Ep 193 | Breaking the Cycle of High-Functioning Burnout with Ash McDonald

In this episode, Ash, a therapist who pulled her kids out of school to travel the world for three years while running her business as the sole breadwinner, shares the raw truth about high-functioning burnout - the kind that looks like success from the outside but slowly kills you on the inside. From making half a million dollars while working 10-15 hours a week to burning out the following year trying to "professionalize" her business, Ash reveals why our attempts to fix burnout with to-do lists and perfect systems are actually making it worse. This episode will challenge everything you thought you knew about productivity, self-care, and what it really takes to break free from cortisol addiction.

Here's What We Cover:

1. What is high-functioning burnout? — Why the most successful-looking women are often the most burnt out (and why no one checks on them)
2. The cortisol addiction trap — How our bodies become addicted to stress and why "peace" can actually feel unsafe
3. Why perfectionism leads to burnout — Ash's story of making $500K in a relaxed, unstructured way, then burning out the next year trying to make her business "professional"
4. The dangerous myth of multitasking — Why trying to do everything at once drains your energy faster and creates only "elusive peace"
5. Why self-care often doesn't work — The truth about performing self-care as another box to check instead of actual healing

... and so much more!

Resources Mentioned:

• Burnout Breakthrough: https://ashmcdonaldmentoring.com/burnout-breakthrough