Episodi
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Burnout Recovery works better with support. UNFRIED is our small group (5 people max!) coaching program to help guide you through your recovery. Apply now! [http://bit.ly/unfried]
Burnout recovery takes more than bubble baths and boundary scripts. It asks you to let yourself receive.
To celebrate 300 episodes of FRIED, Cait Donovan and Sarah Vosen are getting real about what it took to get here⊠emotionally, financially, and logistically. What do you do when your mission is to serve others, but youâre maxed out behind the scenes? How do you keep showing up with integrity when your inbox is full of amazing guest pitches you donât have the capacity to accept?
Cait opens up about the guilt that still shows up when she says no, and the tension between wanting to help everyone and needing to protect her own energy. She and Sarah talk about money, sustainability, and the shift from giving endlessly to allowing themselves to receive in equal measure.
They also unveil a new tool made just for you: the FRIED Episode Finder, a searchable archive that helps you find exactly what you need without scrolling through 300 titles. Type in a keyword, a name, a question, and it serves up the episodes that match. (Burnout recovery with a little delegation joy? Yes, please!)
This milestone episode is full of gratitude, behind-the-scenes truth, and hard-earned wisdom for anyone working to stay well while helping others do the same.
Episode Breakdown:
00:00 300 Episodes of FRIED!
02:14 Behind the Scenes
05:09 Boundaries, Guilt, and Saying No
06:44 The Real Cost of Podcasting
10:00 Learning to Receive
13:05 Using ChatGPT to Set Boundaries
15:09 Pricing Your Work Without Apology
17:00 Burnout Recovery Is a Long Game
19:13 Listener Impact and Gratitude
23:58 Introducing the FRIED Episode Finder
28:32 Delegation Joy Is Real
30:26 Send Us Your Questions
Links
Looking for the right episode? Use the free FRIED Episode Finder to search by keyword and find the support you need, fast: bit.ly/friedfinder
Connect with Cait:
Initial Call with Cait: bit.ly/callcait
Initial Call with Sarah: bit.ly/callsarahv
Burnout Recovery works better with support. UNFRIED is our small group (5 people max!) coaching program to help guide you through your recovery. Apply now! [http://bit.ly/unfried]
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm
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Burnout Recovery works better with support. UNFRIED is our small group (5 people max!) coaching program to help guide you through your recovery. Apply now! [http://bit.ly/unfried]
Stress resilience isnât a mindset trick. Itâs built on your biology, your history, and whether or not you actually use the support available to you.
This week on #straightfromcait, Cait Donovan challenges the idea that self-awareness is where resilience begins. What if your stress response was shaped long before you ever had a chance to influence it? Cait walks through how genetics and early experiences, like trauma or family dynamics, lay the groundwork for how your body handles stress. Some peopleâs systems are just wired differently, and that wiring matters.
Cait breaks down the difference between reacting to stress and being truly resilient. Real resilience means facing your reality as it is, staying connected to what you care about, and adjusting when things go sideways. Are you living in a way that actually supports your nervous system, or are you just white-knuckling it through your day?
Cait also spotlights two powerful but often overlooked tools: leaning into your natural strengths and asking for help. Not just once, but consistently and without guilt. These choices expand your capacity and give you a better shot at bouncing back when life gets hard.
Self-awareness still plays a role, but it works best when itâs used to build a life that fits you, not a version of you thatâs always running on empty.
Episode Breakdown:
00:00 What Stress Resilience Really Means
01:20 How Genetics Shape Stress Response
01:55 The Role of Upbringing and Trauma
04:09 Three Core Traits of Resilience
06:01 Skills, Support, and Expanding Resources
07:49 Why Using Resources Matters
09:02 Self-Awareness as a Tool, Not a Starting Point
11:01 Signs Your Resilience Is Holding Up
11:22 Three Ways to Improve Resilience
12:25 Realignment and Radical Honesty
Links
Initial Call with Cait: bit.ly/callcait
Initial Call with Sarah: bit.ly/callsarahv
Burnout Recovery works better with support. UNFRIED is our small group (5 people max!) coaching program to help guide you through your recovery. Apply now! [http://bit.ly/unfried]
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm
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Episodi mancanti?
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Burnout Recovery works better with support. UNFRIED is our small group (5 people max!) coaching program to help guide you through your recovery. Apply now! [http://bit.ly/unfried]
Burnout doesnât always look like falling apart. Sometimes it looks like holding everything together, until your body makes it clear you canât keep going this way.
Cait Donovan is joined by her longtime friend Sarah Swanberg, a doctor of acupuncture and Chinese medicine and co-founder of Indigo Wellness Group. They talk about what burnout really feels like for women moving through major life phases such as fertility, postpartum, perimenopause, and why so many of us miss the signs until weâre deep in it.
Sarah shares how she left a high-pressure career in visual effects and followed a quiet sense of curiosity into acupuncture, eventually building a multi-practitioner wellness practice that supports both patients and providers. What does it take to build something sustainable? How do you know when itâs time to change course, and how do you do it without losing yourself?
This episode digs into the deeper patterns behind burnout, from the pressure to âdo it allâ to the fear of asking for help. Cait and Sarah offer a grounded, honest look at what it really means to care for yourself, your work, and your future.
Episode Breakdown:
00:00 Introduction
02:00 Sarahâs Career Shift from Visual Effects to Acupuncture
08:00 Spotting Burnout and Rethinking Success
10:00 Letting Go of the Sunk Cost Fallacy
14:00 Burnout, Perimenopause, and the Role of Yin
20:00 Restorative Practices and Sustainable Living
24:00 Building a Collaborative Wellness Practice
34:00 Overcoming Fear and Asking for Help
40:00 Resourcing Yourself for a Resilient Life
Links
Connect with Sarah Swanberg:
https://sarahswanberg.com
https://instagram.com/sarah.theacudoc
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahwswanberg/
https://sarahswanberg.com/free-download
Connect with Cait:
Initial Call with Cait: bit.ly/callcait
Initial Call with Sarah: bit.ly/callsarahv
Burnout Recovery works better with support. UNFRIED is our small group (5 people max!) coaching program to help guide you through your recovery. Apply now! [http://bit.ly/unfried]
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm
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Burnout Recovery works better with support. UNFRIED is our small group (5 people max!) coaching program to help guide you through your recovery. Apply now! [http://bit.ly/unfried]
Sarah Vosen is back for another #sarahshares with a question many of us have quietly wondered: could you be happy if you never wanted to work again? This episode unpacks the deeper story behind that fear: the fight between the part of you that craves freedom and the voice that demands you stay responsible and practical.
Sharing her own experience, Sarah describes what happened when she finally stopped forcing herself to heal the âright wayâ and started listening to the rebel inside her. She opens up about letting go of the endless lists of shoulds and trusting herself to choose what actually felt good. How would your life change if you stopped living by rules that were never yours to begin with?
Sarah also talks about the idea that real recovery often means letting yourself receive help, even when every instinct tells you to stay independent. Are you willing to loosen your grip on doing it all alone? Could accepting support be the thing that changes everything?
This episode will leave you thinking differently about burnout, healing, and the way you treat the voice inside you that simply wants more joy.
Episode Breakdown:
00:00 Introduction
00:52 Fear of Never Wanting to Work Again
01:25 Freedom Versus Responsibility
02:07 Breaking Free from Burnout and Self-Imposed Rules
05:08 Letting the Inner Rebel Lead
06:02 Building Trust and Safety with Yourself
08:00 Accepting Help and Embracing Vulnerability
09:57 Prioritizing Freedom and Happiness
11:03 Finding and Honoring Your True Desires
13:07 Choosing Joy and Contentment
Links
Connect with Cait:
Initial Call with Cait: bit.ly/callcait
Initial Call with Sarah: bit.ly/callsarahv
Burnout Recovery works better with support. UNFRIED is our small group (5 people max!) coaching program to help guide you through your recovery. Apply now! [http://bit.ly/unfried]
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm
-
Burnout Recovery works better with support. UNFRIED is our small group (5 people max!) coaching program to help guide you through your recovery. Apply now! [http://bit.ly/unfried]
Burnout recovery doesnât always come with the luxury of stepping away from your job, and Cait Donovan knows that firsthand. In this episode, she speaks directly to those who feel stuck in burnout but still have to show up for work every day.
Cait offers a starting point: pick one small shift and commit to it for a few weeks. Just one. She lays out two clear paths, depending on how you're feeling right now.
If youâre angry, the Resentment Journal mini course is your first step. Resentment shows up when you're pouring energy into something that gives little or nothing back. Identifying those moments and adjusting them where you can help you reclaim the energy you need to move forward.
If youâre not angry but just numb or depleted, Cait recommends rebuilding the basics of self-care. That means responding to your bodyâs most essential needs: rest, hydration, nourishment, movement. Even something as simple as peeing when you need to (yes, really) can rebuild your ability to listen to your body and regulate emotions.
Once youâve started to clear some space, Cait suggests exploring proprioceptive writing to access deeper emotional clarity. Because while burnout follows patterns, your story is your own and so is your recovery.
Wherever you begin, the message is clear: start small, stay kind to yourself, and donât wait for the perfect moment to begin healing.
Episode Breakdown:
00:00 Introduction
01:09 How to Recover from Burnout Without Quitting Your Job
01:33 Step 1: Start with the Resentment Journal
03:55 Step 2: Foundational Self-Care That Actually Works
07:05 Rebuilding Awareness Through Small Body Signals
08:30 Step 3: Try Proprioceptive Writing
10:06 Two Tools for Burnout Recovery That Work in Any Circumstance
Links
https://caitdonovan.com/resentment-journal
https://www.caitdonovan.com/blog/why-you-need-proprioceptive-writing-even-if-you-ve-never-heard-of-it
https://pod.link/1469939920/episode/ce0aa3d0c445b69d1c6ad6f3a31d2251
Connect with Cait:
Initial Call with Cait: bit.ly/callcait
Initial Call with Sarah: bit.ly/callsarahv
Burnout Recovery works better with support. UNFRIED is our small group (5 people max!) coaching program to help guide you through your recovery. Apply now! [http://bit.ly/unfried]
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm
-
Burnout Recovery works better with support. UNFRIED is our small group (5 people max!) coaching program to help guide you through your recovery. Apply now! [http://bit.ly/unfried]
Anger is a message from your body that, if ignored, can quietly fuel burnout.
This week, Sarah Vosen digs into something most of us donât talk about enough: why spring often brings a spike in anger, and how that ties directly to burnout. Could your short fuse or simmering resentment have more to do with your body than your circumstances? According to Chinese medicine, the liver and gallbladder take center stage this time of year. When theyâre overwhelmed, emotional tension builds.
Sarah breaks down what that means in real life, and more importantly, what to do about it. She offers five ways to process anger before it turns into something heavier. Some are physical. Some are emotional. All are meant to help you feel more grounded and less reactive.
If youâve been feeling off lately but canât quite explain why, this episode might give you a new lens. What if your anger is trying to move through you? And what would happen if you let it?
Episode Breakdown
00:00 Introduction
00:55 Why Spring Triggers Anger
01:27 How Chinese Medicine Explains Emotional Shifts
03:24 Five Ways to Process Anger
04:06 Move Your Body
06:16 Express and Release Emotion
08:03 Ground Yourself
10:01 Connect with Nature
15:00 Support Your Liver with Lemon Water and Sleep
Links
Connect with Cait:
Initial Call with Cait: bit.ly/callcait
Initial Call with Sarah: bit.ly/callsarahv
Burnout Recovery works better with support. UNFRIED is our small group (5 people max!) coaching program to help guide you through your recovery. Apply now! [http://bit.ly/unfried]
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm
-
Burnout Recovery works better with support. UNFRIED is our small group (5 people max!) coaching program to help guide you through your recovery. Apply now! [http://bit.ly/unfried]
You did the healing, took the break, felt better. So why does going back to work feel like a total relapse?
Cait Donovan tackles a common (and confusing) moment in recovery: feeling like youâre right back where you started after returning to your job. She breaks down how to tell if the workplace is toxic, a bad fit, or simply triggering habits you havenât had a chance to practice in that environment yet.
With honesty, Cait shares a three-step process to help you figure out whatâs really going on, so you can stop blaming yourself and start responding with more intention and self-respect. This episode is a reminder that burnout recovery isnât about doing everything perfectly. Itâs about learning to live, and work differently, one small step at a time.
Episode Breakdown:
00:00 Introduction
02:12 Why Practicing Recovery Skills at Work Matters
03:05 How to Identify a Toxic Workplace
05:13 Toxic vs. Bad Fit: Knowing the Difference
06:26 What a Bad Fit Can Teach You
09:05 Why Old Habits Resurface at Work
12:07 Three Steps to Assess Your Work Situation
13:32 Final Thoughts and Community Invitation
Links
Connect with Cait:
Initial Call with Cait: bit.ly/callcait
Initial Call with Sarah: bit.ly/callsarahv
Burnout Recovery works better with support. UNFRIED is our small group (5 people max!) coaching program to help guide you through your recovery. Apply now! [http://bit.ly/unfried]
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm
-
Burnout Recovery works better with support. UNFRIED is our small group (5 people max!) coaching program to help guide you through your recovery. Apply now! [http://bit.ly/unfried]
Self-sabotage isnât a personal flaw. Itâs your nervous system doing its best to keep you safe.
In this whole new episode of #FRIEDguides, Cait Donovan and Sarah Vosen take a closer look at why so many people feel like theyâre getting in their own way during burnout recovery. What if those moments where you fall back into old habits arenât failures, but signals that your body is overwhelmed and reaching for something familiar? What if the behavior youâre judging is actually trying to protect you?
Cait and Sarah break down how our nervous systems react to change, why recovery often feels messy, and how shame can make everything harder. Instead of trying to push through with force, they talk about how to meet yourself with compassion, curiosity, and a little more patience.
They also get personal. Cait shares her ongoing relationship with sugar and the deep-rooted comfort it represents. Itâs a reminder that coping strategies arenât always the problem. Sometimes theyâre part of the process.
If youâve ever wondered why change feels so hard, or why you canât seem to stick with âgoodâ habits, this conversation will help you see things in a new light. Recovery is a dance. Youâre allowed to take small steps, shift directions, and give yourself grace along the way.
Episode Breakdown:
00:00 Introduction
03:04 Why Cait and Sarah Donât Believe in Self-Sabotage
05:00 The Nervous Systemâs Role in Familiar Behaviors
07:04 Shame, Judgment, and the Myth of Failure
09:27 Coping Mechanisms and What Theyâre Really Doing
10:41 Burnout Recovery as a Non-Linear Process
13:21 Listening to Your Body and Meeting Yourself with Compassion
22:05 Redefining Progress and Practicing Gentleness Along the Way
Links
Connect with Cait:
Initial Call with Cait: bit.ly/callcait
Initial Call with Sarah: bit.ly/callsarahv
Burnout Recovery works better with support. UNFRIED is our small group (5 people max!) coaching program to help guide you through your recovery. Apply now! [http://bit.ly/unfried]
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm
-
Burnout Recovery works better with support. UNFRIED is our small group (5 people max!) coaching program to help guide you through your recovery. Apply now! [http://bit.ly/unfried]
Most of the rules youâre following were never made with you in mind and could be the reason youâre burned out.
Cait Donovan sits down with keynote speaker and executive consultant Kim Bolourtchi to talk about what it really means to be Strategically Unruly, and why breaking the right rules might be the key to burnout recovery. Kim shares her story of living a double life as a buttoned-up lawyer and national Latin dance champion, and how a surprising moment in front of the Missouri Supreme Court shattered the divide between who she was and who she thought she had to be.
Together, Cait and Kim unpack how internalized beliefs and outdated expectationsâboth personal and culturalâkeep people stuck in roles that drain their energy and bury their potential. They explore how resentment can serve as a clue to what you really want, why authenticity isnât just a buzzword, and how to start making change without burning your entire life down.
This episode is a reminder that you donât have to follow rules that were never made for you. Start with one shift. One rule you no longer want to live by. One step toward being more fully yourself.
Episode Breakdown:
00:00 Introduction
02:33 The Concept of Being Strategically Unruly
08:04 Developing a Framework for Strategic Unruliness
11:25 Internal vs. External Rules
13:53 The Impact of Rules on Personal Growth
16:14 Challenging Rules That Limit Us
18:09 Deservedness and Burnout
20:07 Focusing on Rules That Hold You Back
25:16 Finding and Challenging Your Own Rules
29:33 Resistance to Breaking Rules
34:54 Being Honest About Commitment
37:01 The Importance of Internal Feeling
39:16 Freeing Up Capacity by Being Authentic
Links
Connect with Kim Bolourtchi:
https://kimbolourtchi.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberly-bolourtchi/
Connect with Cait:
Initial Call with Cait: bit.ly/callcait
Initial Call with Sarah: bit.ly/callsarahv
Burnout Recovery works better with support. UNFRIED is our small group (5 people max!) coaching program to help guide you through your recovery. Apply now! [http://bit.ly/unfried]
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm
-
Burnout Recovery works better with support. UNFRIED is our small group (5 people max!) coaching program to help guide you through your recovery. Apply now! [http://bit.ly/unfried]
Burnout recovery isnât just about resting more. Itâs about finding the energy to live fully, set boundaries that protect your peace, and show up in ways that actually matter.
When the world feels chaotic, how do you stay committed to your healing? In this #FRIEDguides episode, Cait Donovan and Sarah Vosen dig into the challenges of burnout recovery when external stressors feel overwhelming. They talk about why carving out a space for yourselfâone that isnât flooded with nonstop news and social media noiseâisnât avoidance. Itâs survival. Cait shares her own experiences with burnout and the turning point when she realized self-care wasnât a luxury. It was a necessity.
The duo also get into the power of community, why individual healing creates a ripple effect, and how recognizing your own limits can actually make you more effective. Thereâs a sharp distinction between honoring hard emotions and getting stuck in them, and Cait and Sarah break down how to move through them without getting consumed.
If youâve ever felt guilty for stepping back, this episode will change how you see it. Taking care of yourself isnât checking out, but making sure you have the capacity to engage with the world in a way thatâs sustainable, meaningful, and real.
Episode Breakdown:
00:00 Introduction
03:00 Coping Strategies for Burnout
05:01 Maintaining Balance and Center
06:02 Focusing on Self-Care
07:05 Community Support in Burnout Recovery
10:20 Personal Activism and Self-Care
14:15 Burnout Recovery as Activism
17:08 Finding Calm in Immediate Environment
20:00 Allowing Time for Emotions
Links
https://open.spotify.com/episode/0WGHqwQAVbZEY1qLC9XyZL?si=f5da7095baa444f2
Connect with Cait:
Initial Call with Cait: bit.ly/callcait
Initial Call with Sarah: bit.ly/callsarahv
Burnout Recovery works better with support. UNFRIED is our small group (5 people max!) coaching program to help guide you through your recovery. Apply now! [http://bit.ly/unfried]
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm
-
Burnout Recovery works better with support. UNFRIED is our small group (5 people max!) coaching program to help guide you through your recovery. Apply now! [http://bit.ly/unfried]
ââYour brain craves creativity, and the arts might be the secret weapon against burnout. Genein Letford joins Cait Donovan to break down how music, movement, and self-expression fuel emotional resilience, sharpen thinking, and restore energy. Why does chronic stress shrink key areas of the brain? How can creative outlets like music and movement reverse the damage? And whatâs the deal with brain capital, and why should you care?
From brain breaks to the magic of third places, Genein shares science-backed strategies to help your brain recover and thrive. Whether burnout has dulled your creativity or youâre looking for a fresh way to recharge, Genein and Caitâs discussion might just change how you think about art and your own well-being.
Episode Breakdown:
00:00 Introduction
03:22 The Power of Music on the Brain
05:59 Brain Structures and Music
07:22 Musicâs Impact on Emotional Intelligence
10:47 Burnout and Brain Health
15:54 Self-Awareness and Personal Preferences
17:21 Understanding Brain Capital
21:21 Rebuilding Brain Health Post-Burnout
25:03 Importance of Brain Breaks
29:00 Third Places for Social Connection
32:08 The 2-5-7 Strategy for Brain Health
38:39 Enhancing Focus Through the Arts
45:25 Social Connection and Neural Synchronization
Links
Connect with Cait:
Initial Call with Cait: bit.ly/callcait
Initial Call with Sarah: bit.ly/callsarahv
Burnout Recovery works better with support. UNFRIED is our small group (5 people max!) coaching program to help guide you through your recovery. Apply now! [http://bit.ly/unfried]
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm
-
Burnout Recovery works better with support. UNFRIED is our small group (5 people max!) coaching program to help guide you through your recovery. Apply now! [http://bit.ly/unfried]
Burnout happens when you give endlessly without allowing yourself to receive.
Cait Donovan and Sarah Vosen are back for #FRIEDguides to break down why high achievers and caregivers struggle to accept support, energy, and appreciation. If you dismiss compliments, downplay your needs, or feel guilty for resting, youâre not alone. The problem is that without refueling, burnout becomes inevitable.
The co-hosts introduce the idea of âreceivershipâ and explain how learning to accept, rather than just give, creates balance. Through stories, metaphors, and practical exercises, they offer ways to expand your capacity to receive without guilt. If you want to keep showing up for others, you need to let yourself be fueled too!
Episode Breakdown:
00:00 Introduction
00:57 The Problem with Being a Good Giver
01:52 The Importance of Receiving and Taking
02:25 Fueling Yourself Beyond Sleep
03:48 Secret Indulgence and Shame
05:05 Reframing Selfishness as âSelf-Fullâ
07:21 Teaching the Body to Receive
10:03 The Flow of Energy and Physical Manifestations
12:49 Description of the Meditation
15:03 The Importance of Flow in Energy and Life
18:58 Susceptibility to Burnout Post-Recovery
19:45 Identifying and Expanding Your Capacity
21:04 Receiving to Sustain Generosity
22:39 Increasing Capacity to Receive with Gratitude
24:17 Closing
Links
Connect with Cait:
Initial Call with Cait: bit.ly/callcait
Initial Call with Sarah: bit.ly/callsarahv
Meditation: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0WGHqwQAVbZEY1qLC9XyZL?si=f5da7095baa444f2
Burnout Recovery works better with support. UNFRIED is our small group (5 people max!) coaching program to help guide you through your recovery. Apply now! [http://bit.ly/unfried]
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm
-
Burnout Recovery works better with support. UNFRIED is our small group (5 people max!) coaching program to help guide you through your recovery. Apply now! [http://bit.ly/unfried]
Burnout doesnât happen overnight. It creeps in when we ignore the signs, stay stuck in routines that no longer serve us, and let fear call the shots. Anne Marie Anderson knows something about pushing past hesitation, and in this episode, she shares how audacityâtaking bold, intentional actionâcan keep burnout from taking hold.
A three-time Emmy Award-winning broadcaster and author of âCultivating Audacity,â Anderson walks through the barriers that keep people from making changes: fear, time, money, and that relentless inner critic. What happens when you stop letting those things dictate your decisions? How do you create space for what actually matters?
Anderson breaks it down with real-world strategies. She explains why disenchantment is a warning sign, how small acts of courage add up, and why building a strong front row of supporters makes all the difference. If youâve ever felt stuck but werenât sure what to do next, this episode is your push to start moving.
Episode Breakdown:
00:00 Introduction
02:26 Connection with Nicole Khalil and the Theme of Boldness
03:17 Anne Marieâs Background and Career Journey
05:13 Recognizing Early Signs of Burnout: Disenchantment
07:04 Taking Risks and Measuring Them
08:09 Overcoming Barriers: Fear, Time, Money, and Inner Critic
10:09 Making Friends with Fear
12:20 Urgent vs. Important: Managing Time
15:13 Flexibility in Planning and Adjusting
18:35 Financial Barriers and Money Management
22:30 Exploring Your Money Story
24:24 Inner Critic: Identifying and Managing It
31:30 Childhood Influences and Parental Expectations
34:05 Over-Engineering Children's Lives and Burnout
37:24 Cultivating Audacity: Small Steps to Big Changes
40:06 Building a Supportive Front Row
41:03 Closing
Links
Connect with Anne Marie Anderson:
https://annemarieanderson.com/
https://www.instagram.com/annemarieandersontv/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/anne-marie-anderson-3557ab39/
https://annemarieanderson.com/freechapter1/
Connect with Cait:
Initial Call with Cait: bit.ly/callcait
Initial Call with Sarah: bit.ly/callsarahv
Burnout Recovery works better with support. UNFRIED is our small group (5 people max!) coaching program to help guide you through your recovery. Apply now! [http://bit.ly/unfried]
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm
-
Burnout Recovery works better with support. UNFRIED is our small group (5 people max!) coaching program to help guide you through your recovery. Apply now! [http://bit.ly/unfried]
Burnout recovery doesnât happen all at once. Small steps add up, even when progress feels impossible.
Hey Fried fam! Ever looked back at an old journal entry or email and realized you were clearer on what you needed than you thought? In this episode, Sarah Vosen walks through a listenerâs raw, unfiltered reflection from a time when burnout had them feeling stuck, exhausted, and unsure how to move forward.
What can you do when you know what you want but canât see a way to get there? Sarah explores how small shifts, support, and patience can turn overwhelm into real progress. She shares insights from her own recovery and the power of recognizing the wins, even the tiny ones.
Burnout can make change feel impossible, but what if youâre already on your way? Tune in for an episode that will help you see the progress youâve made and remind you that healing is within reach!
Episode Breakdown:
00:00 Introduction
05:04 Reflecting on Burnout and Desires
08:28 Initial Steps in Burnout Recovery
09:45 Fajardo Method and Nervous System Healing
10:51 Working While Recovering
12:05 Moving and Major Life Changes
13:00 Current Work and Practice
14:09 Achievements and Progress
15:02 Enjoying Nature and Retreats
15:56 Family and Boundaries
17:01 Letting Go of Control
18:07 Physical Health Improvements
18:59 Reflecting on Progress
20:04 Writing Your Burnout Story
21:08 Self-Compassion and Validation
22:22 Burnout Web of Causation Guide
25:03 Encouragement and Support Options
Links
Join us on February 26 for "Understanding Where Your Burnout Came From," [https://bit.ly/burnoutweb25] a live, interactive workshop where we can take the first step to untangle your burnout knotâtogether.
Weâll be working through The Burnout Web of Causation, a tool designed to help you:
- See the bigger picture of whatâs contributing to your burnout.
- Identify the stressors you can controlâand the ones you canât.
- Take practical steps to start cutting the threads of burnout, one by one.
REMEMBER: Burnout Recovery works better with support.
Connect with Cait:
Initial Call with Cait: bit.ly/callcait
Initial Call with Sarah: bit.ly/callsarahv
Burnout Recovery works better with support. UNFRIED is our small group (5 people max!) coaching program to help guide you through your recovery. Apply now! [http://bit.ly/unfried]
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm
-
Burnout Recovery works better with support. UNFRIED is our small group (5 people max!) coaching program to help guide you through your recovery. Apply now! [http://bit.ly/unfried]
Burnout thrives in the spaces where people arenât saying what they really mean.
In this episode, Cait Donovan is joined by Nahal Yousefian, a former head of HR at Netflix, to talk about why work culture fuels burnout and what needs to change. Nahal shares how burnout hit her hardâso hard she physically couldnât moveâand why that moment forced her to rethink everything.
Nahal pulls back the curtain on corporate dysfunction, from empty jargon to leadership that talks in circles. Why are companies obsessed with being âstrategicâ while refusing to make clear decisions? Why does psychological safety feel like a buzzword instead of a real priority? And what happens when employees finally get tired of playing along?
This episode cuts through the noise and makes the case for honest conversations, smarter work structures, and a workplace where well-being isnât treated like an afterthought.
Quotes
âThe leader was talking about apples, the employees talking about oranges, and HR is in the middle trying to get them to see that theyâre talking about two different things.â (16:16 | Nahal Yousefian) âI think after 20 years in the business, which was last summer, I started to realize that with the coming up of AI and the sort of technology and the social media platforms and avenues, I think that I would be able to exact change faster coming out than being inside a corporation.â (10:11 | Nahal Yousefian) âIn a day and age where generations coming into the workplace are demanding authenticity, corporate jargon has gone even more on steroids than ever before.â (22:33| Nahal Yousefian)âIf you look at the numbers, itâs a mathematical game where the number of managers who will judge you for asking questions versus the ones that wonât. We tend to go with the 80-20 rule. We know 20% of the managers are going to create a fair environment and Iâm scared to ask questions, but 80% are okay. But because of that 20%, the employees reporting to the other 80% donât do it either. So I think thatâs the dynamic that we need to shift.â (28:44 | Nahal Yousefian) âFollowing your heart is burnout prevention and burnout recovery. Itâs one of the rare things that fits in both categories.â (58:32 | Cait Donovan)Links
Connect with Nahal Yousefian:
www.thebarraisers.com
https://www.instagram.com/thebarraisers?igsh=Y3BhZTh4cTd4NW1k&utm_source=qr
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nahalyousefian/
Connect with Cait:
Initial Call with Cait: bit.ly/callcait
Initial Call with Sarah: bit.ly/callsarahv
Burnout Recovery works better with support. UNFRIED is our small group (5 people max!) coaching program to help guide you through your recovery. Apply now! [http://bit.ly/unfried]
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm
-
Burnout Recovery works better with support. UNFRIED is our small group (5 people max!) coaching program to help guide you through your recovery. Apply now! [http://bit.ly/unfried]
Burnout sneaks up slowly, leaving you drained and wondering what went wrong. Cait Donovan joins Nick Korte on Nerd Journey to talk about how chronic stress builds over time, why layoffs can be a breaking point or a relief, and what it really takes to recover. She breaks down burnout risk factors, the role of personal history and workplace culture, and why some people hit a wall while others find a way forward.
How do you know when itâs time to make a change? What steps can you take to regain control? Cait shares strategies for protecting yourself, setting boundaries, and rethinking resilience in a way that actually works.
Quotes
âBurnout has to be the end result of a long period of chronic stress. Itâs like chronic, chronic stress.â (06:03 | Cait Donovan)âSometimes we have to start with the really practical stuff and allow that to shift our emotional state rather than sitting and working through an emotion while the stressor is still alive for you. We have to shift the stressor so that you can work through the emotion and not the other way around.â (17:15 | Cait Donovan)âIf you are in a situation that for some reason is toxic or sort of impossible to ignore, you canât meditate your way out of it.â (26:51 | Cait Donovan)âI think that itâs wise to remember how much power and autonomy you do have in your life. When you are under chronic stress, we tend to end up under this illusion that we donât have any control and that we donât have enough autonomy. And if youâre feeling that way right now, I would challenge you to challenge that.â (50:28 | Cait Donovan)Links
This episode was also published on Nick's show Nerd Journey - https://nerd-journey.com/chronic-stress-connecting-the-dots-between-layoffs-and-burnout-with-cait-donovan/
Nick's Layoff Resources Page (the most impactful conversations and advice from his show on burnout, including the one with Cait) - https://nerd-journey.com/layoffresources/
Nick's blog post that speaks to his love for podcasting and how the layoff resources page came to be https://blog.thenetworknerd.com/2025/01/25/a-healthy-obsession-lessons-learned-from-300-episodes-of-the-nerd-journey-podcast/.
Previous episodes featuring Cait in which she shared her story of burning out and the transition into coaching and speaking
https://nerd-journey.com/across-the-patterns-of-burnout-with-cait-donovan-1-2/
https://nerd-journey.com/the-beautiful-right-turns-with-cait-donovan-2-2/
Some of the most impactful episodes featuring technologists sharing their stories of burnout:
https://nerd-journey.com/riding-the-burnout-wave-with-jonathan-f-2-2/
https://nerd-journey.com/countdown-to-burnout-with-tom-hollingsworth-3-3/
https://nerd-journey.com/management-and-the-hypergrowth-startup-with-andrew-miller-2-3/
https://nerd-journey.com/pause-and-step-outside-with-andrew-miller-3-3/
https://nerd-journey.com/burnout-and-recovery-with-josh-fidel/
Connect with Cait:
Initial Call with Cait: bit.ly/callcait
Initial Call with Sarah: bit.ly/callsarahv
Burnout Recovery works better with support. UNFRIED is our small group (5 people max!) coaching program to help guide you through your recovery. Apply now! [http://bit.ly/unfried]
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm
-
Burnout Recovery works better with support. UNFRIED is our small group (5 people max!) coaching program to help guide you through your recovery. Apply now! [http://bit.ly/unfried]
Burnout is more than feeling tired. Itâs a challenge that affects every aspect of life, especially for healthcare professionals. In this episode, Dr. Jessi Gold shares her deeply personal experience navigating burnout as a psychiatrist during the pandemic, and offers a rare glimpse into the struggles even experts face.
What can we do when the very systems designed to support us become the cause of our suffering? Dr. Gold and Cait Donovan explore the systemic issues in healthcare that perpetuate burnout, from overwork to the culture of self-neglect ingrained in medical training. They also discuss how small shiftsâlike embracing vulnerability and prioritizing self-careâcan make a meaningful difference, even in a broken system.
How can we address burnout without blaming individuals for their struggles? Dr. Gold and Caitâs discussion invites you to rethink how we approach burnout, recovery, and the collective responsibility to create healthier environments.
Quotes
âAs a psychiatrist who is an expert in burnout, I have an extra added layer of fun to this story, which is that I see people all day and tell them theyâre burnt out and donât necessarily apply the same thing to myself.â (04:32 | Dr. Jessi Gold) âItâs so hard to admit that something like work or systems at work could make you feel ill. I feel like itâs so much easier to be like, it just made me tired, but it didnât actually hurt me in some way that needs to be replenished or fixed or whatever.â (14:21 | Dr. Jessi Gold)âOur culture is a culture of silence and shame. Most of us are struggling and donât mention that weâre struggling. And if we knew other people were struggling, even a little bit, we would open up to them more and feel safer in our culture.â (42:42 | Dr. Jessi Gold)âIf someone said this job is really, really hard emotionally, physically, every other thing that you can think of, and it will impact you, and you will burn out from it. And as a result, you need to take care of yourself in the process. I would have been like, âOh, okay.ââ (43:53 | Dr. Jessi Gold)âThe second I started to burn out, thatâs what went, right? Like, the second that I was not okay, like, to a more extreme extent, I was not treating patients the way that I would want them to be treated, right? As humans.â (50:42 | Dr. Jessi Gold)Links
Connect with Dr. Jessi Gold:
https://www.drjessigold.com/
https://www.instagram.com/drjessigold/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessi-gold-md-ms-14844bb/
Connect with Cait:
Initial Call with Cait: bit.ly/callcait
Initial Call with Sarah: bit.ly/callsarahv
Burnout Recovery works better with support. UNFRIED is our small group (5 people max!) coaching program to help guide you through your recovery. Apply now! [http://bit.ly/unfried]
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm
-
Burnout Recovery works better with support. UNFRIED is our small group (5 people max!) coaching program to help guide you through your recovery. Apply now! [http://bit.ly/unfried]
âDonât shame your limitations.â Cait Donovan and Sarah Vosen share this piece of wisdom in this #FRIEDfam episode, weaving together lessons from their community and their own experiences to explore self-compassion and meaningful burnout recovery.
How often do we forget to listen to ourselves, honor our limitations, or simplify our approach to recovery? Cait and Sarah remind us that true healing comes with self-compassion, small steps, and leaning into support when we need it most.
Join Cait and Sarah to discover practical tips, heartfelt stories, and the collective wisdom that can guide your path to a more sustainable and fulfilling recovery.
Quotes
âWeâre going to start with one of my favorites that came from Chandra Dorsett. And she said four simple words. And these words, when I read them, punched me right in the gut. She said, âDonât shame your limitations.ââ (02:19 | Cait Donovan)âStop trying to work so hard on getting better that it becomes a new source of stress, and learn to embrace the wayward journey of recovery.â (05:29 | Cait Donovan)âThere is not one right way to do anything. There is a right way for you.â (18:03 | Sarah Vosen) âMy friend Lauren Baptiste saidâand sheâs been on the podcast beforeâshe said, âYour drive for excellence isnât keeping you excellent, itâs keeping you exhausted.â (24:28 | Cait Donovan)âThis is a fellow burnout expert, Natalia Saman, who said, âThe purpose of self-care is to reduce stress. If your nails look great, but youâre still buried under a pile of work, a pedicure wasnât the self-care you needed. You needed boundaries.ââ (25:37 | Cait Donovan)âSelf-care is self-care if you feel cared for when you do it or after itâs done.â (27:14 | Sarah Vosen)Links
Connect with Cait:
Initial Call with Cait: bit.ly/callcait
Initial Call with Sarah: bit.ly/callsarahv
Burnout Recovery works better with support. UNFRIED is our small group (5 people max!) coaching program to help guide you through your recovery. Apply now! [http://bit.ly/unfried]
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm
-
Burnout Recovery works better with support. UNFRIED is our small group (5 people max!) coaching program to help guide you through your recovery. Apply now! [http://bit.ly/unfried]
âThis isnât some soft skill, or a ânice-to-have.â Itâs a must-have,â says Jennifer Moss, workplace strategist, co-founder of The Workplace Institute, and author of award-winning books on leadership. Her latest book, âWhy Are We Here?,â discusses how we can use hope as an operational strategy at work, how employees can learn to bring their whole, best selves to work by meting out goals in small steps and celebrating each small win en route to the larger goal. Leaders, in turn, can learn to, rather than mitigate those efforts, be conduits to employeesâ mental health, in part by being encouraging and being receptive to employee feedback.
This isnât about drumming up toxic positivity but creating a safe and openly communicative environment, which is more easily said than done when employees feel, even subconsciously, that their freedoms are being taken away and that promises have been repeatedly broken. Jennifer and host Cait Donovan discuss how to foster trust between leaders and employees and how caring for oneself creates a feeling of safetyâstarting at a physical levelâwhich is the first step in opening up lines of communication, and facilitating what Jennifer calls âa culture of positive gossip.â
As many as seventy percent of employees report that their managers make or break their attitude toward their jobs. Join todayâs episode of FRIED to learn how to introduce a hope-based strategy into your own work environment.
Quotes
âWe can help our employees have quick wins every day, celebrate the smaller wins, recognize that we spend a lot of time lately only celebrating and rewarding and recognizing the big project end goals, not realizing that the day-to-day ennui, the day-to-day tedium is what is burning people out. And if we just made these goals more incremental â itâs actually how you support young kids, especially kids who are neurodivergentâyou chunk out the goals and adults need those same inspirational ways of working, and thatâs how we make hope a strategy.â (12:29 | Jennifer Moss)âThatâs where we make hope a strategy and operationalize hope. Itâs first recognizing that it isnât some sort of soft skill or a ânice-to-have,â itâs a âmust-have,â that itâs real. The military abides by this rule, and it can be operationalized on a day-to-day engagement in our work and in our employeesâ tasks.â (13:10 | Jennifer Moss)âYou can be highly passionate about what you do, and highly driven and care about your organization andâŠhighly engaged, but you can be similarly at the same stage of burnout. And if we canât talk about those things, no one will know, and thatâs when people quit, thatâs when people hit the wall. Itâs where everything just ends.â (24:33 | Jennifer Moss)âWe are subconsciously rebelling because our freedoms are being taken away and weâre not necessarily aware of why we feel this dissonance.â (33:51 | Jennifer Moss)Links
Connect with Jennifer Moss:
https://www.jennifer-moss.com/
https://www.instagram.com/betterworkinstitute/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenleighmoss/
Connect with Cait:
Initial Call with Cait: bit.ly/callcait
Initial Call with Sarah: bit.ly/callsarahv
Burnout Recovery works better with support. UNFRIED is our small group (5 people max!) coaching program to help guide you through your recovery. Apply now! [http://bit.ly/unfried]
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm
-
Burnout Recovery works better with support. UNFRIED is our small group (5 people max!) coaching program to help guide you through your recovery. Apply now! [http://bit.ly/unfried]
âWeâre at a time when things are going to be shifting and changing,â says host Cait Donovan who, on this solo episode of FRIED, shares a workplace forecast for 2025 and explains what business leaders can do to best navigate this new landscape, rocky as itâs predicted to be. Today, Cait shares findings from a number of experts, including the future of DEI initiatives, how AI will affect employee benefitsâ packages, which position on the corporate ladder will likely burn out en masse and what leaders can do now to best mitigate the fallout. She also discusses the increasing opportunities for freelancers as more and more workplaces continue to embrace flexible work.
Itâs not enough, she explains, to prevent the workplace environmentâand the burnout that transpires thereinâfrom becoming worse. Steps need to be put in place to actually make things better. Employers must be trauma-informed, to create psychological safety and transparency in the workplace, and in turn, employees need to be especially transparent and communicative about what they really need and want from their jobs.
Join Cait to learn more about what to expect in the year ahead and how to continue championing employee wellness throughout 2025.
Quotes
âWe can approach DEI practices through the lens of biology and physiology. So, I believe that the biology of belonging and the biology of psychological safety really roots the things we need for real true DEI overall into a science-based model that helps people feel a little more grounded in the approach and makes people less likely to have bad reactions to it.â (1:47 | Cait Donovan)âThe reason that I think itâs important for them to be burnout-informed is because we canât shift things in the culture to protect people if we donât know what the risks are. And I think, we canât really also create a positive culture without knowing which things make a negative culture.â (4:14 | Cait Donovan)âI think this is going to be probably a little bit messy to start out, but longterm, I think everything is getting more customized. Medicine is getting more customized, jobs are getting more customized. So, I do think this is the way of the future, I just think we need to be really careful, very inclusive, very transparent, and very clear about our intentions as weâre doing this, so we donât create more problems as we go.â (6:50 | Cait Donovan)âI think we need to really be focused on that mid-level manager and their well-being because thatâs where a lot of the well-being of the company spreads from.â (8:13 | Cait Donovan)âWeâre going to have to make people more comfortable around change. Weâre going to have to create a different level of psychological safety so that change can actually be absorbed and actually dealt with.â (9:33 | Cait Donovan)Links
Connect with Cait:
Initial Call with Cait: bit.ly/callcait
Initial Call with Sarah: bit.ly/callsarahv
Burnout Recovery works better with support. UNFRIED is our small group (5 people max!) coaching program to help guide you through your recovery. Apply now! [http://bit.ly/unfried]
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm
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