481: High-Functioning Burnout Exposed: The Perpetual Chase

Ever feel like life just feels… flat - even when, on paper, nothing is wrong? In the finale of our 5-part High-Functioning Burnout Exposed series with Awaken the Muse, Natalie, Alexi Panos and Emily Gallagher dig into numbness, stuckness, and the urge to burn it all down. You’ll discover why flatness is actually a signal of misalignment, how to tune into your inner GPS, and the small shifts that bring you back online without overhauling your entire life. You’ll learn a simple self-audit to spot what needs to shift, how to create breathing room when your to-do list never ends, and what it really looks like to design your days with more aliveness, joy, and ease. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 When numbness and avoidance take over 01:55 Stuckness as a signal: what your inner GPS is telling you 03:20 Numb isn’t nothing: why flatness is still information 05:27 Do you really need to blow up your life? 06:52 The self-audit: what to add in, what to let go of 08:34 Designing instead of reacting: subtle shifts that create energy 12:12 The 80/20 Reset: Creating space when your list never ends  15:24 The real reason change never sticks until you change you 17:10 Gentle discipline: 3–5 minute daily practices that nurture presence RESOURCES + LINKS Click Here To Join Soft Success: A Free Live Masterclass Experience Taking Place On September 24th To End High-Functioning Burnout And Redefine Success On Your Terms. Sign Up For Our Free Weekly Newsletter & Get Insights From Natalie Every Single Week On All Things Strategy, Motherhood, Business Growth + More.  Drop Us A Review On The Podcast + Send Us A Screenshot & We’ll Send You Natalie’s 7-Figure Operating System Completely FREE (value $1,997).

Why does resentment creep into the relationships of ambitious women - especially when you feel like you’re “doing it all”? In Part 4 of our 5-Part High-Functioning Burnout Exposed series with Awaken the Muse, Natalie, Alexi Panos and Emily Gallagher unpack how unspoken needs, over-functioning, and self-betrayal quietly erode intimacy + how to rebuild connection without abandoning your drive. You’ll learn a clearer frame for reverse polarity (respect vs. cherish), how to shift from blame to vulnerable truth, and a simple reset that restores your sense of power and wholeness in a relationship. You’ll leave with tools to read your nervous system, name the desire under the complaint, and create more safety, softness, and spark - without carrying all the emotional load. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Why resentment builds for high-performing women 03:20 Modern roles & reverse polarity: respect vs. being cherished 06:52 The resentment–self-betrayal loop (micro “yeses” when you mean no) 08:58 Softness, vulnerability, and nervous-system safety in love 12:30 From complaints to desires: how to ask cleanly 15:40 “I’m tired of the emotional labor” - a different way forward 17:55 The 90-day self-first reset to reclaim your clarity and choice 31:20 Tending triggers: inner child work, grief, and self-intimacy 37:10 Green lights and micro-appreciations: small shifts that change dynamics RESOURCES + LINKS Click Here To Join Soft Success: A Free Live Masterclass Experience Taking Place On September 24th To End High-Functioning Burnout And Redefine Success On Your Terms. Sign Up For Our Free Weekly Newsletter & Get Insights From Natalie Every Single Week On All Things Strategy, Motherhood, Business Growth + More.  Drop Us A Review On The Podcast + Send Us A Screenshot & We’ll Send You Natalie’s 7-Figure Operating System Completely FREE (value $1,997).

Why do so many high-achieving women do all the right things - get 8 hours of sleep, take the supplements, follow the routines - yet still wake up exhausted? In the first episode of this series, we unpacked the overwhelm loop. In Part 2 of our 5-part High-Functioning Burnout Exposed series with Awaken the Muse, Natalie, Alexi Panos and Emily Gallagher dive into energy, vitality and why sleep isn’t solving what’s actually nervous-system and emotional-load related. You’ll hear why healthy habits alone can’t create true vitality, how to reconnect with the signals your body is sending, and the exact reflection that reveals where your energy is leaking: What are you avoiding or pretending not to know? After listening to this episode, you will walk away with simple regulation tools, a new way to understand your body’s needs, and a gentler path to real, sustainable energy. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Doing all the things… and still running on empty 01:18 Vitality vs. cortisol: a new definition of energy 04:33 Burnout as initiation (when old tricks stop working) 08:03 Rebuilding self-trust: listening to your body first 12:16 Looks vs. feels: caring for your body from the inside 14:18 Feeling the unfelt (grief, numbness, stored emotions) 16:48 The diagnostic question: What are you avoiding/pretending not to know? 24:07 The true cost of not looking (energy, love, creativity) 29:14 A one-week practice to reveal what you’re avoiding RESOURCES + LINKS Click Here To Join Soft Success: A Free Live Masterclass Experience Taking Place On September 24th To End High-Functioning Burnout And Redefine Success On Your Terms. Sign Up For Our Free Weekly Newsletter & Get Insights From Natalie Every Single Week On All Things Strategy, Motherhood, Business Growth + More.  Drop Us A Review On The Podcast + Send Us A Screenshot & We’ll Send You Natalie’s 7-Figure Operating System Completely FREE (value $1,997).

Why is it that the very habits that drive ambitious women to succeed - the hustle, the long hours, the “I can do it all” mindset - are often the same ones that lead to burnout, anxiety, and resentment? In the first episode of our 5-part series with Awaken the Muse - Natalie, Alexi Panos and Emily Gallagher pull back the curtain on what they call the overwhelm loop - the cycle of urgency, overcommitment, and dysregulation that so many high-achieving women mistake for normal. Together, they share raw stories of postpartum identity shifts, hidden resentment in relationships, and the nervous system patterns that keep us chasing more even when we already feel depleted. You’ll learn what “functional freeze” actually looks like, why capacity can be a mask for self-abandonment, and the micro-practices that help you exhale, reset, and build a more sustainable kind of success. If you’ve ever felt like slowing down means falling behind, this episode will prove the opposite - that nervous system regulation is the real key to growth, profit, and fulfillment. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 The hidden cost of high-functioning burnout 01:26 From biohacking to balance: how hormones tell the truth before we do 03:35 The LA hustle spell and the pressure to “stay relevant” 05:24 Postpartum wake-up calls: splitting yourself between business and baby 08:49 The identity crisis no one talks about after becoming a mother 11:27 Why your nervous system equates chaos with safety 15:10 How relaxing (not pushing harder) actually expands capacity 16:40 Soft CEO era vs. hustle culture: finding a middle ground 25:36 Functional freeze explained and why high achievers miss the signs 33:37 Resentment as a red flag for self-abandonment 38:23 Simple regulation tools you can use in under a minute 41:34 The myth that transformation has to be hard, and what actually works RESOURCES + LINKS Click Here To Join Soft Success: A Free Masterclass Experience Taking Place On September 24th To End High-Functioning Burnout And Redefine Success On Your Terms. Sign Up For Our Free Weekly Newsletter & Get Insights From Natalie Every Single Week On All Things Strategy, Motherhood, Business Growth + More.  Drop Us A Review On The Podcast + Send Us A Screenshot & We’ll Send You Natalie’s 7-Figure Operating System Completely FREE (value $1,997).

Why is it that so many ambitious, successful women find themselves feeling disconnected from their feminine energy, and even struggling in their relationships because of it?In this powerful episode, Mama Gena (author of Pussy: A Reclamation and founder of The School of Womanly Arts) joins Natalie to unpack the conditioning that teaches women to “man up” in order to succeed + shares how that very conditioning often leaves us burnt out, resentful, and craving deeper intimacy. You’ll learn why polarity matters in relationships, how to reconnect with your sensuality and pleasure without losing your ambition, and the simple daily practices that can reignite your feminine fire. If you’ve ever felt like you’re doing it all but still missing something, this conversation will show you a whole new way forward. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Why high-achieving women often lose touch with their feminine fire02:22 - How childhood conditioning and cultural myths shape our relationships06:32 - The real reason polarity breaks down in modern partnerships11:12 - Why success at work can create challenges in love (and what to do about it)17:45 - A story of choosing love over power + what it taught Mama Gena26:07 - Practices to release resentment and reconnect with your body33:40 - How to turn rage into pleasure (and why it changes everything)41:00 - Simple rituals to bring more turn-on, joy, and ease into your day47:49 - The power of sisterhood in keeping your feminine energy alive55:00 - Redefining value: why money isn’t the only measure of success RESOURCES + LINKSDownload Mama Gena’s Ultimate Guide to Getting What You Want For Free Right Here. Click Here To Join Mama Gena For A Free 4-Day Live Event To Awaken Your Emotional Genius, Uncork Your Stuckness, And Remember The Power Of Your Truth, Your Tears, And Your Turn-On. Click Here To Get Mama Gena’s Course House Of Turn On: An 8-Week Initiation Into The Deepest Power You’ve Never Been Taught To Trust - Your Pleasure. Sign Up For Our Free Weekly Newsletter & Get Insights From Natalie Every Single Week On All Things Strategy, Motherhood, Business Growth + More. Drop Us A Review On The Podcast + Send Us A Screenshot & We’ll Send You Natalie’s 7-Figure Operating System Completely FREE (value $1,997)