
#31: Millennial Women Are Drowning in Self-Optimization: Here's What I'm Doing About It
From The Next Phase by Stacey Hutson
May 14, 2026 · 24 min · Season 1 · Episode 31
About this episode
Stacey explores the exhausting cycle of self-improvement that high-achieving women often find themselves in.
Have you ever felt like your entire life became one giant self-improvement project? In this solo episode, Stacey explores what happens when high-achieving women become trapped in a constant cycle of optimization — always trying to become healthier, calmer, more productive, more healed, more emotionally regulated, more “their best selves.” From self-help books to wellness culture to nervous system work to productivity routines… when does trying to improve yourself quietly become exhausting? St...
People in this episode
Host: Stacey Hutson
Topics covered
- self-optimization
- high-achieving women
- wellness culture
- productivity
- mental health
Keywords
- self-improvement
- optimization
- wellness
- mental health
- productivity routines
More episodes of The Next Phase
- #33: How to Create a Home That Calms Your Nervous System · May 28, 2026 · 41 min
- #32: Midlife Skincare and the Pressure to Age Well · May 21, 2026 · 38 min
- #30: Why Your Hair Changes in Perimenopause (and What You Can Actually Do About It) · May 8, 2026 · 42 min
- #29: High-Achieving Moms—Are You Losing Yourself? (with Jess Ekstrom) · May 1, 2026 · 50 min
- #28: Caregiver Fatigue: Taking Care of Aging Parents While Raising Kids · April 23, 2026 · 27 min
- #28: What If You’re Doing Nervous System Work Backwards? · April 16, 2026 · 13 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Next Phase podcast page.