Today felt slow, soggy, and emotionally dense — not because of chaos, but because life itself felt heavy. Between caregiving, exhaustion, a FedEx package that refuses to leave Chicago, and Mercury still doing cartwheels in retrograde, my bandwidth hovered at “running on fumes.”

We kicked off day one of our annual vendor event (shoutout to Scentsy season), and even though I wasn’t feeling the spark I usually do, the night turned out better than expected. I talk through the emotional weight of this season, the financial pressures we’re working through, and the small pockets of optimism I’m trying to keep alive — from remote job possibilities to slow but steady progress on our Total Money Makeover.

Nothing dramatic today. Just honest. Just heavy. Just real.

• Starting the day tired and emotionally low
• A Scentsy shipment held hostage in Chicago
• Caregiving fatigue + mental load
• Vendor event kickoff
• Cold, rainy November vibes
• Total Money Makeover updates
• Remote job leads + cautious optimism
• Why I’m not built for open-office seating
• Just… life being life

• Some days aren’t chaotic — they’re just heavy.
• Caregiving doesn’t pause for work, hobbies, or wellness routines.
• Retrograde chaos makes tech issues feel personal.
• You can love people and still feel overwhelmed by them.
• Hope can be small and quiet — a job lead, a warmer day, a plan.

This diary includes themes of caregiver stress, emotional heaviness, tech frustration, financial anxiety, and burnout. No graphic content, but it’s an emotionally weighted entry.

• 🎙 Guest inquiries: bookings [at] holderhausmedia [dot] com
• 📬 Get in touch: heythere [at] holderhausmedia [dot] com
• 🎙 More episodes & info: [https://the-high-functioning-disaster.captivate.fm/]
• 🎙 Discover more podcasts by Holder Haus Media: [https://holder-haus-media.captivate.fm/]
• 📱 Follow on IG: @thehighfunctioningdisaster [https://instagram.com/thehighfunctioningdisaster]
• 📺 Watch on YouTube: Uploads coming soon! [https://www.youtube.com/@HolderHausMedia]
• 💜 When I’m not podcasting, I’m also a Scentsy Consultant of 10+ years. If you’re into fragrance and cozy vibes, you can find my shop here: [https://sachasmells.com]

disaster diaries, high functioning disaster, caregiving stress, emotional heaviness, burnout, financial stress, Scentsy vendor life, shipping delays, Mercury retrograde issues, project manager job search, remote work, total money makeover, daily audio diary

👉 Make sure you’re subscribed to The High-Functioning Disaster so you don’t miss this next entry.

This podcast reflects personal experiences and opinions and is for informational and peer-support purposes only. It is not medical, mental health, legal, or financial advice. Please consult qualified professionals for guidance specific to you.

Today’s Disaster Diary is brought to you by fatigue, froggy voice vibes, caregiving burnout, and a Scentsy shipment held hostage in Chicago. I missed my Miracle Morning again, tried to keep fourteen mental browser tabs open, and spent way too much energy wrestling with the reality that I cannot force my mom to care about her own health.

I talk through the emotional exhaustion of watching someone choose decline, the internal tug-of-war between control and acceptance, and why “trying to will someone into wanting better for themselves” is a special kind of heartbreak.

Also on deck: Dateline theories, real questions about why people stay in abusive relationships, a dog who dances like she’s auditioning for Broadway, Financial Peace University panic, and the chaos of surviving on one-third of our former income.

Short(-ish), raw, and very on brand for a High-Functioning Disaster.

• Missing the Miracle Morning (again)
• A Scentsy order stuck in Chicago
• Caregiving frustration and the limits of control
• Dateline: murder, manipulation, and too many questions
• Domestic violence reflections
• Editing wins + dog dance intermission
• Starting Financial Peace University while broke
• Job-hunting in a season that makes no sense

• You can support someone, but you can’t choose for them — even when you’re watching them spiral.
• Emotional labor is a productivity killer, and sometimes the day is “good enough” simply because you survived it.
• Domestic violence is layered, terrifying, and far more complex than outsiders assume.
• Financial stress reshapes everything — goals, routines, survival strategies, and identity.
• Hope lives in small pockets: a helpful book, a dog being ridiculous, or the possibility of a job lead landing at the right time.

This diary includes vulnerable discussion of caregiver fatigue, family conflict, domestic violence, and financial stress. Nothing graphic, but emotionally heavy in sections. Listen with care if you’re in a tender place.

• 🎙 Guest inquiries: bookings [at] holderhausmedia [dot] com
• 📬 Get in touch: heythere [at] holderhausmedia [dot] com
• 🎙 More episodes & info: [https://the-high-functioning-disaster.captivate.fm/]
• 🎙 Discover more podcasts by Holder Haus Media: [https://holder-haus-media.captivate.fm/]
• 📱 Follow on IG: @thehighfunctioningdisaster [https://instagram.com/thehighfunctioningdisaster]
• 📺 Watch on YouTube: Uploads coming soon! [https://www.youtube.com/@HolderHausMedia]
• 💜 When I’m not podcasting, I’m also a Scentsy Consultant of 10+ years. If you’re into fragrance and cozy vibes, you can find my shop here: [https://sachasmells.com]

high functioning disaster, caregiving stress, emotional fatigue, family tension, Scentsy vendor life, shipping delays, domestic violence questions, vulnerability, burnout, financial peace university, job search stress, emotional load, daily audio journal, personal growth through chaos

👉 Make sure you’re subscribed to The High-Functioning Disaster so you don’t miss this next entry.

This podcast reflects...

Hey fellow high functioners — today’s diary is coming in hot from the messy middle of family and country stuff.

I talk through the ongoing tech gremlins (looking at you, Mercury retrograde 👀), a beautiful interview with author and nonprofit founder Gail Showalter, and how her work with Single Moms Empowered got me dreaming about what real support for single dads could look like too.

From there, things get more tender: I share how alienated I’ve felt in my own family, what it’s been like to be the primary caregiver for my mom, and how a hard but honest conversation with my aunt finally confirmed what I suspected — sometimes people stay away because what you’re going through is just too heavy for them to face. It doesn’t make it less painful, but it does make it make more sense.

I also dig into mental health and therapy access, the emotional cost of holding space for other people’s stories (hi, podcasters and therapists), and the looming shift from excellent insurance to… let’s call it “bare minimum adjacent.” From there, I wade into bigger-picture stuff: immigration, ethnicity, how brown folks are treated at the post office, and a recent shooting of a cleaning worker here in Indiana that I believe never should’ve happened. It’s a raw, political-leaning reflection — not a debate, not a sermon — just me trying to make sense of a country that feels like a high-functioning disaster.

If you’ve ever felt invisible in your own family, exhausted by caregiving, or heartbroken over how people are treated in this country, this one might make you feel a little less alone. 💛

This diary reflects my personal experience and opinions. It’s not therapy, legal, or medical advice — just one woman processing out loud in real time.

• Family stuff hits the deepest. Feeling excluded by relatives — especially during a heavy caregiving season — can trigger old wounds and create new ones. Naming it out loud can ease the pressure a bit.
• Caregiving while job-seeking is a brutal combo. Balancing your mom’s needs, unpredictable schedules, and financial stress makes the job hunt feel almost impossible — and you’re navigating it anyway.
• Therapy access is a privilege, not a guarantee. The shift from excellent insurance to bare-minimum coverage is real, and finding consistent support is harder than it should be.
• Holding space takes energy. Interviewing guests and sharing your own stories aren’t “just conversations” — they drain and refuel in different ways, and recovering between sessions matters.
• Our country is struggling. Immigration fear, racism, gun violence, and political extremes show up in everyday places — from a post office line to a tragic local shooting. Ignoring it doesn’t make it go away.
• Connection still matters. Even when family support is complicated, conversations (like the one with your aunt) can bring clarity, compassion, and a little more emotional breathing room.

In this entry, I talk about family estrangement, feeling excluded, caregiving for my mom, mental health and limited access to therapy, U.S. politics, immigration and racism, guns, and a recent shooting death in Indiana. There are no graphic details, but the themes include prejudice, violence, and grief in both family and societal contexts.

• 🎙 Guest inquiries: bookings [at] holderhausmedia [dot] com
• 📬 Get in touch: heythere [at] holderhausmedia [dot] com
• 🎙 More episodes & info: [https://the-high-functioning-disaster.captivate.fm/]
• 🎙...