Let’s be honest: if you are already tired, the last thing you need is someone telling you to just take a bubble bath or get a massage. Burnout doesn’t work like that, and neither does finding your way back to a life and career that actually feels right.
This list of podcasts to tackle burnout wasn’t pulled together to be clever or current. It’s based on my own experience of listening during an episode of exhaustion. Some of it happened while pacing the kitchen floor, some while walking off frustration, and some while quietly wondering what I even enjoy anymore.
These shows are not always polished, which I really appreciate. They do not claim to have all the answers. They are honest, comforting, sometimes challenging, and even funny in places. What they all have in common is this: they help you feel seen and heard. Whether you are a tired high achiever, someone questioning your whole relationship with work, or just someone who wants to stop feeling so wiped out all the time, a podcast in this list will probably land.
My selection of shows covers everything from nervous system resets to the messiness of ambition and anxiety — from big shifts to tiny habits. If you’ve thought “something has to change,” but you’re not sure where to start, the following seven podcasts might help.
FRIED came to me at a time when I was feeling constantly exhausted. I didn’t need another high-energy pep talk or someone telling me just to meditate more. But what I found on this show was a message that is calm, real, and incredibly useful.
The episodes are short, to the point, and often backed by actual research. At the same time, they don’t feel academic or out of reach. The hosts “get it” because they have been through burnout themselves, and you can hear that in the conversations. I love their openness, humility, and ease they bring to the show.
Burnout is a hard topic, and yet FRIED is a somewhat easy listen. What I like most is that the advice never feels patronising. It’s not about fixing yourself; it’s more like someone gently holding up a mirror and saying, “This is normal, and here is a way through.”
Some episodes helped me put words to what I was feeling. Others gave me little shifts I could actually try that week. It’s not rocket science, but their advice was enough to stop me spiralling or pushing through again without pausing. If you are feeling done (like really done), and you don’t want fluff and jargon, FRIED is like a proper exhale.
Fearne Cotton’s Happy Place feels like a breather. While I don’t listen to every single episode, there’s always something in it that sticks with me when I do tune in. Fearne has this warm, real way of getting people to open up without forcing it. The conversations aren’t all about burnout, but so many of them touch on what it means to live a life that feels a bit more honest and a bit less noisy.
I am a bit of a Fearne fangirl. I love her ‘awkward’ humour, her openness about mental health, and how she doesn’t try to wrap everything up neatly. She comes across as messy, reflective, funny, and kind. Listening to her makes me feel like I am part of the gang of people who have been experiencing the rollercoaster of life — and I don’t need to have it all together to belong.
The guests on Happy Place are brilliant, too. They include people from all kinds of backgrounds, many of them well-known. But despite their celebrity, they show up with their full, flawed selves. It helps hearing about their low points, their anxiety, and their doubts. These conversations normalize not being okay all the time. That in itself is a relief. You walk away from Happy Place feeling a bit lighter and a bit more human.
Adam Grant has a knack for turning really complex ideas into something that makes sense. He is a psychologist, author, and researcher. He’s also someone who asks really great questions. I’ve read his books and follow him on social media. So, WorkLife felt like a natural next step.
The podcast is part of the TED Audio Collective, and in each episode, Adam digs into what makes work more human and less soul-sucking. He interviews interesting people from all walks of life and explores topics like psychological safety, decision-making, feedback, and how to create better workplaces. It sounds very serious, but it doesn’t feel that way to the listener.
What I like about Adam is his curiosity. He doesn’t need to be the smartest person in the room, even though he probably is. He is warm, a bit geeky in the best way, and not afraid to laugh at himself. His questions are sharp but never showy. Some of his episodes have helped me rethink how I work and act as a leader, and I always walk away with something new to bring to my working life.
This podcast isn’t flashy or high-energy, but there is so much in it that speaks directly to how we carry stress and exhaustion in our bodies. Michelle Grosser, host of Alive & Well, has a calm, steady presence. She talks a lot about nervous system regulation, somatic tools, breathwork, and all those small, manageable habits that actually help when you’re overwhelmed or running on empty. Imagine if more people had the skills to listen to their bodies and step into the magic of taking small steps to heal. Alive & Well supports building this awareness.
I didn’t think I needed somatic support until I started listening to this burnout podcast. But now, I find myself trying out the little shifts she mentions, such as a few minutes of breathing in between meetings, paying attention to how my shoulders creep up when I am tense, or just permitting myself to rest without guilt. It’s not about fixing yourself; it’s more about tuning in. There is also something very practical and non-judgmental about how Grosser conveys her advice. It doesn’t feel like she is preaching or trying to change your life overnight. She just offers small, consistent ways to feel more human again. And for someone like me, who has lived in go-go-go mode for way too long, this podcast feels like being gently invited to slow down and come back to myself.
This podcast isn’t about burnout, exactly. However, The Good Life Project has helped me step back and ask some bigger questions about how I want to live and lead. This podcast, whose guests have included Elizabeth Gilbert and Brené Brown, has a slower-paced production that feels nourishing and necessary. There’s space in it; space to breathe, to think, and to reflect. These days, being given this sort of “intentional” space is rare.
Some episodes go deep into more philosophical territory, while others are practical and grounded. Sometimes, a story just hits you in a quiet but powerful way. I have had episodes of The Good Life Project impact the way I hold coaching sessions, the way I have a conversation with my partner, and even how I spend my afternoons. The show isn’t chasing trends or trying to fix anyone. It is more like an invitation to stop the noise and pay attention to what is already here, and ask, “What does a good life mean to me now?” The Good Life Project doesn’t give quick answers, but it provides space to explore your own.
The Anxious Achiever really lands for me. If you have ever been praised for being driven and ambitious, but inside you feel like you are quietly holding it all together with bits of string, then this one might hit home for you, too.
Morra Aarons-Mele talks about anxiety in a way that doesn’t make it something to fix or hide. Instead, it’s part of the bigger picture of being human: something you learn to work with rather than push away. She doesn’t try to give you the perfect solution or wrap everything up in a neat little bow. What you get are honest conversations, thoughtful questions, and a real sense of you’re not the only one. I put this burnout podcast on when I feel completely wiped, and I often come away with a little nudge to think differently about how I lead, work, or simply feel better when I am struggling.
Guests on The Anxious Achiever have been through it, too. No one is trying to be impressive. They are just being real, and that helps when you’re at a low point. Overall, the show is thoughtful, imperfect, and incredibly human. It doesn’t tell you to toughen up. It tells you that it is okay to lead and still feel things deeply. And that, for me, is everything.
Everyday Burnout Conversations
Everyday Burnout Conversations is quietly brilliant because of how unexpected it is. It doesn’t follow the predictable “I burned out and now I’m fine” template. Every episode delivers a fresh take, featuring voices from many different walks of life. Burnout isn’t one-size-fits-all, and hearing about where it shows up, from teachers to creatives to people staring at screens all day, makes it feel deeply human each time.
The show’s host, Flic Taylor, is a writer and a survivor of her own burnout. Her experience makes her podcast feel honest in a way that doesn’t try too hard. She gently nudges guests to be real and to share the messy middle stuff. They talk about when breathwork helps you feel something in your bones, or when attachment style totally shifts how someone understands their stress. As listeners, we drop into conversations about things like attachment theory, inner-child breathwork, neurodiverse overwhelm with ADHD, or reclaiming self-worth from people-pleasing. Needless to say, I am a nerd for all of these concepts.
Some conversations on Everyday Burnout Conversations have stayed with me for weeks after. It doesn’t always feel neat or solved, but it does feel like a reminder: you’re not alone in whatever version of burnout you are in.
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Cathleen O’Sullivan is a seasoned Executive Coach and Leadership Development Consultant helping ambitious professionals lead with clarity, courage, and purpose. With more than fifteen years in high-level corporate leadership roles across global, matrixed organisations, she brings real-world understanding of what leadership really looks like behind the scenes.