logo
episode-header-image
Aug 2024
25m 23s

#sarahshares: When Burnout Recovery Feel...

Cait Donovan
About this episode

“We sometimes resist our own healing because it feels like punishment,” says Sarah Vosen in this latest #sarashares episode of FRIED. Today, she discusses the challenge of healing, which despite being good for us, doesn’t necessarily always feel great. And because of this, we are tempted to self sabotage, retreat back into our old coping mechanisms, and continue to sacrifice long term growth and greater reward for smaller, short-term rewards—or merely the illusion thereof. You may recognize yourself in a few of the scenarios that Sarah shares to illustrate how we can backslide down the slippery slope of healing. She also shares her own journey toward healthy eating and forming a new relationship to alcohol, and the incremental success in forming new habits. 


As with everything in nature and the universe, contraction is as natural an element of the growth and healing process as expansion. So, on our healing journey, for every step forward there may be a retreat back to old, comforting habits, especially when we’re physically and emotionally exhausted. That’s why we must take it slow and steady, show ourselves grace and reward, and look for and accept support. Sarah discusses the subject of “revenge procrastination,” and the big questions that lay at the heart of our resistance to change. 


With vulnerability and courage, Sarah continues to share her own journey with us so that we can learn more about what it means to heal from burnout and take bold action along our own path. 


Ready to leave burnout behind for good? Join UNFRIED: A Small Group Burnout Recovery Program and start reclaiming your energy and joy. Apply today! (https://bit.ly/unfryapply)


Quotes

  • “Continuing to use only these instant gratification comforts is like choosing a consolation prize that’s depleting over time because they’re like empty calories—sometimes literally—or sometimes more like empty fulfillment, like how a diet soda is sweet but not really. It isn’t exactly satisfying.The real prizes are the ones that healing provides.” (2:33 | Sarah Vosen) 
  • “All periods of growth have a retreat following them, just like winter is a retreat of energy from the full out growth period of the summer.” (8:23 | Sarah Vosen) 
  • “When you are embarking on a healing journey, remember that in order to change, you have to change, and with change comes growing pains, mostly because you have to shift your habits away from a lifestyle that is the only safety you know, and has been comforting you in some way, for years. Even if it wasn’t helpful for you in many other ways.” (11:52 | Sarah Vosen)
  • “You’ve heard it said before and I’ll say it again: make smaller changes. If you’re very tired, make even smaller changes. I know it won’t seem like enough, but it will add up.” (19:04 | Sarah Vosen)


Links

Dahlia blooming: https://www.instagram.com/thesusanakennedy/reel/C4IFC-wA3pN/


Scheduling acupuncture with Sarah near Minneapolis, MN:

https://acusimple.com/access/7008/#/appointments/8888/list/42506/2024-03-14/


FB group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/friedtheburnoutpodcast/

Newsletter sign up for office hours: https://www.caitdonovan.com/newsletter-office-hours

1:1 coaching consults for Sarah: https://caitdonovan.as.me/coachwithsarah

1:1 coaching consults for Cait: https://caitdonovan.as.me/initial


Connect with Cait:

Initial Call with Cait: bit.ly/callcait

Initial Call with Sarah: bit.ly/callsarahv


Burnout doesn’t have to be your story. Apply to UNFRIED: A Small Group Burnout Recovery Program and start your journey toward lasting recovery. Spots are limited—apply now! (https://bit.ly/unfryapply)

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Up next
Today
Cyndie Spiegel: Use This Technique to Find Hope When You're Stuck in the Muck
<p><span>Burnout isn’t the end of your story. With Sarah Vosen’s guidance, recovery becomes not just possible—but sustainable. Learn more: </span><a href="https://caitdonovan.com/coaching" rel="nofollow">https://caitdonovan.com/coaching</a></p><p><br></p><p><span>Burnout doesn’t ... Show More
41m 42s
Nov 16
#straightwithcait: Why Behavior Change Is So Hard (and What Your Brain Has to Do With It)
<p><span>Healing happens faster with guidance. Give yourself permission to ask for and receive help: </span><a href="https://caitdonovan.com/coaching" rel="nofollow">https://caitdonovan.com/coaching</a></p><p><br></p><p><span>Most people think they’ve failed at change when they’v ... Show More
9m 12s
Nov 9
Coaching with Sarah: Spinning in the ‘Am I Burned Out?’ Loop? This One’s for You
You don’t have to carry burnout alone. The right support can help you breathe again—start here: https://caitdonovan.com/coachingBurnout doesn’t always look like collapse; sometimes it hides in the moments when you’re still performing, but your spark keeps flickering out, and that ... Show More
55m 8s
Recommended Episodes
Jul 2025
Stop Begging to Be Chosen: The Real Reason You Can’t Move On—And How to Walk Away | Najwa Zebian (Fan Fav)
On this deeply moving episode of Women of Impact, host Lisa Bilyeu welcomes back the extraordinary poet and author Najwa Zebian for a conversation that goes right to the heart of healing and self-worth. If you’ve ever felt weighed down by emotional scars, struggled with people pl ... Show More
1h 53m
Jan 2025
Gabby Bernstein : Self Help This Is Your Chance to Change Your Life
What does real healing look like, and how can we start today? In this episode of A Really Good Cry, I’m chatting with the incredible Gabby Bernstein—spiritual teacher, author, and someone who’s turned her own pain into purpose. Gabby shares her inspiring journey from addiction an ... Show More
55m 16s
Jan 2025
EP 485: Getting Over a Massive Expectation Hangover with Aubrea
<p>In this heartfelt and transformative episode, Christine Hassler coaches Aubrea, who opens up about facing significant life challenges all at once. Aubrea shares her journey of navigating a job loss, the end of a long-term relationship, fertility struggles, and the passing of h ... Show More
29m 16s
Aug 2024
5 Toxic Family Members to Avoid On Your Emotional Healing Journey
<p>In this episode of the <strong><em>Breakdown to Breakthrough Podcast</em>,</strong> Lisa A. Romano delves into the five toxic family members you need to avoid while on your healing journey: The Critic, The Denier, The Controller, The Martyr, and The Drama King/Queen. Lisa expl ... Show More
16m 55s
Jun 2024
Finding Surrender, Freedom and Healing in Eating Disorder Recovery with Rebecca Amis
<p>Today I’m talking to Rebecca Amis - a woman on a transformative journey of eating disorder recovery and empowerment. Rebecca’s life's path has been shaped by profound blessings and challenges, including battling an eating disorder.</p> <p>Rebecca was raised in a large family h ... Show More
36m 34s
Aug 14
It Doesn't Take 10 Years to Heal Your Past
This clip is from Brendon's 2hr training in ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠the ⁠⁠GrowthDay app⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Get the full training by becoming a member: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://growthday.go.link/gCW0U⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Have you ever been told that it takes years—maybe even decades—to truly heal from your past? The tr ... Show More
13m 23s
Oct 21
The Nonlinear Path to Healing: Finding Wholeness After Trauma with Daria Burke
In this episode, Daria Burke discusses the non-linear path to healing and how to find wholeness after trauma. She shares her experiences growing up in Detroit with parents struggling with addiction, the impact of adversity, and her path toward self-discovery and integration. Dari ... Show More
1h 1m
Apr 2021
What happened to you Matters
<p>In this episode, Lisa A. Romano discusses the consequences of growing up in a toxic childhood home and what you can do to help heal your life, raise your consciousness and detach from the stories and vibrations of the past. Ignoring the past only helps to recreate it in the fu ... Show More
43m 33s
Mar 2025
Your Old Life is Keeping You Stuck—Here’s HOW to Move On w Najwa Zebian
Are you holding onto a version of yourself that no longer fits?Change is uncomfortable—but staying the same is even worse. If you feel stuck, lost, or resistant to moving forward, this episode will help you understand why your old life won’t let you go and how to finally break fr ... Show More
59m 17s
Nov 2024
How To Heal Your Trauma To Manifest Your Most Abundant Life | Melissa Wood-Tepperberg
<p>In this deeply personal and transformative conversation, I sit down with wellness entrepreneur and motivational speaker Melissa Wood-Tepperberg. From growing up in a dysfunctional household to battling eating disorders and addiction in her early twenties, Melissa shares her jo ... Show More
1h 31m