Medium Lady Talks: Burnout Recovery for Millennials and Mothers

Erin Vandeven
  • 5.0 (12)
  • Self-Improvement
  • Updated Monthly

Welcome to Medium Lady Talks, the podcast for burnt-out millennial moms who want to reclaim their time, energy, and joy—without the pressure of perfection. Host Erin, a working mom and mindful living advocate, shares refreshingly honest conversations and practical strategies to help you navigate motherhood, career, and self-care with medium effort. If you’re overwhelmed by unrealistic expectations and craving a more sustainable approach to life, you’re in the right place. Tune in for relatable insights on burnout recovery, self-care that actually fits your life, simplifying daily routines, and embracing imperfection with confidence. Through thought-provoking discussions, expert interviews, and personal reflections, Medium Lady Talks is your go-to resource for mindful, realistic growth—because you deserve a fulfilling life, not just a busy one. Let’s ditch the guilt, redefine success, and find joy in the small moments. Follow Erin on Instagram @medium.lady and start your journey to a more intentional, balanced life today.

  1. 2d ago

    Episode 185: September Self-Care Capsule: "Trust Yo'Self!"

    It’s September, and if your feed has convinced you it’s time to “lock in” for the last four months of the year, this one’s for you. Erin checks in after a wildly overstimulating (in a good way) summer and names the low-grade insecurity that crept back in once the goal-tracking stopped. The antidote isn’t a new framework — it’s trusting herself. She’s calling this season Trust Yo’Self, a riff on Parks and Recreation’s Treat Yourself and this year’s word of the year, sovereign, and walks through her September self-care capsule across four buckets: read, rest, play, and think. What we talk about Where September’s “back to school” energy and the viral Great Lock In trend actually come from — and why they inflate ordinary goal-setting into pressure The insecurity that crept in after losing momentum on tracking since Episode 182 with Stephanie Cunningham Trusting two decades of lived experience (20 years at SickKids, 20 years married) over internet expertise Read: recommitting to a diverse TBR after drifting from a 45% goal down to about 35% Rest: physical (17-minute naps), mental (dance workouts), emotional (leaning into the songs that make her cry), and sensory (phone boundaries) rest for the fall Play: a nail polish capsule turned watercolor palette turned playlist turned September wardrobe Think: the mantra anchoring the month — “Trust yourself. You already have what you need to do what you want.”   Frameworks & mentions The Great Lock In — the viral trend framing September–December as a final push before the new year Read / Rest / Play / Think — Erin’s self-care capsule buckets for the month Word of the year: Sovereign   Books & music mentioned The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden “Wizard and I” from the Wicked soundtrack   Episodes & links mentioned Episode 182: What Happens When You Track the Simple Stuff? with Stephanie Cunningham — listen here Episode 115: Five Things You Can Do Right Now to Survive September — listen here Episode 81: September Self-Care Guide: Overcoming Resistance to Change — listen here The “Wizard and I” reel that inspired this episode’s emotional rest bucket — @darlowbarlow on Instagram     Connect with Erin Instagram: @medium.lady Email: mediumladytalks@gmail.com More book content on Medium Lady Reads — Instagram: @mediumladyreads

  2. Sep 1

    Episode 184: I Finished A Book: Culpability vs. Co-Intelligence: What Fiction and Nonfiction Teach Us About AI

    This summer I read two books back to back — one fiction, one nonfiction — and they ended up talking to each other in a way I couldn't have planned. Culpability by Bruce Holsinger is a family drama about an autonomous vehicle accident and the AI-ethicist mother whose secret work sits at the center of it. Co-Intelligence by Ethan Mollick is the clear-eyed, cautiously optimistic case for engaging with AI as a co-worker, co-teacher, and coach. I used my Claude enabled book-club wheel widget to pull questions from both, and we get into culpability, cultural conditioning, the heat and chaos of this AI moment, and a very fun casting call — plus a real-time gut check on the Meta settlement news that broke the same week. What We Cover Why this episode doubles as entry five of the AI for the Rest of Us series, and the identity growing pains behind that Book summaries: Culpability by Bruce Holsinger (fiction) and Co-Intelligence: Living and Working with AI by Ethan Mollick (nonfiction)   Why Mollick's framing — treating readers as intelligent tool-users rather than potential AI "idiots" — landed differently than most AI commentary The Meta settlement: the company's agreement to pay about $18 billion to resolve a multistate lawsuit over addictive platform design and harm to young users, and what it might signal for coming AI regulation Ideas & Frameworks "I'm one of the good guys" — the culpability question at the heart of the novel: how much moral cover does good intent provide when you're the one building the tool. Mollick's core reminder from Co-Intelligence: today's AI models are the "worst" they will ever be — a line that cuts both ways, optimist or not. Weather and storm as recurring image in Culpability — oppressive heat driving knee-jerk, binary reactions to AI; the book's real ask is to look past output ("is it good or bad") toward where decisions are actually being made. Books Mentioned Culpability by Bruce Holsinger (fiction, 2025) Co-Intelligence: Living and Working with AI by Ethan Mollick (nonfiction, 2024)

  3. Aug 10

    Episode 183 Kinda Chic to Have a Podcast: What Can this Summer Trend Teach Us about Mindset?

    Everyone's feed said "kinda chic" this summer — Drew Barrymore's was, Reese Witherspoon's was, Priyanka Chopra's was too. In this solo episode, Erin traces the "kinda chic" trend from its quiet April 2026 origins on Instagram to its full celebrity-mainstream moment in August, unpacks why a three-word phrase gave so many women an "exhale" they didn't know they needed, and pulls the practice apart into two distinct emotional moves — savoring and guilt-neutralizing — that listeners can use whether or not they ever post a word of it. Part trend breakdown, part values practice: media observation and permission slip in one. What Is the "Kinda Chic" Trend? The "kinda chic" trend is a 2026 Instagram and TikTok format where people caption a photo or moment with "kinda chic to..." or "feels kind of chic to...," followed by something that doesn't fit the traditional, expensive definition of chic — a curvy body, an unglamorous home, an unfashionable habit, an ordinary routine. Instead of chic-as-exclusivity, the trend redefines chic as self-acceptance: whatever quietly makes you feel like yourself, said out loud, on purpose. Where Did "Kinda Chic" Start? The earliest post Erin traced is from April 2026, by Australian body-positivity influencer Maria Begins, who posted lines like "kinda chic being a curvy woman and actually liking it" and "kinda chic growing a human, giving birth, and wearing the aftermath like couture." The trend spread through May and June around body image, then expanded into money and even politics by July, picking up some backlash along the way for creators stretching the format past its original spirit. By August, it was fully mainstream: Drew Barrymore's carousel ("kinda chic to be in your fifties," "kinda chic to take your dog with you everywhere you go") hit six figures in likes within days. Reese Witherspoon followed with her own list ("kinda chic to be underestimated," "kinda chic to cheer on other women," "kinda chic to start a book club"). Priyanka Chopra posted an extensive list of her own — including "kinda chic to meet your husband at the Met Gala" — with a caption that closed the loop entirely: "kinda chic to hate this trend." Erin traces the deeper roots even further back — to a May 2025 TikTok moment where creator Tara Colleen posted a gatekeeping "things I find incredibly unchic" list, judging other women's style choices. The backlash to that video — essentially, "who gets to decide what's chic?" — simmered for the better part of a year before resurfacing as the "kinda chic" carousel format by April 2026. All told, roughly an 11-to-12-month cultural cycle from gatekeeping to reclamation. Why Did the Trend Get So Popular? The format works because it offers relief, not information. A private, often shame-adjacent thought gets relabeled as a deliberate, aspirational choice instead of a failing — and the comment section does the rest, with strangers confirming "same" or "you're allowed," turning a private admission into public permission. Content strategist Rachel Holt, whose breakdown of the format Erin references in this episode, describes the trend's core mechanic simply: it takes something you quietly feel bad about and turns it into a choice. Is the Trend Already Over? By August 2026, the format had turned recursive — Priyanka Chopra's own caption joking "kinda chic to hate this trend" is, in Erin's words, the moment "the snake has captured its own tail." Self-parody at that scale is usually a late-stage signal, and Erin notes her own feed already feels "more kind of than chic." Key Ideas From This Episode Chic has always required an observer. Historically bestowed by wealth, taste, or proximity to the right rooms — the trend didn't remove the gatekeeper, it just moved permission from a small cultural elite to the algorithm. Two distinct moves live inside the same three words. Savoring (noticing something already good — Erin's daily dog walk) and guilt-neutralizing (relabeling something that already feels bad, on purpose — Erin's "too-small house") are not the same practice, even when they sound identical in a caption. Nothing stays outside the market for long. Even the trend's most organic-feeling origin point — a body-positivity post — sits inside an industry that's been heavily monetized for years. This episode's takeaway skill: when a private value-practice turns into public content, notice whether you're still doing it for you. The real experiment: collapse the audience to one. Can you grant yourself the same exhale a comment section gives you, without needing it confirmed by anyone else? Erin's challenge to listeners — post or don't, but learn to hand yourself the permission slip either way. Resources & Links Mentioned Maria Begins — early "kinda chic" post, April 2026 Drew Barrymore's "kinda chic" carousel Reese Witherspoon's "kinda chic" post Priyanka Chopra's "kinda chic" post Betches: "The Unchic TikTok Debate" — the 2025 Tara Colleen backlash Know Your Meme: Kinda Chic Trend entry Frequently Asked Questions What does "kinda chic" mean on social media? It's a caption format used to reframe something ordinary, vulnerable, or non-traditional as a deliberate, aspirational choice — e.g., "kinda chic to live a slower life." Who started the "kinda chic" trend? The earliest known post traces to Australian body-positivity influencer Maria Begins in April 2026, though the underlying idea — that "chic" can be self-defined rather than culturally dictated — traces back to a 2025 backlash against a TikTok creator's gatekeeping "unchic" list. Which celebrities have done the "kinda chic" trend? Drew Barrymore, Reese Witherspoon, and Priyanka Chopra have all posted "kinda chic" content on Instagram, helping push the format from a niche body-positivity trend into the mainstream by August 2026. Is "kinda chic" the same as "quiet luxury"? No, though the two rhyme structurally as aesthetic cycles. Both trends promised freedom from a standard — quiet luxury from visible status performance, "kinda chic" from traditional, exclusionary definitions of chic — and both, in their own way, became new standards. How can I practice "kinda chic" without posting on social media? The episode outlines two levels: savoring (noticing something already good in your life without needing it witnessed) and guilt-neutralizing (relabeling something you quietly feel bad about as a deliberate choice instead of a failing) — both done privately, without needing external confirmation. Medium Lady Talks is part of the Medium Lady community — reading as self-care, burnout recovery, and intentional living for millennial women and moms.

  4. Jul 28

    Episode 182: What Happens when You Track the Simple Stuff? On Consistency, Freedom and 75 days with Stephanie Cunningham

    Description Erin is joined by close friend and returning guest Stephanie Cunningham to talk about the "Simple 75" — a loosened, personalized riff on 75 Hard that the two of them ran together this summer. What starts as a lighthearted comparison of checklists turns into a real conversation about failure as information (not judgment), narrowing down to "the things that always work," and why the absence of a punitive restart changes everything about whether a habit challenge is sustainable. Steph also opens up about stepping away from the challenge entirely during a family crisis, and what made it feel right to pick it back up — on her own terms — afterward. If you've ever wanted permission to do the thing at 20%, or permission to stop doing it at 100%, this one's for you. Key line: "Hold your goals tightly enough to pursue them, but loosely enough to survive them." What we talk about Why Steph set out to do a traditional 75 Hard, and how it became a "Simple 75" / "75 Medium" once Erin joined in The real rules of 75 Hard, for anyone unfamiliar (two 45-min workouts, one outdoors, a gallon of water, a nutrition plan, no alcohol, progress photos, 10 pages of nonfiction — miss one thing, restart from day one) Tracking as information, not judgment — and why that reframe is the difference between a failure that teaches you something and a failure that just feels like shame Steph stepping away from the challenge for three-plus weeks after a family loss, and what it took to come back to it Narrowing a 10-12 item checklist down to the handful of things that "always work" — and what happens to your creativity and bandwidth when those few things are actually covered Why the no-punitive-restart structure (vs. traditional 75 Hard) might be the real differentiator, more than intensity Consistency isn't perfection — it's what you do after you miss Permission to do the thing at 20%. Permission to stop doing the thing at 100%. What's next for both of them: Erin's 100 Days of Gratitude and dabbling back into Morning Pages; Steph's "75 Medium" continuing alongside marathon training Timestamps (estimated from transcript) 0:00 — Intro & welcome 2:30 — Meet Stephanie Cunningham 4:00 — How the Simple 75 started: Steph's original plan, Erin inviting herself in 9:00 — The paradox of ambition vs. contentment in the present 11:30 — Tracking as information, not judgment 14:00 — Steph steps away: family crisis, three weeks off, and coming back 18:00 — Failure as data, not a reset button — the commencement-speech story 21:00 — Consistency isn't perfection, it's returning 24:00 — How Steph knew it was time to restart 29:00 — Permission to stop striving vs. permission to start striving 33:00 — Narrowing to the things that always work (protein, fiber, movement, phone boundaries, reading) 38:00 — Freedom, community, and wisdom as the throughline 42:00 — "Hold your goals tightly enough to pursue them, loosely enough to survive them" 45:00 — What's next for Steph (75 Medium, marathon training) and Erin (100 Days of Gratitude, Morning Pages) 48:00 — Closing thoughts & where to find Steph Links mentioned Connect with Steph: @steffskiunfiltered Previous episodes with Steph: Episode 23: Medium Lady Talks about Internet Realness Episode 121: Mindful Content Creation Episode 87: Cultivating Your Aspirational To-Do List  Related episode: Episode 169 — Tiny Experiments for March: The Tally Project Coach Bennett on Instagram The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron (Overdrive) Connect with Erin: Instagram: @medium.lady Patreon: www.patreon.com/mediumlady Email: mediumladytalks@gmail.com More book content on Medium Lady Reads — Instagram: @mediumladyreads Tags / categories burnout recovery, habit tracking, goal setting, 75 hard, self-compassion, consistency, women's wellness, intentional living, friendship, accountability

  5. Jul 20

    Episode 181: Your Self Care Capsule for August - Managing Climate Anxiety with a Treehouse Mindset

    This month's self-care capsule comes out of a real, lived week — five days of wildfire smoke from the Northern Ontario fires reaching southwestern Ontario, and a crash course in AQI and climate anxiety Erin didn't see coming. She shares a hope-forward book pack, a three-part mental reframe for climate anxiety, and a playful "treehouse mindset" for reducing consumption without falling into restriction or scarcity thinking. What's covered: Living through the wildfire smoke from the Northern Ontario fires (including the community of Collins) and what it revealed about her own, previously unrecognized, climate anxiety Why climate fiction wasn't the right read for this particular week, and choosing hope-forward books instead The August book pack: Becky Chambers' Monk & Robot series, Ursula K. Le Guin's speculative fiction, and a new nonfiction release A three-part mental reframe for climate anxiety: reduce consumption playfully in the next 24 hours, connect outward with community, care inward for your body in the next hour The "Treehouse Mindset" play prompt — reframing reduced consumption as an imaginative game rather than restriction The 100 Days of Gratitude challenge on Instagram (Day 28) and a call to support wildfire-affected communities Key framework: "Well-regulated, well-rested, well-fed, well-supported communities are what save the world — not individual hypervigilance." Books mentioned: A Psalm for the Wild-Built and A Prayer for the Crown-Shy — Becky Chambers (Monk & Robot series) Ursula K. Le Guin — exploring her wider body of speculative and utopian fiction; specific title to follow once chosen (will share on Instagram) Leave the Lights On: How Joyful Decisions Can Save Our Species — Elizabeth Dunn & Jiaying Zhao Join in: 100 Days of Gratitude, Instagram @medium.lady Support: Donate to the Anishinabek Nation 7th Generation Charity — CRA-registered, supporting Anishinabek Nation communities affected by the wildfires.

  6. Jul 6

    Episode 180: I Finished A Book - Just Watch Me by Lior Torenberg: A Long Form Book Review on Grief, Livestreaming & Being Seen

    MLT 180: I Finished a Book, Episode 1 After six seasons of letting the productivity ball get bigger than the creativity ball, Erin's shaking up the format — starting with an unscripted, wheel-spun review of Just Watch Me by Lior Torenberg, built with a little help from Claude. What's covered: Why Erin's stepping back from "better, faster, stronger" podcasting and testing a looser, funnier format The exact AI prompt Erin used to build a 28-question "book club wheel" for spontaneous, unscripted reviews — full transparency on the goal/context prompt structure A deep, spoiler-flagged review of Just Watch Me, the story of Dell Danvers, a newly-unemployed 24-hour live streamer spiralling through a week of viral chaos, spicy-pepper stunts, and unprocessed grief Why the book's central "twist" (her sister Daisy's fate) reframes the entire story as a book about avoidance and grief, not just internet culture The uncomfortable, rarely-said-out-loud truth about wanting to be watched — and what it's like to feel both euphoria and dread from an audience A comp-title pairing with Margot's Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe, and how the two books differ in how much agency their heroines hold onto at rock bottom Key framework: Erin's 70/30 rule for when AI is worth using — the tool brings structure, you bring discernment. (Full breakdown in Episode 174.) Books mentioned: Just Watch Me — Lior Torenberg Margot's Got Money Troubles — Rufi Thorpe All Fours - Miranda July Related listening: Episode 142 — Welcome to the Summer of REAL Rest Episode 174 — My 70/30 Rule: How I Decide When AI Is Worth It

  7. Jun 29

    Episode 179 Can We Skip to the Good Part? Permission to Have Fun and Feel Good

    Episode Summary Erin is back at the mic with a confession: she's been taking the podcast a little too seriously. In this honest, unpolished episode, she unpacks the ambivalence she's been carrying as a creator — the quiet pressure, the almost-quits, and the moment a listener named Kate said she just wanted more fun and Erin felt relief instead of defensiveness. From a trail walk with her friend Amy to a summer gratitude challenge already seven days in, this episode is an invitation to skip the optimization and notice what actually feels good right now. In This Episode The honest confession: running the podcast like it has a performance review coming Why Erin hasn't quit even when she's wanted to — and what that reveals about protected time and identity The trail walk conversation with a friend that surfaced the scary thing out loud What one listener's feedback unlocked: permission to receive instead of always deliver What fun actually looks like this summer — reading outside, the 100 Days of Gratitude Challenge, and noticing when you're in a nothing-burger moment The simple question: what would make this more fun right now? A new idea Erin's sitting with: why knowing the right way to live doesn't mean you can read your own life Why this summer is going to feel a little different around here Mentioned in This Episode Amy C. Willis, sobriety coach —https://www.holandwell.com/  Medium Lady Talks on Instagram: @medium.lady 100 Days of Gratitude Challenge — follow along on Instagram Connect If this episode landed for you, DM Erin on Instagram at @medium.lady — she genuinely wants to know what you're doing this summer just because it's fun.

  8. Jun 22

    [REPOST] Episode 143: The Soft Work of Healing – Why Feeling Good Is Part of the Process

    This episode was originally published in June of 2025 In this heartfelt episode of Medium Lady Talks, Erin shares a deeply personal talk on reclaiming “soft work” as a vital part of healing. Inspired by a moment with her therapist and delivered originally at the Say It Like You Claimed It event with Jam Gamble, this message is a reminder that you can’t recover from burnout by doing more hard work. Instead, you need softness. 🪷 Erin breaks down: What “soft work” is and why it matters (think: joy, rest, nature, play) Why soft work activates the vagus nerve and heals the nervous system The limiting beliefs that make rest feel unearned or frivolous The science behind why kindness and pleasure help you recover How to reprogram your brain to notice joy again Whether you’re exhausted from doing everything “right” or just need a moment to feel seen, this episode will help you soften into the truth: you are not broken. You’re just overdue for joy. 📚 Mentioned in this episode: Sacred Rest by Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith Women Who Work Too Much by Tamu Thomas Reclaim Yourself by Dr. Thema Bryant What It Takes to Heal by Prentis Hemphill Fiction from Kennedy Ryan, Tia Williams, Kiley Reid, and Toni Morrison 💬 Ask yourself: What kind of soft work have I been craving? 💬 Let Erin know what “real rest” means to you over on Instagram @medium.lady—and share this episode with the friend who’s doing everything “right” and still wondering why she’s so tired.   This episode is part of our “Summer of Real Rest” series—time to call ourselves in to a true commitment to the soft work of feeling better one step at a time.    🧡 If this episode resonates with you: Share it with a friend who needs a little extra encouragement Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify—it helps more than you know DM me on Instagram @medium.lady or tag your favorite quote from the episode Subscribe for more real talk about building a life you love—one medium-effort step at a time Looking for more support? Access exclusive content and mindful living tools on Patreon.  Join the conversation! Share one need you're naming today and tag @medium.lady on Instagram. The series starts here!  Don’t forget to subscribe! If this episode resonates, share it with a friend or leave a review—it helps others find the show! Other Related Episodes (for your enjoyment): Episode 70: My Life-Changing Perspective on Having the Best Summer EVER Episode 103: Four Questions to Free Yourself from Summer Stress Part One Episode 104: Four Questions to Free Yourself from Summer Stress Part Two Episode 106: Six Things Saving My Summer    Medium Lady Reads Episode 43 - Our Best Recommendations for Your Summer Reading Pile   Connect with Erin: Instagram: @medium.lady Patreon: www.patreon.com/mediumlady  Email: mediumladytalks@gmail.com  Explore more book-related content on "Medium Lady Reads." - link to Spotify Instagram: @mediumladyreads Key Words: #softwork #burnoutrecovery #restasresistance #nervoussystemhealing #mediumladytalks #mentalhealthawareness #joyishealing #radicalrest

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About

Welcome to Medium Lady Talks, the podcast for burnt-out millennial moms who want to reclaim their time, energy, and joy—without the pressure of perfection. Host Erin, a working mom and mindful living advocate, shares refreshingly honest conversations and practical strategies to help you navigate motherhood, career, and self-care with medium effort. If you’re overwhelmed by unrealistic expectations and craving a more sustainable approach to life, you’re in the right place. Tune in for relatable insights on burnout recovery, self-care that actually fits your life, simplifying daily routines, and embracing imperfection with confidence. Through thought-provoking discussions, expert interviews, and personal reflections, Medium Lady Talks is your go-to resource for mindful, realistic growth—because you deserve a fulfilling life, not just a busy one. Let’s ditch the guilt, redefine success, and find joy in the small moments. Follow Erin on Instagram @medium.lady and start your journey to a more intentional, balanced life today.

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