symptoms, i.e. why things like acupuncture are so useful!” (7:06-7:26)

• “If a menstruating person is experiencing burnout, there’s a 78% chance that they are going to be experiencing some disruption in their menstrual cycle, some PMS, and some difficulty around their cycle.” (11:55-12:10)

• “The range of symptoms you can experience are from head to toe, from physical to emotional, and everything in between.” (13:33-13:40)

Links

FRIED Facebook Group: https://facebook.com/groups/friedtheburnoutpodcast

XOXO,

If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait

Podcast production and show notes provided by FIRESIDE Marketing

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Erica Cuni, LMFT: The Burnout Professor Spills All the Secrets on the Aftermath of Trauma, Healing Burnout, and the Power of Breathing

Sun, 20 Jun 2021 04:00:00 +0000

Erica Cuni’s burnout story begins with a Mack Dump Truck, which hit her as she was on her way to work as a licensed therapist. In the ensuing months, Erica not only had to learn how to walk again after almost losing her foot, but she also lost her job, ended a long-term toxic relationship, found herself in extreme debt, and ended up living with her parents again in her mid-thirties. But this is not where Erica’s story ended. Instead, she used this stress-inducing time in her life to reevaluate her priorities, get back into her body and kick start her journey towards mental, physical and spiritual health.

Now, Erica works as a full-time burnout recovery and prevention educator, a podcast host and a Reiki practitioner. She is living her #UndeniableTruth and has made a career out of helping others do the same. According to Erica, #UndeniableTruth is what she wished she had in her life when she was falling apart and didn’t have a roadmap to help her rediscover who she was or what she needed to thrive. Now, Erica uses wisdom from her own burnout experience to guide her clients as they heal from burnout, find their truth and learn to live with intention.

Tune into this week’s episode of FRIED. The Burnout Podcast to hear more about Erica’s journey from burnout victim to Burnout Professor. Learn about the things Erica wishes she was taught in grad school, the importance of working with a trauma-informed therapist if you are in the throes of burnout and why breathwork is absolutely essential for grounding yourself and navigating stress. Most importantly, learn how Erica refused to let her burnout get the best of her and instead capitalized on her burnout to positively reshape her future.

Quotes

• “Anyone that experiences burnout knows that it’s not just related to work. It affects every piece of your life.” (4:37-4:44)

• “I lost myself somewhere, and I didn’t know when I lost myself. I didn’t understand because I thought I was doing everything right….I had a Master’s degree, I was helping other people figure their stuff out, I was trained in all these different types of modalities on how to help people get there, but I was like, ‘I’m still missing something!’” (8:22-8:40)

• “In order for us to get success out of talk therapy, our brains have to be in a calmer state, our bodies have to be in a calm state. And so when you do the body work first...and you get someone back into the body, back into the present moment, that opens up the brain so that they can start to self-reflect because talk therapy’s all about self-reflection.” (16:00-16:20)

• “When you get burnt out, it’s about learning a new lifestyle afterwards….Find something that engages your body back into the present moment, and that sends signals up to your brain that, ‘Hey, I’m back here in this world!’....because ultimately we want to have people understand that it’s safe to take risks and enjoy life. It’s safe to enjoy your life. You don’t have to stay in this stressed state where you’re afraid to do anything.” (27:16-27:55)

• “If for whatever reason you don’t believe in meditation, I do believe you believe in sitting still and being in the moment and learning how to do that because you know that you feel better and calmer.” (34:50-35:00)

• “Knowing my breath is what helped me get in tune with my body, so that I could listen to it so that I could make decisions that were aligned with me versus my mind trying to dictate what I was supposed to be doing.” (38:18-38:33)

Links

https://www.theburnoutprofessor.com

https://www.instagram.com/theburnoutprofessor

https://www.linkedin.com/theburnoutprofessor

https://www.facebook.com/theburnoutprofessor

https://www.theburnoutprofessor.com/burnout-quiz

XOXO,

If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait

Podcast production and show notes provided by FIRESIDE Marketing

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#straightfromcait: Anxious About Re-Entry? Boundary-Building Skills You Must Learn NOW to Be Ready For Post-COVID Life

Sun, 13 Jun 2021 04:00:00 +0000

COVID has sucked, there’s no question about it. But at the same time, the pandemic has given us an unexpected excuse with which to better uphold our boundaries. Now that COVID regulations are loosening, this automatically acceptable justification is beginning to disappear. So, how do you uphold your boundaries even after social distancing and mask mandates are lifted?

The key is getting honest with yourself about your values. I recommend first completing my Living According to Your Core Values worksheet (which is free on my website and linked below!). This will help you identify the values that are most fundamental in your daily life. Then, I suggest creating action statements around each of these values. For example, if a value of yours is family, an action statement might be “Eat dinner together as a family 5 nights a week with no phones.”

Not only will this exercise allow you to better incorporate your values into your day-to-day life, but it will also allow you to uphold your boundaries in a clear, kind and concise way. When it comes to boundaries, it’s important to avoid white lies, passive aggression and wiggle room. By integrating your values into your life in a tangible way, you can honestly and efficiently express your boundaries to others.

Like anything, boundary building takes practice. If you need a little support along the way, I’ll be watching the hashtag #buildbetterboundaries all week to help clear up your boundary statements (if you’re brave enough to write some!) and make sure there are no thorns, no lies and no wiggle room!

This is one of the most important skills you need to recover from burnout and prevent it in the future. You’ve got this!

Quotes

• “So, how do you keep the pieces of the pandemic that really worked for you and still have space for adding some community time, friendship time and extended family time to your calendar?...You start by getting really honest about your values.” (2:44-3:01)

• “When you are able, with clarity, to define your values, your decision making process becomes easier and then the language you use to build boundaries becomes clearer and it becomes easier for you to say, easier for you to share and easier for other people to accept and just move on from.” (3:29-3:50)

• “When boundaries are well-stated, they are clear, kind and concise...When boundaries are well-stated, they avoid lies, thorns and wiggle room.” (7:30-7:47)

• “The more you practice...making sure your boundaries are clear, kind and concise, the easier it becomes because you realize that it actually improves all of your relationships. No one’s wondering if they’re putting you out because you’re not letting anybody put you out. You’re not worrying if somebody’s pushing you too far because you don’t let people push you too far. The boundaries that you create speaking this way will make all of your relationships better if you give it enough time.” (10:41-11:13)

Links

Podcast production and show notes provided by FIRESIDE Marketing

XOXO,

If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sumeena Gupta: Her Body, Business, and Marriage Were Cracking. Healing from Burnout Saved Everything.

Sun, 06 Jun 2021 04:00:00 +0000

On paper, Sumeena Gupta was leading what looked like the perfect life. She and her husband were running a resort on a breathtaking Balinese island, which to many people might seem like a dream job in a dream location. But, Sumeena wasn’t happy. Instead, she was stuck in a constant state of despair. And this feeling of hopelessness, stress and exhaustion was only compounded by the sense of shame she experienced when people told her how lucky she was. Even her husband failed to really hear and validate Sumeena’s burnout, leaving her feeling more alone than ever.

It wasn’t until Sumeena started putting a name to her burnout that things began to change. Sumeena explains that she began utilizing the many wellness modalities available to her in Bali, which allowed her to ground herself and regain the sense of freedom she had lost in the chaos of running her own business. Five years later, Sumeena’s business is ten times more successful. She has found peace and support in her relationship with her husband, has been able to travel around the world with her family and is running her business better than ever, all because she addressed and overcame her burnout.

Now, Sumeena is an Expert Business Mentor to Womxn and makes a point to discuss her deeply felt experience of burnout with her clients. She hopes that this will allow them to learn from her own mistakes, so they can set boundaries, identify their core values and avoid falling into the burnout cycle.

Tune into this week’s episode of FRIED. The Burnout Podcast for a conversation with Sumeena about recognizing, addressing and recovering from burnout. Learn about the importance of trusting your intuition and instincts, why it’s crucial to acknowledge rather than smooth over others’ discomfort, and why Balinese massages are the most magical massages out there.

Quotes

• “Most of us, we don’t know we’re in burnout when we are…I was in that cycle 100% probably for three or four years, which is a long time now that I reflect back.” (4:42-5:00)

• “I remember how often people would say to me, ‘Oh you’re living the dream….You’re so lucky. I wish that was me’....And my burnout was wrapped up in shame, actually, because I was like why do I feel so disconnected from the way that I should feel?” (5:42-6:02)

• “I’m really embedded in my values….and I was completely out of alignment with my values because one of them is freedom. And so, being out of alignment with my values was contributing to my burnout. Now what happened was, when I was able to work through that and able to still integrate freedom, for example, into my life, my business actually thrived.” (14:45-15:13)

• “Allowing things to go through you is one of the best ways to recover from burnout.” (22:18-22:22)

• “It works out if you do step back and you allow yourself to do the healing because long term you are going to be so much better off.” (24:37-24:46)

• “I’ve seen you talk about this a lot, how wellness professionals need their own wellness. And that’s exactly also what I believe about decision makers and leaders. We also need other people to help us make decisions sometimes and lead us sometimes because it’s exhausting to be the only person to be doing that all the time.” (39:49-40:08)

Links

https://www.sumeenagupta.com/

https://www.instagram.com/sumeena_gupta/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sumeenagupta/

https://www.facebook.com/sumeena.gupta/

Womxn who Business Facebook Group: http://bit.ly/WHB

YouTube Channel: http://bit.ly/YouTube_Sumeena

Know your values worksheet: https://www.caitdonovan.com/freebie-values

XOXO,

If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait

Podcast production and show notes provided by FIRESIDE Marketing

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#straightfromcait: Rest vs. Restoration - Which Helps to Heal Your Brain and Body from Burnout?

Sun, 30 May 2021 04:00:00 +0000

So you’re feeling burnt out, but the typical advice isn’t working? You’ve tried gratitude journaling, yoga, meditation, connecting with nature, and just about every Instagram “self-care” tip in the book….but you’re still just as burnt out as you started

Unfortunately, there is often a conflation between burnout recovery and burnout prevention. While you can absolutely use these tips to prevent burnout, they’re honestly pretty useless when it comes to recovering from it. When your brain is already fried and your body is in a constant state of fight or flight, trying to rest in these ways will only cause additional stress. So how do you rest restoratively without aggravating the burnout cycle even further?

Here are three rules that I have found useful for both myself and my clients in recovering from burnout.

1. Make it small. At the start of your burnout recovery, any attempt to intentionally rest for over 5 minutes is too long and will likely engage your stress response. One tip that I give my clients is to choose a song that they love and makes them feel connected to themselves. This does NOT have to be a calming song!! Just turn on the song and breathe while you listen to it. That’s your work for the day.

2. Release the need to have gratitude and create space for anger and resentment. We often have a preconceived notion that resentment and anger are “bad.” This is not the case at all. Instead, these emotions are telling us something important about ourselves, our bodies and our boundaries. Rather than constantly quieting these emotions, try listening to them.

3. Your rules are more important than mine! If something doesn’t feel right for you, then don’t do it. Or make the modifications you need to make it feel good in your own body and mind. Just because Instagram tells you to try something does NOT mean it is a solution that will work for you.

If you are feeling alone in your burnout, I am here to support you. Schedule a free consultation today using the link below OR join our brand new FRIED Facebook group to join a community of people that really gets it. We’re ready for you...are you ready to heal

Quotes

• “Burnout recovery and burnout prevention are not equal. They are not the same things.” (3:41-3:46)

• “If you’ve never been burnt out, and you’re giving burnout healing advice, you’re probably doing it wrong. I understand that your intentions might be good, but until you’ve faced the absolute despair and inability to function that true burnout presents as, you simply don’t understand that adding a morning or evening routine to your day or setting up a new exercise plan, just isn’t going to f*cking happen.” (3:51-4:18)

• “Burnout is not simply being stressed and tired. Burnout is exhaustion. Burnout is despair. Burnout is feeling like this is how life is always going to be and wanting to crash into a tree so that you get a ‘break’ in the hospital. Burnout can overlap with depression, but burnout is not depression. They are separate things.” (4:47-5:11)

• “If we can start creating space to actually see and feel resentment, anger and irritation and transform it, we can start rebuilding the fences that we need around our energy to keep us safe, which actually helps us allow rest to be restorative. When our boundaries are strong and we feel safer, our amygdala starts to back down...because it doesn’t need to keep us safe when we’ve decided that we can do it. The more resentment we transform into boundaries, the easier restorative rest becomes.” (12:24-13:06)

Links

FRIED Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/friedtheburnoutpodcast

The Resentment Journal Mini Course: https://caitdonovan.com/resentment-journal

XOXO,

If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait

Podcast production and show notes provided by FIRESIDE Marketing

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jeff Harry: Leave "Your Serious Grownup" Behind and Heal Your Burnt Out Brain Through Play

Sun, 23 May 2021 04:00:00 +0000

“When was the last time you were bored?” asks Jeff Harry, Founder of Rediscover Your Play, in our discussion about self-soothing. Nowadays, we are constantly surrounded by screens and stimulation, which can often serve as a mechanism of avoidance. By never turning away from our phones, shutting off Netflix or allowing ourselves to experience true boredom, we can hide from our emotions. But while this technique may feel temporarily comforting, it ultimately prevents us from confronting, overcoming and accepting ourselves in our most authentic form.

For a long time, Jeff himself was using a similar method of escapism to ignore his burnout. But after years of working on the campaign trail with long hours, unending urgency and little sense of purpose, Jeff finally decided to switch paths. Now, Jeff combines positive psychology and play to help individuals and companies tap into their true selves in order to feel their happiest and most fulfilled. His primary areas of focus include: dealing with toxicity in the workplace, addressing office politics, playing with your inner critic, helping your staff rediscover their flow, and navigating these uncertain times through play.

Tune into this week’s episode of FRIED. The Burnout Podcast for an in-depth and animated conversation about toxic positivity, faux authenticity and the difference between your rational and intuitive mind. Learn why Jeff has a name for his inner critic (it’s Gargamel, in case you were wondering) and why you don’t have to do it all to find healing, happiness and purpose. Sometimes, you just have to play.

Quotes

• “Burnout, at its deepest level, is the sum total of hundreds and thousands of tiny betrayals of purpose.” (6:25-6:36)

• “This is why I talk a lot about play: I feel like everyone’s already playing at work, meaning they’re showing up and being a certain character, right? ‘I’m a senior manager. I know what I’m talking about, blah, blah blah’...right? And it’s just like, it’s exhausting when you have to carry that. That’s why we’re burnt out because we’re being someone else.” (8:34-8:55)

• “We have to understand what the inner critic is. It’s your rational mind; your inner critic lies in your prefrontal cortex and your rational mind is there to keep you alive. That’s it! It’s there to keep you alive! So why do we go to it and be like, ‘Hey, should I take this risk?’ Because, guess what? Your rational mind’s gonna be like, ‘No, you should binge watch Netflix and stay under your duvet for the rest of your life.’” (18:06-18:30)

• “What positive psychology is is just simply studying what’s right with people and recognizing that other people matter….But it’s also about accepting all of the emotions that are happening and having you feel the whole emotion instead of denying that. Because when you’re denying it, you’re actually denying a part of how you should be living.” (26:37-27:02)

• “People pleasing is actually not people pleasing; it’s people manipulating. You are trying to manipulate people to like you, so then you’re going out of your way to help somebody….[even though] they never asked for your help. You’re giving them all this stuff, and then finally when you ask them for help, they don’t help you. And you’re like, ‘Oh my goodness, I can’t believe after everything I’ve done.’ It’s just like, they never asked.” (39:23-39:52)

Links

https://www.rediscoveryourplay.com/

https://www.instagram.com/jeffharryplays/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-harry-6991a94/

https://medium.com/@jeffharryplays

http://bit.ly/RediscoverYourPlayBonus

XOXO,

If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait

Podcast production and show notes provided by FIRESIDE Marketing

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#straightfromcait: Is a Trauma-Informed Therapist or a Burnout Coach Right for Your Healing?

Sun, 16 May 2021 04:00:00 +0000

As a coach, it can often be difficult to develop integrity around your abilities and limitations. Because coaching isn’t regulated, there can be some ambiguity surrounding what coaches are actually able to do and how they should advertise their offerings. Too often, I have heard stories about coaches who unintentionally triggered past traumas for a client, since they didn’t have the tools to address what was really going on.

In my coaching practice, even though I have a wealth of knowledge in the world of emotions and health, that doesn’t make me a therapist or a counselor. For example, I am not equipped to deal with deep-seated trauma, and I feel an obligation to relay that to my clients if they are in need of a licensed professional. Not to mention, there are plenty of therapists out there who are not trauma-informed and may not be able to support a client if they need to do extensive trauma work!

When you are a small business owner, it can be difficult to turn away clients, even those you may not be able to truly help. But by accepting clients you can’t fully support, you are doing a disservice to both them and the integrity of your coaching practice. The reality is that you will not be able to help everyone who crosses your path. So instead, cook the dish you have the ingredients for. Serve the people that you are designed for. Delight them with your work….and go home with your integrity intact.

Quotes

• “Chinese Medicine, instead, simply notes that emotions can affect the body and the physical body can affect the emotions. It’s a two-way street. You can become depressed because you’re injured and unable to really engage with life. It happened to me.” (2:49-3:04)

• “Just because [trauma and burnout] are closely linked, that does not make me a trauma-informed therapist.” (4:03-4:10)

• “As coaches, as people that work in a coaching space, what can we do within our own businesses to ensure that we are keeping people safe and that we aren’t taking on clients that need different support than we offer?....We decided it boils down to integrity. Do you feel safe enough in your business to turn people away that are willing to hire you because you know that they need different care than what you offer?” (6:49-7:24)

• “Coaches, therapists, guides….let’s normalize giving people the opportunity to work with exactly what they need. Let’s normalize centering the needs of the people that reach out for our help. Let’s normalize staying in our integrity and being honest about where our particular brand of genius is the most helpful. Let’s release the need to help everyone all the time and realize that we are not the only helpers. There are so many helpers out there, and each person deserves to find the humans that are perfect for their individual journeys.” (17:14-17:54)

Links

https://socialiquegroupe.lpages.co/quality-organic-leads-on-demand/

https://www.caitdonovan.com/newsletter-office-hours

Other Burnout Coaches I love:

https://www.caitdonovan.com/blog/10-burnout-professionals

Healing Generational Trauma:

https://khadijahtishan.com/work-with-me/

Akashic Record Readings:

https://www.akashicreadings.eu/

New Book by Martha Beck on Integrity:

https://amzn.to/2PaGogc

Peer Hopes:

https://peerhopes.com/

NOTE: Trauma informed therapists will generally be licensed by state and it will be important for you to find someone that is local, even if you’re working online. This page on Psychology Today will help you: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/trauma-and-ptsd

Free Breakthrough Burnout Call with Cait

Podcast production and show notes provided by FIRESIDE Marketing

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Roxanne Jarrett: ADHD, Burnout and the Tips and Tricks Your Brain Needs to Thrive

Sun, 09 May 2021 04:00:00 +0000

“I don’t have to live up to someone else’s expectations of how my brain should be wired,” explains Roxanne Jarrett, Coach for Entrepreneurs with ADHD. Although she realizes this now, Roxanne spent a great part of her life trying to compensate for her ADHD symptoms without ever having received a diagnosis. It wasn’t until more recently that Roxanne put a name to her lived experiences and started developing the supports she needs to avoid becoming burnt out.

Roxanne explains that adults with ADHD are four times more likely to suffer from depression than the general population for just this reason. Many are constantly trying to meet others’ expectations of what they “should” be, even though their neurology prevents them from neatly fitting into this prescribed box.

Roxanne now works as an artist and educator coaching creative entrepreneurs with ADHD. Her signature systems help to prevent burnout by giving motivated innovators the tools and techniques they need to launch their offerings with more joy and less stress. Roxanne says that nothing makes her happier than when her clients develop a “fuck-you” attitude and realize that they don’t have to behave like a neurotypical person in order to find fulfillment and feel joy.

Tune into this week’s episode of FRIED. The Burnout Podcast for a conversation with Roxanne and host Cait Donovan about ADHD and its connection to burnout. Learn why setting timers is an excellent strategy for individuals with ADHD (or anyone, honestly!), why your health is your real wealth, and why learning how to delegate is essential. As Roxanne explains, “Having more moments in your life that you enjoy, that thrill you – that’s your birthright.” This episode is the perfect introduction to several of the tools you need to get started on this path to fulfillment.

Quotes

• “I finally filled the order….made thousands of dollars. So great problem to have, right? It’s not that my stuff wouldn’t sell. And very promptly had a breakdown and ended up in the psychiatric hospital.” (8:17-8:41)

• “If success is gonna kill me, then maybe I don’t want it. But at the same time there was a big pining for things that I wanted to achieve. But then this thought that, well, maybe I just can’t hack it. Maybe I’m just not built to achieve the types of dreams that I have. My dreams are too big for me.” (12:17-12:37)

• “Being aware of the movement of time and how to measure it and how to look into the future to plan – that is a typical difficulty for people with ADHD.” (21:50-22:03)

• “If you are supremely interested in something, and you have ADHD, you can become so engrossed in it. There is no deficit of attention….But you might not realize how much time passed. That’s the issue.” (30:15-30:31)

• “Children with ADHD, by the time their childhood is over, they’ve been ‘corrected’ by adults at least 20,000 more times on average than a neurotypical child.” (32:13-32:28)

• “A diagnosis: it’s not an excuse, it’s an explanation. It’s a place to start, to start to understand how an ADHD brain works if that’s yours and how to live and how to thrive.” (33:44-34:08)

Links

https://www.swellhead.com

IG: https://www.instagram.com/roxannejarrett/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roxannejarrett/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RoxanneOnTheRox/

Free Road Map: https://www.swellhead.com/freeroadmap

roxannejarrett.com

XOXO,

If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait

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#straightfromcait: Mind, Body and Soul Burnout Recovery Starts With The Smallest of Changes

Sun, 02 May 2021 04:00:00 +0000

Have you ever heard the saying, “If you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life?” Well, I can tell you from personal experience that this is often NOT the case.

This idea sent me down a 6-year path of feeling burnt out, but unable to admit it. I loved what I did, but I also felt tired, angry and worn down all the time. I spent years looking for what was wrong in my life rather than examining the needs of my mind, body and soul.

Then, I started hearing the word “burnout” pop up everywhere. At first, I didn’t even know what it meant. And after extensive research, what I learned was disheartening – that burnout belonged in hospitals to doctors and nurses and in corporations to high-level managers. Burnout didn’t apply to me, the female entrepreneur.

That’s when I started doing some more internal digging. And what I discovered was that burnout is ultimately caused by feelings of unworthiness. I didn’t feel deserving of true fulfillment, and so I never achieved it.

This started me on a journey of making small, manageable changes in my life to rediscover my self-love and self-worth. Four of the things that helped most me along the way were:

• Practicing small boundaries (like allowing myself to pee when I needed to!)

• Getting out of other people’s knots (Listen to the episode to learn about Knot Theory, and how it has radically changed my life.)

• Yoga nidra

• Regularly reviewing my values

Lastly, I want to remind you that it is never too late to start the process of burnout recovery. No matter how burnt out you are, there is always an opportunity to re-establish your sense of worthiness. It’s all about taking small steps to remind your body, your mind and your spirit what true fulfillment feels like.

Quotes

• “In my own life, I felt like I had been sold a dream that sounded like this: ‘Work really hard, do your best, follow your heart, let your passions guide you and you’ll never feel like you’re working a day in your life.’ Have you ever heard that? The idea that if you love what you do, it’ll never feel like work? That idea sent me down a 6-year path of being burnt out and unable to admit it.” (2:06-2:32)

• “I thought I knew what my values were, but when I did an exercise to unveil MY core values, what I came up with was different than what I expected. I was living according to values that I had inherited, from both my family and my community. The rules and expectations I was following had nothing (or very little) to do with how I actually wanted to live my life. Getting reacquainted with my OWN values was eye-opening and now something I revisit to check in with regularly because they change, because I change, because the world changes!” (13:00-13:35)

• “My feelings of worthiness started to naturally build as a result of simply acknowledging my needs and allowing myself to meet them.” (15:02-15:15)

• “Recovering from burnout should be slow, gentle and kind. It is built of pebbles and stones instead of bricks and cement blocks. It is built of tiny moments of self-love and care and attention in between hours and days and weeks of self-doubt and questioning your value and your worthiness. It is constantly reminding yourself what IS your knot and what isn’t. It is checking in with your values over and over again and allowing yourself to make aligned decisions. It is saying more YES to yourself, so much so that you don’t automatically say yes to everyone else around you when they have a need that pops up. It is allowing space and time for your nervous system and brain to rest, to heal and to reset at a lower level of functioning, to allow yourself to go at your own internal speed limit instead of putting the pedal to the metal at all times.” (16:20-17:23)

Links

Free Breakthrough Burnout Call with Cait

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Jennifer Cassetta: Martial Arts For Protecting Your Mind, Body and Energy

Sun, 25 Apr 2021 04:00:00 +0000

Jennifer Cassetta first experienced burnout after a near death experience on September 11, 2001. At the time, she worked as an event planner at a loft downtown, located only three blocks south of the World Trade Center. On 9/11, she spent the morning frantically searching for shelter amongst smoke and ash, and finally found safety at her local dojo. In the months following, this dojo became the place where Jennifer was able to find the physical, mental, and spiritual grounding she needed to help her cope with her PTSD. After beginning to experience the incredible, multifaceted benefits of her HapKiDo practice, Jennifer decided to make a career out of helping others find similar empowerment through self-defense.

Unfortunately, 9/11 was not Jennifer’s only burnout story. Several years later, Jennifer was still living in New York City and experienced an emotionally traumatic breakup. As a result, she ultimately ended up moving out of NYC to California in order to create the distance and space she needed to heal. It was during this time that Jennifer realized the powerful ability of her martial arts practice to defend her from internal wounds.

Now, Jennifer is a speaker, author and consultant, who empowers audiences around the country through keynotes, self-defense and success coaching. Equipped with her 3rd degree black belt in HapKiDo, Master’s degree in Nutrition and NLP certification, Jennifer helps women release their inner warrior and feel strong, safe and confident from the streets to the boardroom. Jennifer’s first book, Hear Me Roar: How to Defend Your Mind, Body, and Heart against People Who Suck, employs personal anecdotes from her own life to inspire others to take back their power for a lifetime of health and happiness.

Quotes

• “It became like this metaphor. All I wanted to do was go to that dojo. I started to feel all of these amazing benefits. Physically, my body was getting stronger; mentally, I started to feel more confident again; spiritually, I started to feel grounded and not just like hyper- hyper-sensitive. And I know looking back that that really saved me from gosh knows what else. Obviously, then, the story continues to build an entire career out of wanting to share those benefits, those mental, physical, spiritual benefits with as many people as I could. And the story continues to get me to now where I am speaking about it all over the country.” (6:32-7:13)

• “There’s a lot of principles in HapKiDo that are similar to an Aikido....which is more defensive strategies, basically taking on your opponent’s negative energy, not taking it on but blending with it and redirecting that energy either out into space or back at the attacker. Hapkido has those circular motions and also the ‘I’m gonna kick your ass afterwards.’ So there’s like a very nice balance of the soft and the hard.” (11:26-12:03)

• “Not everybody knows what your boundaries are. And to expect that is impossible, right? So sometimes a nice soft boundary, a nice reminder like, ‘Hey, what you just said, it makes me feel like this. Was that your intention?’ So a softer block can be a redirect of that energy, asking a question, bouncing back a question to the other person, holding their gaze, waiting for an answer, which holds them accountable is an interaction which is soft, yet powerful at the same time. And I think those types of interactions are really important.” (13:47-14:23)

Links

https://jennifercassetta.com

https://instagram.com/jenncassetta

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-cassetta/

https://facebook.com/JenniferCassetta

https://jennifercassetta.com/confidence-course/

XOXO,

If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait

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#straightfromcait - Other Care: The Secret Ingredient That Keeps The Minds, Bodies, and Spirits of Entrepreneurs Healthy

Sun, 18 Apr 2021 04:00:00 +0000

Today, I’m flipping the script and talking about “Other Care” as part of your self-care plan. And before you get your panties in a bunch, I don’t mean taking care of others. I mean letting and paying others to take care of you!

While there is plenty of advice out there about when to hire a virtual assistant, freeing up time in your schedule often isn’t enough! What about the parts of your life beyond work that need a little TLC? Aren’t there other things that you should be delegating out in order to feel more fulfilled?

Unfortunately, I think that there is this new understanding of “self-care” as something you need to do alone. And while self-care is healthy and essential (for me, it’s taking midday baths and taking walks with my dog Flora!), it shouldn’t have to be yet another thing we have to do ourselves.

That’s why this episode is dedicated to what I call “other care” or allowing others to help us heal, relax, and find fulfillment. As an acupuncturist, I have supported thousands of people in their “other care.” The energy and positive intention that we share in a room together creates a healing environment even before any acupuncture occurs! If you’re interested in finding out how that works on an energetic and scientific level, I highly recommend the book Energy Medicine by Jill Blakeway.

Recently, I have found “other care” by returning to acupuncture as a patient. I found an incredible acupuncturist – Kelly Drury in Montclair, NJ – who is supporting me in ways that I can’t support myself. Another healer that has helped me tremendously is Lindsey from La Lune Healing. Lindsay is a reiki practitioner who helped me sleep again after many sleepless nights following my achilles surgery. Salutogenesis Chiropractic is yet another group of healers that I am able to receive “other care” from as soon as I start feeling out of alignment.

Having a healer that you know and trust is essential, no matter who you are. It is especially important for those experiencing burnout, because it’s often easier to let others start doing the work of filling you up when you are incredibly depleted.

I’d love to start celebrating Other Care. I want you to comment on any post this week from this episode and tag your healer. Let’s get their work out there. Let’s tell each other that it’s okay to have background support that isn’t DIRECTLY related to business activities. Let’s normalize outsourcing a portion of healing and stop feeling like we are responsible for ALL the things, ALL the time.

Quotes

• “I believe that as entrepreneurs who are focused on both earning a great income and making a great impact on the world, we need to fill our cups as often as possible. Hiring a VA will take some tasks away, take some things off your plate, and make the liquid in your cup drop slower, but it won’t FILL it back up.” (2:42-3:02)

• “Having a healer that you know and trust, no matter what their modality, is so important. In fact, I suggest to nearly all my burnout coaching clients that they start working with someone at the same time as they start their coaching because especially when you’re burnt out you need to leave the filling of your cup to other people.” (5:39-6:00)

Links

Free Breakthrough Burnout Call with Cait

Energy Medicine by Jill Blakeway

WellEssence LLC

La Lune Healing

Salutogenesis Chiropractic

Can’t wait to celebrate the healers this week.

<3,

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Dr. Nan Nuessle: Systemic Bullying, Burnout, and Using Communication That Values Speaker and Listener

Sun, 11 Apr 2021 04:00:00 +0000

Dr. Nan Nuessle first realized she was burnt out when she stopped at a stop sign and waited for it to turn green. She didn't even process what she was waiting for until the truck behind her honked. At the time, Dr. Nan was working up to 110 hours per week, chairing the Department of Pediatrics at both a large, multidisciplinary clinic AND a nearby hospital, and raising two children with a husband who wasn't pulling his weight. After realizing how burnt out she had become, Dr. Nan approached the Chief Medical Officer at her clinic and expressed her concerns...only to be told, "Well, what are you going to do about it?" Despite the incredible amount of hours and effort Dr. Nan was putting into her job, she still met with backlash when she sought some basic support.

After this experience, Dr. Nan became a locum physician or traveling physician. This new role helped relieve some of the stress that had been suffocating her in previous positions, since she didn’t feel the same crushing responsibility to keep her employer happy at her own expense. However, throughout her travels, Dr. Nan began to realize how rampant bullying was in the healthcare world. Disguised as “politics,” physicians everywhere were bullied back into line if they ever defied the demands of their administration. This inspired Dr. Nan to begin combating bullying at the organizational level. She founded her own company, Beat Down Burnout, which works to address bullying and burnout from a standpoint of communication, so everyone at a given workplace can feel like a valued member of their team.

Tune into this week’s episode of FRIED. The Burnout Podcast to learn more about how Dr. Nan works to reduce bullying in the workplace using the B.A.N.K. system of Personality Science. We discuss working with narcissists, the benefits and uses of meditation, and how to incorporate the principles of conflict resolution into all of your relationships, so you can meet people where they are.

Quotes

• “I first realized I was burnt out when I was driving home post-call, and I stopped at a four-way stop, and I waited for the sign to turn green.” (1:26-1:35)

• “I went in to speak with the Chief Medical Officer at the clinic and told him, ‘I think I’m burnt out.’ And he looked at me and said, ‘Well, what are you gonna do about it?’” (2:21-2:29)

• “With this training, I have learned a lot of tools to protect myself. I have learned to do what we call ‘be the cloud.’ So when somebody wants to be a narcissist, you learn to just let it flow through you and go on and be able to do your work. You have to learn at what point you just can’t. But that’s probably 25% [of the time] not 80%.” (38:10-38:39)

• “Once you’ve been bullied, you become highly sensitive about it. And you sometimes need to know where to go to rebuild your strength, to rebuild your walls, to get the tools to get back to normal. And that’s hard.” (40:33-40:54)

• “The Hawaiians have an attitude about the guy that cuts you off in traffic. They say, ‘If you don’t let at least two people in on your way to work and at least two people in on your way home, you’re not driving with aloha.’” (43:35-43:47)

Links

Dr. Nan’s website: https://BeatDownBurnout.com

Dr. Nan’s Instagram: https://instagram.com/beat_down_burnout

Dr. Nan’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nanette-nuessle-md-351b9116/

Crack your code: https://CrackMyCode.com/Beat-Burnout

XOXO,

If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait

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#straightfromcait: Heal Burnout by Keeping An Eye On Privilege, Trauma, and Your Nervous System

Sun, 04 Apr 2021 04:00:00 +0000

Hey Fried Fans,

This week’s episode has been a long time coming and something that I’ve thought a lot about over the years.

It’s about privilege and the good and bad of how it’s interwoven with burnout.

It is extremely difficult for people that I grew up with to accept that they are the recipients of any sort of privilege and I understand why. Fall River, Massachusetts isn’t a city that dreams are made of. Our police motto is “We’ll Try” and we’ve been high on the list of most heroin per capita since long before the opioid epidemic. It is a downtrodden place that comes with an extreme sense of pride - that pride sometimes feels like the only thing that keeps the city going.

Most families I knew growing up, including my own, struggled to make ends meet, often working multiple jobs to keep the lights on and food in the fridge. Having this as your lifestyle and acknowledging your privilege is a big ask. There is no room for feeling privileged or worrying about how others are disadvantaged when you’re simply trying to survive yourself.

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs tells us that unless basic needs are met (basic being defined as: food, shelter, drink, clothing, warmth, and some level of stability) it is nearly impossible to expect anyone to be reaching toward ‘higher’ ideals such as self-actualization and personal growth. I believe that it is in this area of personal growth that one can begin to identify one’s privilege.

At least, that’s how it worked for me.

It wasn’t until I was highly successful that I was able to turn around and realize that my life was easier because of the following factors:

White Skin
A 2 parent home
Supportive, involved parents that encouraged reading and education
A large, well connected extended family
A close circle of friends around my parents
Always having enough food, a place to live, clean clothes, and heat in the winter
Cis gendered
In a hetero relationship
Able-bodied
Sporty physique

None of those things prevented me from burning out. They did make it easier for me to find help when I was burnt out AND they kept me on a burnout cycle because I was comparing my life situation to lives around me and taking note of my luck and my privilege.

Every single aspect of your life that makes you unsafe: Mentally, physically, and emotionally - can lead to burnout.

So yes, recognize your privilege and also pay attention to what created a lack of safety in your life, at any stage. Recognize your privilege and also give yourself the space for grace and the right to heal. Recognize your privilege and acknowledge your burnout - because you healing your nervous system will affect everyone you come into contact with. Adding more regulated nervous systems to the world raises us all up - the more regulated we are, the less likely we are to create more trauma for others - the more likely we are to recognize another’s pain and take action toward solving it.

If you’re privileged and burnt out - Please know this: Recognizing and healing your burnout helps you AND all of us. You deserve to heal no matter how ‘good’ you’ve got it.

If you want to listen to an episode on Burnout and Racism, please go listen to the episode that I recorded with Khadijah Tishan Washington.

We all need to bring our regulated nervous systems to the world so that the world can start to heal.

If you’re burnt out and you’re denying it because you’re privileged: book a call now. Let’s get started healing.

If you’re burnt out and you’re underprivileged and coaching is out of your range: book a call now. Let’s get started healing.

There is a group called Peer Hopes, you can find them at https://peerhopes.com, that offers low cost 1:1 and group counseling.

You all deserve to heal.

XOXO

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Dana Inouye: The 3P Framework For Moving Through The Messiness Of Motherhood

Sun, 28 Mar 2021 04:00:00 +0000

If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait

Episode summary: Dana Inouye is an empowerment coach (and hot-mess mom of 4). She works with creative women and rebellious leaders who know they're meant for more but are stuck in spirals of overthinking and people-pleasing. She helps women connect to the bigger part inside of them (their "inner wild") and seduce their dreams, so that they can show up bigger, emboldened, epically expressed, and anchored in their power. Dana has developed a groundbreaking REWILDING process that merges mindset and embodiment and activates emotions. She maintains that we can't think our way to results, we've gotta FEEL it.

We talked about rage, the all elusive balance, and the tender moments that happen when you allow yourself to be honest.

Discussed in this episode:

- Kids are with you all the f*ing time (especially now) [4:10]

- Lightbulb moments in the shower [6:47]

- Hunkering down for windows of time as an entrepreneur mom [8:51]

- The push and pull of motherhood [12:25]

- Magic in the mess [17:26]

- Being honest about emotions and being able to rant [22:14 ]

- Kids, anger, screaming, and emotional balance [27:37]

- Reframing as a tool for freedom [36:30]

- The 3P Framework: Pleasure, Power, and Possibility [40:21]

- You’re Fine, and so are your kids [48:12]

Find Dana: http://danainouye.com/

http://danainouye.com/releaseandrise/Links Mentioned in Show

The Bouncebackability Factor: bit.ly/bouncebackorder

The Resentment Journal Mini Course: https://caitdonovan.com/resentment-journal

XOXO

If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait

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#straightfromcait: Mindfulness and Burnout - The Science For Your Brain and Heart

Sun, 21 Mar 2021 04:00:00 +0000

Hey Fried Fans! Last week, you found out that together with MINDALT, Luminary, Caveday, Kristina Libby, Sochill, and Spiritune, I have a super fun project for the month of April called The World’s Most Mindful Office. It’s the idea baby of Christina Vuleta, the co-founder of MINDALT and I’m so excited to be a part of it. In case you missed it, here are the basics. Luminary is my favorite co-working space in NYC and also happens to be around the corner from my acupuncture office, so it’s really convenient for those days that I have pauses between patients AND super convenient for a mid day acupuncture nap for you when you're working your day away in Luminary's beautiful space. Luminary also has a ton of online programming for their members (and for this last week of Women’s History Month - their online programming is FREE for ALL.. so hop on that this week!) that connects me with the most amazing women. Now, Christina and I are building the World’s Most Mindful Office, within Luminary’s walls. The private office will be covered in incredible floral art by Kristina Libby, supplied with a Mindful Plan for the day created by Christina Vuleta following the main principles of MINDALT, supported by Caveday with a focused work session, and enhanced by moi with short simple exercises designed to bring in more calm and more energy easily when you need it. The World’s Most Mindful Office will be available to rent by the day - Luminary members can rent it for just $20, and non members just $40 - So, $20 or $40 bucks will get you the best workcation you never knew you needed (before the pandemic anyway.. You all know you need it now :)). All of this is super exciting, but it begs the question - why am I a part of this? What does mindfulness have to do with burnout? I don’t use the word mindfulness often on FRIED episodes but it is interwoven into nearly every suggestion I’ve ever given. I find that sometimes, when you’re burnt out and the typical advice that’s touted hasn’t helped you, hearing words that follow the common advice makes you just glaze right over it. BUT! Mindfulness is a huge part of burnout recovery and the why is in the science. To keep it super simple, Mindfulness keeps your MIND FULL. We’ve talked neuroscience quite a bit on FRIED (if you missed the episode with Shonte Javon Taylor - go back and find it, it’s amazing!) and because we talk about it so much, I hope that you remember that there are a couple of brain changes that happen with the type of long term chronic stress that we associate with burnout. Mainly, the part of your brain that is responsible for filtering emotions, giving you motivation, connecting with others, and being your center of logic shrinks - you actually lose nerve cells in this part of your brain when you’re under long term, unprocessed, chronic stress - the same kind that leads you to being totally fried and crispy. Another thing that happens is the amygdala (the part of your brain that’s still all instinct based) is enlarged making you over interpret threats from your environment. Mindfulness practices have been shown to regrow (fill up) the part of your brain that is damaged by long term stress and also regulate the amygdala so that it’s not on high alert all the time. And then there’s the heart. We haven’t spent a lot of time on the heart on FRIED but I do mention Heart Rate Variability in The Bouncebackability

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#straightfromcait: You Can Stop Avoiding Emotions For Fear That They're Lowering Your Body's Energetic Vibe

Sun, 07 Mar 2021 05:00:00 +0000

Hey Fried Fans,

Once in a while, something really gets my goat and I use that as my guide to share what’s on my mind because I know that if it didn’t matter to me, it wouldn’t get my goat - and if it matters to me, it’s likely to matter to you too. (I think).

Someone wrote a Linkedin post that was really great about being okay with having fear and how it’s damaging in the world of coaching and therapy to try to talk people out of how they feel and instead tell them how they should feel. I totally agree. Your reality is yours. Your emotions are real and they count - no matter what you or anyone else thinks you should feel.

So, what got my goat? A commenter. A commenter who said she, and I quote,

“Likes to stay HIGH VIBE, so she stays away from things like FEAR”.

Everybody, turn the volume up a little, and lean in as if you’re about to listen REALLY WELL to what I am about to say:

Normal human responses to life situations don’t make you LOW VIBE. You don’t ‘damage’ your vibrations by experiencing normal human emotions. Now, I’m going to get sciency for a minute because this is one of those instances where what is being said is true and untrue. Changes in emotional states, do actually change your vibrational level - plenty of studies show this. When the neurotransmitters that are related to fear enter a cell, they have a different effect than the neurotransmitters that are related to joy. Those related to fear create more dissonance and chaos and those related to joy bring more resonance and harmony.

But that doesn’t mean that feeling fear during the day is ‘damaging your vibe’. In the same way that small amounts of cortisol (the stress hormone) are good and health enhancing for your body, Chinese medicine has said for 1000’s of years that all emotions in moderation are health promoting. This makes sense because we’d get rid of emotions altogether if they weren’t an efficient way to guide us. The body is designed to be maximally efficient, so it’s best to assume that the bits and pieces it uses to function are necessary and useful.

Here at FRIED we talk a lot about creating space to feel whatever emotions are coming up, in The Bouncebackability Factor, I wrote about a concept called ‘sitting in the muck’, and my intention behind it was to give you permission to FEEL ALL THE FEELS. I have found this to be a massive healing measure that I needed in my own life and I have plenty of clients that agree with this. I even have a course that FOCUSES on resentment because I have seen it proven to me time and time again that when we have permission to dip into tough emotions and a safe structure within which to do so, we can move through and transform these emotions and bring ourselves closer to harmony.

So, all that being said - what does “damage your vibe”? Ignoring, not processing, or otherwise sidestepping difficult emotions. This is called spiritual bypassing and it is all about pretending like the tough stuff doesn’t exist and focusing on “only the good” and “only high vibes”. It’s not healthy, nor is it normal.

If you’re burnt out and someone has told you to go ‘high vibe’ recently - you can ignore them. Permission granted. Whatever it is that you’re feeling, you’re allowed. When you’re done feeling that way, when you’re sick of sitting in the muck, when you’ve had enough and are ready to change the story, I’m here. Until then, be where you are. Don’t worry about your vibe. You’ll get to the point where transformation is a necessity and when you do, you’ll find the right people to help you.

And you will heal.

And after you heal, you’ll still have some shitty feeling days sometimes. Because you’re still living a human experience. And that’s okay too.

Love you.

Need some help balancing all the madness and sick of being angry at everyone around you? Book a call! bit.ly/callcait

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Catherine Peters: Can 26 Minutes of Shut Eye Save Us From Burnout? This Pro Napper Spills the Deets!

Sun, 28 Feb 2021 05:00:00 +0000

If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait

Episode summary: In this episode, guest Catherine Peters, a transformational life coach takes us through her learning-to-be-pro-nap journey. She dishes out the science behind why naps matter, what time of day is best, and how long the ideal nap is according to the researching nerds (we LOVE researching nerds!). On top of all of that, she’s created a Napping Workshop just for you! Sign up here: www.eventbrite.com/e/138106352819/?discount=burnout

Keep your notebooks out for this one, you’ll want to write a few things down to help improve your relationship to the nap.

Topics discussed in this episode:

- Burning Out During A Passion Project [5:06]

- A Cancer Diagnosis and a Lightbulb Moment Around Risk Factors [7:27]

- Beginning the Journey To Perfect The Nap [13:56]

- Get In Touch With Your Nap Story [23:18]

- The Science Behind Shut Eye [27:10]

- The Willpower Myth [31:00]

- How And When To Nap [34:49]

- Setting The Stage and Creating Your Nap Ritual & Nap Kit [42:13]

- Safety and Napping [47:43]

- Eye/Sleep Masks by La Lune Healing [50:27]

Find Catherine:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cpeterscoaching/

Catherine’s Website: https://www.cpeterscoaching.com

Napping Workshop (MARCH 4th, 2021!) www.eventbrite.com/e/138106352819/?discount=burnout

Cait’s Yoga Nidra Meditation:

https://www.friedtheburnoutpodcast.com/post/sfc-meditation-nervous-system

20% OFF CBD Products from Incann! Incann has a NEW product that is designed to help you sleep better called REST. Use the code FRIED to get a 20% discount!*

*When you do that, I get a small percentage of the sale. All proceeds are used to keep FRIED up and running!

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#straightfromcait: Is it a Burnout Relapse or Have You Been Burnt Out This Whole Time?

Sun, 21 Feb 2021 05:00:00 +0000

Hey FRIED Fans!

I had an amazing question from a fan on IG a couple weeks ago that I wanted to answer. Shout out to @vitalitahealth on Instagram for this great Q!

She asked what to do when you find yourself in a burnout relapse. When someone asks a really great question, I always like to let it roll around in my head for awhile before I decide on an answer.

After rolling this one around for a few weeks, I have a counter question:

Is it a burnout relapse, or have you been burnt out this whole time?

When I wrote The Bouncebackability Factor (which you can snag on amazon if you haven’t gotten it yet!), I wrote that I burnt out two separate times. Since writing it, I’ve realized that I didn’t actually burn out two separate times, I was actually weaving in and out of burnout for 6 or 7 years.

There were times that I felt better, for sure, but there weren’t too many times that I felt safe when I felt bad. When I say that, what I mean is - every time I felt bad or had a down day, I was nervous that it would last forever. I judged myself for feeling that way again. I thought about all the things I did to help myself and would get really discouraged that I was having a bad day.

Wasn’t I doing enough? Why wasn’t it working? Why couldn’t I control this? Don’t I know better by now?

Let’s compare and contrast this with what happens now when I have a bad day (because bad days still happen, I’m human! Burnout recovery does not guarantee you to have #allgooddaysallthetime). Now, when I have a bad day, I feel secure in my ability to get the care I need to get back to neutral within a decent amount of time.

Sometimes that means some type of grooming self care, sometimes that means getting an acupuncture appointment or a reiki appointment, sometimes it means shutting down social media for a few days, sometimes it means chatting with friends or visiting family.

I hope this was helpful, my beautiful FRIED Fans. As I wrap up this week’s episode, I want to remind you that subscribes, reviews, and shares make FRIED’s world go round! I am so grateful for the support you show FRIED week in an d week out! Listen to this review:

@campchristy stays: This podcast is the greatest gift. I am in the throws of burnout and have just now really accepted it. And that it is physical, not just being tired and sick. Thank you. P.S. I listen to podcasts all the time. This is the first written review I’ve given. It has impacted me that much.

If you want your review read on FRIED, be sure to leave the review, screenshot it and email it to me at friedtheburnoutpodcast @ gmail . com!

Until next time!

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Beth Russell: At Home Techniques To Relieve Neck and Face Tension and Combat Burnout

Sun, 14 Feb 2021 05:00:00 +0000

Episode summary: In this episode, guest Beth Russell, a colleague in the world of Chinese medicine joins us to talk about optimizing our home health routines. Beth Griffing Russell is an acupuncturist and specialist in facial renewal practices using Traditional East Asian Medicine. She helps people of all ages reconnect with their brilliant vitality through a variety of techniques that can be performed at home. Beth's goal is to uplift faces and spirits and on this episode, she will explain the connection between the skin and the nervous system, relaxing the muscles of the neck and burnout, and what fear and sitting at our computers have in common.

You’ll finish this episode with plenty of take aways - you might even notice that you’re sitting up straighter and your eyes are a little brighter (that’s a hint meant to tell you that you’ll be guided through some at home facial toning techniques!).

Topics discussed in this episode:

- Skin Disorders Representing Fear [5:57]

- A Mountain Lion Encounter [7:45]

- The Connection Between Fear and Neck Tension [11:15]

- Neural Feedback Patterns/Stress/Safety [15:52]

- Wrinkles Are About Efficiency [17:02]

- Relax Your Neck to Free Your Facial Expressions [20:10]

- Thai Herbal Compresses for Massage [23:50]

- An Intro to Facial Gua Sha [27:46]

- Not Just About Beauty, These Techniques Make You Smarter and More Focused [34:41]

- Get Started With These Techniques At Home Right Now [36:19]

- Mental Squeegee Technique [40:35]

- Let Gentleness Permeate Your Life [50:55]

Find Beth:

Instagram: https://instagram.com/studio_sappan (THE BEST VIDEOS on facial self care!)

Beth’s Website: https://thtpdx.com/collections (Snag your Thai Herbal Compress for neck massage here!)

If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait

As a FRIED listener, you get 20% off!* Incann CBD products. They just released a Sleep Formula that I'm dying to try myself!

*Use the code FRIED for 20% off! When you do that, I get a small percentage of the sale. All proceeds are used to keep FRIED up and running!

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#straightfromcait: Healing Is Hard To Believe In When You're Burnt Out

Sun, 07 Feb 2021 05:00:00 +0000

Is anyone else on clubhouse yet? On one hand it feels like an extra thing to do, but on another, it leaves space for some really great conversations. Last week, I was invited to co-moderate a room on Physician Burnout and the conversation and some of the points made were genius. I took 5 pages of notes while I was listening to the other speakers. And yet, the whole time I was on the call, something was bothering me and I didn’t nail down what it was until I was talking to my husband about it post call.

All of the burnout research tells us that organizations are up to 80% responsible for burnout. That means that all of the energy that is going into solving burnout is slated toward organizational change. Within that, people that do the work related to organizational change often judge those of us that are focusing on individual wellness because we are, and I quote, not seeing the true problem.

Here’s the TRUE problem in my eyes. Organizational change HAS to happen. I am SO HERE FOR IT and I am so thrilled people smarter than me at organizational development are working on it. That, however, doesn’t change the fact that people are burnt out right now and they deserve the chance to heal.

Fixing the organizations will go a long way toward #endingburnoutculture, but in the meantime, we still need to treat burnout like a true diagnosis and help people HEAL. We don’t have time to wait for organizational change. Any other diagnosis is treated differently. Heart disease is a huge issue - partially because of genetics, but largely because of food. So, that means the organizational change that needs to happen is a restructuring of food, the FDA, advertising, education about diet and exercise, etc. And all that needs to happen. But that doesn’t mean we’re going to stop doing bypasses in the meantime.

Where are the bypasses for my burnt out folk?

Treating burnout is hard because:

There’s no concrete set of symptoms that lead to a concrete burnout diagnosis
Chronic stress leads to brain changes that require lifestyle shifts to regrow
Every single episode of it is different
It requires a multidisciplinary approach. We must deal with the nervous system, the endocrine system, the immune system, and more.
People still doubt that they have it and even if they choose to recognize it in their own lives, most other people don’t really understand how terrible it feels so there isn’t a lot of compassion

That is why it is so crucial to work with someone who can guide you through it - to help you find the most impactful actions so that you don’t spend energy that you don’t have on solutions that don’t work. I am obsessed with doing this with you. I love watching the process unfold. I love holding space for you while it all happens. I love the SHOCK that happens when you realize that 3 months have passed and you’re still very much the same person - but you feel SO MUCH BETTER.

Even when I’m prepping workshops for corporations, for 100 or 400 people, I’m thinking about you as an individual - not because burnout is your fault and not because they’re aren’t systems in play that contributed to your burnout - but because in spite of those things, you still deserve to heal, you need to heal, and in order to do that, we need to focus on what we can control.

So we do, and as our time together unfolds, I cry with joy and I feel so much pride for you. I love accompanying you on the journey from angry, tired, burnt out, and hating everyone to energized, present, engaged in your life, and enjoying people again.

If it's time for you to end the burnout cycle in your own life, I'm here, at the ready. Book a free consult. There's literally nothing to lose. bit.ly/callcait

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Elizabeth Lott: A Pastor Speaks Out On Vocational Callings, Personal Growth, and Burnout

Sun, 31 Jan 2021 05:00:00 +0000

If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait

Episode summary: In this episode, guest Elizabeth Lott, a pastor at a progressive Baptist Congregation in New Orleans starts out with a story - one that you might not expect from a pastor - one of Mardi Gras, sequined shoes, and a fall that lead to broken teeth and concussions. From there we journeyed on together through allowing yourself to be called to a vocation and yet leaving space to be called further when it is time to move forward. It is a story full of expansion, support, and hope for what we can all create in the ‘new’ post covid world that we hope is coming real soon.

Topics discussed in this episode:

- The Love of Mardi Gras: A Story of Change [3:00]

- Being convinced that alone is the way [17:39]

- The power, pressure, and magical thinking of a Calling [21:24]

- Leaving curiosity and taking on ‘traditional’ expectations [24:21]

- Disappointing people on the scale of the internet [29:15]

- “What would happen if one woman told the truth about her life” Muriel Rukeyser [36:28]

- Being vulnerable as a leader [42:16]

- Sharing struggles within your relationship [48:18]

- Leaving a container when you’ve outgrown it [54:52]

Find Elizabeth:

https://www.elizabethlott.com

IG: https://www.instagram.com/elizabethmlott

Resources Mentioned in the Show:

Muriel Rukeyser

My fave CBD is Incann and as a FRIED listener, you get 20% off!* Check out their Bio Soothe CBD Salve - it’s my fave for sore muscles and neck tension!

*Use the code FRIED for 20% off! When you do that, I get a small percentage of the sale. All proceeds are used to keep FRIED up and running!

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#straightfromcait: When You Can Breathe Again

Sun, 24 Jan 2021 05:00:00 +0000

Hi FRIED fans,

I started a FB post this week with: “Didja hear it? The collective sigh?” And then deleted it and posted something else, probably about a bird beak face mask, or Michelle Obama’s belt. An hour or two later, my fave business coach Deepshikha Saraim posted nearly the same message with the words: “Collective sigh” in it.

Collective sigh. Even as I type it, I take a deeper breath and let it out noisily. Sighing, in Chinese medicine, is a sign of and treatment of Liver Qi Stagnation (don’t worry, I’ll explain).

Liver Qi Stagnation is a Chinese medical diagnosis that happens when there have been an avalanche of emotions that your body simply cannot process, when this happens - the unprocessed emotions are stored in the Liver system (this doesn’t mean the actual ORGAN - the system in Chinese medicine includes the organ, it’s energy, it’s function, it’s energetic pair the Gall Bladder, and it’s meridians or channel pathways that carry its energy, it’s physicality, emotionality, and spirituality).

When too many unprocessed emotions are sitting in the Liver system, they create an energetic and emotional traffic jam and sighing is one of the ways the body tries to push the energy through the Liver, to help those emotions move a little better, move a little more, and make room for clear traffic.

So, if you found yourself releasing a big sigh this week, my encouragement would be to intentionally release a few more. Sigh on purpose. With Intentionality. Sigh with your friends. Sigh on Zoom. Keep this energy moving out. Having an outward threat end does not automatically mean the built up emotions of the past era have been processed. It means they are sitting there, waiting for your help.

Now is the time to return to your body. To care for it. To move through emotional patterns. It means MORE discomfort just when we are looking to have some ease, but it’s worth it because when we avoid this process, it ends up biting us in the ass. Here are some of the symptoms that Chinese medicine relates to the Liver energy being stuck:

Indigestion

Stomach pain

Depression

Sighing

Hiccups

Easily Frustrated

Explosive/Inappropriate Anger

Plum Pit Qi (a feeling of a lump in your throat)

Cough

Diarrhea and Constipation (often alternating like IBS)

Tight neck and shoulders

Headaches, Migraines

Heightened PMS symptoms

Menstrual cramps

Sore breasts

Discomfort in flanks/diaphragm/etc

Bitter taste in mouth

If you just listened to that list and thought, Holy shit, that’s me! I want you to do these three things:

Keep sighing, do it on purpose.
Exercise. This is a great way to move Liver Qi - it can be freeflow dance or HIIT. When my liver qi is all built up, I like to do kickboxing classes online - moving through anger that way helps me.
Stretch your sides. Stand with your feet hip width apart, relax through your knees so that they aren’t locked, raise both arms above your head. Reach over with your left hand and grab your right wrist, allow your side body to open up as you stretch toward the left. Go to 75% and when you’re there, take 3 deep breaths. Come back to center and repeat on the other side. Grab your left wrist with your right hand and allow the left side body to open up, go to 75% of your stretch and then take 3 deep breaths. Do this multiple times a day.

Then, go on and book an appointment with your acupuncturist. For now, I’m still taking new patients in Manhattan and I LOVE treating this you can use this link to book: https://caitdonovanacupuncture.com

If you're not in Manhattan but you know you need my help, like, yesterday - you can book a Breakthrough Burnout Free Consult here: bit.ly/callcait

XOXO

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Sarah Dawn: The Only Waste Is Consciously Choosing to Continue Doing Something That Does Not Serve Us

Sun, 17 Jan 2021 05:00:00 +0000

If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait

There's a reason that Sarah Dawn is my first repeat guest on FRIED. You can hear her original episode with her burnout story here: https://friedtheburnoutpodcast.com/post/sarah-dawn

But before you do that, tune into this week's episode to hear:

- The Entrepreneurial Condition [6:41]

- Finding Energy Leakes [11:09]

- This is how it’s always been done syndrome / free coaching from Sarah [13:18]

- Reframing Waste [15:42]

- Examples of deciding to let things go [22:07]

- Exercising Your Emotional Intelligence Muscle [32:10]

- Every Entrepreneur’s Deep Dark Secret [34:24]

- Who to hire as your first team member [37:00]

- Where to leave the personal touch in your business [44:10]

Find Sarah:

Instagram: https://instagram.com/sarahdawnbiz

Sarah’s Website: https://www.sarahdawnconsulting.com/

Resources Mentioned in the Show:

The Resentment Journal Mini Course:

My fave CBD is Incann and as a FRIED listener, you get 20% off!* Check out their Bio Soothe CBD Salve - it’s my fave for sore muscles and neck tension!

*Use the code FRIED for 20% off! When you do that, I get a small percentage of the sale. All proceeds are used to keep FRIED up and running!

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#straightfromcait: Meditation to Regulate Your Nervous System

Sun, 10 Jan 2021 05:00:00 +0000

Hi Fried Fans,

This week, I released an episode about when the world's gone mad and told you that I'd be following it up with a yoga nidra, or body scan meditation that you can use as a tool to help ground yourself when the world has gone mad and your overwhelmed.

This is it. <3

Enjoy

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#straightfromcait: What to do when the world's gone to shit

Sun, 10 Jan 2021 05:00:00 +0000

Today, I’m recording last minute - which I never do. I am usually recorded a week or even a month in advance, but the combination of having taken time off over the holidays and the shit show at the white house this week means that I’m taking a beat to stop and be with you here, now and to let you know that if productivity is not your focus right now - that’s okay.

It might sound contrite to suggest self care above all else when the world has gone mad, but self care is a rebellious, and political act. You cannot aim to fix injustices that you see if you haven’t slept, had good nutrition, or taken a mental health day. This is especially true for everyone who is battling the ‘isms’. Racism, sexism, ageism, homophobism - when the world is not a safe place for you, your body and nervous system REQUIRE that you take time to restore in a place of your own creation that feels as safe as possible.

This is necessary so that when it is time to face the world again, to fight, to break down barriers, to be yourself in a world that asks you not to be, you have the energy for it. Self-care, in and of itself, is an act of political power. This week, I posted a meme on my socials that said, “Everytime a woman prioritizes herself, the patriarchy crumbles a little” and I meant it, but it should have read: “Everytime anyone who has ever been marginalized prioritizes themselves, the patriarchy crumbles a little.”

The basics of this come down to: First, Rest. Second, Rebel.

First, REST.

Second, Rebel.

But FIRST - first, REST. Restore. Treat yourself like the prize you are. Rejuvenate. Recollect your power. Engage your anger in a way that makes it useful. But first, REST. Scream. FEEL.

Second, Rebel.

This first step requires you to have some knowledge about how to regulate your nervous system. Don’t worry, I’ve got you - I know that they don’t teach this at school. Regulation of the nervous system starts with a feeling of safety and creating that feeling is an individual process. Do you need to grab a soft blanket? Make sure your doors are locked? Clean the kitchen? Organize paperwork? What is it that needs to be in place for you to feel safe?

For me, next is making sure all the basics are clean. I don’t feel as safe when my bed isn’t made and there are dirty dishes on the countertops (and if I’m honest, on the coffee table). I need to put it all away, wipe down the counters, and make my bed. After that, I need to be clean. In order to feel like I’m taking care of myself and am safe, I need to be freshly showered. It makes me feel ready for rest AND ready for action. There’s a preparation ritual that goes with washing yourself that is important to me (it might not be to you - and that’s okay - I’m simply giving examples so that you can try to figure out what helps you feel safe).

So, step one: make your surroundings feel safe. Step two, listen to the next episode of FRIED and give your nervous system what it needs. All the changes last year have not been integrated yet into our bodies and we’re still sort of waiting for normal to come back. It’s not likely to come back as it was before and in order to move forward, our nervous systems need to have the ability to be flexible, agile, and ready. It’s a practice, a lifelong one, but if the last year taught us anything it is that we never know what’s about to happen and making ourselves more comfortable in the ‘now’ is something we should all be striving for so that when life falls to shit, we can fall to shit for a moment and then recoup and get on with our desires to make change, seek justice, empower ourselves and each other, and be the changes we want to see in the world.

Sending you lots of love.

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Shonté Javon Taylor: This Is Your Brain on Burnout (Taught By A Neuroscientist)

Sun, 03 Jan 2021 05:00:00 +0000

Episode summary: In this episode, guest Shonte Javon Taylor who is a neuroscientist with a mission of empowering 100 million minds shares her story of finding herself in a parking lot, after hitting a pole, hearing her children cry in her backseat and hearing her inner voice say, “You have got to do something different”. By using her understanding of the mind and how it best works, Shonte has dedicated her life to inspiring Leaders and Coaches to tap into this same knowledge to make their lives and businesses better and their students and clients happier.

Show Notes: https://friedtheburnoutpodcast.com/post/shonte-javon-taylor

Topics discussed in this episode:

- Mountain of Pride Exercise [4:34]

- Crashing, literally [9:05]

- Being in your best mental health for you, and the world [10:39]

- What can we do individually to keep our fear brain safe [15:00]

- The modern brain vs. the ancient brain [20:10]

- The amygdala [26:00]

- For our brains to keep growing [30:45]

- Trauma, hypersensitive brains, and chronic stress [37:30]

- Brain Janitors [46:20]

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Shonte’s Optimind Institute 8 Week Course

Shonte’s Website

If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait

My fave CBD is Incan and as a FRIED listener, you get 20% off!* Check out their Bio Soothe CBD Salve - it’s my fave for sore muscles and neck tension!

*Use the code FRIED for 20% off!

(When you do that, I get a small percentage of the sale. All proceeds are used to keep FRIED up and running!)

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#straightfromcait: How Can Each Person Contribute To Ending Burnout Culture?

Sun, 27 Dec 2020 05:00:00 +0000

Fried fans, It’s the end of a hard year. Differently hard for different people, but hard all around. Hard because of uncertainty, hard because of constant change, hard because our brains which are accustomed to functioning on so much repetition and habit really got put through the ringer this year trying to keep up with all the change.

And yet, here we are, at the end of 2020, with a vaccine on the horizon and talk that by the summer we’ll back able to function as we used to.

And so we’ve started to question: Do we want to function like we used to?

Burnout’s name flashed on all the stages this year as so many people were awakened to the fact that this year may have put them over the edge, but they had been burnt out for months, maybe years already.

We miss restaurants and going to stores without fear. We miss meeting our friends and gathering with our loved ones. But, we’re also grateful that 2020 gave us an excuse to hold boundaries, a reason to not meet up, an escape route from the girl’s nights that had gotten dull and the family gatherings that don’t fill you up like you feel they should. You didn’t have to go to that wedding you weren’t looking forward to and you didn’t have to participate in obligatory holiday parties and team building adventures.

So, the question comes up: do we want to function like we used to? Is there a way that we can shift our lives so that we are no longer contributing to burnout culture? Or, as a listener and former client put it, “Can you record something about how we all can help combat burnout culture?”

Yes, yes I can.

The fact that this question was asked was great from my perspective because it means that the burnout healing is well on it’s way - we cannot think about burnout culture on a large scale when we’re overwhelmed with burnout in our own lives, so my first reaction was to be happy that the question was even asked.

Then, I started to think about the answer. And here’s where you get to see into how my mind works.

The first answer that came up is: don’t let another day go by without getting help for your own burnout. You are automatically contributing to burnout culture if you’re burnt out and not doing anything about it. That isn’t to make you feel bad, it’s literally not possible for you to focus on burnout culture if you’re burnt out. We’re talking facts here people - the first care is SELF CARE. If you’ve been around FRIED for awhile, you know that you can reach out to me for coaching, and you know that you can reach out to one of the many guests that have been on to share their stories who now do this work. Physicians can talk to Errin Weisman or Dr. Kara Pepper. Business owners can chat with Leah Steele, Tavona Denise, Sarah Dawn, Erin Elizabeth Wells or Kim Porter. The highly anxious and sensitive can contact Stacey Mitchell, Dr Valerie Rein or Cyrina Talbott.

And that’s not even close to a full list. The resources are there. Choose a method. Contact someone. Get the ball rolling.

The second answer that was reaching up from my guts was: Keep your boundaries clear, kind, and concise. Boundaries are so damn important and when you keep your own, you’re also helping the people around you keep theirs. Modeling good boundaries is a MAJOR key in ending burnout culture. When we’re on a rhythm of allowing our boundaries to be crossed, we end up expecting other people to do the same and then we end up resentful that we’re going the extra mile and they aren’t. We need to flip the script on this. Let other people’s boundaries inspire you to hold your own and when you’re asking someone to break their boundaries - look at the chain - did you break yours first, did the person before you break their own? Are we just continuing a never ending string of boundary breaking and resentment? Hold the line sister, someone’s got to close that gate.

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Raj Subrameyer: Cultural Pressure and the Desire to be Noticed Leading to Burnout and Bathroom Floors

Sun, 20 Dec 2020 05:00:00 +0000

Episode summary: In this episode, guest Raj Subrameyer who is an international keynote speaker and tech career coach shares his story fighting against people’s expectations and feeling less than other people and developing a fear of being ignored. So, he turned to people pleasing, hard work, and the promise to himself to do whatever it takes to establish credibility, get fame, money and to get people to notice him in his career.

Topics discussed in this episode:

- Unconscious on the bathroom floor [7:24]

- Burnout Diagnosis, severe dehydration and exhaustion [9:16]

- Anxiety and Panic attacks [14:04]

- Comparison anxiety [18:00]

- The book Deep Work by Cal Newport [24:00]

- Meditation, what it did in Raj’s life, and how you can use it [45:15]

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Deep Work by Cal Newport

Headspace App

The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg

Raj’s New Book: Skyrocket Your Career

If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait

Been interested in CBD and want to gift yourself something for the holidays? As a FRIED listener, you get 20% off with Incann - a premier CBD company who works with family organic farms and third party lab testing. Check out their Bio Soothe CBD Salve - it’s my fave for sore muscles and neck tension!

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#straightfromcait: The Knot - Master Inner Boundaries and Unwind Codependency

Sun, 13 Dec 2020 05:00:00 +0000

Hey Fried Fans! On this week's #straightfromcait episode, we're going to be going deeper into codependency because so many of you requested it after last week's episode with Melanie Moberg!

I decided to read you part of Chapter 19 of The Bouncebackability Factor because it is in that chapter that I talk about the issue of codependency (without using that word :)) The crux of this week's episode is one of my favorite things to talk about (and one of the most requested workshops for my #speakerlife :)) THE KNOT.

The knot is a theory that helps you come back to yourself, to stay aligned with your destiny, to be sure that you're serving this world the way you are meant to. I hope you'll enjoy this episode as much as I enjoyed reading it for you

Show notes are here: https://friedtheburnoutpodcast.com/post/sfc-the-knot

P.S. Happy Holidays! The Bouncebackability Factor makes a great gift for all the women in your life - snag a copy ASAP to get it in time (it's print on demand so it takes a minute! :))

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Melanie Moberg: Stop Worrying About Everyone Else's Needs and Start Focusing on Yourself to Heal Your Burnout

Sun, 06 Dec 2020 05:00:00 +0000

**Trigger warning: We discuss suicide and drug use in this episode. If you are particularly sensitive to these topics, you might want to avoid this one.

In this episode, guest Melanie Moberg who is a codependency coach, shares her story through healing codependency that hit her hard after losing her brother. Convinced she could save others, she dove into pouring all her attention into other family members that struggled with mental health and addiction. We chat about how codependent behaviors can steal your ability to know your own wants, needs, desires, and preferences and lead to resentment, fatigue, and yes.. burnout.

Topics discussed in this episode:

- A magic question from a therapist that lead to personal peace [9:00]

- A definition of codependency [11:32]

- An example of codependency in Cait’s life [13:00]

- Boundaries and codependency [19:35]

- Moving out of victimhood [25:13]

- Sick of doing the laundry [33:00]

- The magic question to decipher between enabling and helping [42:26]

“Codependency is caring for others and people pleasing until you’ve lost yourself” Melanie Moberg

Resources mentioned in this episode:

- Melanie’s Blog: https://www.melaniemoberg.com/post/it-s-not-what-you-think

Find Melanie Online: https://www.melaniemoberg.com/

Take Melanie’s Codependency Quiz: https://www.melaniemoberg.com/quiz

Buy Melanie’s Book: Warriors in Recovery on Amazon starting Dec 8th!

If you know that it’s time to actually DO something about the burnout cycle you’ve been in for too long - book your free consult today: bit.ly/callcait

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Sarah Paris: Can CBD Oil Help You Heal From Burnout?

Sun, 22 Nov 2020 05:00:00 +0000

This week on FRIED, we’re covering a topic that I’ve been waiting to cover for a few months now! I was so lucky that a mutual friend introduced me to Sarah Paris, founder of Incann CBD products.

Sarah Paris is a Mom entrepreneur. Like many, working hard, stressed out, and on a quest to feel better, she discovered CBD and the positive impact it had on her mental and physical wellbeing. Inspired by its benefits, she launched Incann, a consumer packaged goods (CPG) brand with the mission to help other women find balance in their lives through a positive outlook, willful mindset and the power of legal cannabis extracts. Motivated by the will to chill, she has formulated products to manage every day stressors and overcome burnout.

Sarah burnt out and reached out for the first time in her life to a holistic practitioner. She was surprised and then inspired by a single question this practitioner asked, “What do you do for yourself?”

It lead Sarah on a journey of self-discovery, personal growth, and inspired business that lead her to starting Incann. So while, during this episode, we’re talking all CBD, I want this to be a reminder to you that sometimes working with the right person can literally change your life.

When Sarah starting experimenting with CBD for herself, she noticed that when she took it, she was less overwhelmed, less anxious, and more focused. After a few months, she started making products for her friends and family to try and now she is the founder and owner of a company that she is so proud of.

The reason it took me so long to get someone on the podcast to talk CBD was because I was having a hard time trusting people that were company owners that obviously wanted to come on to sell product and when I checked their websites, they were missing a piece that I think is CRUCIAL when it comes to choosing products.

Transparency.

When Sarah was recommended to me through a mutual friend, I noticed right away that her website includes not only information that they DO third party lab testing on their products but they give you the opportunity to LOOK directly at the results of those tests and they match it to a batch number that you can find on your bottle. That means that you can buy a bottle and then head online and check out if it’s potency checks out, how clean it is, how pure and free to toxins it is, and so on.

This is completely unregulated so companies do not need to do this. People can sell you a ‘CBD’ product that literally has NO cbd in it. The transparency of Incann makes me trust them as a company and I’m glad to have a place to buy CBD that I feel confident in!

You can check out their products and get 20% off with the code FRIED here.*

Moving into the holiday season, this not only makes a great stocking stuffer (I especially love the bio soothe salve. As big exercisers, my husband and I have been using this stuff like mad. It works wonders!).

XOXO

Cait

Connect with Cait

Book a Call: https://www.caitdonovan.as.me/freecall

Website: www.caitdonovan.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/friedtheburnoutpodcast

Order My Book: https://bit.ly/bouncebackorder

Connect with Sarah

Website: https://incann.com/

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/incann_usa

P.S. *I wasn’t planning on it, but after I tried Sarah’s Incann products, I became an affiliate for them. What does that mean? It means that YOU, as my listener, get 20% off all their products and when you buy with the discount code FRIED, I get a percentage of the sale. It helps FRIED keep going, the products will help you keep going, you get a good deal, and you’ll be helping a small business owner keep going too. It’s a WIN WIN WIN WIN! A quadruple win!

P.P.S. Do something to care for yourself this week and book a FREE call with me! Initial calls last 35 minutes and are a great way to kickstart your burnout recovery. Book your call at caitdonovan.as.me/free.

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#straightfromcait: Cait Breaks Down The Top 3 Burnout Myths For You

Sun, 15 Nov 2020 05:00:00 +0000

Hi Fried Fans!

It’s Cait, comin’ atcha with another #straightfromcait episode! We are close to winding up Season 2 of FRIED The Burnout Podcast. You’ve got this week’s sfc and then next week, I have the owner of incann CBD products on to talk to us about CBD and burnout (I loved it so much that I became an affiliate for her brand.. So while the episode isn’t sponsored, I’ll be sharing about why I love their products :)) and then I will be starting Season 3 after a short 1 week break around Thanksgiving. We’re starting Season 3 off with a bang and having a chat with a codependency coach. This is a massive topic and I’ll be excited for you to get that info to help you unwind some unhelpful patterns you might find yourself in.

This week, I want to talk to you about burnout myths. There’s a lot of them, but we’re just going to go over 3 big ones. You MAY have heard me mention this a time or 5 on the podcast, but I think they need to be repeated as often as possible and as clearly as possible so that we can collectively change our mind about these ideas. Doing so means that we’ll be more apt to notice burnout and therefore more apt to take it seriously and choose to heal from it.

Let’s jump in

Burnout myth #1

If you work in something that you have a passion for, you’ll never burn out. Or, if you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life. I AM BEGGING YOU. PLEASE STOP THIS NONSENSE. If you have tendencies that lead to burnout and are in culture that promotes burnout, you can burnout no matter how much you love your job or no matter how much you really DO want to make a difference in people’s lives.

Burnout is not a result of a passion deficiency.

The problems with this thinking are that it prevents people that are passionate about their jobs from recognizing their burnouts and it makes everyone who knows they are burnt out question their passions.

Your passion isn’t the problem. It’s also not the solution.

Burnout myth #2

Burnout only happens to weak people. Oh boy, I hate this one. There are, for reasons that scientists can’t figure out, people that are more resilient than others. They also can’t agree on a how much adversity or stress increases resiliency and how much breaks it down - because it’s different in each person. Everyone has a threshold for how much they can take and that threshold has nothing to do with your strength. In fact, the strongest among us often carry more than our allotted load, therefore diminishing our resilience and leading us to burnout.

Being resilient and increasing resiliency doesn’t make you STRONGER. It makes you more adaptable, more agile, more flexible. Your threshold is a due to a combination of your genetics, your current health, your current environment, the health of your childhood environment, the number of trauma adaptations you have, the amount of support you have, and and and and and. There are so many factors in play. It’s not about weakness, it’s about systems that get overloaded due to factors that are very often outside of the systems control.

You can book your call at bit.ly/callcait.

CBD: https://incann.com/ CODE: FRIED

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Simone Craig, Wealth Expert: You Spend Your Money Like You Spend Your Energy

Sun, 08 Nov 2020 05:00:00 +0000

In today’s episode, we’re talking to Simone Craig, Wealth Expert on a mission to close the wealth gap one woman at a time. Known as the “Angel CFO”, Simone advises women business owners in making wise financial decisions for maximized business profitability, increased personal wealth and joyful living.

She has 25+ years experience in the financial industry, including the Big 4 company, KPMG Peat Marwick, as well as the private sector.

Simone is a Law of Attraction and manifestation expert. She loves advising her clients how to have the mindset and money management skills to create a thriving business and live a wealthy joyful life.

Simone and I met at a networking event in Morristown, NJ through the group Ellevate. She was sitting at a high top table on the far wall, dressed to the 9’s and my favorite thing that I noticed about her was that you could tell immediately that she was an observer of people. We had a good chat that night and then connected on all the social medias - as one does.

If you’ve been listening to FRIED for awhile you know that I have some bones to pick with the Law of Attraction and Manifestation, so when I first saw some of Simone’s posts, I was like - oh no, another one. But then, as time passed, she surprised me more and more. Her money advice is practical, grounded, AND spiritual - which is my most favorite of all the combos.

Why is money important when it comes to burnout? It’s really common when you’re on the burnout cycle to also be on a feast or famine cycle and not do a great job of managing your money. Burnout types often have all or nothing attitudes, so we’ll save for ages and then use it all on a big purchase and have to start from scratch. We spend our money like we spend our energy - without attention and without proper boundaries. It’s either built up and stagnant or empty and needing replenishment.

In this episode, we talk about the journey of the middle road, consciously choosing balance, awareness, upleveling instead of a life that sits in the extremes. Simone talks about having a moment where she started to reflect more on the future after turning 30 and asking: “How do I make things happen for myself instead of leaving everything on default?”

At that point, she found Abraham Hicks, The Secret, The Law of Attraction and she decided to ask if it was all BS or if deliberate creation actually worked. She took responsibility for herself and her finances and gave herself a goal of getting out of her parents house in 12 months. It worked.

We chatted about using these techniques when you’re burnt out and why it doesn’t always work and what needs to happen before you can take advantage of these tools.

You’ll get all that information and more in this week’s episode of FRIED.

Can’t wait to hear what hit you the most and what you’ll take with you moving forward!

XOXO

Cait

Connect with Cait

Book a Call: https://www.caitdonovan.as.me/freecall

Website: www.caitdonovan.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/friedtheburnoutpodcast

Order My Book: https://bit.ly/bouncebackorder

Connect with Simone

Website: http://www.simonecraig.com

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/simonelebeauxcraig

LinkedIN: http://www.linkedin.com/in/simonecraig

P.S. There's a KILLER live course happening SOON - because, folks, it's boundary season. If you feel like you need some support finding and creating solid boundaries to protect you and your energy, this class is for you! We start Nov 13th, join us!

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The 12 Days Of Boundary Season (a song)

Mon, 02 Nov 2020 21:58:00 +0000

It's BOUNDARY SEASON!

Yep, that's right. The season that all your boundaries get pushed and 2020 has already pushed them enough, so they might be feeling like electric fences this year! ;)

I wrote you a song all to tell you that we start transforming you into a Boundary Building Badass in just 12 short days.

Sign ups are open now for The Build Better Boundaries course, it WAS a DIY course but on popular demand, I'm doing a LIVE version with a FB Group and Live Q&A's with yours truly to help you along.

After the year we've all had, it's the least I could do.

Sign ups are here:

https://caitdonovan.com/build-better-boundaries-live

Join us. It's gonna be a blast. Like this song.

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#straightfromcait: As 'THE BOSS' are you shouldering more responsibility than you should?

Sun, 01 Nov 2020 04:00:00 +0000

Hey Fried Fans,

This week’s #straightfromcait episode is the answer to a fan question (I love those, so if you have one that YOU want answered, shoot me an email at cait@caitdonovan.com with the subject: FAN QUESTION and I’ll get to it, it usually takes me about a month to get the episode out and it’s so much fun for me to give you exactly what you need.

Here’s the Q:

So, the holidays are coming up and if you’re the boss of a department it’s kinda expected that everyone else can take vacation time around the holidays but not you, because someone has to be on deck. So this means, year after year, you work the week of Thanksgiving and the week of Xmas. How do you juggle the expectation that if you’re the boss, your needs come second to your subordinate without getting burnt?

OK, my friend. Let’s break this down a little. First, we need to look at the assumptions in this Q. You state: it’s ‘kinda expected’ that everyone else can take vacation time around the holidays but not you.

Is this 100% true or is this a story that you told yourself because you took the responsibility on because YOU learned at some point in your life that this is how you think it ‘should’ be (if you missed the episode on shoulding, head back a few weeks and listen in, it’s a good one).

You start juggling this expectation by checking yourself.

Use these Q’s:

Where did this expectation come from?

Why do you believe it?

What actions have you taken as the boss in previous years that may lead you to believe this is true?

What actions have you taken as the boss in previous years that may lead your team to believe that this is true?

The basic facts of the matter are this: your needs DON’T come second to your team’s needs. But now, you’re going to have to change the rules of the game on them and you’ll have to expect some blowback.

Here’s how it goes:

First, you need to decide on a new system. Are you going to rotate the holidays within your team, so one person takes thanksgiving and the other xmas? Is one person going to get the whole year of holidays and then the next 2 or 3 years off (depending on the size of your team) or is there a better solution that you see? I can’t tell you what all the options are without knowing more specifics about the business and the team, but suffice it to say, there’s a better system than leaving all the responsibility eggs in the leaders basket.

Second, you need to decide how to present the new system - WITHOUT EMOTION and WITHOUT MENTIONING that you’ve done it in the past for years and years and now you need a break. YOU’RE THE BOSS - you make the rules. Turning yourself into a victim for working the past years will make whoever gets this year’s holidays feel like THEY are the victim.

So, it might sound something like this:

Hi Everyone, The holidays are coming up and the system for who works the holidays is changing this year. We are going to start rotating who works the week of Thanksgiving and Xmas so that everyone has the opportunity to take real time off during the holidays. This Thanksgiving will be (team member a) and Xmas will be (team member b). If you need to switch with each other, that’s no problem - just be sure that the communication is clear and the person who will be responsible for those days is available. If you’re going to make any changes amongst each other, please let me know by the end of next week. Thank you! :)

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Isabel Smith: A Registered Dietician Tells You How To Slow Down Burnout Related Inflammation and Histamine Reactions

Sun, 25 Oct 2020 04:00:00 +0000

In today’s episode, we’re talking to Isabel Smith, a Registered Dietician who specializes in helping clients with functional and integrative wellness. One of her main areas of interest in her practice is healing allergies and histamine reactions. This arose out of her own need to use her skills to heal herself after years of living in an apartment with black mold. Isabel is well known and respected in her field and sits on the advisory board for MBODY 360 and Eat This, Not That. Her expert opinions can be found in Elle, Mind Body Green, Reader's Digest, Women’s Health/Men’s Health and now, thankfully, on FRIED. The Burnout Podcast.

I’ve known Isabel personally for over a year and I know how seriously she takes her craft. I call it a craft because I don’t know anyone who works with diet and supplements the way Isabel does. She is unafraid of complicated cases and her results, time after time, are astounding. In this episode, she shares snippets from her own life, and her process of working through health issues related to allergies and histamines.

Why is this important when it comes to burnout? Because I’ve found over the years that oftentimes, there are invisible chronic health issues that accompany burnout and are partially responsible for your ability (or inability) to function at the same level of energy as before. This is why I do a full Chinese Medicine health intake with each new coaching client - I need to see what physical components are stealing energy from you. Shifting that often helps to create enough extra energy to deal with the rest.

Allergies and histamine reactions accompanied by inflammation are commonly found in burnout and both Isabel and I are passionate about getting you the info you need to shift this part of your life.

In this episode, we chat about histamine reactions and symptoms (waking up with puffy eyes, having itchy skin, having reactions to food that didn’t used to bother you, fatigue, foggy headedness, and so many more). Isabel explains (using MINIONS!) how to keep our cells health and shares with us her latest online course, The Histamine Solution Program, that helps guide you through the histamine diet that is perfect for you and gives you the support of a group at the same time.

You’ll get all that information and more in this week’s episode of FRIED.

Can’t wait for a few of you to have lightbulb moments that lead to great healings!

XOXO

Cait

Connect with Cait

Book a Call: https://www.caitdonovan.as.me/freecall

Website: www.caitdonovan.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/friedtheburnoutpodcast

Pre-Order My Book: https://bit.ly/bouncebackorder

Connect with Isabel

Website: http://www.isabelsmithnutrition.com

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/isabelsmithnutrition

HISTAMINE SOLUTION: https://www.isabelsmithnutrition.com/health/programs/the-histamine-solution-program

P.S. Do something to care for yourself this week and book a FREE call with me! Initial calls last 35 minutes and are a great way to kickstart your burnout recovery. Book your call at caitdonovan.as.me/free.

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#straightfromcait - Stop Should'ing All Over Yourself And You Will Heal Your Burnout

Sun, 18 Oct 2020 04:00:00 +0000

“Stop should-ing all over yourself” also known as “must-urbation”, why you need to pay attention to the word SHOULD during your burnout recovery.

I was laying on the table at my acupuncturists office and I said the thing that I just reprimanded a patient for the night before. “But, my body SHOULD be able to do this!”

And as soon as it came out of my mouth, I realized it and my shoulders dropped.

Recovering from my ruptured achilles tendon and subsequent surgery over the past year and a half has been much slower and more cumbersome than I would have liked it to be. In the meantime, I’ve put on weight and I’ve started “should-ing” all over myself.

I should eat better.

I should be able to exercise more.

I should create better habits.

I should I should I should.

Here’s the thing: accepting the limitations that my body currently has and trying to improve in small increments works better than forcing myself past what I’m capable of and then needing extra time to recover.

The same goes for you during your burnout recovery. It doesn’t matter if you USED to be able to do something. It doesn’t matter if you’re annoyed that you’re unable right now. It doesn’t matter if you think your body SHOULD be able to do something.

Your job during burnout recovery is to use your current limitations to create your current boundaries. They will shift and widen as you heal, I promise, but when you’re starting out - you need more space, more cushion, more blank time in your schedule, more gentle movement, and more grace for your process.

Most of us that burnout stay stuck on the burnout cycle because of the Should-ing. Because we are comparing our current abilities to what we used to be able to do. Guess what? You’re burnt out. Your current abilities are less than what you’re used to and if you don’t learn how to adjust, you’ll just stay on this cycle for years and years and years. Trust me, that’s exactly what I did.

Burnout is invisible to the naked eye. There are plenty of things changing in your body and in your brain, but because you can’t see it, you don’t adjust. You just keep pushing, believing that you can because you used to be able to.

But let’s think about it a minute. When you’re burnt out, lets say that you have 40% of your normal energy. Why on EARTH should you be able to do as much as before on 60% less energy? If your gas tank was only 40% full, would you be able to drive the same number of miles as you could on a full tank?

Pay attention to your limits and listen to them. Stop should-ing all over yourself.

Work within what you’ve got and you’ll start to recover.

Promise.

If you’re not sure where your boundaries are, start taking note of all the times you tell yourself during the day that you should or must do something and then start eliminating/delegating all those jobs :)

This concept and so many more uber practical tips are what make up the 200 pages of The Bouncebackability Factor, which, if you haven’t bought yet - I seriously don’t know what you’re waiting for!

Also, if you don’t think that you can possibly eliminate or delegate and you’re stuck thinking that change is impossible, please know that you’re wrong. LOL.

My job is to prove this to people every single day. I’m taking 8 more clients until the end of 2020 and starting the new year with a price increase, so if you want to get in at the current rate, you should book your free call before the holidays! bit.ly/callcait

Talk to you soon!

Cait

FIND CAIT ONLINE: https://caitdonovan.com

BOOK YOUR FREE CONSULT: bit.ly/callcait

BOOK ACUPUNCTURE IN NYC: https://caitdonovanacupuncture.com

SEE ALL FRIED EPISODES: https://friedtheburnoutpodcast.com

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Sarah O'Brien Hammond: Avoid the Crash - In an Ironman, In Life, and In Networking

Sun, 11 Oct 2020 04:00:00 +0000

In today’s episode, we’re talking to Sarah O’Brien Hammond. Sarah is the Chief Community Officer and Founder of The Network of Women. Driven by her own life’s journey, her mission is to bring together growth-minded women through diverse and unique experiences focused on helping them live their best, most fulfilled life in a supportive, judgement free safe space. I’ve been attending NoW events since I moved to the US and Sarah has proven to be an amazing connector of people and friend.

During our conversation, Sarah shares how she checked all the boxes, did all the things that society told her to do along the way, added a few Ironmans for a good time, and still woke up one day thinking:

Is this it?!?!?

Sarah continued, “I hit a wall. It happened to me at 41. I was like oh my gosh, I’m exhausted, and I’m not happy, and I’m not fulfilled, and I’ve been working my ass off for all these years and this is where I’m at?”

How many of us has stopped and asked ourselves, “Is this IT!?”

I know I did. I played by all the rules, I even added some heart following along the way and made some bold decisions and still reached a point where I was like… “Is this what I now have to do as an adult for the next 50 or so years? WTF for? What is the point? This sucks!”

As our convo continued, we got into Sarah’s zone of genius which is networking and connecting and she gave us 3 amazing tips for avoiding networking burnout.

Be realistic about what you can commit to. Know your bandwidth. Know your boundaries. Be sure you’re not signing up for everything available just because you feel like you should. If you can commit to one hour a month, use it well.
Be Intentional with choosing your events. Choose them for yourself and not just growing your business. Prep for them and be present when you’re there.
Know your ask. What are you looking to get out of the event? Who can you help? Are you looking for clients or maybe a referral source? Being clear on what you’re striving for makes it easier to get and makes your introductions more clear!

I love talking to Sarah and it was great to have her on FRIED because I got to sneak an extra hour of chatting with her which is always fun for me. The thing that hit me most in this episode was that you can literally have it all and still burn out.

What is one thing that stuck out for you from this conversation? What’s your biggest takeaway?

Both Sarah and I would love to know, so please share and tag us on social media so we can support and cheer for you!

Connect with Cait

Website: www.caitdonovan.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/friedtheburnoutpodcast

Pre-Order My Book: https://bit.ly/bouncebackorder

Connect with Sarah

Website: https://www.thenownyc.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenownyc/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thenownyc/

LinkedIN: https://linkedin.com/in/sarahobrienhammond

USE CODE: NOWGUEST for free access to an event at The NoW!

Cait

P.S. Do something to care for yourself this week and book a FREE Breakthrough Burnout Call with me! Initial calls last 35 minutes and are a great way to kickstart your burnout recovery. Book your call at caitdonovan.as.me/free.

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#straightfromcait: Afraid The Only Way You Get A Break is if You Die, Disappear, Or Get In An Accident?

Sun, 04 Oct 2020 04:00:00 +0000

Hi Fried Fans,

We’re taking it real serious today and I’m starting with a TRIGGER WARNING! - we will be discussing suicidal ideations today.

If you are sensitive to this topic, I suggest skipping this episode. If you are having suicidal ideations, I highly recommend that you reach out to the suicidepreventionhotline.org - this is applicable no matter where you are in the world.

And after I wrote that intro piece, I avoided writing the next part. I checked facebook, replied to an email from a coaching client, scrolled through Instagram because even though I know we NEED to talk about this, it’s a little bit big and scary.

If you’ve been listening to FRIED for awhile, you already know that there aren’t many conversations that I shy away from. I am big fan of leaning into difficult conversations - it’s part of what makes me a good coach and part of what gets the good juice out of interviewees.

The conversation gets even more interesting if you’ve already read The Bouncebackability Factor because I write about suicidal ideations in the book - so the information is out there and the feedback I’m getting from it tells me that you thought you were alone in these thought patterns, that you were the only one who thought like this, and you’re grateful to know that you’re not.

When my first coaching client mentioned that she had been dreaming of getting into a car accident just to get a break from life, I wasn’t shocked. I was relieved at her honesty. When a podcast guest said she seriously considered veering off the road into a tree - just to break a leg and be able to spend some time in the hospital, I felt the truth of her statement in my gut. When over and over again my highly accomplished successful female entrepreneur clients tell me that they wish they could escape, I know that we’re about to make a breakthrough.

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Darrel Griffin: Creator of The Burnout Bros Talks Male Burnout

Sun, 27 Sep 2020 04:00:00 +0000

In today’s episode, we’re talking to Darrel Griffin , a Human-centred marketer and anti-guru who, after experiencing his own burnout, is now creating a podcast and a community for men to openly discuss their burnout stories and get the support they need called Burnout Bros.

During our conversation, Darrel shared stories about repeated chest infections, wailing so loud he was afraid the neighbors heard and carrying the burden of being the sole financial provider for a young family with his business network on the other side of the world.

Speaking with Darrel, we touched upon the dangers that patriarchal society holds for both men and women, the importance of finding a doctor that you like and who will listen to you, and the need to sometimes drop the judgment about taking medications for mental health if that’s what you need.

What I’d love to know is: Have you ever taken a pharmaceutical for mental health? Was it helpful? DId you judge yourself for it?

Darrel let us know in this episode that it was a hard decision for him and the first one chosen wasn’t a great fit but that he learned to create acceptance around it. We hope that this episode allows you to give yourself the permission to heal, in whatever form is most appropriate for you right now!

Darrel was really clear that burnout is f’ing awful and that talking about it more openly is crucial to all of us giving ourselves a break and reaching out for the help we need.

If you’re tired, overwhelmed, and wishing you could just escape from it all for awhile, you might want to hop on a free call to see if I can help guide you away from the burnout cycle!

Connect with Cait

Website: www.caitdonovan.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/friedtheburnoutpodcast

Order My Book: https://bit.ly/bouncebackorder

Connect with Darrel

Website: https://www.darrelgriffin.com.au/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrelgriffin/

Join Darrel’s Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/dE6W3D

Cait

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#straightfromcait: Passion is Not A Vaccine Against Future Burnout, No Matter What Instagram Meme's Say

Sun, 20 Sep 2020 04:00:00 +0000

Hi Fried Fans!

Your #straightfromcait episode this week got me a little fired up.

I saw this quote by Simon Sinek floating around IG a few weeks ago and - well, I have a bone to pick with it. Let me preface this by saying I love Simon Sinek. His work is inspirational to me and this is in no way a judgment or criticism on him. I know that there are a few quotes from my book that I don’t stand by when they are written alone - it’s the full context that makes things make the most sense.

In fact, when Annick Ina (the woman who helped me launch my book) had her VA write up some quotes to share from The Bouncebackability Factor for promotions, I nixed one of them because I hated it on it’s own - it’s not the message I want to share. I went back and read the whole chapter and felt good about it, but as a single sentence.. Ick.

So, with that incredible pre-amble, I’m going to read this quote and tell you why I dislike it.

“Working hard for something we don't care about is called stress: Working hard for something we love is called passion." ― Simon Sinek

If I’ve said this once, I’ve said it a million times. YOU CAN STILL BURN OUT IF YOU’RE WORKING AT YOUR PASSION!

Being out of alignment with what you’re meant to be doing in the world is but one small piece of the burnout puzzle. Being in alignment with what you’re meant to be doing and overworking, overgiving, undercharging, and having shitty boundaries will still burn you out - no matter how passionate you are.

There are so many pieces to living a well lived life. There are so many pieces to building a sustainable business and yet there are few hard and fast rules. Most pieces need to be adjusted and upgraded as we go. Systems change, rules change, our energy changes - and we need to learn to respect that.

I have been following my passion my whole damn life. Hell, I left nearly a full academic scholarship at Boston University on a pre-med track to head to California and take out massive loans to study Chinese medicine. I paid back those massive loans in 9 years - but it added to my burnout. Needing to earn that much more money was a burden. The loans were a burden. The patient load was a burden. My need to people please and have people like me was a burden.

I wasn’t on the wrong track. I was learning and growing and burnout is what ended up being my guide. Burnout taught me how to balance passion with energy. Enthusiasm with boundaries. Love for my work with love for my life.

So, Simon - apologies. This wasn’t an attack on you - but I really really don’t like that statement. I don’t need to see more incredibly talented and passionate people burn out because they aren’t respecting their edges.

I want to see more people enjoying their passion AND their lives. I want to see more entrepreneurs building businesses that they love AND are sustainable. I want entrepreneurs to feel less guilty and more proud when they choose days of rest and restoration knowing that it only makes their business better when they feel 100%. I want to see entrepreneurs building lives they love that aren’t their business so they aren’t living it 24/7. Love your business, but enjoy your hobbies, friends, and family too.

If you feel burdened by the constant barrage of info that tells you you should feel great when you follow your passion but you find yourself feeling like your passion is a boulder that is slowly crushing you, book a call - let's fix it.

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Errin Weisman, D.O.: From Burnt Out To Badass, A Female Physician's Story

Sun, 13 Sep 2020 04:00:00 +0000

Errin Weisman, D.O. was taught, like all doctors to be a robot, a superhuman, a she-ro - and it burnt her out. Now, Errin Weisman, DO is a life coach, podcaster and fierce wellness advocate who helps inspire female physicians and working moms to do the work they love and absolutely love life. Her work in the world is to openly tell how she faced professional burnout early in her family medicine career so that no one feels alone, all know that change is possible because "if she can do it, so can I" and that you can have a joy-filled and sustainable career. She lives and practices life coaching and medicine in rural Southwestern Indiana, loves her roles as farmer's wife, athlete and mother of three. Besides being sassy, she enjoys getting mud on her shoes, teaching her children to catch tadpoles and reading a great fantasy novel. In this episode,Errin and I definitely get sassy and talk about how burnout was the worst year of her lifeand left her asking: "What is wrong with me?!?!" Reaching the moment where she had everything she'd been striving for and then realizing something was missing she described as "when you reach the mountaintop and it feels like a deep dark canyon, and then you find the basement". It only took her 3 months into her medical career before she was looking for an out. When she reached out she got told she'd get used to it, it was normal, and maybe she should pop an antidepressant. Then, she met a coach. And the moment she finally felt seen, heard and understood - she began to heal. Now, she helps other female physicians and moms heal their own burnouts. In addition to 1:1 coaching, she has an online course called From Burnt Out To Badass, and she started a directory of physician coaches so that everyone can find the person they need. She credits learning to name and claim her emotions outside of 'numb' and 'angry' as crucial to her healing and talks a ton about really being her sassy self and how leaving her personality behind when she became DR. WEISSMAN was a major burnout factor for her. She wants you to know this: You are not broken. You are not the problem. This [burnout] is not a character flaw.

And she'd love for you to ask yourself, "What if...... ..... you gave yourself the permission to explore?..... you allowed your personality to shine through?..... you could let go of your identity that you gained because of your career or degree?..... you could be empowered to just be you? This week's episode is fun and informative and I know you're going to love it as much as i did. If you're ready to end the burnout cycle you're stuck on, you can book a call with Cait here. LINKS Errin INSTAGRAM Errin Website Course: From Burnt Out To Badass The Physician Coaching Alliance Doctor Me First Podcast LINKS TO CAIT Cait's Website BUY THE BOOK: The Bouncebackability Factor The Resentment Journal Mini Course XOXO C P.S. In this episode we chat openly about the fact that black women need extra support for the extra burden they carry. If you are a black woman who needs support and would like to be working with a black coach, please send me an email at cait @ caitdonovan . com so that I can set you up with someone who can support you as you need to be supported.

P.P.S. The Bouncebackability Factor: End Burnout, Gain Resilience, and Change the World is OUT! This book is for everyone who has ever felt burnt out with a special flavor in there for the female entrepreneur. Get your copy here

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#straightfromcait: 3 Expert Tips To Restore Your Health After Burnout

Sun, 06 Sep 2020 04:00:00 +0000

Hi Fried Fans!

On the last #straightfromcait episode, I shared 5 words with you that come up often as guides on my clients’ burnout recovery journeys. Those words were: safety, owning your genius, embodiment, community, and truth.

When it came time to make the infographic for the episode (if you’re not following me on LinkedIn or Instagram, now's the time to get on board! :)), I added one more word - RESTORE.

And when I asked you which of these words resonated most, RESTORE was the winner by a country mile. Some of the comments you left taught me that you still aren’t sure how to turn this word into an actionable step that you can take in your life, so I decided to break it down for you.

First, we have to think about what this word means when it comes to being a human. I mean, we could talk about restoring furniture, but I’m not sure if the metaphor would work. The word restore has a simple definition: to bring something or someone back to a former condition but when we’re talking about health, is that really what we mean?

Here’s what I think resonated with you in the word restore (and feel free to correct me if I’m wrong!)

The word restore means to be brought to a state of overall well being. It might be a state that is even better than a state you have ever experienced. It means creating space for healing. It means slowing down, having a respite from day to day events and stressors, and allowing your body to use it’s natural powers of rejuvenation without interrupting her before she’s done.

It means sleeping deeply, eating well, and resting without feeling guilty.

But that all sounds like a tall order, so how can you start to give your body more time to restore itself today within the schedule that you currently have?

Luckily, I have a few ideas ;)

You'll find 3 tips in this episode and 2 of them take under 60 seconds.

Let me know which is your favorite!

XOXO

ALSO - The Bouncebackability Factor (my first book!) is available for pre-order (in the kindle version, the paperback will be out Sept 14th). Check it out here: bit.ly/bouncebackorder

AND - I loooooooooove hearing your stories. If you have been pushed too far to the edge and you're ready to end the burnout cycle and live the life you deserve, book your initial call here: bit.ly/callcait

That first call is free and it's everything we need to figure out if I'm the right person to help you right now.

Slots for the fall are filling up quickly, so snag yours asap! :)

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#straightfromcait: The 5 Words You Can Focus On To Help You Recover From Burnout - Straight From The Expert

Sun, 23 Aug 2020 04:00:00 +0000

This episode is being released on my birthday! YAYYAYAYYAYAY!

Shout me out everywhere because I love my Birthday! :)

Especially tag me on IG: @cait_donovan

Today I want to chat with you about the power of words. Often, in the first call with a new coaching client, there is a word that pokes itself out and decides that this is what we need to focus on during our work together.

It happens intuitively, and it serves as great guidance as you heal. Today, I want to share 5 of them with you that happen to pop up fairly frequently!

1. Safety - there can be a lack of safety in your life even if you’re technically ‘safe’. If there are areas where you feel unsafe, your nervous system will remain stuck in fight or flight and it will be really hard for you to heal. This can mean living with someone who has explosive emotions, it can mean feeling that you don’t buy new stuff because you’re afraid you can’t care for it.

2. Owning Your Genius - this is true if you’re on the right path, but still need to allow yourself to grow to a bigger scale - staying small can burn you out!

Truth - when you are living a life that your parents or culture would deem acceptable but what you want to do is a little less conventional or socially acceptable than traditional modes of working ( or LIVING).
Community - we need other people. A couple weeks ago, I did a #straightfromcait about external validation and I meant every single word. Soon, there will be a FB group around The Bouncebackability Factor (preorder now!)

Embodiment - the knowledge that you have in your brain is shared with your heart and your body. I was stuck in intellectualizing my situation for a long time and I HAD the knowledge, but I wasn’t APPLYING all the knowledge. Practicing allows for embodiment!
If you want your own word, we start by getting on a free consult call (we need to know we love each other before we start this process! :)). You can book a time slot for yourself here: bit.ly/callcait

XOXO

Cait

P.S. The Bouncebackability Factor Reviews are IN! Here’s an example to get you excited to snag your copy ASAP…

“I laughed, I cried, I took a deep breath and sighed … was it possible Cait had been following me around and documenting my trials and tribulations??? It was a BLESSING to acknowledge that the symptoms and manifestations of Burn-Out were systemic in society, especially so with women. It was also reaffirming to know that it is possible to slow the progression of being fried alive by learning to recognize signs and symptoms and pay attention to the whispers of the body that require attention and lovingkindness, before the whispers turn into screams, or worse.” Kathy

P.P.S. Want to pre-order your kindle copy IMMEDIATELY!??! You can do that here :)

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Nicole Liloia: Teaches Us How to Use Laziness To Heal from Burnout and Earn More Money (while Watching Dawson's Creek) with Cait Donovan

Sun, 16 Aug 2020 04:00:00 +0000

In today’s episode, I’m speaking with Nicole Liloia, a therapist and business strategist who helps women entrepreneurs build bigger businesses and create consistent income growth by helping them create multiple income streams. Her system allows her clients the freedom to work less, while still making more money. Nicole got her Masters in Social Work from Columbia University, loves Taco Tuesdays and Apothic wine.

Nicole talks about her experience living on a small salary in the Big Apple and how that contributes to burnout, her love for travel and how that inspired her to bust through the limiting ideas of running her own business, affiliate marketing and of course, Dawson’s Creek (that’s why you’re here, isn’t it?)!

We discussed how we can often suffer from burnout but call it laziness and be ruthlessly hard on ourselves and how it actually takes time to recover, it’s not a flip of a switch for anyone.

Stay till the end, because Nicole also shares some easy tips on affiliate marketing and how you can get started today, even if you have a job or don’t have a business. Plus, ways you can start saving on autopilot and guarantee a more secure future for yourself!

I truly enjoyed speaking with Nicole and love that she actually lives so close to me and both of us would love to know what resonated the most with you from today’s episode and would you like to listen to an episode dedicated to finances and burnout? Send me a message on Instagram and I cannot wait to hear from you!

Connect with Cait

Website: www.caitdonovan.com

Cait on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cait_donovan

Fried on Instagram: www.instagram.com/friedtheburnoutpodcast

Pre-Order My Book: https://bit.ly/bouncebackorder

Connect with Nicole

Website:https://www.nicoleliloia.com

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/nicoleliloia

Grab your Freebie here https://www.nicoleliloia.com/multiple-income-streams

Cait

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#straightfromcait: The Power of External Validation For Burnout Prevention and Recovery

Sun, 09 Aug 2020 04:00:00 +0000

In this week's #straightfromcait episode, I want to share with you just how important external validation is. Yes, it matters. No, you shouldn't go on without it.

It is so important that its one of the biggest external burnout risk factors. That's right. Not hearing enough praise or recognition (or worse, hearing only negative feedback) is a MAJOR factor in your ability to stay burnout free.

I know that the world of coaching and the law of attraction would love for you to believe that you create your entire reality and if you just straighten out everything internally, your whole life will fall into place and you'll feel amazing all the time. What other people think about you and say about you will become immaterial....

I'm here to tell you today that that is total BS. We need each other. I need you. We're a community. We don't truly do anything alone (even if it feels like it sometimes). We need to be loved, recognized, and praised.

In my personal burnout story, I needed someone to love me from the outside before I learned how to love myself. It didn't start with me, it started with my best friend, Ewa.

She showed me how to love myself by loving me when I still didn't know how.

Other people matter. Who you surround yourself with matters.

That's the truth.

So, for today - know this:

I LOVE YOU.

YOU ARE MAGICAL.

YOU DESERVE LOADS OF GOODNESS IN YOUR LIFE.

XOXO

Dying for me to be your coach?!?!? (me too! ;))

Book a free consult here:

bit.ly/callcait

Can't wait to talk to you and create space for your magic.

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Khadijah Tishan Washington: A Black Therapist Shares Her View on Spirituality, Racial Trauma, and Committing To Your Own Healing

Sun, 02 Aug 2020 04:00:00 +0000

In today’s episode, we’re talking to Khadijah Tishan Washington MSW, LCSW , a licensed therapist who credits her own creative and chaotic childhood with inspiring her passion for social work. Khadijah began her journey of service and self- healing in child and family mental health. Her latest book, ‘REAL’ is a memoir of healing and deeper awareness that directs you to serve the most vulnerable- the people serving the neglected, abused, and marginalized. Khadijah describes this journey of serving and self-healing as ‘REAL’.

During our conversation, she shares snippets from her own life, her childhood and her lived experience with racism in America and generational trauma it inflicts, what makes her so passionate and how all of that has informed her work over the years

I truly enjoyed speaking with Khadijah and having this extremely important conversation continue. I’d love to know: What is one thing that stuck out for you from this conversation? What’s your biggest takeaway?

Both Khadijah and I would love to know, so please share and tag us on social media so we can support and cheer for you!

Connect with Cait

Website: www.caitdonovan.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/friedtheburnoutpodcast

Pre-Order My Book: https://bit.ly/bouncebackorder

Connect with Khadijah

Website: https://khadijahtishan.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/khadijahtishan/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/khadijahtishan/

Buy her book HERE!

Cait

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#straightfromcait: Burnt Out and Feel Like Your Spiritual Practices are Broken? You're Not Alone.

Sun, 26 Jul 2020 04:00:00 +0000

Hi FRIED Friends!

LINK: bit.ly/callcait

You’ve found yourself right in the beginning of a #straightfromcait episode and I’m so grateful that you’re here.

Your time, and your listening energy is so appreciated and my biggest hope is that the information you get by being here is worth every last second. I really do my best to be sure that’s the truth!

We’re at the end of July now and holy shit, it’s almost August 2020. Can you even? I cannot.

In August, I will celebrate my 38th Birthday (I love my birthday, so get ready to hear about it a few times in the coming episodes ;)) and let me tell you, I’m not where I thought I’d be.

Growing up, I knew I’d do something a little different, I was always a little left of center when it came to my choices, my friends, my style, and my ideas. And even though this was always a part of me, I felt too far away from center for a long time. As a pre-med student who turned to Chinese medicine instead, and as an American living abroad, and then as an author of a book and a podcast on a topic that no one used to talk about - it seems like I’m always at tne edges.

Living on that edge, making the different choice, following my heart sometimes left me defensive and in a state where I had to PROVE to everyone that I wasn’t crazy, that acupuncture worked, that life coaching matters, that the work I do is POWERFUL and transformational even if other people didn’t understand it.

It’ll be no surprise to you, as a FRIED The Burnout Podcast listener, that this constant need to prove my value because I was not in the mainstream was part of my burnout. I realized this past week that is no longer the case. Not only do I not have anything to prove (I’ve already done the uber successful bit) but I’m so glad to be on the edges. I like living here in the world of personal development, spirituality, alternative medicine, energy healing, quantum physics and all of it.

Even when I don’t agree with it all, I love it and I love being a part of it.

That’s why, when I was totally burnt out, I was reallly frustrated. I would read things on manifestation and the law of attraction and mindset and positive thinking and want to throw something against a wall - it all sounded like bullshit to me, even though I’d experienced it earlier in my life.

When I was burnt out, it was because I was not in my OWN mainstream, not in my OWN center. I was trying too hard to be ‘good enough’ for everyone and everything else that I left myself behind.

When you do that, you’re spending an awful lot of time in your left brain and you’re missing the magic, the energy, the creativeness, and the connectedness that your right brain has to offer. When they’re both working, both the left and right sides of your brain, when they’re connected, when they’re communicating properly - the magic comes back. This is when you can use gratitude journals instead of resentment journals and manifestation alongside your goal setting.

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Whitney Goodman, LMFT: A Therapist Bares All About Dealing With The Underlying Beliefs That Lead Us To Overperform

Sun, 19 Jul 2020 04:00:00 +0000

In today’s episode, we’re talking to Whitney Goodman, a licensed marriage and family therapist and owner of The Collaborative Counselling Center in Miami, FL. She provides counseling to individuals and couples who want better relationships and to heal from the hurt in their past.

During our conversation, she shares her own burnout story, that happened really early on in her life and career and how she felt like a failure being a mental health professional herself. After being told “you’re too young to be burnt out”, she decided to leave her job and go out on her own, quickly realizing that burnout was happening because of the structural inequities at her job and the lack of support in her own life and not because she chose the wrong profession.

We also talk about toxic positivity and why you need to avoid it (despite what social media is telling you), people pleasing and the good, the bad and the ugly of boundaries!

I truly enjoyed speaking with Whitney and this episode is chock full of so much goodness, that I’m curious: What is one thing that you KNOW you need to start implementing in your life?

Both Whitney and I would love to know, so please share and tag us on social media so we can support and cheer for you!

Connect with Cait

Website: www.caitdonovan.com/

Instagram: www.instagram.com/friedtheburnoutpodcast/

Pre-Order My Book: https://bit.ly/bouncebackorder/

Connect with Whitney

Website: https://www.thecollaborativecounselingcenter.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sitwithwhit/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CollaborativeCounselingMiami/

Courses: https://sitwithwhit.mykajabi.com/store/

Cait

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#straightfromcait: The Most Transformative Emotion for Burnout Recovery and Boundary Building

Sun, 12 Jul 2020 04:00:00 +0000

In this week’s episode of FRIED: The Burnout Podcast, you’re getting a #straightfromcait episode about my favorite emotion and my favorite topic. I often say that things are my favorite topic because there are so many things I love to talk about (I was BORN to podcast, even if it didn’t exist yet back then ;)). But this one really takes the cake.

Because I said it’s my favorite emotion, you might think I’m talking Gratitude, or JOY, Happiness, or Humorous. I love all of those too, but there’s one that I ReALLY love and I love it for it’s transformative properties. I love it because no one else talks about it. I love it because working with it is SO SO SO Powerful.

So, what’s my favorite emotion?

Resentment!

Some of you may have guessed that because I do have a course that helps you transform Resentment - it’s called The Resentment Journal mini course and for just $27 bucks, you can save yourself years of wasted energy and become an boundary building master.

You'll find the shownotes for this episode at:

https://www.friedtheburnoutpodcast.com/post/sfc-resentment

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Kara Pepper, MD: An MD Tells The Truth About Rebuilding Her Life After Burning Out

Sun, 05 Jul 2020 04:00:00 +0000

In today’s episode of Fried, we’re talking to Dr. Kara Pepper, practicing primary care Internist in Atlanta, GA, and a life coach for physicians struggling with burnout, transition, imposter syndrome and perfectionism. A recovering perfectionist herself, she coaches doctors through their own burnout and transition and helps them to love the life they worked so hard to create. She is a wife, mom, yogi and westie lover.

She shares her story of how she went from being a Professional ballet dancer in her teens to becoming a leading physician. She opens up about how she used workaholism to mute her feelings since childhood and although she’d built a great looking life on paper, underneath it all she was miserable and barely holding it together. After her in-laws’ deaths, she crashed and burned out, couldn't keep the pieces of her life together and while she fantasized about running away and leaving it all behind, she finally took a sabbatical that would allow her to rebuild a life that was meaningful, sustainable, and connected.

We talk a lot about making changes in areas that you can actually control,separating the external and internal causes of burnout and focusing on what you actually can change first, gaining energy from that and then moving on to the rest. This talk is so damn important right now as we continue to move through COVID and physician and nurse and hospital worker burnout is going through the roof!

Share this one with all of your medicine based friends, they need to know that they are not alone! We've got their backs and that there is help out there!

Connect with Dr. Kara Pepper

Website: https://www.KaraPepperMD.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karapeppermd

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kara-pepper-2555b42/

Connect with Cait Donovan

Website: https://www.caitdonovan.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/friedtheburnoutpodcast/

Resentment Journal for $27 only: https://www.caitdonovan.com/resentment-journal

Do something to care for yourself this week and book a FREE call with me! Initial calls last 35 minutes and are a great way to kickstart your burnout recovery. Book your call at caitdonovan.as.me/free.

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#straightfromcait: Sometimes, Feeling Like Shit Is The Only Option (and that's okay too)

Sun, 28 Jun 2020 04:00:00 +0000

In this week's #straightfromcait, I'm reading to you from my book, The Bouncebackability Factor. I think this passage is important for today because it is all about sitting in the muck when we feel like shit, not spiritually bypassing our problems, and not finding silver linings before it's too soon.

Right now, amidst coronavirus and the very necessary renewed talks on racism, the energy is heavy - and before we try to shake it off, we need to allow it time to process. The passage that I read from the book this week should help you understand why.

If you're stock full of resentments and you're stuck in them, I have a new tool for you! It's The Resentment Journal Mini-Course and it's a $27, 17-page fill in able pdf workbook for your emotional transformation pleasure.

It even got me an article in Forbes recently, so you know it's good stuff ;)

You can grab your copy of the Resentment Journal here:

https://www.caitdonovan.com/resentment-journal

And, if you know you need more support than that, you can always book a free consult to find out how I can help :)

https://www.caitdonovan.as.me/free

My ears are ready for your story <3

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Deepshikha Sairam: Non-Stop Sacrifice is Not The Secret To Success According to This Business Mentor. Find Out What Is...

Sun, 21 Jun 2020 04:00:00 +0000

Episode Description S02E11

In this episode we’re talking to Deepshikha Sairam, a Business Mentor and Lead Generation Expert for female entrepreneurs who want to grow and scale a profitable online business with high quality consistent leads and recurring revenue, organically.

In this episode Deepshikha shares her story of leaving the corporate world to start her own business, leveraging her skills and talents to build a winning company, which was earning six figures by its second year and how she kept it all going and growing with two young children. In fact, this feat so intrigued the award-winning show, Marie TV, that they had to run a feature on Deepshikha! She also reveals how she was burning herself out to keep all the plates spinning, working continuously and ended up in the ER more than once!

She talks about spirituality in business, how she incorporated rest in her work for even greater profits and why she values self care for herself and her clients.

In addition to offering one-on-one consulting and online group programs, Deepshikha has also guest lectured at Elephant Journal Academy teaching Instagram Marketing. She has been featured in Tiny Buddha and Elephant Journal. She lives in New Jersey with her husband and two boys.

You can Connect with Deepshikha below

https://socialiquegroupe.lpages.co/consistent-organic-leads/

https://www.instagram.com/deepshikhasairam/

https://www.facebook.com/socialique/

XOXO

P.S. Remember Nadovim? The supplement specifically designed for burnt-out brains? If you’re foggy-headed and feel like your memory just isn’t the same, you should get 20% off your first 30-day supply at www.nadovim.com by entering the coupon code BURNOUT.

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#straightfromcait: What Your Burnout Is Trying To Tell You

Sun, 14 Jun 2020 04:00:00 +0000

You asked: What is my burnout trying to tell me? And I answered in this week's #straightfromcait episode!

Within this episode you'll hear my real feelings about 'everything happens for a reason' and you'll hear all 7 reasons you burn out that made it into The Bouncebackability Factor, the book I wrote for you due out late this summer/early fall!

Values exercise mentioned in this episode you can grab here: