September 22, 2026
Elegantly Unhinged: Episode 18
It's Easier If I Just Do It: Sneaky Reasons Why Women Over-function and How To Stop
Description:
What if the thing you’re proudest of—your ability to handle absolutely everything —is also the thing quietly draining the life out of you?
In this episode of Elegantly Unhinged, Rima sits down with psychologist and Leadership & Performance Coach and facilitator, Dr. Sarah Nielsen, to talk about over-functioning: what happens when being capable, responsible and really damn good at getting things done turns into carrying far more than your share.
Because over-functioning doesn’t always look like people-pleasing. Sometimes it looks like extreme competence. Anticipating what everyone needs. Fixing problems before anyone asks. Being the person everyone can count on. Believing it’s simply easier if you do it yourself.
And for a while? It works.
Until it doesn’t.
Sarah brings the psychology and leadership perspective, while Rima connects the dots between chronic over-functioning, nervous system regulation, nutrition, recovery and metabolic health—especially in midlife, when the body may become a whole lot less willing to let us override its signals.
They dig into why high-achieving women over-function, how perfectionism and control can become forms of self-protection, why asking for help or setting boundaries can initially feel more uncomfortable than continuing to do everything yourself and what happens it costs other when women over-function.
And perhaps most importantly, this isn’t another conversation telling exhausted women to add more self-care to an already impossible list.
Sometimes the next thing your body needs isn’t another thing for you to do. Sometimes you need to put something the down.
In this episode:
* What over-functioning actually looks like—and how it differs from simply being ambitious or capable
* The connection between over-functioning, people-pleasing, perfectionism and control
* Why the qualities that helped women succeed can eventually contribute to burnout
* Why midlife can expose patterns we’ve been able to override for years
* How chronic over-functioning can affect eating, sleep, exercise and recovery
* Why healthy boundaries can feel deeply uncomfortable at first
* What “putting it down” looks like in actual everyday life
* How leaders and workplaces can stop relying on their most competent people to carry too much
Plus, Rima and Sarah leave you with one deceptively simple experiment: notice every time you think, “It’s easier if I just do it.”
You might be surprised by what you’re carrying.
More about Guest Dr. Sarah Nielsen:
Sarah Nielsen, PhD, ACC
Executive Coach, Consultant, Facilitator
You can find her at:
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.emotivepc.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahknielsen/
More about host Rima Kleiner, Elegantly Unhinged podcast and Smart Mouth Nutrition:
Subscribe to our Smart Mouth Nutrition newsletter here.
Learn more about my Smart Mouth Nutrition Metabolic Reset program here.
For questions, contact: [email protected]
Disclaimer:
This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult with your healthcare provider before making changes to your diet, supplements, or health routine.
Elegantly Unhinged is a podcast for women who look fine on the outside—but are doing deep, brave, disruptive inner work behind the scenes. Hosted by integrative and functional dietitian-nutritionist Rima Kleiner, this podcast explores midlife, body trust, nervous system health, nourishment, identity shifts and what happens when women stop playing small.
New episodes drop weekly.
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