When Stress Becomes Burnout (and How to Tell the Difference)

What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny Moms

What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood

Kids & Family, Comedy, Parenting

4.8 • 1K Ratings

🗓️ 15 October 2025

⏱️ 43 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In this episode, Amy and Margaret explore the crucial distinction between stress and burnout—two experiences that often blur together in the chaos of parenting, but which are very different in presentation and the attention they require. Stress might be unavoidable, but it can also be motivational and lead to further growth. But when stress becomes constant and unresolved, it turns into burnout: exhaustion, disconnection, cynicism, and the feeling that nothing you do matters. Together, they discuss what burnout looks like physically and emotionally, how to recognize when you’ve crossed that line, and the small, practical things you can do to restore yourself. Whether you’re running on fumes, feeling detached, or just tired of hearing “self-care” as a solution, this episode offers perspective, empathy, and evidence-based tools to help you reset. Here are links to some of the resources mentioned in the episode: ⁠BURNOUT⁠ by Emily and Amelia Nagoski https://burnoutglobal.com/the-author Suntsova Y.S.: ⁠“Irrational attitudes in thinking and maternal emotional burnout.”⁠ Education & Pedagogy Journal (2023). We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.whatfreshhellpodcast.com/p/promo-codes/ Get 50% Off Monarch Money, the all-in-one financial tool at ⁠www.monarchmoney.com/FRESH Ready to raise money-smart kids? Start now with your first month FREE at acornsearly.com/FRESH! Head to GigSalad.com and book some awesome talent for your next party, and let them know that What Fresh Hell sent you.burnout, stress, parental burnout, motherhood, mom life, stress management, emotional exhaustion, self-care for moms, mental health, mom burnout recovery, burnout prevention, Emily Nagoski, Amelia Nagoski, stress cycle, parenting podcast, What Fresh Hell podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	It's not you got to, you know, eat the frog and get up a little earlier every day.
0:06.0	What fresh hell.
0:07.7	Laughing in the face of motherhood.
0:09.9	The clock goes back to zero, the first thing the next morning.
0:13.0	With Margaret Aples and Amy Wilson.
0:15.6	Like, this is your great, great, great, great, great, grimp.
0:17.3	Nobody cares.
0:18.1	A podcast that solves today's parenting dilemmas.
0:21.2	So you don't have to.
0:22.7	Does doom scrolling Reddit close the stress cycle?
0:31.5	Hello, everyone, and welcome to What Fresh Hell?
0:34.3	Laughing in the Face of Motherhood.
0:35.7	This is Margaret.
0:36.7	And this is Amy.
0:37.3	Today we're
0:38.1	going to be talking about when stress becomes burnout, why it matters, and how to tell the difference.
0:44.9	I like this topic. I have been on both sides of this. I have been stressed and I have been
0:50.8	burnt out. Stress is generally a good thing. It means you're working for
0:56.3	something. Stress is not necessarily a net negative, I guess. Well, that's true. Even for kids,
1:01.0	we've talked about that. Stress is how we grow. Stress is challenge, right? Right. Stress doesn't
1:05.9	have to be a bad thing. Stress can sometimes be something we buy into and enhance with our own thought patterns maybe,
1:14.3	but being a mom is stressful. It just is. And then there's times when it tips into burnout,
	...

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