From Exhaustion to Ease: How Black Women Can Reclaim Rest and Joy (REPLAY)
Black Girl Burnout
Kelley Bonner
4.7 • 764 Ratings
🗓️ 13 August 2025
⏱️ 42 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In this deeply resonant episode of Black Girl Burnout, Kelley is joined by licensed clinical social worker and burnout recovery coach Michelle Goodloe for an honest conversation about what it truly takes to move from chronic exhaustion into a life rooted in rest and joy.
Together, they unpack the realities of professional burnout, the hidden cost of “pushing through,” and the cultural pressures Black women face to perform strength at the expense of well-being. Michelle shares her own journey from burnout to balance, offers a compassionate definition of burnout, and explains why recovery is about more than quick self-care fixes—it’s about rebuilding your relationship with yourself over time.
If you’ve been feeling depleted, disconnected, or like you’ve been running on empty for too long, this conversation offers both validation and practical ways to start your shift toward ease.
Key Takeaways
- Burnout isn’t just a bad week—it’s a long-term pattern of exhaustion, disconnection, and feeling ineffective.
- Recovery requires redefining your identity outside of work and accomplishments.
- Systemic factors like capitalism fatigue and the “Strong Black Woman” stereotype amplify burnout for Black women.
- Self-care is important, but deep recovery work starts with boundaries, self-compassion, and mindset shifts.
- Your “well-rested self” is a touchstone for what’s possible—and worth protecting.
Episode Highlights
[00:40] Michelle shares her personal journey through burnout and why she now helps others recover.
[04:16] Recognizing burnout: symptoms, time factors, and the difference from temporary stress.
[08:46] The role of systemic pressures—capitalism fatigue, cultural expectations, and identity-based stressors.
[10:30] The connection between self-betrayal, boundary erosion, and burnout.
[12:02] Imagining your “well-rested self” as a guide to healing.
[14:15] Why burnout recovery is ongoing work, not a quick reset.
Connect with Michelle Goodloe
Website: https://www.gmichelle.com/
Instagram: @thegmichelle
Support the Show
If this episode resonates with you, share it with someone who might need the reminder that they don’t have to push through exhaustion to prove their worth. You deserve rest.
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Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Welcome to Black Girl Burnout podcast, Kelly here. And today we are doing a replay episode. It is the summer. And it is our summer of yes. And I am saying yes to some much needed rest. And I thought, I didn't want to leave you all hanging. I want to share with you some episodes. Some you've never heard before, some you've heard maybe |
| 0:24.0 | in the past and their replay. So for the next couple weeks, as we go through the month, |
| 0:29.5 | we're going to have a mixture of new episodes that have never been released and some |
| 0:34.6 | oldies but goodies. Some of my favorite interviews I've had with people in the |
| 0:39.7 | past and don't forget on Fridays there's always going to be that bonus love note so stay tuned |
| 0:46.7 | for this Friday for a bonus love note for y'all but today's episode is going to be a replay episode of a conversation I have with Michelle |
| 0:56.4 | Goodlow. Michelle Goodlow is a licensed clinical social worker like me and has a fantastic |
| 1:03.4 | and very professional background doing all kinds of clinical work, whether it's advocacy |
| 1:09.9 | for people impacted by domestic violence or child |
| 1:12.9 | abuse. But lately, her focus has shifted to really helping women navigate burnout and particularly |
| 1:19.8 | black women. She's written incredible books about it. She has workbooks and all kinds of |
| 1:26.4 | inspirational tips and tools. |
| 1:28.3 | And Michelle and I talk about a lot of the things that I think are on the minds of black women, |
| 1:36.3 | which is how do we balance it all? |
| 1:38.3 | How do we slow down to thrive? |
| 1:40.3 | That was the original title of the episode. |
| 1:43.3 | And I really think the conversation is more |
| 1:46.8 | true than ever, more relevant than ever. I think we as black women need to slow down. We need to |
| 1:56.2 | find ways to create more spaces of peace for ourselves and let go of the guilt while doing it. |
| 2:03.9 | Michelle and I have a great conversation that covers all the bases. |
| 2:08.5 | I think Michelle is someone who walks the walk. |
| 2:10.9 | So if you're looking to follow someone who isn't stuck in hustle culture, |
... |
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