Medium Lady Talks: Burnout Recovery for Millennials and Mothers

In this episode of Medium Lady Talks, Erin sits down with watercolor artist and author Jaime Townzen for a heartfelt conversation about the shift from caregiving to creativity — and how making art became her most powerful source of rest.

Jaime shares her story of moving through years of intense caregiving, grief, and the emotional load of motherhood, and how a simple watercolor tutorial in 2020 opened the door to calm, grounding, a...

What if your phone could stop following you around?

In Episode 159 of Medium Lady Talks, Erin Vandeven sits down with creator and stay-at-home mom Kassadi Gabriel—the mind behind the viral idea of “landline mode.” Together they unpack how simple technology boundaries can restore your patience, creativity, and peace of mind in a culture addicted to constant connection.

They talk about:

• What “landline mode” really is and how to...

In this episode of Medium Lady Talks, Erin sits down with poet, grief coach, and tarot reader Anna Jollymore to explore what it means to slow down, feel deeply, and create from the fire within.

Anna is the author of Words for Becoming, a stunning debut collection that gazes unflinchingly at the shadow side of personal transformation. Together, Erin and Anna unpack how poetry can help us process grief, rest our overworked minds, and...

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 occurred to me that some of the problems...

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 phones and how that reflex keeps ...

🪂 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 success of The Summer of Real Rest, Erin ...

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. Building on Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith’...

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 inviting you to pause, reflect, and...

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 carrying — and what you can finally rel...

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 talk about:

• The emotional drop...

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 perfectionist, and a chronic illness w...

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 practice that helped Amy through early so...

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 emotional rest is one of the most overlooke...

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.

✨ Inside this episode:

• The ...

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 they’re “fine” but can’t seem to thi...

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 pride many of us still hold in our o...

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 not trying hard enough.

🧠 Erin expl...

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 rest—and it turns out, most of us ...

This episode is your permission slip to stop grinding and start healing—gently.

In this heartfelt episode of Medium Lady Talks, Erin shares a deeply personal talk on reclaiming “soft work” as a vital part of healing. Inspired by a moment with her therapist and delivered originally at the Say It Like You Claimed It event with Jam Gamble, this message is a reminder that you can’t recover from burnout by doing more hard work.

Instead,...