What happens when your inner critic runs the show—especially while you’re caring for someone else? In this rewind episode, Nicole Burgess, a clinically trained Soul-Led Leadership Coach for highly sensitive professional women, joins Laura to unpack stress in the body, everyday mindfulness practices, and how to soften perfectionism so you can receive more calm, joy, and support.

Nicole also shares how her fiber arts weaving practice restores her—and why creative outlets with a clear beginning, middle, and end can be deeply grounding for caregivers.

👤 Meet Nicole Burgess

Nicole Burgess is a clinically trained Soul-Led Leadership Coach to ambitious, highly sensitive, professional women leaders. She hosts the Soulfilled Sisterhood podcast and founded the Self-Care Summit: Improve Your Bottom Line and Your Persona. Nicole helps clients move from overthinking and perfectionism to presence, purpose, and sustainable self-care.

📌 Topics Discussed

• Stress in the body: common signals (stomach, shoulders, headaches) and simple nervous-system resets
• Micro-mindfulness you can actually do: breathing, shower/teeth-brushing presence, mindful walks, single-tasking
• Memory worries vs. anxiety: why being present matters for forming memories
• Perfectionism & the inner critic: all-or-nothing thinking, fear of judgment, giving that part a “back seat”
• Boundaries with advice-givers: permission to say no; asking for help on your terms
• Creativity as care: how weaving (and any tactile craft) can bring completion and calm
• Practical tools: brain dumps, nature breaks, hydration, tiny five- to ten-minute resets

⏱️ Timestamps (Approx.)

• 00:00 – Welcome + Nicole’s path: therapy, coaching, podcasting
• 04:30 – Creativity & weaving as grounding (beginning–middle–end)
• 08:40 – Storykeeping for caregivers: memory books & meaning-making
• 12:30 – How stress shows up in the body; quick breath + posture resets
• 17:20 – Micro-mindfulness: shower, brushing teeth, mindful walking
• 22:30 – Presence, time, and easing the “I don’t have time” loop
• 26:40 – Anxiety vs memory: why presence helps you remember
• 31:10 – What mindfulness is: observing without attaching or fixing
• 36:50 – Perfectionism & the inner critic: moving from black-and-white to gray
• 43:30 – Boundaries with outside opinions; asking for help
• 49:20 – Naming the critic as a part (not all of you)
• 53:30 – Nicole’s self-care go-tos: nature, brain dumps, tiny practices
• 57:40 – Where to find Nicole + resources

💡 Key Takeaways

• Your body signals stress before your mind does—listen early, respond gently.
• Mindfulness can be tiny: one breath, one task, one sense at a time.
• Worried about memory? Presence is what allows memories to encode.
• Perfectionism blocks joy and peace; most caregiving has no single “right” way.
• Your inner critic is a part of you, not all of you—it doesn’t have to drive.
• Ask for help. People can’t support needs they don’t know about.

🔗 Resources Mentioned

• Nicole’s site: Nicole Burgess Coaching
• Podcast: Soulfilled Sisterhood (episodes listed on her site)
• Facebook: Nicole Burgess Coaching
• LinkedIn: Nicole Burgess Coach

🤝 Connect with Nicole Burgess

• Website: nicoleburgesscoaching.com
• Facebook: Nicole Burgess Coaching
• LinkedIn: Nicole Burgess Coach

🌿 Connect with Laura & Life on Repeat

• Instagram: @lifeonrepeat.podcast
• Facebook: facebook.com/LifeonRepeatPodcast
• Website: lifeonrepeatpodcast.com
• Email: [email protected]
• Private consultations: eldercarecounselor.com

If this episode helped, share it with a caregiver who needs permission to do less perfectly—and to breathe a little more today. 💛