Medium Lady Talks: Burnout Recovery for Millennials and Mothers

In an effort to continue to rest while also hosting a podcast, I'm reposting an episode from the archives. This episode of Medium Lady Talks originally aired on July 11, 2024. Enjoy and new episodes will air next Monday! _________ Hello, hi! Today’s episode is a first for the show: Medium Lady Rants? After being influenced by a few videos critiquing BookTok and the Beauty Influencer space it occur...

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...

🪂 Episode 156 — Welcome to Phone Free Fall Keywords: phone addiction, digital wellness, social media burnout, motherhood and mental health, mindful living, rest, overstimulation, self-care, millennial mothers Summary : In the first episode of her new series Phone Free Fall, host Erin Vandeven explores the surprising truth behind her biggest barrier to real rest — her phone. Building on the succes...

Have you ever thought, “I don’t even know what would be restorative right now”? You’re not alone. In fact, nearly 60% of women report spending no time on self-care most days, leaving them depleted and unsure how to fill their own tank. In this episode 155 of Medium Lady Talks, I share a practical way to bridge the gap between knowing you’re exhausted and actually choosing something restorative. Bu...

Feeling the shift from summer to fall? This episode of Medium Lady Talks guides you through my How to Start a New Month workbook — a simple, cozy ritual for reflection, balance, and self-care. Grab your free copy on Patreon and join me in creating a restful reset for what’s next. The Fall Equinox is the perfect reminder that transitions are worth noticing. In episode 154 of Medium Lady Talks, I’m...

What if the reason you feel so depleted isn’t that you’re not trying hard enough… but that you’re carrying too much? In episode 153 of Medium Lady Talks, Erin explores the radical question: What can you put down, for now? As we close out the Summer of Real Rest series and transition toward fall, Erin guides you through a playful self-assessment quiz to help you identify the weight you’ve been carr...

Did you think the best summer of your life would carry you straight into fall with joy and energy—only to find yourself feeling tired, sad, or a little… beige? You’re not alone. Many of us experience the end of summer blues or what I’m calling summer grief. In this Episode 152 of Medium Lady Talks, I dive into why seasonal transitions feel so heavy, and how to navigate them with intention. We’ll t...

What season of life are you in—and what would it mean to actually honour that season instead of resisting it? In this episode 151 of Medium Lady Talks, I’m joined by my friend and thoughtful powerhouse Ashley Gibson, who brings a beautiful mix of vulnerability, wisdom, and humour to her story. Ashley is a program management lead in tech, a creative multi-passionate elder millennial, a reformed per...

What if the care you needed wasn’t one more task, but a radical act of self-trust? In Episode 150, I’m joined by Amy C. Willis, sober coach, speaker, and founder of Hol + Well. Amy works with women and queer folks to explore what’s possible in a life free from alcohol—one rooted in rest, boundaries, and real self-care. We explore the concept of mothering yourself—a tender and transformative practi...

Do you ever feel completely drained after “being nice”? If so, you might not need more sleep — you might need emotional rest. In Episode 149 of Medium Lady Talks, Erin explores how emotional fatigue often hides in plain sight, especially for chronic people pleasers. She shares why people-pleasing is a constant leak on your energy, how it erases your sense of self in relationships, and why emotiona...

What if the gap between burned out hot mess and well-rested badass is… just five minutes? In Epidosde 148 of Medium Lady Talks, Erin shares a personal moment from a wildly stressful workday where a handful of tiny, intentional choices helped her find real rest—without escaping, quitting, or checking out. This is a grounded, gentle episode that proves rest is not about perfection. It’s about margin...

Episode 147: The Toxic To-Do List — Why You’re Mentally Fried and How to Rest 🎧 Part of the Summer of Real Rest series Do you ever feel like you’re one more to-do away from a total shutdown? In episode 147 of Medium Lady Talks, Erin dives into mental rest—what it is, why we’re so bad at getting it, and how decision fatigue is quietly draining your energy. This is the episode for anyone who says t...

In Episode 146 of Medium Lady Talks, Erin unpacks what real rest actually feels like—and what your nervous system, your motivation, and yes, even your twitching eye are trying to tell you. Based on community polls and Q&A from Instagram, Erin explores why mental and emotional burnout are so dominant, and why physical rest isn’t really the problem for most of us. She also calls out the sneaky p...

Is your fatigue a warning sign—or a weird kind of proof that you’re doing “enough”? In this powerful solo episode, Erin explores the deeper emotional and cultural reasons why so many of us wear exhaustion like a badge of honor. From personal reflections to insights from Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith’s Sacred Rest, this episode challenges the hustle-fueled mindset that says if you're not tired, you're n...

Welcome to a new episode of Medium Lady Talks, part of our Summer of Real Rest series. Today, we’re diving deep into the book that inspired the framework for this entire season: Sacred Rest by Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith. Have ou ever felt exhausted even after a full night of sleep? You're not alone—and you're not just tired, you're depleted. Dr. Dalton-Smith’s book introduces seven distinct types of...

🎧 Self-care isn’t a vibe. It’s a practice—and it’s time to get real about it. In this powerful kickoff to the new series on Medium Lady Talks: Summer of Real Rest, Erin unpacks the uncomfortable truth about modern self-care: we’re spending our time, money, and attention in all the wrong places. If you’ve ever wondered why journaling, green smoothies, or a perfectly lit bath still leave you feelin...

What if menopause wasn’t something to endure—but something to liberate? In this powerful and perspective-shifting episode of Medium Lady Talks, I’m joined by Lisa Boate—Certified Menopause Coach, Founder of Liberated Menopause Consulting and Coaching, and host of the Transforming 45 podcast. This episode is part of our “How to Take Care of Yourself” series—because self-care isn’t all bubble baths...

In this heartfelt episode of Medium Lady Talks, Erin is joined by filmmaker and memory-keeper Kalee Isbell, founder of Isbell Family Films, to explore how photography and family videos can become a vital tool in your self-care toolkit. What starts as a chat about taking more selfies quickly unfolds into a deeper conversation about postpartum depression, creative healing, and the emotional power of...

In Episode 139 of Medium Lady Talks, I’m joined by floral designer and creative entrepreneur Jennifer Lasachuk, owner of The Paisley Rose in Mississauga. Jennifer has been running her floral business for nine years—exactly as long as she’s been a mom—and together we explore how matrescence and entrepreneurship often arrive hand-in-hand. As someone who launched Medium Lady when my youngest was born...

What if your nervous system didn’t believe it was safe to want something just for you? In Episode 138 of Medium Lady Talks, Erin is joined by life coach Cecelia Mandryk (@ceceliabmandryk) to continue our series on How to Take Care of Yourself. Together, they explore the difference between dopamine-driven quick fixes and the courageous work of sustained self-care. Cecelia offers powerful tools and...

In episode 137 of Medium Lady Talks we continue the How to Take Care of Yourself series, I'm joined by surface designer and illustrator Devon Bennett of PencilsnParsley . Together, we explore how making something just for the joy of it — no fancy supplies, no pressure — can be a powerful form of creative self-care. Devon reminds us that you don't have to be an artist to start creating. You don't e...

This episode originally aired April 10, 2024. Enjoy Episode 98 of Medium Lady Talks! ~~~~ Welcome back, listeners! Today I’m solo on mic exploring a question that's inspired by a text chat I had with a friend: "Is your burnout preventable?" If you've ever found yourself plagued with exhaustion, resentful of all the things out of your control, and down the path to truly crippling physiological symp...

Episode 136 of Medium Lady Talks is a refreshingly honest and hilariously real conversation with my two best friends, Sarah and Emily. We share a candid conversation about taking medication for mental health. One of us is a routine queen when it comes to her meds, one of us is a little chaotic (but loveable!), and I’ve taken mental health medication during two meaningful chapters of my life. Toget...

In episode 135 of Medium Lady Talks, Erin shares five meaningful ways to celebrate yourself as part of the ongoing "How to Take Care of Yourself" series. Inspired by her recent 42nd birthday, Erin makes the case that celebrating yourself isn't indulgent, it's necessary for sustained well-being. Episode Highlights: Celebrating yourself is a practice, skill, and mindset that contributes to your sust...

In this third installment of the "How to Take Care of Yourself" series, Erin explores how curiosity can be a gentle, accessible tool for wellness that doesn't require a life overhaul. Whether you're ready to embrace change or feeling too depleted to add one more thing to your to-do list, this episode offers simple ways to replace judgment with curiosity. In Medium Lady Talks Episode 134: Why we de...