Medium Lady Talks: Burnout Recovery for Millennials and Mothers

This episode was originally published in June of 2025 In this heartfelt episode of Medium Lady Talks, Erin shares a deeply personal talk on reclaiming “soft work” as a vital part of healing. Inspired by a moment with her therapist and delivered originally at the Say It Like You Claimed It event with Jam Gamble, this message is a reminder that you can’t recover from burnout by doing more hard work. Instead, you need softness. 🪷 Erin breaks down: What “soft work” is and why it matters (think: joy, rest, nature, play) Why soft work activates the vagus nerve and heals the nervous system The limiting beliefs that make rest feel unearned or frivolous The science behind why kindness and pleasure help you recover How to reprogram your brain to notice joy again Whether you’re exhausted from doing everything “right” or just need a moment to feel seen, this episode will help you soften into the truth: you are not broken. You’re just overdue for joy. 📚 Mentioned in this episode: Sacred Rest by Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith Women Who Work Too Much by Tamu Thomas Reclaim Yourself by Dr. Thema Bryant What It Takes to Heal by Prentis Hemphill Fiction from Kennedy Ryan, Tia Williams, Kiley Reid, and Toni Morrison 💬 Ask yourself: What kind of soft work have I been craving? 💬 Let Erin know what “real rest” means to you over on Instagram @medium.lady—and share this episode with the friend who’s doing everything “right” and still wondering why she’s so tired. This episode is part of our “Summer of Real Rest” series—time to call ourselves in to a true commitment to the soft work of feeling better one step at a time. 🧡 If this episode resonates with you: Share it with a friend who needs a little extra encouragement Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify—it helps more than you know DM me on Instagram @medium.lady or tag your favorite quote from the episode Subscribe for more real talk about building a life you love—one medium-effort step at a time Looking for more support? Access exclusive content and mindful living tools on Patreon. Join the conversation! Share one need you're naming today and tag @medium.lady on Instagram. The series starts here! Don’t forget to subscribe! If this episode resonates, share it with a friend or leave a review—it helps others find the show! Other Related Episodes (for your enjoyment): Episode 70: My Life-Changing Perspective on Having the Best Summer EVER Episode 103: Four Questions to Free Yourself from Summer Stress Part One Episode 104: Four Questions to Free Yourself from Summer Stress Part Two Episode 106: Six Things Saving My Summer Medium Lady Reads Episode 43 - Our Best Recommendations for Your Summer Reading Pile Connect with Erin: Instagram: @medium.lady Patreon: www.patreon.com/mediumlady Email: mediumladytalks@gmail.com Explore more book-related content on "Medium Lady Reads." - link to Spotify Instagram: @mediumladyreads Key Words: #softwork #burnoutrecovery #restasresistance #nervoussystemhealing #mediumladytalks #mentalhealthawareness #joyishealing #radicalrest

On the winter solstice — the darkest day of the year — Erin closes the Phone Free Fall series with a quiet, honest reflection on presence, capacity, and what it means to actually live inside the life you worked so hard to build. This episode isn’t about advice, challenges, or optimizing your habits. It’s about noticing. About naming the ways we slip out of our own lives — into scrolling, distraction, and emotional distance — not because our lives are bad, but because they are full. If you’ve felt restless, overstimulated, or disconnected even while living a life you once dreamed of, this episode offers orientation, not pressure. A reminder that real life isn’t something you get to later — it’s already happening, and you’re allowed to be inside it. 🧠 In This Episode, Erin Reflects On: • Why Phone Free Fall was never about quitting your phone This series was about noticing how often we leave our lives without realizing it — and gently choosing to come back. • The paradox of living a “good” life and still wanting to escape it Full lives are often heavy to inhabit. Phones offer distance and numbness, but not true restoration. • How rest, capacity, and phone use are deeply connected Even when we rest, our phones can quietly drain the capacity that rest is meant to restore. • What listeners discovered when screen time went down Pride, boredom, boredom with scrolling — and then a strange, honest sense of being lost. Not a failure, but a re-entry. • Why winter — and the solstice in particular — asks us to stay, not optimize This season invites inwardness, stillness, and tolerance for what feels unfinished or unresolved. • The practice at the heart of Phone Free Fall Not discipline. Not restriction. Just noticing when you leave your life — and when you come back. ❄️ A Winter Solstice Reframe The solstice doesn’t ask us to improve or shine.It asks us to stay. Just as the light returns slowly — almost imperceptibly — presence returns minute by minute. With each moment we’re less interrupted. With each moment we choose to be here. 💬 Key Takeaways You’re not escaping your life because it’s bad — you’re escaping because it’s full Distance from your phone isn’t the same as restoration, but it can create space for it Boredom and quiet are not problems; they’re thresholds Your real life isn’t waiting for you to feel better — it’s already happening You’re allowed to live inside the life you built, even when it’s imperfect, slow, or overwhelming Noticing is the practice 🌿 As Phone Free Fall Comes to a Close As Erin wraps both Phone Free Fall and Season 5 of Medium Lady Talks, she invites listeners into a winter pause — one that makes room for quiet, reflection, and enoughness. You don’t need to do this better.You don’t need more discipline.You just need to keep noticing. 🎧 What’s Next Episode 165: A conversation with physician and coach Dr. Nikia Smith on rest, boundaries, and care that actually sustains us Season 6 of Medium Lady Talks returns in February after a January winter hiatus 🧡 Continue the Conversation If this episode resonated, Erin would love to hear from you — especially how Phone Free Fall shifted your awareness, not just your screen time. Follow along on Instagram: @medium.ladyAnd thank you for choosing to spend your time and attention here — they matter.

If you’ve ever wondered why you can’t stop picking up your phone, especially in December, this is the episode you need. Erin breaks down the real reason you feel overstimulated, resentful, or stuck in the doomscroll — and spoiler: it’s not a lack of willpower. Your brain is just full. In this Phone Free Fall episode, Erin explores how emotional labour, holiday chaos, mental load, and constant interruptions shape your relationship with your phone — and what to do when putting it down actually makes your anxiety spike. If you’re craving validation AND practical tools, this one’s for you. 🔎 In This Episode, We Explore: • Why your phone isn’t the problem — your full brain is Erin explains why scrolling becomes an “emotional release valve” when life feels overstimulating. • The hidden forces making December uniquely overwhelming Holiday interruptions, childcare changes, gift logistics, sensory overload, financial pressure, and emotional labour all combine into a perfect mental-load storm. • The surprising signs your brain is full Including:– opening apps automatically– feeling buzzy or urgent for no reason– shame about unfinished simple tasks– multitasking even when you don’t need to– craving constant noise– scrolling while physically uncomfortable– feeling brittle, resentful, or tapped out • Why phone boundaries often feel worse before they feel better Silence gets louder, feelings surface, and thoughts crowd in — Erin explains why this is normal and not a sign you're doing anything wrong. • Compassion-based phone boundaries (especially for December) Small, realistic steps for navigating screen time during an emotionally maximalist month. ✨ Practical Tools Mentioned Micro-pauses before opening apps Opal App (iPhone) for screen time blocking Landline Mode and “move the app” techniques Slow-drip dopamine: reading, journaling, hobbies, rest Medium-effort December as an antidote to holiday burnout Letting your brain empty gently, not urgently 💬 Key Quotes from the Episode “You’re not glued to your phone because you’re weak. You’re glued to your phone because your brain is full.” “Doomscrolling creates emotional slipperiness — nothing sticks, and that feels like rest.” “December asks for maximum everything. Of course your brain is over capacity.” “The person who has a full brain has a full life. You worked hard for this life — don’t treat it like something you need to escape.” 🧡 If Your Brain Is Full Right Now… You’re doing your best.You’re not behind.You’re not undisciplined.You’re not broken. You’re overstimulated — and this episode will help you name it, understand it, and navigate it with compassion. 📱 Continue the Conversation Come hang out with Erin on Instagram: @medium.ladyShare this episode with someone whose brain is also full — it helps the show grow and supports women who need exactly this kind of honesty and gentleness.

In this episode of Medium Lady Talks, Erin sits down with watercolor artist and author Jaime Townzen for a heartfelt conversation about the shift from caregiving to creativity — and how making art became her most powerful source of rest. Jaime shares her story of moving through years of intense caregiving, grief, and the emotional load of motherhood, and how a simple watercolor tutorial in 2020 opened the door to calm, grounding, and a renewed sense of self. Together, Erin and Jaime explore what it means to rest creatively, how small creative acts can quiet anxiety, and why giving ourselves 15 minutes with no “deliverable” can change our whole nervous system. They also dig into the guilt so many women feel when trying to rest, the transition from parenting young kids to supporting aging loved ones, and how to spend less time on your phone by choosing slower, more intentional hobbies. If you’ve ever said, “I wish I could paint,” or “I wish I had time to write,” this episode will meet you right where you are — and gently nudge you toward the creative practices your future self will thank you for. Together, Erin and Jaime talk about: How making art can regulate your nervous system Why creative hobbies matter even if no one ever sees them The guilt women feel when trying to rest Navigating the shift from raising kids to caring for elders Using creativity to spend less time on your phone Letting go of perfectionism and embracing “just a piece of paper” How small creative rituals can reconnect you to your identity Key Takeaways Creative rest doesn’t require talent — it requires time and permission. Your first step isn’t “becoming an artist.” It’s sitting down. A 15-minute hobby with no deliverable can completely shift your internal state. Caring for others doesn’t mean losing yourself. Boundaries create wholeness. Mindful phone use is tiring — and that’s why it reduces screen time naturally. 🔗 Resources & Mentions Jaime Townzen’s Art & Writing Absorbed by Jaime Townzen available wherever you love to buy books and at your public library (my library had a digital copy on Hoopla!) Sarah Cray Watercolor tutorials Connect with Erin: Instagram: @medium.lady Patreon: www.patreon.com/mediumlady Email: mediumladytalks@gmail.com Explore more book-related content on "Medium Lady Reads." - link to Spotify Instagram: @mediumladyreads

In this episode of Medium Lady Talks, Erin sits down with poet, grief coach, and tarot reader Anna Jollymore to explore what it means to slow down, feel deeply, and create from the fire within. Anna is the author of Words for Becoming, a stunning debut collection that gazes unflinchingly at the shadow side of personal transformation. Together, Erin and Anna unpack how poetry can help us process grief, rest our overworked minds, and reconnect with our inner voice in a world that rewards constant doing. This conversation continues Erin’s Phone Free Fall series, inviting listeners to put down their phones and pick up something slower, quieter, and infinitely more real — reflection, creativity, and the sacred art of becoming. Key Topics Discussed How poetry makes space for emotions we usually rush past Using writing and creativity as tools for grief and transformation What happens when we stop numbing uncertainty with our phones The connection between metaphor, mindfulness, and real rest How poetry and tarot can ground us in embodied self-awareness The beauty of sincerity, authenticity, and imperfection in creative work Guest Bio Anna Jollymore (she/they) is a Midwestern-based author, teacher, grief expert, and professional tarot reader. Her debut poetry collection, Words for Becoming, explores the sacred tension between loss and renewal — and the ways grief can shape us into something new. Anna is also a certified Grief Recovery Method coach and facilitator who helps others make meaning through creative and spiritual practice. 📖 Words for Becoming is available now on Bookshop.org and Amazon.📱 Follow Anna on Instagram at @thepoetannajollymore. Takeaway for Listeners If you’ve been feeling burned out, overstimulated, or disconnected from your creative side, this episode invites you back to yourself. Through poetry, journaling, and mindful stillness, you can find small, steady ways to rest — not by escaping your life, but by being more fully present in it. Resources Mentioned Words for Becoming by Anna Jollymore The Grief Recovery Method Phone Free Fall series on Medium Lady Talks Medium Lady Reads — the sister podcast for book lovers and mindful readers Call to Action If this episode spoke to you, share it with a friend who’s been craving real rest or a creative spark.Subscribe to Medium Lady Talks wherever you listen, and leave a review to help more listeners find the show. Join Erin’s community at mediumladycommunity.com Follow Erin on Instagram: @medium.lady

Series: Phone Free Fall – Scroll Less. Live More. Keywords: phone addiction, sensory rest, digital wellness, mindfulness, motherhood burnout, nervous-system regulation, overstimulation, real rest, millennial moms, self-care Summary :In Episode 157 of Medium Lady Talks, host Erin Vandeven takes listeners deeper into the Phone Free Fall series—exploring why so many of us instinctively reach for our phones and how that reflex keeps us from real rest. Building on last week’s episode Welcome to Phone Free Fall, Erin reveals that scrolling isn’t a failure of willpower—it’s a learned nervous-system shortcut. Our brains use screens to numb when we’re overstimulated and to spark when we’re bored. The result? We rarely let our senses slow down long enough to truly feel alive. This episode introduces sensory rest, the practice of noticing how your body feels when you stop flooding it with input. Erin shares her own experiments with putting down earbuds, sipping coffee in silence, and noticing textures, sounds, and smells as everyday acts of recovery. Drawing on listener poll insights—where nearly half admitted they scroll to “escape and numb”—she explores how to replace that quick dopamine hit with micro-joys that actually restore energy and connection. You’ll walk away with:✨ A new understanding of the scroll reflex and how to retrain it🧘‍♀️ A simple “one scroll → one sensory moment” experiment to try this week🪞 Three reflection prompts to help you notice when and why you scroll🌿 Ideas for small sensory rituals that make you feel grounded and alive Because the goal isn’t to delete your apps—it’s to bring quiet, creativity, and curiosity back into your real life. 🎧 Listen now to Medium Lady Talks – Episode 157: The Scroll Reflex & the Art of Sensory Rest💬 Experiment: Replace one scroll moment with one sensory moment. The series starts here! Don’t forget to subscribe! If this episode resonates, share it with a friend or leave a review—it helps others find the show! Connect with Erin: Instagram: @medium.lady Patreon: www.patreon.com/mediumlady Email: mediumladytalks@gmail.com Explore more book-related content on "Medium Lady Reads." - link to Spotify Instagram: @mediumladyreads #PhoneFreeFall #MediumLadyTalks #SensoryRest #DigitalWellness #ScrollLessLiveMore #MindfulLiving #BurnoutRecovery #RestRevolution #MillennialMoms #SelfCareJourney