38. The Big Burnout Lie: Why Rest Isn’t Working

In this episode, we blow up the most common myths about burnout and get honest about what’s really happening beneath the surface — especially for women in midlife who feel exhausted, foggy, emotionally flat, or quietly overwhelmed for “no logical reason.”

Kate reframes burnout not as a failure of willpower or self-care… but as a nervous system overload problem.

You’ll hear:

• Why burnout isn’t fixed by sleep, vacations, or “trying harder”
• What emotional load actually does to your nervous system
• How your body experiences unfinished emotions as background threat
• Why midlife burnout feels different than exhaustion in your 20s and 30s
• What capacity really is — and why “regulation” isn’t about being calm
• The neuroscience of unresolved emotional loops
• How clarity returns not through escape, but through completion

This conversation is for you if:

• You’re “technically fine” but deeply tired
• You’ve rested, retreated, and recalibrated… and still feel off
• You wonder why your body seems louder than it used to be
• You’re craving relief but don’t want another wellness performance playbook
• You suspect burnout is deeper than overwork — but haven’t had words for it

This is not a “burnout recovery checklist” episode.

It’s a perspective shift.

A nervous-system truth bomb.

And a compassionate invitation to stop carrying what your body can no longer hold.

You’ll leave understanding:

Burnout isn’t about doing too much.

It’s about holding too much open.

⭐️ And you’ll be guided through a simple nervous-system reset you can use anywhere — even in your car — to begin creating safety and capacity in real time.

🔥 Ready to Go Deeper?

This episode reflects the core philosophy behind The Second Firing — Kate’s signature midlife initiation container for women navigating burnout, anxiety, identity shifts, and profound transformation.

✨ The next cohort begins in early 2026.

Many of you have been circling this work for a while.

👉 Join the Second Firing 2026 waitlist

Be the first to receive details, early invitations, and priority access when doors open.

🌙 The conversation doesn’t end here.

• My Inner Circle gets the first drops—new podcast sneak peeks, early access to offers, and the notes I only share off-mic. Join us here.

🌿 Free Support for Your Nervous System

• Start here → The Free Anxiety Reset: a 7-minute guided tool to calm spiraling thoughts and come back to yourself. Think of it like a nervous system reboot—on demand.

✨ Enjoying this podcast?

• Leave a review—it helps other women find this work. 🙏
• Or forward this episode to a friend who could use a little nervous system magic today. 💛

💛 Connect with Kate:

Email [e-mail] or DM on Instagram: @radicallyKate