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 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

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

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 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:

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

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 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

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

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 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:

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

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 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

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

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 you’re 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 haven’t had a chance to practice in that environment yet.

With honesty, Cait shares a three-step process to help you figure out what’s 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 isn’t about doing everything perfectly. It’s 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:

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

Self-sabotage isn’t a personal flaw. It’s 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 they’re getting in their own way during burnout recovery. What if those moments where you fall back into old habits aren’t failures, but signals that your body is overwhelmed and reaching for something familiar? What if the behavior you’re 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. It’s a reminder that coping strategies aren’t always the problem. Sometimes they’re part of the process.

If you’ve ever wondered why change feels so hard, or why you can’t seem to stick with “good” habits, this conversation will help you see things in a new light. Recovery is a dance. You’re 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 Don’t Believe in Self-Sabotage

05:00 The Nervous System’s Role in Familiar Behaviors

07:04 Shame, Judgment, and the Myth of Failure

09:27 Coping Mechanisms and What They’re 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

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

Most of the rules you’re following were never made with you in mind and could be the reason you’re 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 expectations—both personal and cultural—keep 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 isn’t just a buzzword, and how to start making change without burning your entire life down.

This episode is a reminder that you don’t 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:

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

Burnout recovery isn’t just about resting more. It’s 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 yourself—one that isn’t flooded with nonstop news and social media noise—isn’t avoidance. It’s survival. Cait shares her own experiences with burnout and the turning point when she realized self-care wasn’t 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. There’s 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 you’ve ever felt guilty for stepping back, this episode will change how you see it. Taking care of yourself isn’t checking out, but making sure you have the capacity to engage with the world in a way that’s 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:

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

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]

​​Your 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 what’s 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 you’re looking for a fresh way to recharge, Genein and Cait’s 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 Music’s 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:

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