26: The Hidden Addiction Behind Midlife Burnout cover art

26: The Hidden Addiction Behind Midlife Burnout

26: The Hidden Addiction Behind Midlife Burnout

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About this listen

If you can’t slow down...if rest feels uncomfortable…or if you’re always “on the go” even when you’re exhausted...then this episode was made for you.

In this episode we unpack “Keep Moving”, one of the six subconscious midlife coping strategies many women develop to stay safe, productive, and valued. And we'll break down how it's actually an addiction that fuels burnout, emotional numbness, and disconnection from yourself.

This pattern often shows up in midlife, especially during perimenopause and menopause, when your nervous system is already under pressure and your old strategies stop working.

In this episode, we explore:

  • What the Keep Moving coping strategy really is (and why it’s not “just being busy”)
  • Why slowing down can feel unsafe, even when you desperately need R&R
  • The connection between busyness, self-worth, and workaholism
  • How “productivity = value” gets wired into women from a young age
  • How this pattern shows up at work, at home, and in relationships
  • Why midlife is often the moment this strategy starts to fall apart, and why that’s a gift

You might recognize yourself here if:

  • You feel uncomfortable sitting still or doing “nothing”
  • Rest feels like something you have to earn
  • Your mind constantly replays conversations or runs future to-do lists
  • You’re successful and capable, but still feel like it's never enough
  • You’re exhausted but don’t know how to stop

This episode is especially powerful for women who are:

  • In midlife, perimenopause, or menopause
  • Experiencing burnout, chronic busyness, or overwhelm
  • Questioning their relationship with work, productivity, and rest
  • Ready to rebuild self-worth from the inside out

Want to go deeper? There are six midlife coping strategies, and Keep Moving is just one of them.
You can discover your primary coping strategy, and how to begin releasing it, by taking our free, 2-minute quiz.

👉 Take the Midlife Coping Strategies Quiz and find out which one is costing you the most!

Find us on instagram:

Jen: @jenreimercoaching

Sheri: @sherijohnsoncoaching

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