#straightfromcait: How to Change The Habit That Is Keeping You Stuck
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]Cait Donovan is back with a #straightfromcait episode that gets real about something most of us wrestle with quietly, how we soothe ourselves when things get hard, and what that looks like after burnout.This time, Cait’s digging into her long-standing sugar habit. Not the occasional treat, but the reflex to reach for something sweet when emotions start to build. She thought she’d done the work. And in many ways, she had. But what happens when one old pattern refuses to budge? What if the thing you’re avoiding isn’t the habit itself but the discomfort underneath it?With support from dietitian Sydney Green, Cait starts looking at her sugar story with a new kind of honesty, one that doesn’t involve shame or harsh rules. Instead of overhauling everything, she chooses one small shift: no more sugar in her coffee. That simple move starts a ripple effect, including tracking her blood sugar with a CGM and learning what her body’s been trying to say all along.This episode is an invitation to ask yourself the hard questions with compassion. What have you been unwilling to change? What would it feel like to start small and let that be enough?Episode Breakdown:00:00 Sugar, Self-Neglect, and Burnout Recovery02:16 How We Trick Ourselves Into Thinking We’ve Done the Work03:10 Unpacking Lifelong Food Patterns with Sydney Green04:26 Why Starting Small Actually Works06:13 Using a CGM to Understand Sugar’s Impact07:26 Real Healing Begins with Small, Honest StepsLinksConnect with Cait:Initial Call with Cait: bit.ly/callcaitInitial Call with Sarah: bit.ly/callsarahvBurnout 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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#sarahshares: Your Burnt Out Brain is Mean… and a Liar. Here’s How You Find Out The Truth.
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]If your brain screams ‘lazy’ every time you try to rest, it’s time to stop trusting a bully and start listening to the one part of you that never lies: your body. So many people in burnout recovery hear the same harsh inner dialogue. “You’re lazy.” “You should be doing more.” “You’ll never be enough.” But what if those thoughts aren’t reflections of reality, just echoes of a brain running on exhaustion and fear?Sarah Vosen is back for another #sarahshares episode to unpack a powerful community poll that revealed just how mean our minds can be when we try to rest. She walks through what it means to recognize those messages as lies and gives guidance for tuning into your body’s truth instead. Because when the body says “I’m too tired,” it isn't a weakness. It’s wisdom.This episode invites you to try a different approach - one rooted in self-compassion, small moments of rest, and the radical idea that your worth isn’t tied to your productivity.Episode Breakdown:00:00 What Your Brain Says When You Try to Rest03:02 The Lying Brain vs. the Truthful Body07:09 How to Rest Even When Guilt Creeps In08:13 Why Self-Compassion Is Key to Burnout Recovery10:00 Sarah’s Personal Turning Point with Self-Kindness13:03 Can Wearable Data Help You Trust Your Body Again?LinksListening to your body:https://open.spotify.com/episode/7f3rMZ42rwnWW3c8kuAKk5?si=YSkz0JS0RTyOwWu6LN4XOAKristin Neff:https://open.spotify.com/episode/5vHiMpzVHcOYRdvDXwbyE1?si=AmhF8nCERjm5zLBY2rKsFwHow to resolve exhaustion:https://open.spotify.com/episode/0W65Yv1l2aOI7F5ZyebfXs?si=Eyt5XV8uS8ODyv7DxoJfegConnect with Cait:Initial Call with Cait: bit.ly/callcaitInitial Call with Sarah: bit.ly/callsarahvBurnout 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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Nicole Kalil: Imposter Syndrome and Burnout
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]Imposter syndrome has a way of creeping in when we’ve spent so long meeting everyone else’s expectations that we forget what we actually want for ourselves.In this episode, Cait Donovan reconnects with Nicole Kalil for a conversation about burnout, confidence, and the stories we tell ourselves when we’re doing all the right things but still don’t feel like we belong. Nicole shares what happened when she finally cleared space in her life and was left with a surprising sense of emptiness, a feeling that’s all too common but rarely talked about. What do you do when achievement no longer feels satisfying? How do you navigate that awkward in-between where you’re no longer burned out, but not quite sure who you are without the hustle?Together, Cait and Nicole explore the deeper patterns behind imposter syndrome, including the habit of blaming yourself when things go wrong and dismissing your role when things go right. They talk about how women especially are conditioned to internalize failure, and how that mindset can make even well-deserved success feel like a fluke. They also raise an important question: when you say you don’t belong, is it because of the culture around you or because you haven’t figured out what belonging actually feels like for you?This isn’t a step-by-step guide. This episode’s an invitation to pause, question what you’ve been carrying, and consider what it might look like to build confidence from a place of self-trust rather than constant achievement.Episode Breakdown:00:00 Welcome to FRIED: The Burnout Podcast02:16 The Link Between Burnout and Feeling Underwhelmed07:22 What Imposter Syndrome Really Means12:28 Why High Achievers Struggle to Own Their Success17:06 Recognizing Red, Yellow, and Green Light Phases21:05 How to Manage Head Trash and Build Confidence24:23 Gender, Expectations, and the Pressure to Perform30:02 Is It a Toxic Workplace or Just a Bad Fit?36:56 Separating Facts from Feelings41:26 Rewiring Your Brain with Cognitive Reappraisal47:11 Where to Find Nicole Kalil and Her Confidence QuizLinksConnect with Nicole Kalil:https://www.instagram.com/nicolemkalil/ www.linkedin.com/in/nicolekalil https://nicolekalil.com/confidencequizConnect with Cait:Initial Call with Cait: bit.ly/callcaitInitial Call with Sarah: bit.ly/callsarahvBurnout 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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#straightfromcait: Top Burnout Symptoms According To You (Dear Gentle Listeners)
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 quietly hijacks your focus, your memory, your sleep, and eventually, your sense of self.In this #straightfromcait episode, Cait Donovan unpacks the results of a burnout symptoms survey answered by over 150 listeners. What shows up again and again? Brain fog. Forgetfulness. Sleep issues. That heavy, unshakable sense of dread. She walks through the patterns in these responses with honesty and insight, weaving in what we know about how burnout affects the brain and what it feels like to lose your ability to think clearly or remember what used to bring you joy.Have you ever found yourself feeling disconnected from who you are? Struggling to rest even when you finally have time? Wondering why everything feels harder than it used to? Cait gets it. She’s been there, and she knows how isolating it can feel. This episode offers language for what you’ve been living through and a reminder that self-abandonment doesn’t have to be your default setting. Healing starts when you begin listening to yourself again.Episode Breakdown:00:00 Introduction01:30 How the Burnout Survey Was Conducted02:33 Why Burnout Impacts Your Brain07:26 The Emotional Weight of Dread10:39 When You Can’t Think, Plan, or Remember13:50 How Burnout Disrupts Sleep and Fuels Anxiety16:22 Shame, Guilt, and the Struggle to Rest18:29 Burnout and the Loss of Self21:02 Reclaiming Compassion in the Healing ProcessLinksConnect with Cait:Initial Call with Cait: bit.ly/callcaitInitial Call with Sarah: bit.ly/callsarahvBurnout 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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Adrien Cotton: Stages of Perimenopause + Burnout Overlap
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]Perimenopause and burnout often hit at the same time, and when they do, it can feel like something is off but you’re not quite sure what. Cait Donovan talks with wellness expert Adrien Cotton about the confusion so many women face in midlife. Adrien shares how years of high-pressure work and unresolved health issues led her into what she calls a “perimenopause prison,” and how she eventually found her way out by learning to understand her body on a deeper level.How do you tell the difference between burnout and hormonal shifts? Why do symptoms like headaches, sleep issues, and mood swings so often get brushed aside? Adrien offers clarity without oversimplifying and reminds us why it matters to track our cycles, lift heavy things, and rethink the stories we’ve been told about our bodies.Adrien doesn’t promise a quick fix. She offers tools, context, and the encouragement to pay closer attention. She also shares how her program, Master Menopause Now, helps women approach this phase with more knowledge and less shame. If you’ve been feeling off and haven’t been able to explain why, this episode will help you start making sense of the changes and remind you that you’re not alone in them.Episode Breakdown:00:00 Welcome to FRIED. The Burnout Podcast02:21 Adrien Cotton’s Burnout and Perimenopause Story05:18 Debunking Common Myths About Perimenopause06:06 Why Tracking Your Cycle Matters08:00 Early Signs of Hormonal Shifts12:12 Weight Gain, Insulin Resistance, and Sleep Disruption18:08 Symptoms of Late Perimenopause23:18 Distinguishing Burnout from Perimenopause24:52 How Menopause Specialists Can Help32:22 The Power of Commitment in Health Changes37:02 Rethinking Diet Culture and Food Relationships42:13 Strength Training as a Tool for Resilience48:38 Life and Relief After MenopauseLinksConnect with Adrien:https://adriencotton.com/https://adriencotton.com/master-menopause-now/ Use the coupon code FRIED25 for a special discount only for FRIED listeners!https://www.instagram.com/adrienmcotton/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/adriencotton/ https://adriencotton.com/newsletter/Connect with Cait:Initial Call with Cait: bit.ly/callcaitInitial Call with Sarah: bit.ly/callsarahvBurnout 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
Real. Raw. No Holding Back. Stories from people like you who've burnt out and come back to tell the tale. From thought leaders to your friend down the street, there's a story in FRIED that you will relate to, guaranteed. You are not alone. You might be fried crispy at this point, but I promise you there is a way through. Each week, there is a story of breakdown and build back up and we don't skip over the nasty bits. The journey through burnout is rarely a beautiful one, but it creates some pretty amazing careers and lives. The point of this space is to assure you that you aren't alone and that there is a way through. If one week doesn't resonate, be sure that another week will. There's a solution for every story and we will cover them all. I promise. And - the help doesn't stop there. UNFRIED is a small group coaching program (under 10 people per cohort) that is available for you. Find the info here. (bit.ly/UNFRIED)
Netherlands