The Burnout Collective

Well, Rebecca took a pain killer right before the show (that's where we're at). But this week, we're talking about dealing with chronic illnesses, both mental and physical, especially in the workplace. We discuss the struggle of working through pain in high-stress job hellscapes because we're sometimes afraid to take time off. 

We also talk about the invisible illnesses others don't see and how it sucks to feel judged or second-guessed by others in your life when you're ill (managers, parents...even friends).

Plus, we've been dissociating with the new Hello Kitty game, and let us tell you: even the Sanrio Hello Kitties are burnt out on their pretend island (editor's note: Retsuko is, in fact, a red panda). 

If you take anything away from this episode, let it be the reminder that you come first. Take that vacation. Pick up the paint brush. Take a mental health day. Set that boundary. 

Mentioned in this episode:

• Hello Kitty Island Adventure game for Nintendo Switch
• 2022 work stress study: "Work stress and loss of years lived without chronic disease: an 18-year follow-up of 1.5 million employees in Denmark"
• The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) article on the early warning signs of job stress

Have a suggestion for our next episode? A burnout story to share? Send us a text!

Support the show

The Burnout Collective Podcast is hosted by Jamie Young and Rebecca McCracken. 

New episodes every other Tuesday anywhere you get your podcasts!
 
Join our Discord community: discord.gg/ZwBjbmVfAF
Follow us on our socials: linktr.ee/burnoutcollective

Music track: Snap Your Fingers by Aylex 
Source: https://freetouse.com/music

TW: Please note that this episode contains some brief talk of eating disorders, as well as mentions of fatphobia and body shaming. If you're sensitive to these topics, we suggest skipping through minutes 14 to 17 and 25 to 38.

Get ready to talk food burnout with us in Episode 12. We discuss pandemic grocery woes, meal prep/planning exhaustion, dietary restrictions, and eating on hard mode when our health or the meds we take affect our appetite.

Rebecca discusses why Imperfect Foods was a game changer for her. Meanwhile, Jamie defends the virtue of peanut butter, mustard, and pickle sandwiches while Rebecca looks on in horror. We also reminisce about 90s snacks—remember green ketchup and kudos bars?—and chat about food hacks like the magic of air fryers, drinking smoothies as a less painful way to get nutrients, and why frozen fruits and veggies are the real heroes. 

Whether you struggle with having to plan meals for your family or you're struggling to feed yourself, just remember that food is morally neutral. 

Surprisingly, we're still waiting on our Uncrustables sponsorship. But what do you think, listeners? Should we create our own Burnout Cookbook?

Have a suggestion for our next episode? A burnout story to share? Send us a text!

Support the show

The Burnout Collective Podcast is hosted by Jamie Young and Rebecca McCracken. 

New episodes every other Tuesday anywhere you get your podcasts!
 
Join our Discord community: discord.gg/ZwBjbmVfAF
Follow us on our socials: linktr.ee/burnoutcollective

Music track: Snap Your Fingers by Aylex 
Source: https://freetouse.com/music

You guys. It's been a week. Rebecca is obsessed with Rednote. She'll be speaking fluent Mandarin in about 2 weeks. Jamie tried to watch her first episode of J*e R*gan, but gave up after 15 minutes. 

It's time to delve into moral injury vs. burnout. We couldn't help but talk about the dumpster fire that is big tech, Meta's racist AI gone rogue, and DEI efforts being dismantled. Plus, we discuss how M*rk Z*ckubus is doing away with factchecking and blocking links from an IG competitor...all while giving Dark Willow from Buffy. 

"The hardest thing in this world is to live in it." —Buffy

Hey, friends! We deleted our Twitter accounts and are loving it over on Bluesky, so come join us!

Mentioned in this episode (because we factcheck!):

• Twitter alternative: Bluesky
• Tiktok alternative (Chinese app): Rednote
• IG alternative: Pixelfed 
• "Meta and Amazon Scale Back Diversity Initiatives" by Natalie Sherman @ BBC 
• "Meta Is Blocking Links to Decentralized Instagram Competitor Pixelfed" by Jason Koebler @ 404 Media
• "I talked to Meta's black AI character. Here's what she told me." by Karen Attiah @ Washington Post 
• Karen Attiah's Bluesky thread on using the above Meta AI
• The Role of Big Businesses Under the N*zis (thanks, Elyssa!)
• Escape From Incel Island book (for a laugh)

Have a suggestion for our next episode? A burnout story to share? Send us a text!

Support the show

The Burnout Collective Podcast is hosted by Jamie Young and Rebecca McCracken. 

New episodes every other Tuesday anywhere you get your podcasts!
 
Join our Discord community: discord.gg/ZwBjbmVfAF
Follow us on our socials: linktr.ee/burnoutcollective

Music track: Snap Your Fingers by Aylex 
Source: https://freetouse.com/music

We made it to Episode 10! Our tiny, black neurodivergent hearts thank all of you for that. 

Our special episode needed a special guest (and our first!) and we're so happy it was Elyssa. Elyssa is one of our good friends that we both met at work and she hasn't been able to get rid of us since. She is a a creator in so many ways—artist, writer, podcaster, TikTok creator, personal finance expert, and so much more. 

Elyssa talks about her year-and-a-half struggle with unemployment, discussing the emotional toll, tough job market, and the importance of getting support from your friends and loved ones. She also shares her best job application tips, how to manage mental health during a job search, and the ever-dreaded self eval. Plus, we all commiserate and compare our lay off stories.

Don't forget to join our Discord for job opportunities and support!

Elyssa started The World Builders' Book Club podcast here on Twitch that focuses on building a world rooted in love and liberation. World Builders' has a new theme every quarter and she discusses a new book every week (you don't even have to read along).

You can find Elyssa on Instagram, Tiktok, and Twitch as @brave_saver
Check out her reading list on her site @ bravesaver.com/worldbuilders/
Join us every Sunday @ 10am PT on twitch.tv/brave_saver

Have a suggestion for our next episode? A burnout story to share? Send us a text!

Support the show

The Burnout Collective Podcast is hosted by Jamie Young and Rebecca McCracken. 

New episodes every other Tuesday anywhere you get your podcasts!
 
Join our Discord community: discord.gg/ZwBjbmVfAF
Follow us on our socials: linktr.ee/burnoutcollective

Music track: Snap Your Fingers by Aylex 
Source: https://freetouse.com/music

In this episode, we dive straight into the coping mechanisms we use every day to function (and survive). We discuss both helpful and harmful ways to dissociate and find comfort in the chaos (video games, shopping, tv shows, sleep) especially if you're neurodivergent. We focus on taking care of our mental health, the importance of therapy and meds, and the struggles of actually obtaining the diagnosis/medication you need. We also highlight the emotional impact of the pandemic—especially when it comes to kids. 

Have a suggestion for our next episode? A burnout story to share? Send us a text!

Support the show

The Burnout Collective Podcast is hosted by Jamie Young and Rebecca McCracken. 

New episodes every other Tuesday anywhere you get your podcasts!
 
Join our Discord community: discord.gg/ZwBjbmVfAF
Follow us on our socials: linktr.ee/burnoutcollective

Music track: Snap Your Fingers by Aylex 
Source: https://freetouse.com/music

It's time for us to talk about everyone's favorite manipulative sitcom family: The Work Family. We'll give you tips on avoiding workplaces that mirror the most unhealthy family dynamics, dealing with companies that expect you to just drink the Kool-Aid (especially startups), and share our own personal stories. Plus, we talk about the importance of pay transparency and how to advocate for yourself when you need it most.

Have a suggestion for our next episode? A burnout story to share? Send us a text!

Support the show

The Burnout Collective Podcast is hosted by Jamie Young and Rebecca McCracken. 

New episodes every other Tuesday anywhere you get your podcasts!
 
Join our Discord community: discord.gg/ZwBjbmVfAF
Follow us on our socials: linktr.ee/burnoutcollective

Music track: Snap Your Fingers by Aylex 
Source: https://freetouse.com/music

Time to get. shit. done. In this episode, we talk about raising the stakes when it comes to motivation (like a real-life Tamagotchi). We delve into everything from ADHD brain hacks to body doubling to travel tips (we love you, Alaska Airlines!). We also discuss the GTD productivity method and the different tools we use to help us stay organized.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Jamie's fav calendar app: Fantastical
• Jamie's task app: Things
• Rebecca's task app: Goblin Tools
• Jamie's productivity "game" on Steam: Spirit City: Lofi Sessions

Have a suggestion for our next episode? A burnout story to share? Send us a text!

Support the show

The Burnout Collective Podcast is hosted by Jamie Young and Rebecca McCracken. 

New episodes every other Tuesday anywhere you get your podcasts!
 
Join our Discord community: discord.gg/ZwBjbmVfAF
Follow us on our socials: linktr.ee/burnoutcollective

Music track: Snap Your Fingers by Aylex 
Source: https://freetouse.com/music

This episode is all about surviving the holidays, savory gelatin dishes (that all seem to trace back to Mormons and The Midwest), and why we all just need a nap. We discuss how much pressure has been put on women for generations to Make the Holidays Happen. We also share personal stories about family dynamics during holiday get togethers and the importance of setting boundaries to protect our mental health (like just saying no to invites). Plus, we get to mock Jamie's vegan Thanksgiving feast and we find out just how much Rebecca likes soup.

Have a suggestion for our next episode? A burnout story to share? Send us a text!

Support the show

The Burnout Collective Podcast is hosted by Jamie Young and Rebecca McCracken. 

New episodes every other Tuesday anywhere you get your podcasts!
 
Join our Discord community: discord.gg/ZwBjbmVfAF
Follow us on our socials: linktr.ee/burnoutcollective

Music track: Snap Your Fingers by Aylex 
Source: https://freetouse.com/music

In this episode, we discuss the quirks and joys of having a "work spouse" or work bestie. We share hilarious stories about workplace etiquette (like being betrayed by a potential work wife), the importance of having a reliable ally at work, and the unspoken rules of office friendships. Plus, Rebecca has her own moment of realization that she's the "mean friend." And, dear reader, she's thrilled.

Have a suggestion for our next episode? A burnout story to share? Send us a text!

Support the show

The Burnout Collective Podcast is hosted by Jamie Young and Rebecca McCracken. 

New episodes every other Tuesday anywhere you get your podcasts!
 
Join our Discord community: discord.gg/ZwBjbmVfAF
Follow us on our socials: linktr.ee/burnoutcollective

Music track: Snap Your Fingers by Aylex 
Source: https://freetouse.com/music

In this episode of the Burnout Collective, we discuss a topic we have no business discussing: shopping. Or, rather, using shopping as a coping mechanism—which some like to call doom spending. We talk about buying unnecessary items when stressed or bored, like 6 different Muslin Comfort blankets (and this one time a car). We then chat about the struggle of managing finances to begin with, the science of social media advertising, and the impacts of ADHD on spending habits. Although we know this episode topic was more of the "do as we say, not as we do" type, we still acknowledge our shared desire to eliminate shame around money and end the cycle of guilt associated with spending...under our 6 expensive, cozy blankies.

Have a suggestion for our next episode? A burnout story to share? Send us a text!

Support the show

The Burnout Collective Podcast is hosted by Jamie Young and Rebecca McCracken. 

New episodes every other Tuesday anywhere you get your podcasts!
 
Join our Discord community: discord.gg/ZwBjbmVfAF
Follow us on our socials: linktr.ee/burnoutcollective

Music track: Snap Your Fingers by Aylex 
Source: https://freetouse.com/music