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

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

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

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]Summer has a way of turning up the volume on everything, including your anxiety. And if you’re already feeling stretched thin, that shift can feel like a lot.In this #sarahshares episode, Sarah Vosen talks through why things like racing thoughts, trouble sleeping, and that wired-but-tired feeling often ramp up this time of year. She shares a story from one of the UNFRIED program graduates who was doing well, until suddenly, she wasn’t. No major life changes, no clear trigger. Just a growing sense of unease she couldn’t quite explain.So what gives? Sarah breaks down the role of seasonal energy shifts, especially the intensity that comes with the summer solstice. She explains how an overload of yang energy can stir up anxiety in people already running on empty, and why yin (your body’s natural anchor) is so important for balance. Do you feel hot in your chest but cold in your feet? Do you wake up tired even after a full night’s sleep? Are your thoughts racing before bed no matter how calm your day was?Sarah offers ways to cool down, both physically and emotionally. From hydration tips and grounding foods to self-massage and stress release techniques, everything she shares is rooted in helping you reconnect with your body and find some steadiness. There’s also a gentle invitation to ask your heart what it’s still carrying, and to actually listen. If summer feels a little too loud right now, this episode might give you exactly what you need.Episode Breakdown:00:00 Welcome to FRIED. The Burnout Podcast00:53 How Seasonal Shifts Impact Anxiety02:08 Understanding Yang Energy During Summer03:33 The Link Between Yin Deficiency and Burnout06:00 How to Cool and Anchor an Overheated System08:12 Foods and Practices That Support Cooling and Grounding09:57 How to Calm Your Spirit and Process Emotional Overload12:30 Regaining Control When Anxiety Feels Overwhelming14:49 When to Seek Additional SupportLinkshttps://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/g0jnpnf74i9en1q6vdlkw/Fire-balancing-water-meditation-at-Malibu-Surfrider-Beach.m4a?rlkey=0dllk328n1h87am177m4p55zh&st=7yyy29rd&dl=0Connect with Sarah:Book a call with Sarah: bit.ly/callsarahvBook acupuncture with Sarah: https://acusimple.com/access/7008/#/appointments/8888/schedule/42506/Connect with Cait:Initial Call with Cait: bit.ly/callcaitBurnout 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 isn’t a personal failure. Sometimes it’s a sign that the system around you never made space for you to ask what’s actually sustainable.Kicking off Season 10 of FRIED. The Burnout Podcast, Cait Donovan is joined by Jen Fisher, the founder of The Wellbeing Team and the former Chief Well-being Officer at Deloitte, for a conversation that goes straight to the heart of what burnout really is, and why so many people are still afraid to talk about it honestly. Jen shares why, in her own experience, burnout was harder than cancer, and how the workplace responded to each in very different ways. Why do so many people feel like burnout is their fault? And what would shift if organizations started treating well-being as a core skill set, not a side conversation? Jen introduces the idea of well-being intelligence, a teachable approach to helping leaders spot the signs of burnout early and change the way teams operate. She and Cait talk about why clear language matters, what modeling healthy behavior actually looks like, and how leaders often fail to support their own well-being while trying to take care of everyone else.This episode leaves listeners with a strong reminder: hope is more than wishful thinking. It’s a strategy, and one that’s available to anyone willing to take the next right step.Episode Breakdown:00:00 Meet Jen Fisher02:00 Why Burnout Was Harder Than Cancer07:00 What Burnout Really Means (And What It Doesn’t)12:00 How Work Culture Fuels Burnout17:00 Rethinking Success, Sacrifice, and Leadership22:00 Building a Well-Being Strategy Inside Big Organizations28:00 What Is Well-Being Intelligence?35:00 How Leaders Can Learn to Prevent Burnout39:00 Hope Isn’t Wishful Thinking but a Tool for RecoveryLinksConnect with Jen Fisher:https://www.instagram.com/jenfish23/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jen-fisher-7403868/ https://jenfisher.substack.com/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

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 you’re maxed out behind the scenes? How do you keep showing up with integrity when your inbox is full of amazing guest pitches you don’t have the capacity to accept?Cait opens up about the guilt that still shows up when she says no, and the tension between wanting to help everyone and needing to protect her own energy. She and Sarah talk about money, sustainability, and the shift from giving endlessly to allowing themselves to receive in equal measure.They also unveil a new tool made just for you: the FRIED Episode Finder, a searchable archive that helps you find exactly what you need without scrolling through 300 titles. Type in a keyword, a name, a question, and it serves up the episodes that match. (Burnout recovery with a little delegation joy? Yes, please!)This milestone episode is full of gratitude, behind-the-scenes truth, and hard-earned wisdom for anyone working to stay well while helping others do the same.Episode Breakdown:00:00 300 Episodes of FRIED!02:14 Behind the Scenes05:09 Boundaries, Guilt, and Saying No06:44 The Real Cost of Podcasting10:00 Learning to Receive13:05 Using ChatGPT to Set Boundaries15:09 Pricing Your Work Without Apology17:00 Burnout Recovery Is a Long Game19:13 Listener Impact and Gratitude23:58 Introducing the FRIED Episode Finder28:32 Delegation Joy Is Real30:26 Send Us Your QuestionsLinksLooking for the right episode? Use the free FRIED Episode Finder to search by keyword and find the support you need, fast: bit.ly/friedfinderConnect 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

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 isn’t a mindset trick. It’s built on your biology, your history, and whether or not you actually use the support available to you.This week on #straightfromcait, Cait Donovan challenges the idea that self-awareness is where resilience begins. What if your stress response was shaped long before you ever had a chance to influence it? Cait walks through how genetics and early experiences, like trauma or family dynamics, lay the groundwork for how your body handles stress. Some people’s systems are just wired differently, and that wiring matters.Cait breaks down the difference between reacting to stress and being truly resilient. Real resilience means facing your reality as it is, staying connected to what you care about, and adjusting when things go sideways. Are you living in a way that actually supports your nervous system, or are you just white-knuckling it through your day?Cait also spotlights two powerful but often overlooked tools: leaning into your natural strengths and asking for help. Not just once, but consistently and without guilt. These choices expand your capacity and give you a better shot at bouncing back when life gets hard.Self-awareness still plays a role, but it works best when it’s used to build a life that fits you, not a version of you that’s always running on empty.Episode Breakdown:00:00 What Stress Resilience Really Means01:20 How Genetics Shape Stress Response01:55 The Role of Upbringing and Trauma04:09 Three Core Traits of Resilience06:01 Skills, Support, and Expanding Resources07:49 Why Using Resources Matters09:02 Self-Awareness as a Tool, Not a Starting Point11:01 Signs Your Resilience Is Holding Up11:22 Three Ways to Improve Resilience12:25 Realignment and Radical HonestyLinksInitial 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

Burnout Recovery works better with support. UNFRIED is our small group (5 people max!) coaching program to help guide you through your recovery. Apply now! [http://bit.ly/unfried]Burnout doesn’t always look like falling apart. Sometimes it looks like holding everything together, until your body makes it clear you can’t keep going this way.Cait Donovan is joined by her longtime friend Sarah Swanberg, a doctor of acupuncture and Chinese medicine and co-founder of Indigo Wellness Group. They talk about what burnout really feels like for women moving through major life phases such as fertility, postpartum, perimenopause, and why so many of us miss the signs until we’re deep in it.Sarah shares how she left a high-pressure career in visual effects and followed a quiet sense of curiosity into acupuncture, eventually building a multi-practitioner wellness practice that supports both patients and providers. What does it take to build something sustainable? How do you know when it’s time to change course, and how do you do it without losing yourself?This episode digs into the deeper patterns behind burnout, from the pressure to “do it all” to the fear of asking for help. Cait and Sarah offer a grounded, honest look at what it really means to care for yourself, your work, and your future.Episode Breakdown:00:00 Introduction 02:00 Sarah’s Career Shift from Visual Effects to Acupuncture08:00 Spotting Burnout and Rethinking Success10:00 Letting Go of the Sunk Cost Fallacy14:00 Burnout, Perimenopause, and the Role of Yin20:00 Restorative Practices and Sustainable Living24:00 Building a Collaborative Wellness Practice34:00 Overcoming Fear and Asking for Help40:00 Resourcing Yourself for a Resilient LifeLinksConnect with Sarah Swanberg:https://sarahswanberg.com https://instagram.com/sarah.theacudoc https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahwswanberg/ https://sarahswanberg.com/free-downloadConnect 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

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 “right way” and started listening to the rebel inside her. She opens up about letting go of the endless lists of shoulds and trusting herself to choose what actually felt good. How would your life change if you stopped living by rules that were never yours to begin with?Sarah also talks about the idea that real recovery often means letting yourself receive help, even when every instinct tells you to stay independent. Are you willing to loosen your grip on doing it all alone? Could accepting support be the thing that changes everything?This episode will leave you thinking differently about burnout, healing, and the way you treat the voice inside you that simply wants more joy.Episode Breakdown:00:00 Introduction00:52 Fear of Never Wanting to Work Again01:25 Freedom Versus Responsibility02:07 Breaking Free from Burnout and Self-Imposed Rules05:08 Letting the Inner Rebel Lead06:02 Building Trust and Safety with Yourself08:00 Accepting Help and Embracing Vulnerability09:57 Prioritizing Freedom and Happiness11:03 Finding and Honoring Your True Desires13:07 Choosing Joy and ContentmentLinksConnect 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

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 doesn’t always come with the luxury of stepping away from your job, and Cait Donovan knows that firsthand. In this episode, she speaks directly to those who feel stuck in burnout but still have to show up for work every day.Cait offers a starting point: pick one small shift and commit to it for a few weeks. Just one. She lays out two clear paths, depending on how you're feeling right now.If you’re angry, the Resentment Journal mini course is your first step. Resentment shows up when you're pouring energy into something that gives little or nothing back. Identifying those moments and adjusting them where you can help you reclaim the energy you need to move forward.If you’re not angry but just numb or depleted, Cait recommends rebuilding the basics of self-care. That means responding to your body’s most essential needs: rest, hydration, nourishment, movement. Even something as simple as peeing when you need to (yes, really) can rebuild your ability to listen to your body and regulate emotions.Once you’ve started to clear some space, Cait suggests exploring proprioceptive writing to access deeper emotional clarity. Because while burnout follows patterns, your story is your own and so is your recovery.Wherever you begin, the message is clear: start small, stay kind to yourself, and don’t wait for the perfect moment to begin healing.Episode Breakdown:00:00 Introduction01:09 How to Recover from Burnout Without Quitting Your Job01:33 Step 1: Start with the Resentment Journal03:55 Step 2: Foundational Self-Care That Actually Works07:05 Rebuilding Awareness Through Small Body Signals08:30 Step 3: Try Proprioceptive Writing10:06 Two Tools for Burnout Recovery That Work in Any CircumstanceLinkshttps://caitdonovan.com/resentment-journalhttps://www.caitdonovan.com/blog/why-you-need-proprioceptive-writing-even-if-you-ve-never-heard-of-ithttps://pod.link/1469939920/episode/ce0aa3d0c445b69d1c6ad6f3a31d2251Connect 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

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 don’t talk about enough: why spring often brings a spike in anger, and how that ties directly to burnout. Could your short fuse or simmering resentment have more to do with your body than your circumstances? According to Chinese medicine, the liver and gallbladder take center stage this time of year. When they’re overwhelmed, emotional tension builds.Sarah breaks down what that means in real life, and more importantly, what to do about it. She offers five ways to process anger before it turns into something heavier. Some are physical. Some are emotional. All are meant to help you feel more grounded and less reactive.If you’ve been feeling off lately but can’t quite explain why, this episode might give you a new lens. What if your anger is trying to move through you? And what would happen if you let it?Episode Breakdown00:00 Introduction00:55 Why Spring Triggers Anger01:27 How Chinese Medicine Explains Emotional Shifts03:24 Five Ways to Process Anger04:06 Move Your Body06:16 Express and Release Emotion08:03 Ground Yourself10:01 Connect with Nature15:00 Support Your Liver with Lemon Water and SleepLinksConnect 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