So many women say, "I'm not burned out, I'm just tired." But what happens when tired is actually something deeper?

In this episode of Freeda's World, Ritha sits down with Dr. Nikia Smith, a board-certified anesthesiologist, wellness coach, and founder of She Is Fire Forged, to discuss the simmer before burnout. That quiet, constant state of depletion that often goes unnoticed because everything still looks fine on the outside.

Together, they unpack the subtle signs of simmering, why high-achieving women, especially women of color, are conditioned to ignore early warning signals, and what is really happening in the body when we keep pushing past our limits. Dr. Nikia introduces the idea of subtraction over addition, explains how self-worth becomes intertwined with productivity, and offers practical ways to intervene before burnout escalates.

This conversation is for the woman who feels functional but off, successful but stretched, and knows something needs to change before her body forces the issue.