“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:

Cait Donovan is a keynote speaker, author, and host of FRIED: The Burnout Podcast, specializing in burnout, mis/match, and sustainable performance at work. She partners with corporate leaders, teams, and professional associations through keynotes, workshops, and leadership sessions that treat burnout as data, not failure, to help organizations reduce burnout without blame or shame and build healthier, high performing cultures.

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

“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:

Cait Donovan is a keynote speaker, author, and host of FRIED: The Burnout Podcast, specializing in burnout, mis/match, and sustainable performance at work. She partners with corporate leaders, teams, and professional associations through keynotes, workshops, and leadership sessions that treat burnout as data, not failure, to help organizations reduce burnout without blame or shame and build healthier, high performing cultures.

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

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:

Cait Donovan is a keynote speaker, author, and host of FRIED: The Burnout Podcast, specializing in burnout, mis/match, and sustainable performance at work. She partners with corporate leaders, teams, and professional associations through keynotes, workshops, and leadership sessions that treat burnout as data, not failure, to help organizations reduce burnout without blame or shame and build healthier, high performing cultures.

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

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/

https://cuely.ai/FRIED 

XOXO,

C

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://friedtheburnoutpodcast.com/quiz

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

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/free

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,

C

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://friedtheburnoutpodcast.com/quiz

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

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,

C

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://friedtheburnoutpodcast.com/quiz

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

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,

C

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://friedtheburnoutpodcast.com/quiz

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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,

C

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://friedtheburnoutpodcast.com/quiz

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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,

C

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

https://friedtheburnoutpodcast.com/quiz

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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,

C

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://friedtheburnoutpodcast.com/quiz

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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 

https://caitdonovan.as.me/sarah

https://friedtheburnoutpodcast.com/quiz

XOXO,

C

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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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,

C

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://friedtheburnoutpodcast.com/quiz

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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 

https://caitdonovan.com/resentment-journal

https://caitdonovan.as.me/sarah

https://caitdonovan.as.me/free

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,

C

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://friedtheburnoutpodcast.com/quiz

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“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:

Cait Donovan is a keynote speaker, author, and host of FRIED: The Burnout Podcast, specializing in burnout, mis/match, and sustainable performance at work. She partners with corporate leaders, teams, and professional associations through keynotes, workshops, and leadership sessions that treat burnout as data, not failure, to help organizations reduce burnout without blame or shame and build healthier, high performing cultures.

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 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,

C

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://friedtheburnoutpodcast.com/quiz

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 

https://caitdonovan.as.me/sarah 

https://facebook.com/groups/friedtheburnoutpodcast

XOXO,

C

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://friedtheburnoutpodcast.com/quiz

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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,

C

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://friedtheburnoutpodcast.com/quiz

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Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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://facebook.com/groups/friedtheburnoutpodcast

https://friedtheburnoutpodcast.com/resources

https://caitdonovan.as.me/sarah

https://caitdonovan.as.me/freecall

XOXO,

C

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://friedtheburnoutpodcast.com/quiz

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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,

C

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://friedtheburnoutpodcast.com/quiz

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Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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,

C

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://friedtheburnoutpodcast.com/quiz

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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,

C

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://friedtheburnoutpodcast.com/quiz

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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 

https://facebook.com/groups/friedtheburnoutpodcast

https://caitdonovan.com/resentment-journal

https://caitdonovan.as.me/sarah

https://caitdonovan.as.me/free

XOXO,

C

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://friedtheburnoutpodcast.com/quiz

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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,

C

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://friedtheburnoutpodcast.com/quiz

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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,

C

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://friedtheburnoutpodcast.com/quiz

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“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

Burnout isn’t a personal failure or a lack of resilience. It’s a signal that something in the system, expectations, roles, pace, or support, is out of alignment. Conversations like this one help surface the human experience of burnout, while the broader work continues to explore how organizations can respond more intelligently and sustainably.

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

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,

C

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

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://friedtheburnoutpodcast.com/quiz

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

https://caitdonovan.com/freebie-values

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,

C

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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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,

C

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

Register for the May 2022 FRIED Masterclass: https://www.caitdonovan.com/offers/fSKNzXzh

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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,

C

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

Register for the May 2022 FRIED Masterclass: https://www.caitdonovan.com/offers/fSKNzXzh

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“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,

C

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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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 

https://caitdonovan.com/resentment-journal

https://caitdonovan.as.me/sarah

XOXO,

C

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://friedtheburnoutpodcast.com/quiz

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“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,

C

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!

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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://facebook.com/groups/friedtheburnoutpodcast

https://caitdonovan.as.me/free

https://caitdonovan.as.me/sarah

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,

C

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://caitdonovan--consultingsuccess.thrivecart.com/escape-demo/619d7d55cbc4a/ 

Join the Newsletter https://caitdonovan.com/newsletter-office-hours

https://friedtheburnoutpodcast.com/quiz

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“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,

C

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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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,

C

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://friedtheburnoutpodcast.com/quiz

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“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:

Cait Donovan is a keynote speaker, author, and host of FRIED: The Burnout Podcast, specializing in burnout, mis/match, and sustainable performance at work. She partners with corporate leaders, teams, and professional associations through keynotes, workshops, and leadership sessions that treat burnout as data, not failure, to help organizations reduce burnout without blame or shame and build healthier, high performing cultures.

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

“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,

C

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

“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,

C

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

“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,

C

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

“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,

C

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

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 

https://facebook.com/groups/friedtheburnoutpodcast

XOXO,

C

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

“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,

C

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

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 

https://facebook.com/groups/friedtheburnoutpodcast 

XOXO,

C

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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“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/ 

https://caitdonovan.com/freebie-values 

XOXO,

C

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

“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,

C

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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“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,

C

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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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:

Cait Donovan is a keynote speaker, author, and host of FRIED: The Burnout Podcast, specializing in burnout, mis/match, and sustainable performance at work. She partners with corporate leaders, teams, and professional associations through keynotes, workshops, and leadership sessions that treat burnout as data, not failure, to help organizations reduce burnout without blame or shame and build healthier, high performing cultures.

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

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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://facebook.com/groups/friedtheburnoutpodcast 

https://instagram.com/friedtheburnoutpodcast 

XOXO,

C

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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“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,

C

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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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://caitdonovan.com/resentment-journal 

https://m.facebook.com/groups/friedtheburnoutpodcast

https://heartmath.com

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-happy-brain/id1377502232

XOXO,

C

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