Holiday burnout hits differently when you care for a living.

In this episode of Burnout and Breakthroughs, Samantha dives deep into compassion fatigue, the bone-deep exhaustion that creeps up on those of us in caregiving professions. She explores why this December feels particularly heavy, layering holiday stress, financial strain, family trauma activation, and political anxiety on top of the impossible emotional labor we carry for our clients.

You'll learn about practical tools and why understanding your nervous system is critical infrastructure for this work. Samantha also introduces her Weekly Rhythm Chart and shares honest strategies for managing overwhelm during the darkest time of year—both literally and figuratively.

Resources mentioned: Compassion Fatigue Workbook (Francois Mathieu), Trauma Resiliency Model Training (Trauma Resources Institute), Community Resilience Initiative, Weekly Rhythm Chart (available at burnoutandbreakthroughs.com)

What happens when federal funding disappears, but community need doesn’t?

In the wake of massive SNAP cuts and widespread nonprofit layoffs, the staff who remain are drowning—not just in extra work, but in the moral weight of knowing that every task they can’t complete means someone doesn’t eat, someone doesn’t get housed, someone doesn’t get help. This episode explores the particular kind of burnout that comes from being the last one standing in an understaffed organization serving increasingly desperate communities. It’s about surviving uncertainty, redefining leadership amid collapse, and finding small acts of care that still hold the web together.

Key Talking Points:

• The 2025 government shutdown and its cascading impact on nonprofits, social services, and care programs.
• How systemic defunding and layoffs create a moral injury for those who remain.
• The emotional and ethical toll of “absorbing the work” after staff cuts.
• Why traditional models of leadership fail in times of institutional collapse.
• Reframing leadership as connection: micro-acts of care, trust, and mutual support.
• Recognizing burnout as both a symptom and a protest against unjust systems.
• How creative reflection, collective imagination, and solidarity can turn survival into a form of quiet resistance.

Full list of references and resources from this episode → Show Notes

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In this episode of Burnout and Breakthroughs, we talk about what it means to balance the weight of the world on your shoulders, while your job description pretends it’s just “part of the role.” From emotional labor to administrative creep, we’re unpacking the hidden work that fuels burnout across nonprofits and other service professions.

Key Takeaways:

• The Atlas Complex: Understanding why service professionals feel compelled to carry everyone else's responsibilities and how this psychological pattern fuels burnout
• Boundary Setting Strategies: Practical phrases and approaches for negotiating scope creep without appearing uncommitted to your mission
• Leadership Solutions: Organizational changes that protect staff passion while improving service quality and retention

Full list of references and resources from this episode → Show Notes

Read the full blog post that pairs with this episode → The Atlas Complex: From Parentified Children to Burnt-Out Caregivers

If this episode resonated, rate and review the podcast → Leave a Review

Stay connected: Subscribe to the newsletter → Join the email list