What season of life are you in—and what would it mean to actually honour that season instead of resisting it?

In this episode 151 of Medium Lady Talks, I’m joined by my friend and thoughtful powerhouse Ashley Gibson, who brings a beautiful mix of vulnerability, wisdom, and humour to her story. Ashley is a program management lead in tech, a creative multi-passionate elder millennial, a reformed perfectionist, and a chronic illness warrior. But more than that, she’s someone who’s learning (like many of us) that doing it all is neither sustainable nor required.

We talk about:

This episode is part of our Summer of Real Rest series and will resonate with anyone who’s navigating shifting capacity, letting go of side hustles, recalibrating goals, or just wondering why things that used to fit don’t feel so right anymore.

Ashley reminds us:

“You can love something and still let it go. You can be proud of it and still step away.”

We hope this conversation helps you feel seen—and gives you permission to meet yourself exactly where you are.

Ashley Gibson is a Toronto-based program manager, musical theatre fan, chronic illness advocate, and reformed perfectionist. Online and IRL, she shares openly about navigating life with Crohn’s disease, making intentional shifts in work and identity, and how to live with more joy, softness, and style.

📍Follow her @ashleydtl for travel recs, honest reflections, and vibrant real-life vibes.

⏱️ 12:30 — Letting go of side hustles & the emotional weight of change

Tag us @medium.lady and tell us what season you’re in.

🧡 If this episode resonates with you:

Looking for more support? Access exclusive content and mindful living tools on Patreon. 

Join the conversation! Share one need you're naming today and tag @medium.lady on Instagram.

The series starts here!

Don’t forget to subscribe! If this episode resonates, share it with a friend or leave a review—it helps others find the show!

Other Related Episodes (for your enjoyment):

Medium Lady Reads Episode 45 - Welcome to Season Three of Medium Lady Reads 

Connect with Erin:

What if the care you needed wasn’t one more task, but a radical act of self-trust?

In Episode 150, I’m joined by Amy C. Willis, sober coach, speaker, and founder of Hol + Well. Amy works with women and queer folks to explore what’s possible in a life free from alcohol—one rooted in rest, boundaries, and real self-care.

We explore the concept of mothering yourself—a tender and transformative practice that helped Amy through early sobriety when she didn’t yet feel worthy of care. This idea ties beautifully into our Summer of Real Rest series, especially for those who are exhausted from being everything to everyone.

In this conversation, Amy and I discuss:

Why “mommy wine culture” is predatory, not empowering

How sobriety and burnout recovery share similar emotional truths

The stigma around choosing to be alcohol-free—even if you don’t identify as “in recovery”

Why we need to dismantle the binary between problem drinking and “normal” drinking

What truly restorative self-care looks like in recovery (hint: it’s not what Instagram tells you)

One of the most powerful things Amy says in this episode is:

“Whatever you’re looking for in alcohol, you’ll actually find in sobriety.”

Whether you're sober, sober-curious, or simply burned out and craving more care—you’ll find so much resonance and reflection here.

🔗 Instagram @msamycwillis

💻 Website: holandwell.com

💬 Join her private Facebook group

📚 Book Recommendation: Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by Jessica Guerrieri

I’ve been alcohol-free since 2018—not because of addiction, but because alcohol made my anxiety and migraines worse. Still, even naming that choice out loud feels like a big deal. Amy and I unpack why alcohol is still seen as a default, and what it means to make a different choice.

This episode is part of the Summer of REAL Rest series—where we’re talking about sustainable care, nervous system softness, and how to stop outsourcing your well-being.

🧡 If this episode resonates with you:

Looking for more support? Access exclusive content and mindful living tools on Patreon. 

Join the conversation! Share one need you're naming today and tag @medium.lady on Instagram.

The series starts here!

Don’t forget to subscribe! If this episode resonates, share it with a friend or leave a review—it helps others find the show!

Other Related Episodes (for your enjoyment):

Medium Lady Reads Episode 43 - Our Best Recommendations for Your Summer Reading Pile

Connect with Erin:

Do you ever feel completely drained after “being nice”?

In Episode 149 of Medium Lady Talks, Erin explores how emotional fatigue often hides in plain sight, especially for chronic people pleasers. She shares why people-pleasing is a constant leak on your energy, how it erases your sense of self in relationships, and why emotional rest is one of the most overlooked (but deeply necessary) types of rest.

✨ In this episode, you’ll learn:

What emotional fatigue feels like (and how it’s different from mental fatigue)

Why chronic people-pleasing quietly drains you from morning to night

How to reframe boundaries as saying yes to yourself, not just saying no to others

Why emotional rest means giving yourself permission to not be emotionally available 24/7

The “Pause Button for Your Heart”: a 3-step tool to help you set down feelings that aren’t yours to carry

💬 Quotes from the episode:

“If you identify as a chronic people pleaser, that is a leak on your energy. And it is constant: it is there when you wake up and it is there when you go to bed.”

“A lot of people pleasers don't set boundaries because they think that saying no is mean, or hurtful. But I really think we can see our boundaries beyond saying no to others; more about saying yes to ourselves.”

“If you want to get emotional rest, you're going to have to give yourself permission to not be emotionally available 24/7.”

“What people pleasers do is they empathize so deeply it’s like they become the person they’re trying to keep happy and control. But you unintentionally erase yourself from the relationship."

💬 Let Erin know what “real rest” means to you over on Instagram @medium.lady—and share this episode with the friend who’s doing everything “right” and still wondering why she’s so tired.

This episode is part of our “Summer of Real Rest” series—time to call ourselves in to a true commitment to the soft work of feeling better one step at a time. 

🧡 If this episode resonates with you:

Looking for more support? Access exclusive content and mindful living tools on Patreon. 

Join the conversation! Share one need you're naming today and tag @medium.lady on Instagram.

The series starts here! Episode 142

Don’t forget to subscribe! If this episode resonates, share it with a friend or leave a review—it helps others find the show!

Other Related Episodes (for your enjoyment):

Medium Lady Reads Episode 43 - Our Best Recommendations for Your Summer Reading Pile

Connect with Erin:

#mediumladytalks #summerofrealrest #emotionalrest #peoplepleasingrecovery #burnoutrecovery #boundariesarebeautiful #softwork #selfcareforreal #emotionalfatigue #restmindset #podcastforwomen

What if the gap between burned out hot mess and well-rested badass is… just five minutes?

In Epidosde 148 of Medium Lady Talks, Erin shares a personal moment from a wildly stressful workday where a handful of tiny, intentional choices helped her find real rest—without escaping, quitting, or checking out. This is a grounded, gentle episode that proves rest is not about perfection. It’s about margin.

✨ Inside this episode:

The story of a high-stress day and the 5-minute pause that changed everything

A live, personal example of mental and sensory rest in action

What happens when you interrupt hustle culture in real time

The return of our favorite themes: moral math, decision fatigue, and the lie that you have to earn rest

A toolkit of 7 Well-Rested Badass questions to help you find relief, even in motion

You’ll also hear reflections that build on:

Ep 144: Sacred Rest & Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith

Ep 145: Are You Proud of Being Tired?

Ep 146: When My Eye Stops Twitching

Ep 147: The Toxic To-Do List

This episode is proof that you’re closer to rest than you think.

💬 Let Erin know what “real rest” means to you over on Instagram @medium.lady—and share this episode with the friend who’s doing everything “right” and still wondering why she’s so tired.

This episode is part of our “Summer of Real Rest” series—time to call ourselves in to a true commitment to the soft work of feeling better one step at a time. 

🧡 If this episode resonates with you:

Looking for more support? Access exclusive content and mindful living tools on Patreon. 

Join the conversation! Share one need you're naming today and tag @medium.lady on Instagram.

The series starts here!  Episode 142

Don’t forget to subscribe! If this episode resonates, share it with a friend or leave a review—it helps others find the show!

Other Related Episodes (for your enjoyment):

Episode 70: My Life-Changing Perspective on Having the Best Summer EVER

Episode 103: Four Questions to Free Yourself from Summer Stress Part One

Episode 104: Four Questions to Free Yourself from Summer Stress Part Two

Episode 106: Six Things Saving My Summer 

Medium Lady Reads Episode 43 - Our Best Recommendations for Your Summer Reading Pile

Connect with Erin:

Episode 147: The Toxic To-Do List — Why You’re Mentally Fried and How to Rest

Do you ever feel like you’re one more to-do away from a total shutdown?

In episode 147 of Medium Lady Talks, Erin dives into mental rest—what it is, why we’re so bad at getting it, and how decision fatigue is quietly draining your

energy. This is the episode for anyone who says they’re “fine” but can’t seem to think straight, slow down, or make a decision without spiraling.

🧠 You’ll hear:

What mental rest actually is (and what it’s not)

Why your to-do list feels toxic, even when it’s full of “normal” tasks

The powerful insight from Harvard psychologist Dr. Ellen Langer on equivocal decisions

How your brain is doing “moral math” on every choice you make—and burning out because of it

A shoutout to KC Davis and her book How to Keep House While Drowning, and how we can stop assigning morality to everyday decisions

💬 Erin also shares real answers from the Medium Lady community on what’s keeping them from rest:

“The to-do list that never ends.”

✨ You’ll leave this episode with:

A compassionate reframe of your mental fatigue

A simple 5-minute practice to create white space in your mind

A reminder that rest isn’t weakness—it’s how you return to yourself

💬 Let Erin know what “real rest” means to you over on Instagram @medium.lady—and share this episode with the friend who’s doing everything “right” and still wondering why she’s so tired.

This episode is part of our “Summer of Real Rest” series—time to call ourselves in to a true commitment to the soft work of feeling better one step at a time. 

🧡 If this episode resonates with you:

Looking for more support? Access exclusive content and mindful living tools on Patreon. 

Join the conversation! Share one need you're naming today and tag @medium.lady on Instagram.

The series starts here! 

Don’t forget to subscribe! If this episode resonates, share it with a friend or leave a review—it helps others find the show!

Other Related Episodes (for your enjoyment):

Episode 70: My Life-Changing Perspective on Having the Best Summer EVER

Episode 103: Four Questions to Free Yourself from Summer Stress Part One

Episode 104: Four Questions to Free Yourself from Summer Stress Part Two

Episode 106: Six Things Saving My Summer 

Medium Lady Reads Episode 43 - Our Best Recommendations for Your Summer Reading Pile

Connect with Erin:

Keywords: self-celebration, self-care, gratitude practice, personal development, positive psychology, burnout prevention, mindful living, medium effort living, women who work too much, happiness project, joy, vulnerability, cultural conditioning

In Episode 146 of Medium Lady Talks, Erin unpacks what real rest actually feels like—and what your nervous system, your motivation, and yes, even your twitching eye are trying to tell you.

Based on community polls and Q&A from Instagram, Erin explores why mental and emotional burnout are so dominant, and why physical rest isn’t really the problem for most of us. She also calls out the sneaky pride many of us still hold in our own fatigue—and why we might be more attached to being tired than we want to admit.

💬 In this episode:

88% of Medium Lady listeners say they’re mentally and emotionally depleted

What real rest looks like according to you: joy, patience, creativity, and the end of irritability

Why we cancel social plans in the name of rest—but fill that time with numbing instead

What to do whether you’re brand new to this idea or deeply aware (and still stuck)

You’ll leave with a gentle nudge, a few clear next steps, and maybe… a little less need to prove your tiredness.

📌 Want to go deeper? Take the Rest Quiz by Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith at restquiz.com

This episode is part of our “Summer of Real Rest” series—time to call ourselves in to a true commitment to the soft work of feeling better one step at a time. 

🧡 If this episode resonates with you:

Looking for more support? Access exclusive content and mindful living tools on Patreon. 

Join the conversation! Share one need you're naming today and tag @medium.lady on Instagram.

The series starts here!  Episode 142: The Summer of REAL Rest

Don’t forget to subscribe! If this episode resonates, share it with a friend or leave a review—it helps others find the show!

Other Related Episodes (for your enjoyment):

Episode 70: My Life-Changing Perspective on Having the Best Summer EVER

Episode 103: Four Questions to Free Yourself from Summer Stress Part One

Episode 104: Four Questions to Free Yourself from Summer Stress Part Two

Episode 106: Six Things Saving My Summer 

Medium Lady Reads Episode 43 - Our Best Recommendations for Your Summer Reading Pile

Connect with Erin:

#mediumladytalks #restpodcast #emotionalrest #mentalrest #burnoutrecovery #restasresistance #nervoussystemsupport #softwork #hustleculture #millennialwomen #selfworthandrest

Is your fatigue a warning sign—or a weird kind of proof that you’re doing “enough”? In this powerful solo episode, Erin explores the deeper emotional and cultural reasons why so many of us wear exhaustion like a badge of honor.

From personal reflections to insights from Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith’s Sacred Rest, this episode challenges the hustle-fueled mindset that says if you're not tired, you're not trying hard enough.

🧠 Erin explores:

Why we cling to fatigue as evidence of our worth or effort

The case of “Karen” from Sacred Rest, and what it reveals about resistance to healing

Hustle culture, motherhood, productivity myths—and how they make us suspicious of well-rested people

The emotional unfairness of rest: “Why should I change when I’ve already given so much?”

Plus, she breaks down four listener mindsets—from totally unaware to hyper-aware but still stuck—and offers one simple way to start reframing how you speak about your tiredness.

💬 If you’ve ever said “I’ll feel better once I get through this month”—every month for the last five years—this one’s for you.

Mentioned in this episode:

📊 IG Poll: “Where have you overspent your energy?”

📌 Your Rest Practice This Week:

💬 Let Erin know what “real rest” means to you over on Instagram @medium.lady—and share this episode with the friend who’s doing everything “right” and still wondering why she’s so tired.

This episode is part of our “Summer of Real Rest” series—time to call ourselves in to a true commitment to the soft work of feeling better one step at a time. 

🧡 If this episode resonates with you:

Looking for more support? Access exclusive content and mindful living tools on Patreon. 

Join the conversation! Share one need you're naming today and tag @medium.lady on Instagram.

The series starts here! Episode 142: The Summer of REAL Rest

Don’t forget to subscribe! If this episode resonates, share it with a friend or leave a review—it helps others find the show!

Other Related Episodes (for your enjoyment):

Episode 70: My Life-Changing Perspective on Having the Best Summer EVER

Episode 103: Four Questions to Free Yourself from Summer Stress Part One

Episode 104: Four Questions to Free Yourself from Summer Stress Part Two

Episode 106: Six Things Saving My Summer 

Medium Lady Reads Episode 44- The Reading Goals We Forgot About

Connect with Erin:

Keywords for Search Optimization:

Welcome to a new episode of Medium Lady Talks, part of our Summer of Real Rest series. Today, we’re diving deep into the book that inspired the framework for this entire season: Sacred Rest by Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith.

Have ou ever felt exhausted even after a full night of sleep? You're not alone—and you're not just tired, you're depleted. Dr. Dalton-Smith’s book introduces seven distinct types of rest—and it turns out, most of us are missing more than one.

In Episode 144 of Medium Lady Talks I walk you through the key takeaways from the book, how it aligns with the self-care values we explore on the podcast, and what this framework might mean for you—especially if you're ready to shift from burnout to real rest.

Why sleep isn’t the only kind of rest we need

The seven types of rest (and how to identify what you’re missing)

My honest thoughts on the author's religious perspective

How this framework intersects with boundaries, burnout, and unmet needs

A quiz to help you discover your own rest deficits

And why I believe rest isn’t a reward—it’s a requirement

Whether or not you plan to read the book, you’ll leave this episode with practical insights to help you reflect, reset, and reclaim your energy.

📝 Mentioned in this episode:

Take the Rest Quiz: restquiz.com

Follow the podcast so you don’t miss upcoming episodes in the Summer of Real Rest series

Let me know your rest needs on Instagram @medium.lady

📚 Medium Lady Talks is a podcast about self-awareness, sustainable self-care, and creating a life you love—with medium effort. Let’s take care of ourselves with the intention we deserve.

This episode is part of our “Summer of Real Rest” series—time to call ourselves in to a true commitment to the soft work of feeling better one step at a time. 

🧡 If this episode resonates with you:

Looking for more support? Access exclusive content and mindful living tools on Patreon. 

Join the conversation! Share one need you're naming today and tag @medium.lady on Instagram.

The series starts here! 

Don’t forget to subscribe! If this episode resonates, share it with a friend or leave a review—it helps others find the show!

Other Related Episodes (for your enjoyment):

Episode 70: My Life-Changing Perspective on Having the Best Summer EVER

Episode 103: Four Questions to Free Yourself from Summer Stress Part One

Episode 104: Four Questions to Free Yourself from Summer Stress Part Two

Episode 106: Six Things Saving My Summer 

Medium Lady Reads Episode 43 - Our Best Recommendations for Your Summer Reading Pile

Connect with Erin:

This episode is your permission slip to stop grinding and start healing—gently.

In this heartfelt episode of Medium Lady Talks, Erin shares a deeply personal talk on reclaiming “soft work” as a vital part of healing. Inspired by a moment with her therapist and delivered originally at the Say It Like You Claimed It event with Jam Gamble, this message is a reminder that you can’t recover from burnout by doing more hard work.

Instead, you need softness.

🪷 Erin breaks down:

What “soft work” is and why it matters (think: joy, rest, nature, play)

Why soft work activates the vagus nerve and heals the nervous system

The limiting beliefs that make rest feel unearned or frivolous

The science behind why kindness and pleasure help you recover

How to reprogram your brain to notice joy again

Whether you’re exhausted from doing everything “right” or just need a moment to feel seen, this episode will help you soften into the truth: you are not broken. You’re just overdue for joy.

📚 Mentioned in this episode:

Sacred Rest by Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith

Women Who Work Too Much by Tamu Thomas

Reclaim Yourself by Dr. Thema Bryant

What It Takes to Heal by Prentis Hemphill

Fiction from Kennedy Ryan, Tia Williams, Kiley Reid, and Toni Morrison

💬 Ask yourself: What kind of soft work have I been craving?

💬 Let Erin know what “real rest” means to you over on Instagram @medium.lady—and share this episode with the friend who’s doing everything “right” and still wondering why she’s so tired.

This episode is part of our “Summer of Real Rest” series—time to call ourselves in to a true commitment to the soft work of feeling better one step at a time. 

🧡 If this episode resonates with you:

Looking for more support? Access exclusive content and mindful living tools on Patreon. 

Join the conversation! Share one need you're naming today and tag @medium.lady on Instagram.

The series starts here! 

Don’t forget to subscribe! If this episode resonates, share it with a friend or leave a review—it helps others find the show!

Other Related Episodes (for your enjoyment):

Episode 70: My Life-Changing Perspective on Having the Best Summer EVER

Episode 103: Four Questions to Free Yourself from Summer Stress Part One

Episode 104: Four Questions to Free Yourself from Summer Stress Part Two

Episode 106: Six Things Saving My Summer 

Medium Lady Reads Episode 43 - Our Best Recommendations for Your Summer Reading Pile

Connect with Erin:

Key Words: #softwork #burnoutrecovery #restasresistance #nervoussystemhealing #mediumladytalks #mentalhealthawareness #joyishealing #radicalrest

🎧 Self-care isn’t a vibe. It’s a practice—and it’s time to get real about it.

In this powerful kickoff to the new series on Medium Lady Talks: Summer of Real Rest, Erin unpacks the uncomfortable truth about modern self-care: we’re spending our time, money, and attention in all the wrong places.

If you’ve ever wondered why journaling, green smoothies, or a perfectly lit bath still leave you feeling exhausted and overwhelmed—you’re not alone. In Episode 142, Erin shares the self-care advice she’d give if she wasn’t worried about hurting your feelings.

✨ You’ll learn:

This isn’t a makeover or a challenge. It’s an invitation to slow down, soften, and ground yourself in practices that build resilience—like bedtime, boundaries, and real journaling.

If you’re ready for a summer that nourishes instead of depletes, you’re in the right place.

🛏️ Stay tuned for upcoming episodes in the Summer of Real Rest series—each one offering mindful, manageable shifts that support your nervous system and reconnect you with yourself.

💬 Let Erin know what “real rest” means to you over on Instagram @medium.lady—and share