One of the most dangerous ideas is that exhaustion means you’re weak. In reality, burnout often happens to the most capable, conscientious people, the ones who’ve been holding everything together for years.

In this conversation, GP and burnout coach Caroline Steel explains why burnout isn’t a breakdown, but a warning. We talk about how overwhelm shows up in the body, why midlife can be the tipping point, and how many women are taught, from a young age, to put everyone else first and ignore their own needs.

From feeling paralysed by simple decisions, to losing touch with who you are outside of work, motherhood, or caregiving, this episode gently names what so many women experience but rarely say out loud.

Most importantly, it offers hope. Burnout is something you can recover from, and recovery doesn’t start with fixing everything. It starts with listening to yourself again.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit joblackwellmidlifeandbeyond.substack.com