How to Eradicate Stress Without Burning Out (Lori Saitz)

How do you actually eradicate stress instead of just managing it? Lori Saitz has been asking that question since she was working 60 to 70 hours a week outside Washington, DC, in a city she describes as full of people going "mach two with their hair on fire." Nobody there stops to ask if there's a different way to live. They just assume this is how life is. Lori found out otherwise, the hard way: she sacrificed her marriage to the hustle before she built what she now calls the sabbatical life, and the stress eradication practice she teaches clients today. Lori launched the baking company Zen Rabbit back in 2003 (yes, home of the gratitude cookie) and now hosts the podcast Fine Is a Four Letter Word, a title that gets right to the point: how many of us say "I'm fine" when we are very much not fine? We get into why success without boundaries always costs you something (health, sanity, relationships, pick one), the "crab bucket" story about why some of your own friends will try to pull you back down when you start changing, and the two practices, gratitude and meditation, that Lori says actually move the needle on stress instead of just talking about it. Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dk1Bliw68SE In this episode Why chasing "success" the go-go-go way tends to cost you your health, your sanity, or your marriage How to tell if your calendar actually matches your stated values (spoiler: it usually doesn't) The "crab bucket" problem: why people who love you sometimes try to keep you exactly where you are The "but I'm grateful for" exercise Lori uses to shift out of complaining in real time Why high-performing leaders and athletes meditate, and what it actually rewires How gratitude and meditation combine to raise what Lori calls your energetic vibration Timestamps (00:00) Welcome and intro: meet stress eradication expert Lori Saitz (02:38) The "sabbatical life," and why high achievers feel like they're drowning (05:28) What gets sacrificed when you live in go-go-go mode (08:42) Redefining success: the empty house at the end of the ladder (11:51) Aligning your calendar with your actual values (13:36) The role of intention: believing what you want is already possible (17:48) The "crab bucket" story: why some friends try to pull you back down (26:30) Gratitude as the highest energetic vibration, and the "but I'm grateful for" exercise (31:24) Why high performers meditate, and what it actually changes (34:09) Where to find Lori and her free guide to the sabbatical life About Lori Saitz Lori Saitz is a stress eradication expert who launched the baking company Zen Rabbit in 2003 and now helps clients get calm and grounded no matter what's going on around them. She's spoken at events including the Women in Technology Power Conference, Empowered Women International, and the Badass Business Summit, and hosts the podcast Fine Is a Four Letter Word. Learn more, and grab her free guide, Five Easy Ways to Start Living a Sabbatical Life, at ZenRabbit.com. Favorite quotes "They climbed the ladder, but was the ladder leaning against the right wall?" —Lori Saitz "Whatever you're looking for is going to show up to support your beliefs." —Lori Saitz "Get yourself around people who support your success... and support you when things aren't going right." —Lori Saitz Resources mentioned ZenRabbit.com: Lori's website, including her free guide, Five Easy Ways to Start Living a Sabbatical Life Fine Is a Four Letter Word: Lori's podcast The Code of the Extraordinary Mind by Vishen Lakiani (Mindvalley), mentioned for its chapter on becoming "un-fuck-with-able" Related episodes How Meditation Helped Blair Abee Heal After Losing His Job: another guest who leaned on meditation to rebuild after his whole life got upended. Yoga and Science: Meditation In The Real World: more on the research behind exactly what Lori describes meditation doing. Overcoming Burnout, Hustle Culture, and Redefining Success: for more on what "success" costs when it's built on hustle instead of values. Subscribe & connect If this episode gave you something to sit with, follow Phoenix and Flame so you never miss an episode: all apps in one place, or jump straight to Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or YouTube. And if it moved you, leave a review; it's the easiest way to help another listener find the show. Learn more about Phoenix and Flame, connect with Dana, and listen to more episodes here. Curious where your own boundaries stand? Take my free Work Boundaries Quiz: danaskaggs.com/quiz