E259: High-Functioning Burnout & Why Being Productive Isn’t Actually Helping, With Ash Mcdonald episode artwork

EPISODE · Jan 19, 2026 · 43 MIN

E259: High-Functioning Burnout & Why Being Productive Isn’t Actually Helping, With Ash Mcdonald

from HAPPILY HORMONAL | hormone balance for moms, PMS, painful periods, natural birth control, low energy, pro-metabolic · host Leisha Drews, RN, FDN-P, holistic hormone coach, period expert

Did you know that even if you’re still showing up, getting things done, and keeping everything together, you could still be stuck in burnout? Your body knows even if your mind doesn’t.Today, I spoke with my therapist + nervous system expert, Ash McDonald, about high-functioning burnout, the one we both see in women who care a lot and do a lot. Unlike traditional burnout, it's when your brain keeps pushing you to go, even when you're exhausted. And no amount of sleep or coffee fixes it.We discussed how burnout often doesn’t appear dramatic. It may just look like being busy and successful, while inside, your body is struggling.A few things we talk through together:How Ash went through high-functioning burnout herself and eventually had to step away not only from what looked like her dream life, but also from her successful businessWhy no system, routine, or doing it better can fix a body that doesn’t feel settledA simple practice Ash walks women through that helps their nervous system come downThis episode is really about understanding why your energy, and even your hormones, don’t get a chance to calm down when your body is always living on high alert.Pay attention to what feels familiar, and if something hits, pass it along to someone who’s been carrying too much for too long and acting like they’re fine.Download the new 20-min private podcast training - Simply Nourished CyclesBook a FREE Hormone Strategy Call with meCONNECT WITH ASHLEY:Burnout Breakthrough - use code HAPPILYHORMONALPodcastNEED HELP FIXING YOUR HORMONES? CHECK OUT MY RESOURCES:Hormone Imbalance Quiz - Find out which of the top 3 hormone imbalances affects you most!Join Nourish Your Hormones Coaching for the step-by-step and my eyes on YOUR hormones for the next 4 months.Send us a text with episode feedback or ideas! (We can't respond to texts unless you include contact info but always read them)Don’t forget to subscribe, share this episode, and leave a review. Your support helps us reach more women looking for answers.Disclaimer: Nothing in this podcast is to be taken as medical advice, please take informed accountability and speak to your provider before making changes to your health routine.This podcast is for women and moms to learn how to balance hormones naturally in motherhood, to have pain-free periods, increased fertility, to decrease PMS mood swings, and to increase energy without restrictive diet plans. You'll learn how to balance blood sugar, increase progesterone naturally, understand the root cause of estrogen dominance, irregular periods, PCOS, insulin resistance, hormonal acne, post birth-control syndrome, and conceive naturally. We use a pro-metabolic, whole food, root cause approach to functional women's health and focus on truly holistic health and mind-body connection.If you listen to any of the following shows, we're sure you'll like ours too! Pursuit of Wellness with Mari Llewellyn, Culture Apothecary with Alex Clark, Found My Fitness with Rhonda Patrick, Just Ingredients Podcast, Wellness Mama, The Dr Josh Axe Show, Are You Menstrual Podcast, The Model Health Show, Grounded Wellness By Primally Pure, Be Well By Kelly Leveque, The Freely Rooted Podcast with Kori Meloy, Simple Farmhouse Life with Lisa Bass

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Did you know that even if you’re still showing up, getting things done, and keeping everything together, you could still be stuck in burnout? Your body knows even if your mind doesn’t. Today, I spoke with my therapist + nervous system expert, Ash McDonald, about high-functioning burnout, the one we both see in women who care a lot and do a lot. Unlike traditional burnout, it's when your brain keeps pushing you to go, even when you're exhausted. And no amount of sleep or coffee fixes it. We di...

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E259: High-Functioning Burnout & Why Being Productive Isn’t Actually Helping, With Ash Mcdonald

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