Alive & Well – Nervous System, Productivity, Time Management, Somatic Tools, Work-Life Balance, Burnout, Anxiety

Michelle Grosser – Inspired by Mel Robbins, Dr. Andrew Huberman, and Ed Mylett
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On paper? You’re crushing it. But your body’s telling a different story: fatigue, anxiety, brain fog, and a burnout you just can’t seem to shake. Welcome to Alive & Well—the podcast for high-achieving women ready to burnout-proof their lives by rewiring their nervous system for clarity, energy, productivity, and ease. I’m your host, Michelle Grosser, Esq.—trial attorney turned nervous system strategist, wife, mom, and entrepreneur (x3). After burning out hard trying to do it all, I discovered the missing piece: nervous system regulation.  Now I help ambitious, high-capacity women like you build a life that’s sustainable and successful—where your nervous system becomes your superpower, not your saboteur. Around here, you’ll learn: ✔️  Burnout-proof systems for time management and productivity ✔️  Science-backed tools for nervous system and emotional regulation ✔️  Somatic practices that help you stay grounded & calm under pressure ✔️  Faith-rooted wisdom for leading from overflow—not overdrive ✔️  Boundaries that protect your purpose—not just your calendar ✔️  Sustainable strategies for stress management, presence, and work-life balance It’s time to break the burnout cycle, reclaim your well-being, and lead with the kind of peace that doesn’t cost your ambition. Hit follow and start your path to living Alive & Well. New episodes every Tuesday and Friday.

  1. 3D AGO

    432 - 5 Rules I Live By Because I Refuse to Live in Survival Mode

    Ever notice how you can get through the day… but your body feels like it never actually powers down? You’re productive. You’re handling things. You’re doing what needs to be done. And yet — your nervous system feels like it’s been running in the background nonstop. Like too many tabs open. Like you’re always slightly braced for what’s next. That’s survival mode. And it doesn’t mean something is wrong with you. It means your nervous system hasn’t been taught how to come back to baseline. In this episode, I’m sharing the five rules I live by now because I’m done living in chronic activation.  These aren’t “self-care tips” or mindset hacks. They’re nervous-system boundaries grounded in physiology, neuroscience, and lived experience — the kind that actually change how your body feels day to day. We talk about: What survival mode really looks like when you’re high-functioning and capableWhy trying to think your way out of stress keeps you stuckThe nervous-system reason rushing drains your energy faster than being busyHow to get out of your head and into your body when you’re activatedWhy comparison, automatic yeses, and misaligned sleep quietly collapse your capacityWhat it takes to feel calm, clear, and present — without doing less with your lifeThis isn’t about becoming chill or lowering your standards. It’s about expanding your capacity so your life stops feeling like it’s too much. If you’re tired of managing yourself all day. If you feel successful on paper but wired and exhausted in your body. If your nervous system has been operating like it’s always on-call… This episode will help you understand what’s actually happening — and what to do instead. Press play if you’re ready to stop living like everything is urgent and start inhabiting your life again.

    38 min

  2. JAN 27

    431 - Stop Trying & Start Doing. The Mindset Shift That Changes Everything with Carla Ondrasik

    You know that moment where you keep telling yourself you’re “trying”… and somehow months go by and nothing actually changes? Today we’re calling out the sneakiest productivity trap of all: the word try. I’m joined by Carla Ondrasik, author of Stop Trying, who breaks down why “trying” keeps you stuck in your head — and why doing is a totally different energy (and outcome). In this episode, we’re diving into: Trying vs. doing: why trying is mental, doing is physical, and your brain hates vague instructionsThe Tri Test: Carla’s simple experiment that instantly exposes why “try” creates confusionThe hidden cost of “I’ll try”: how it bakes in failure, kills accountability, and fuels excuses + people-pleasingHow to build your doer muscle: small, practical shifts (including saying a clean “no”) that create momentum fastThis conversation is for you if you’ve been living with a low-grade “I should’ve done this by now” pressure — and you’re ready to trade it for clarity, follow-through, and a nervous system that isn’t dragging around a thousand open loops. Connect with Carla: Purchase Stop Trying

    40 min

  3. JAN 20

    430 - The Time Boss Method: A Calmer Way to Plan Your Week (That Actually Works)

    You know that feeling when you wake up already behind, your to-do list is endless, and no matter how productive you are, it never feels like enough? Today we’re talking about the quiet burnout that comes from living in constant urgency — and why time itself isn’t the problem. I’m joined by Andrew Hartman, founder of Time Boss and former startup COO, who built his entire framework after burning out repeatedly in high-pressure environments… including a season where chronic stress literally cost him his sense of smell. Andrew helps high-achieving leaders stop running their lives on hustle, adrenaline, and fear — and start operating at their highest sustainable pace, with more clarity, presence, and peace. In this episode, we’re diving into: Why productivity culture is keeping you dysregulatedThe hidden reason time always feels scarceA nervous-system-friendly way to plan your weekHow to lead your life instead of reacting to it This conversation is for you if you’re highly capable, deeply responsible, and exhausted by the pressure to always do more — even when things look “successful” on paper. You’ll walk away with a calmer lens on time, permission to slow the pace without losing momentum, and a practical framework for creating days that feel spacious, grounded, and aligned with the life you actually want. Connect with Andrew: Free Time Boss MasterclassFind him on LinkedIn

    48 min

  4. JAN 16

    429 - Capacity Expansion (Pt. 3): If You’re Functioning but Exhausted, This Is for You

    If you’ve been listening to this series and thinking,  “Yes — this finally explains what’s happening in my body,”  but also wondering,  “Okay… what do I actually do with this?” this episode is for you. Because understanding your nervous system matters —  but understanding alone doesn’t change how you wake up in the morning. Experience does.  Structure does.  Repetition does. In this final episode of the series, I’m talking about why burnout recovery doesn’t come from finding better tools — but from how those tools are practiced, supported, and integrated over time. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why nervous system insight alone doesn’t change your baselineWhat breaks down when you try to do regulation work on your ownThe difference between managing burnout and rebuilding capacityWhy sequencing and structure matter for lasting nervous system changeHow Burnout Recovery Blueprint is designed to move you out of survival — sustainablyThis episode is for you if you’re functional but exhausted, capable but constantly managing yourself, and tired of feeling like regulation never sticks. If you’re ready to stop carrying this alone and want a nervous system that can actually support the life you’re living — not just help you cope with it — this conversation will help you understand what makes the difference, and what real support looks like.

    14 min

  5. JAN 15

    428 - Capacity Expansion (Pt. 2): Why Nervous System Hacks Don’t Stick — and How to Build Real Capacity

    If nervous system tools help… why do you keep needing them? Why does regulation feel temporary?  Why do you calm down — only to feel activated again a few hours later?  Why does it feel like you’re constantly managing your nervous system just to get through the day? This episode answers that question clearly and compassionately. Because tools don’t change your baseline.  Capacity does. In this episode, I’m breaking down the difference between regulating in the moment and expanding your nervous system’s capacity, why high-achieving women often feel like regulation never “sticks,” and what’s actually required to widen your window of tolerance over time. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why needing frequent regulation tools doesn’t mean you’re doing anything wrongThe difference between momentary regulation and long-term capacity expansionHow allostatic load quietly narrows your window of toleranceWhy insight and self-awareness alone don’t change nervous system patternsHow productivity and busyness can function as stress coping strategiesWhat foundational habits actually build capacity instead of just managing symptomsThis episode is for you if you’re highly self-aware, using nervous system tools regularly, and still feel like stress comes back faster than you’d like. If you’re tired of constantly managing your nervous system and want to understand how to change your baseline — not just calm yourself down — this conversation will help you see what’s missing, and what actually moves the work forward.

    23 min

  6. JAN 14

    427 – Capacity Expansion (Pt. 1): 3 Ways to Regulate an Overactive Nervous System

    If your body feels tense, wired, or constantly “on,” this episode is for you. An overactive nervous system doesn’t mean something is wrong — it means your body has been under sustained stress without enough opportunities to fully downshift. In part one of this short Capacity Expansion series, I’m breaking down why your nervous system feels overactive and walking you through three science-backed tools you can use in real time to help your body shift out of fight-or-flight. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why your nervous system reacts to modern stressors the same way it reacts to danger What’s actually happening in your body when you feel anxious, overwhelmed, or on edge Three simple, effective ways to regulate your nervous system in the moment Why stillness and “just calming down” often don’t work when you’re activated How real-time regulation creates the foundation for lasting capacity expansionThis episode is about relief — learning how to come back into your body when your system is activated. In part 2, we’ll talk about why tools don’t always stick and what actually changes your baseline so you’re not constantly regulating just to get through the day. Enrollment for Burnout Recovery Blueprint is open now, and we begin next week. Cart closes Friday, January 16 at midnight EST. 🎧 Press play to learn how to regulate an overactive nervous system — and build the foundation for real capacity expansion.

    23 min

  7. JAN 13

    426 - 7 Signs You’re Experiencing High-Functioning Burnout as an Ambitious Mom (and What Actually Helps)

    You’re getting things done. Your life looks full, productive, and “on track.” And yet… something feels off. You’re more irritable than you want to be. Your brain feels foggy even when you sleep. You’re exhausted — but slowing down feels impossible. That’s the paradox of high-functioning burnout. In this episode, I’m unpacking the quieter, easier-to-miss signs of burnout that show up not as collapse — but as competence, over-functioning, and pushing through. We’ll talk about why ambitious moms often don’t realize they’re burned out until their nervous system forces a reckoning — and what actually helps before you hit that point. In this episode, you’ll hear about: The subtle ways burnout hides behind productivity and capabilityWhy being “the strong one” can keep your nervous system stuck in survival modeSeven signs your system is operating beyond capacity — even if life looks goodHow high-functioning burnout affects your patience, focus, and emotional bandwidthWhat helps you recover without stepping away from the life you’ve builtIf you’ve ever wondered why success feels heavier than it should — or why rest doesn’t fully touch the exhaustion — this conversation will help you connect the dots. You don’t need to wait until you fall apart to take your nervous system seriously. 🎧 Press play to learn the signs of high-functioning burnout — and what actually helps before it gets louder.

    31 min

  8. JAN 9

    425 - Why Managing Stress Isn’t the Same as Releasing It (And What Works Instead)

    You’re good at managing stress. You solve the problems. You handle what needs to be handled. You keep going. And yet, your body still feels tight, tired, or on edge — even after the situation is over. That’s because managing a stressor and releasing stress are not the same thing. In this episode, I’m breaking down the difference between the stressors in your life and the stress response happening in your body, why stress isn’t just mental but physiological, and how uncompleted stress responses quietly drain your nervous system capacity over time. In this episode, you’ll learn: The difference between handling a stressor and discharging stress from your bodyWhy your nervous system doesn’t automatically “stand down” when a problem is solvedHow accumulated stress contributes to allostatic load and narrows your window of toleranceWhat it actually means to say we “store stress in the body”Why releasing stress — not just managing it — is essential for expanding your capacityThis episode is for you if you function well, cope effectively, and keep showing up — but feel like stress never fully leaves your body. If you want to stop carrying stress from one moment into the next and start building real capacity instead of just getting through your days, this conversation will help you understand what actually works — and why.

    19 min
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About

On paper? You’re crushing it. But your body’s telling a different story: fatigue, anxiety, brain fog, and a burnout you just can’t seem to shake. Welcome to Alive & Well—the podcast for high-achieving women ready to burnout-proof their lives by rewiring their nervous system for clarity, energy, productivity, and ease. I’m your host, Michelle Grosser, Esq.—trial attorney turned nervous system strategist, wife, mom, and entrepreneur (x3). After burning out hard trying to do it all, I discovered the missing piece: nervous system regulation.  Now I help ambitious, high-capacity women like you build a life that’s sustainable and successful—where your nervous system becomes your superpower, not your saboteur. Around here, you’ll learn: ✔️  Burnout-proof systems for time management and productivity ✔️  Science-backed tools for nervous system and emotional regulation ✔️  Somatic practices that help you stay grounded & calm under pressure ✔️  Faith-rooted wisdom for leading from overflow—not overdrive ✔️  Boundaries that protect your purpose—not just your calendar ✔️  Sustainable strategies for stress management, presence, and work-life balance It’s time to break the burnout cycle, reclaim your well-being, and lead with the kind of peace that doesn’t cost your ambition. Hit follow and start your path to living Alive & Well. New episodes every Tuesday and Friday.

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