Alive & Well – Burnout, Anxiety, Nervous System, Productivity, Time Management, Somatic Tools, Work-Life Balance

➡️ ➡️ > SAVE YOUR SPOT: "FROM ON EDGE TO AT EASE" WORKSHOP < ⬅️ ⬅️You’ve got things to be grateful for. You’ve read the books. You know better.So why do you still feel reactive, anxious, or like you’re about to snap at the smallest thing?Here’s the truth: feeling “on edge” has nothing to do with willpower or mindset.In today’s episode, we’re unpacking the real reason so many high-capacity women stay stuck in cycles of overwhelm — and it’s not because you’re doing it wrong.You’ll learn:The difference between stress and nervous system dysregulationHow your body stores survival responses — even after the threat is goneWhy top-down tools (like positive thinking) often fall flatWhat to do instead to actually start feeling safe in your body againIf this resonates, I want you to join me for a free live workshop I’m teaching called From On Edge to At Ease, happening Tuesday, August 26.You’ll learn simple, body-based tools to help you move out of survival mode and into real regulation.Reserve your seat at michellegrosser.com/workshop — I’ll see you there.Related Episodes to Explore:Previous EpisodeFind Freedom from Anxiety7 Ways to Release Stress and Anxiety From Your BodyAre These 3 Mistakes Making Your High-Functioning Anxiety Worse? (And What to Do Instead)Feeling Overwhelmed with Work-Life Balance? 3 Mindset Shifts for Working Moms"5 Somatic Techniques to Regulate When You're Feeling Overwhelmed "- Join the Burnout Recovery Blueprint Waitlist!

➡️ ➡️ > SAVE YOUR SPOT: "FROM ON EDGE TO AT EASE" WORKSHOP < ⬅️ ⬅️What if you could rewire your brain for success that feels as good as it looks—with science?In today’s episode, I’m joined by world-renowned mindset and performance expert John Assaraf, and we’re talking all things brain science, belief systems, and what it actually takes to get out of your own way and into your next level.John has built 5 multimillion-dollar companies, written 14 books (including 2 NYT bestsellers), and been featured in 16 films.We’re diving into: ✔️ Why your current identity might be capping your potential (and how to upgrade it) ✔️ The neuroscience behind belief systems—and how to rewire them ✔️ What Innercise® is and how to use it to shift from fear to focused action ✔️ How to train your brain for success in health, wealth, and relationships ✔️ Why goals alone won’t change your life—but changing your brain willIf you’ve been feeling stuck, circling the same patterns, or just know you’re meant for more—this episode is your permission slip and practical roadmap.🎧 Press play to learn how to activate your brain’s superpowers—so you stop self-sabotaging and start expanding into the version of you that already knows the way.Get John's Free E-book -> Unleash My Brain's Full PotentialRelated Episodes to Explore:Previous EpisodeHow to Reach Your Goals Without all the HustleA Mindset Shift for Life’s Challenging SeasonsFeeling Overwhelmed with Work-Life Balance? 3 Mindset Shifts for Working MomsHate to Break It to You, but Focusing on Mindset Work Won’t Get You Where You Want to Go. Here’s Why…- Join the Burnout Recovery Blueprint Waitlist!

You know better—but you’re still pushing past your limits.You’ve read the books. You’ve blocked off the calendar. You know what to do.But somehow, the burnout keeps creeping back in.Sound familiar?This week on Alive & Well, we’re talking about a tough truth:Sometimes, the very habits that make you high-performing are the same ones burning you out.In this episode, I’m sharing 6 things I stopped doing in order to actually heal my nervous system—not just manage stress better on the surface. These are subtle but powerful shifts I made after my own burnout in 2017—and they’ve changed the way I live, work, and lead.You’ll learn: 🔹 How hustle patterns are often rooted in nervous system dysregulation 🔹 Why high-functioning women get rewarded for being in survival mode 🔹 What it means to create safety in your body instead of just checking another boxWe’ll cover: ✔️ The link between people-pleasing and fawn responses ✔️ Why pushing through fatigue wires your body against rest ✔️ How morning phone-checks hijack your neurochemistry ✔️ What it takes to decouple productivity from self-worth ✔️ How joy helps rewire your nervous system for sustainabilityThese aren’t rigid rules or one-size-fits-all fixes. They’re nervous-system-aware, body-based pivots that support your capacity long term.💡 Because healing burnout isn’t about doing less.It’s about doing it from a regulated, rooted place.Related Episodes to Explore:Previous Episode4 Game-Changing Strategies for Nervous System Regulation4 Overlooked Symptoms of Dysregulation That Aren’t Actually “Normal”5 Daily Habits That are Dysregulating Your Nervous SystemOverwhelm, Brain Fog, and Irritability? 10 Ways a Dysregulated Nervous System Shows Up in Your Body5 Somatic Techniques to Regulate When You're Feeling Overwhelm- Join the Burnout Recovery Blueprint Waitlist!

You’re showing up, but inside, you’re unraveling.You’re getting the work done. Smiling when you’re supposed to. Even squeezing in the workouts and the meetings and the meal prep.But if you’re honest? You’re running on fumes.This is burnout—but not the collapse-on-the-bathroom-floor kind.This is high-functioning burnout. The invisible kind. The kind that simmers quietly in high-achieving women until everything starts to feel like too much.In this episode of Alive & Well, I’m walking you through my nervous-system-first approach to healing chronic stress that doesn’t ask you to hustle harder or download another planner.You’ll learn: 🔹 Why burnout is a biological process, not a personal failure 🔹 How your nervous system gets stuck in survival—and what to do about it 🔹 The role of allostatic load, chronic stress, and hidden trauma in burnout 🔹 The 4 shifts that help you stop surviving and start recoveringWe’ll cover: ✔️ How performing your worth keeps you in sympathetic overdrive ✔️ Why rest isn’t optional (and how to reclaim it even when it feels unsafe) ✔️ What fawning and people-pleasing have to do with burnout ✔️ Why reconnecting to your body is the most effective path outIf you’re tired of white-knuckling your way through life, this episode will give you a new framework for understanding burnout—and a real plan to move through it.💡 Because you don’t need more discipline. You need more safety. And that starts in your body.Related Episodes to Explore:Previous EpisodeIgnoring What Your Body is Trying to Tell You? Pay Attention to These 10 Warning Signs of BurnoutTired, Anxious, and Overwhelmed? The Step-by-Step Process to Heal Burnout and Regulate Your Nervous System5 Signs of Mom Burnout and How to Start HealingUnlocking Burnout Recovery: 3 Reasons Time Off Isn't EnoughFrom Burnout to Balance: Introducing RESTORE and my 6-Step Framework to Reset Your Nervous System and Beat Burnout👇 Ready to stop the spiral? Download the Nervous System Reset Guide and start building your burnout recovery toolkit today.- Join the Burnout Recovery Blueprint Waitlist!

When your stress is off the charts, the last thing you need is vague advice and zero follow-through. What you do need? Tools that actually work—with the science to back them.In this episode of Alive & Well, we’re unpacking four body-based techniques that regulate your nervous system in real time. These are somatic tools, rooted in neuroscience, that help you shift out of chronic stress—without needing to book a retreat or download another meditation app you’ll never open.We’ll start with the why—what happens in your brain and body when you’re stuck in stress mode—and then I’ll walk you through four simple, powerful techniques to bring your system back to safety.You’ll learn: 🔹 Why traditional stress relief doesn’t work when your nervous system is dysregulated 🔹 How bottom-up regulation works (and why your body leads, not your brain) 🔹 What “the vagus nerve” has to do with calm, clarity, and healing 🔹 How to use somatic tools to create real relief—not just temporary escapeThen, we’ll dive into four practical tools that you can start using this week.We’ll cover: ✔️ The physiological sigh – a 10-second breath pattern to interrupt anxiety ✔️ Shaking – a natural discharge tool to release stress from your body ✔️ Weighted input – how deep pressure signals safety to your brain ✔️ Cold therapy – using the dive reflex to calm the fear centerIf your body feels like it’s stuck in survival mode—or you just need something that works when the overwhelm hits—this episode will give you practical, science-backed ways to shift out of stress and back into regulation.Related Episodes to Explore:Previous Episode3 Ways to Show Your Body It’s OK to Relax & Be CalmAre You Dysregulated? 10 Surprising Signs of Nervous System Dysregulation4 Overlooked Symptoms of Dysregulation That Aren’t Actually “Normal”5 Daily Habits That are Dysregulating Your Nervous System3 Popular Wellness Trends That Might Be Dysregulating Your Nervous System- Join the Burnout Recovery Blueprint Waitlist!

If you’ve ever felt like your gut has more control over your day than you do—bloating, food anxiety, exhaustion, skin flares, mood dips—you’re not imagining things.And you’re definitely not alone.In this episode, I’m joined by Hannah Aylward, functional nutritionist and founder of HAN, and we’re unpacking the deep, often misunderstood connection between your gut, your mood, and your nervous system.Hannah brings the receipts: how your digestion is linked to everything from your sleep and energy levels to your anxiety and hormonal health—and what to do when it feels like your body’s working against you.We’re diving into: ✔️ How undiagnosed gut imbalances can lead to chronic bloating, fatigue, skin issues, and even hormone disruption ✔️ Why restriction and elimination diets aren’t the healing fix they promise to be ✔️ How to nourish your body in a way that promotes gut repair and nervous system safety ✔️ The impact of antibiotics and childhood infections on your adult gut health ✔️ What it really takes to balance blood sugar, boost microbiome diversity, and support long-term energyIf you’re sick of cutting foods, afraid to eat, or just tired of feeling off—and you know something deeper’s going on—this episode is a must-listen.🎧 Press play to learn practical, powerful ways to support your gut health—without restriction, obsession, or burnout.Connect with Hannah:🌐Hannah’s Website📸Find Hannah on InstagramRelated Episodes to Explore:Previous EpisodeHealing Your Symptoms From the Inside OutThese 5 Habits Are Causing Your BurnoutBeyond Burnout: Top 3 Reasons You Feel Fried3 Things I Started Saying That Helped Heal My BurnoutAre You High or Low Energy? Nervous System Balancing Exercises Based on Your Energy Type- Join the Burnout Recovery Blueprint Waitlist!

You’re functioning. Performing. Keeping it together.But deep down, your mind is racing. Your shoulders are tense. And you’re one more Slack notification away from snapping.If you’re looking calm on the outside—but buzzing underneath, it might be high-functioning anxiety—and most women don’t even realize they’re living in it.Today, we’re pulling back the curtain on high-functioning anxiety from a nervous system perspective. I’ll walk you through what it really is, how it forms, and the hidden habits that keep you stuck in the loop—plus simple body-based ways to start shifting out.You’ll learn: 🔹 Why high-functioning anxiety isn’t just “being Type A” 🔹 How your nervous system creates a performance-survival blend 🔹 The physiological reason you can’t just “think your way out of it” 🔹 How to spot (and shift) 6 subtle patterns that keep you dysregulatedThen, I’ll walk you through 6 hidden habits that high-functioning anxious women tend to carry—and the somatic tools that help you release them.We’ll cover: ✔️ People-pleasing – the fawn response disguised as kindness ✔️ Overthinking – survival mode in a productivity costume ✔️ Perfectionism – when safety gets fused with performance ✔️ Suppressed needs – why you freeze when someone asks what you want ✔️ Hypervigilance – the nervous system on high alert, 24/7 ✔️ Procrastination + sprinting – how your system flips from freeze to hustleBecause high-functioning anxiety isn’t your personality—it’s your protection.And when you learn to regulate your body, you can finally stop white-knuckling your life.Related Episodes to Explore:Previous Episode3 Somatic Practices for Anxiety: Why They Work & How to Do ThemHealing Anxiety & Burnout: 4 Non-Negotiables for Nervous System RegulationThe #1 Reason You Haven't Been Able to Heal Your AnxietyHow to Reduce Anxiety When It's Happening3 Sneaky Habits That Are Making Your Anxiety Worse- Join the Burnout Recovery Blueprint Waitlist!

You know you need to manage your stress… but why does managing stress feel like another stressor?If you’ve ever rolled your eyes at a self-care checklist, you’re not alone. High-capacity women don’t need more pressure to “do wellness right.” You need tools that actually work—and fit into real life.In this episode of Alive & Well, we’re unpacking five anti-burnout behaviors backed by neuroscience. These aren’t morning routine fluff or band-aid fixes. They’re simple, nervous system-friendly habits that help you regulate stress, replenish energy, and stay grounded—without needing a full life overhaul.You’ll learn: 🔹 How your stress response system works—and what happens when it never gets to turn off 🔹 Why your body can feel depleted, even if your calendar is “under control” 🔹 The daily habits that actually recalibrate your nervous system over timeThen, I’ll walk you through 5 specific behaviors that buffer against burnout—and explain the science behind why they work.We’ll cover: ✔️ Play & pleasure – how fun rewires your stress response ✔️ Phone boundaries – how overstimulation hijacks your capacity ✔️ Embodied gratitude – not just journaling, but regulation through reflection ✔️ Movement & nature – quick, accessible ways to discharge stress ✔️ Capacity-aware boundaries – how saying no protects your nervous systemBecause burnout doesn’t happen because you’re weak. It happens when your body is strong enough to keep going—long past the point of enough.💡 You don’t need a reset. You need rhythms that support your biology.Related Episodes to Explore:Previous EpisodeTips for Balancing Hormones & Boosting EnergyThese 5 Habits Are Causing Your BurnoutBeyond Burnout: Top 3 Reasons You Feel Fried3 Things I Started Saying That Helped Heal My BurnoutAre You High or Low Energy? Nervous System Balancing Exercises Based on Your Energy Type- Join the Burnout Recovery Blueprint Waitlist!

Ever feel like you’re trying to do all the right things—but your body still feels tense, wired, or totally wiped out?In this episode of Alive & Well, we’re unpacking how chronic stress hijacks your nervous system—and what it actually looks and feels like when you’re stuck in fight, flight, or freeze. You’ll learn: 🔹 How the nervous system actually works under stress (and why it’s not about willpower) 🔹 What “fight,” “flight,” and “freeze” look like in high-functioning women 🔹 The real reason you can’t relax, focus, or stop overthinking when you’re dysregulated 🔹 Why stress responses aren’t bad—they’re just incomplete (and how to complete them)Then I’ll guide you through how to recognize the signs of each stress state in your body—and teach you body-based tools to shift out of them in real time.We’ll cover: ✔️ FIGHT – ragey outbursts, control mode, pressure cooker energy ✔️ FLIGHT – overworking, constant movement, anxious perfectionism ✔️ FREEZE – shutdown, fog, “what’s the point?” energy ✔️ REGULATION – how to stop overriding your body and start listening to it insteadBecause real resilience doesn’t come from pushing through. It comes from knowing how to come back.From working with your biology, not against it.💡 Your nervous system isn’t the problem—it’s the pathway.Related Episodes to Explore:Previous EpisodeAre You Ready for a Soul Shift? How to Get Unstuck and Reclaim Your JoyStuck in Bad Habits? Stop Spinning Your Wheels and Learn the 3 Requirements for Lasting Change5 Subtle Signs You're Stuck in Survival ModeThe Reset Mindset: How to Get Unstuck and Focus on What Matters MostTalk Therapy Not Working? 3 Reasons You’re Still Stuck in Anxiety & Burnout- Join the Burnout Recovery Blueprint Waitlist!

Ever notice how bravery isn’t about feeling fearless—but doing the hard thing anyway, even when your palms are sweaty and your brain is begging you to binge Netflix instead?Today’s guest is here to show us what it actually means to lead ourselves bravely—from the inside out. We’re talking mindset shifts, bold action, and the kinds of relationships that pull us forward instead of drain us dry.If you’ve ever wondered how to show up more powerfully in the face of challenge, this one’s for you.In this episode, I’m joined by leadership coach, Marine Corps veteran, and corporate consultant Jill Schulman—and we’re breaking down what it actually means to be brave (and no, it’s not about being fearless or reckless).Jill shares the science of courage—how it works in your brain, how it builds over time, and why it's directly linked to your happiness, resilience, and sense of purpose.We’re diving into: ✔️ The two biggest myths about bravery that keep women stuck ✔️ Why courage isn’t about being fearless—it’s about being values-led ✔️ How your nervous system plays a role in both fear and courage ✔️ Practical tools to build your “bravery muscle” without frying your system ✔️ What it means to be smart brave vs. stupid brave ✔️ Why community, vulnerability, and mindset are non-negotiables for bold leadershipIf you’ve ever told yourself, “I’m just not brave like her” or “I’ll do it when I feel ready”—this episode is a must-listen.🎧 Press play to learn how to take brave action in small, doable steps—without bypassing your body, blowing past your bandwidth, or betraying what matters most.Related Episodes to Explore:Previous EpisodeOvercoming Trauma and Discovering Your Courage for ChangeHow to Leverage Our Own Childhood Experiences to Show Up More Powerfully in MotherhoodDon’t Underestimate the Power of Play! How to Overcome Perfectionism, Fear of Judgment, and Self-DoubtHow to Know if It’s Your Intuition or Fear Speaking- Join the Burnout Recovery Blueprint Waitlist!