Kathryn Spears: Overwhelmed, Overachieving, and Out of Sync

Kathryn Spears: Overwhelmed, Overachieving, and Out of Sync

From Anxiously Ambitious by Janette Downie

June 2, 2025 · 44 min

About this episode

In this episode, Janette Downie interviews Kathryn Spears about the impact of nervous system dysregulation on burnout and perfectionism in high-achieving women.

Send us a text What if your productivity is actually your body’s survival response? In this powerful conversation, I sit down with Kathryn Spears to unpack how nervous system dysregulation fuels burnout, perfectionism, and dissociation especially for high-achieving women. What We Cover: Why being “dissociated as f*ck” is more common than you think, and how to spot it The nervous system’s role in burnout, anxiety, and emotional shutdown Why mindset work isn’t enough, and what actually creates lasting safety How reclaiming agency can transform your life, leadership, and capacity The surprising ways trauma responses show up in success, hustle, and overachievement If you’ve been stuck in loops of overdoing, emotional exhaustion, or quiet inner chaos, this is the conversation that will help you finally connect the dots. Find Kathryn Spears: 📲 Instagram: @kathrynspears.co 🌎 Website: kathrynspears.co 🌟 Take the Quiz: Silent Saboteur Quiz Links For You: • Follow me on IG • Follow me on TikTok • Subscribe to my newsletter! • Anxiously Ambitious Website

People in this episode

Host: Janette Downie

Guest: Kathryn Spears

Topics covered

  • nervous system dysregulation
  • burnout
  • perfectionism
  • high-achieving women
  • trauma responses
  • emotional exhaustion

Keywords

  • productivity
  • dissociation
  • mindset work
  • agency
  • success
  • hustle
  • emotional shutdown

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