The Burnout Collective

The Burnout Collective
  • 5.0 (7)
  • MENTAL HEALTH
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

We're tired af. We're sick of this sh*t. And we're guessing you are too. Welcome to The Burnout Collective podcast—a place for broken, burnt out brains to talk it out. Join us and our guests as we Do Our Best(tm) to break the burnout cycle.New episodes every other Tuesday anywhere you get your podcast fix!

  1. 7H AGO

    Maybe she’s born with it, maybe it’s perfectionism

    Buckle in, perfectionists. It’s Part 2 of our Perfectionist Manifesto. Before too long, we take a hard left and detour into discussion on the new America’s Next Top Model documentary on Netflix (skip to 7:51 if you wanna avoid ANTM talk).  Rebecca shares her research on how we separate perfectionism from actual diagnosable OCD. We talk about how OCD and autism are often comorbid because repetitive behaviors can feel calming or reduce anxiety; and how ADHD comes into the mix with procrastination, motivation, urgency, workplace stress, and burnout—especially when you’re untreated and think you’re just bad at life. We also tie The Perfectionist (tarot card stickers coming soon to our shop!) to early childhood—abusive households can produce hyper-responsibility, overfunctioning, and a fear of effing up. They stress emotional regulation, untangling job performance from self-worth, and surrounding yourself with supportive people who keep you grounded. Speaking of perfectionists who can’t leave until it’s done right, wait until you get to the end of the episode with the millennial arsonist in skinny jeans and flip-flops trying to—kind of unsuccessfully—set an ICE facility on fire.  Our closing message? Do your best! Don’t let your job be your life. And maybe, we dunno, go learn to set buildings on fire for scientific purposes, you know.  In this episode: American Psychiatric Association – What Is OCD (2023)How perfectionism and OCD overlap2024 meta-analysis found significant co-occurrence between autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and OCDKey difference is the function: autistic routines are often enjoyable or regulating; OCD compulsions are performed to neutralize distress or prevent feared outcomes – International OCD Foundation – OCD and AutismMillennial woman sets fire to building Have a suggestion for our next episode? A burnout story to share? Send us a text! Support the show The Burnout Collective Podcast is hosted by Jamie Young and Rebecca McCracken. New episodes every other Tuesday anywhere you get your podcasts! Join our Discord community: discord.gg/ZwBjbmVfAF Follow us on our socials: linktr.ee/burnoutcollective Music track: Snap Your Fingers by Aylex Source: https://freetouse.com/music

    46 min

  2. FEB 3

    A paper bag filled with high standards and hand sanitizer

    TW: This episode briefly mentions eating disorders for a few minutes. Hello. Please have a seat. Welcome to Perfectionists Anonymous: Where even when you think you're a "recovering perfectionist," there truly is no hope. In this episode, we take a deep dive into perfectionism—how it leads to burnout, how it shapes our daily lives, and how it’s a relentless beast. We talk about the too-close-for-comfort relationship between perfectionism, burnout, anxiety, autism, and ADHD.  Rebecca tells us how OCD plays into this cocktail of chaos, too. Picture her, gripping her hand sanitizer as she navigates the germ-filled jungle of the airport. It’s like watching Indiana Jones—but with Clorox wipes. So, join us as we unpack the complexities of striving for perfection in all parts of our lives. And join us again next week for a Part 2! Because...go figure. We can't do just one episode on this topic. In this episode: Hidden Brain podcast - "Escaping Perfectionism" The Perfection Trap: Embracing the Power of Good Enough by Thomas Curran (guest on the above podcast episode)The Beauty of Repetition: Why Some People Love Re-Solving the Same Puzzles (can't find the puzzle study, but this article talks about the idea)Have a suggestion for our next episode? A burnout story to share? Send us a text! Support the show The Burnout Collective Podcast is hosted by Jamie Young and Rebecca McCracken. New episodes every other Tuesday anywhere you get your podcasts! Join our Discord community: discord.gg/ZwBjbmVfAF Follow us on our socials: linktr.ee/burnoutcollective Music track: Snap Your Fingers by Aylex Source: https://freetouse.com/music

    41 min

  3. JAN 20

    Oops! All trauma

    If you’re looking for some comfort amidst the chaos...you’ve come to the wrong place. We're very uncomfortable and we bet you are, too. In this episode, we go diving straight into the deep end of the giant dumpster fire that is our reality right now. I don't know about you, but we can't seem to recover from the constant bombardment of unhinged, terrible news. Day in. Day out. And if you're feeling how we're feeling, we just wanted to say: It's okay to not be ok.  After reflecting on some historical moments that shook up our lives—from 9/11 to the reversal of Roe v. Wade—we finally settle in to talk about more current events and what we can do to avoid complacency and support our communities.  Join our Discord and share your own stories, sentiments, and resources! In this episode: The "millennial problem" (video)Journalist Laura Jedeed applied for ICE (her findings, video)Laura Jedeed's Slate article in response to being called a liar about her story (with receipts) indivisible.org — find your local chapter! The World Right Now(tm) (meme)Have a suggestion for our next episode? A burnout story to share? Send us a text! Support the show The Burnout Collective Podcast is hosted by Jamie Young and Rebecca McCracken. New episodes every other Tuesday anywhere you get your podcasts! Join our Discord community: discord.gg/ZwBjbmVfAF Follow us on our socials: linktr.ee/burnoutcollective Music track: Snap Your Fingers by Aylex Source: https://freetouse.com/music

    35 min

  4. JAN 6

    Forever vacation: The final type of rest

    Welcome back, Burnouts!  After a much-needed break to deal with—what was that? burnout? (yeppp)—we're back for Season 2! And man is it good to be back.  What better topic for our first episode after a break? Rest. But not just any rest, y’all—we explore the seven different types of rest and how critical each is for our health. Whether it’s lying in the dark, dissociating with games, getting a massage, or actually going outside to touch some grass, any way you rest is the right way. We also talk about setting rock-solid boundaries, and why it's ok (and sometimes necessary) to leave people on read to protect your own energy. PSA: We're doing the podcast a little bit differently for Season 2. Instead of streaming live with video on Twitch, we're prerecording our episodes and sending them straight to your podcast apps. We're also moving from doing a show every week to every other week in an effort to give us some rest in between. Thank you so much for listening and for all of your support! We're so excited to start our chapter two with all of you. xo In this episode: Seven types of rest to help restore your body’s energy Your brain on nature: How exposure to natural environments heals, calms and cures Rebecca's cheese coins recipeZweckfreundschaft, "friendship of convenience" 13 magical nights —@thatglasgowwitch on InstagramHeadspace app: Free premium subscription for 30 days Calm app: Free premium subscription for 30 days Creative rest is like a tree quoteHave a suggestion for our next episode? A burnout story to share? Send us a text! Support the show The Burnout Collective Podcast is hosted by Jamie Young and Rebecca McCracken. New episodes every other Tuesday anywhere you get your podcasts! Join our Discord community: discord.gg/ZwBjbmVfAF Follow us on our socials: linktr.ee/burnoutcollective Music track: Snap Your Fingers by Aylex Source: https://freetouse.com/music

    40 min

  5. 08/05/2025

    Feelin' the communist vibes

    Companies using ridiculous hiring practices, AI in content creation, and the gross secrecy around salaries—we've got it all this week. We discuss pay transparency, why some hiring managers are shady af, and why everyone should just post those salaries already. Once we started brainstorming solutions to the pay transparency problem, we realized we hadn't done enough (or our own) research. So, next up? Making the job market a fairer place. tl;dr Basically, Jamie got upset by a LinkedIn post which made her make a LinkedIn post (but don't worry she's in recovery now). And now we've decided to use our dusty journalist brains. Stay tuned. Have a suggestion for our next episode? A burnout story to share? Send us a text! Support the show The Burnout Collective Podcast is hosted by Jamie Young and Rebecca McCracken. New episodes every other Tuesday anywhere you get your podcasts! Join our Discord community: discord.gg/ZwBjbmVfAF Follow us on our socials: linktr.ee/burnoutcollective Music track: Snap Your Fingers by Aylex Source: https://freetouse.com/music

    51 min

  6. 07/29/2025

    Crashing out on LinkedIn

    We decided to practice what we preach last week and take a day off. But we're back! And this week we're talking about the absolute absurdity that is LinkedIn right now: people treating it like Facebook, writing novels about their personal lives, sharing made-up stories about their kids that taught them X Things About B2B Marketing, and don't forget the ol' humble brags.  We go over a list of LinkedIn archetypes and come up with examples of each (way too easy, if you ask us). Then, we end with a deep dive into the subreddit r/LinkedInLunatics; sharing the most insane (read: cringeworthy) posts and giving tips on how to keep LinkedIn profiles professional...ish.  In this episode: Subreddit: r/LinkedInLunaticsWaymo baby: https://i.redd.it/wqvwh12ituef1.jpeg Have a suggestion for our next episode? A burnout story to share? Send us a text! Support the show The Burnout Collective Podcast is hosted by Jamie Young and Rebecca McCracken. New episodes every other Tuesday anywhere you get your podcasts! Join our Discord community: discord.gg/ZwBjbmVfAF Follow us on our socials: linktr.ee/burnoutcollective Music track: Snap Your Fingers by Aylex Source: https://freetouse.com/music

    1h 3m

  7. 07/15/2025

    Taking PTO out of spite

    You can't use your PTO when you're dead. We're sure you know that, but we just wanted to be sure. Cuz hey! Even we still struggle with the guilt (read: trauma) tied to taking time off. In this episode, we discuss everything from unlimited PTO (and how it's not actually unlimited) to the internalized shame that keeps us from asking for time off even when we’re burnt out af.  We talk about navigating PTO while juggling life, health, and the ever-looming threat of layoffs. We also touch on societal expectations, like the guilt trips women get for leaving work to take care of a sick kid (or, god forbid, give birth).  Just remember: You don't owe anyone anything. Take the time off. Prioritize yourself. And spitefully take all the PTO you can because life’s too short to be a corporate puppet. In this episode: Article: Millennials feel the most guilt about taking PTOHave a suggestion for our next episode? A burnout story to share? Send us a text! Support the show The Burnout Collective Podcast is hosted by Jamie Young and Rebecca McCracken. New episodes every other Tuesday anywhere you get your podcasts! Join our Discord community: discord.gg/ZwBjbmVfAF Follow us on our socials: linktr.ee/burnoutcollective Music track: Snap Your Fingers by Aylex Source: https://freetouse.com/music

    1h 20m

  8. 07/08/2025

    Stop shoulding all over yourself

    We kick off Episode 30 with the winners of our giveaway announced! (Unfortunately, the first two winners didn't respond, so we picked two new winners.) Congrats to @z_mertz and @liz_aday for winning some Burnout Merch!  This week has been A WEEK. We wanted to talk about those times when you can't even. When you  can't even muster the energy to do basic things—brushing teeth, taking out trash, feeding your children (jk). You know: How to self-care when you just self-can't.  We chat about the unfair expectations at work to keep up appearances and the pressure of functioning normally despite the state of the world. Jamie opens up about her own battles with mental health and being in the depression hole, including neglected her 50+ plant collection until they all died and cleaning her depression apartment. Rebecca talks about the extra layer of guilt you have when it's not just you—your family depends on you, too.  No one has it all together. Even though we all try to act like we do. ...and we're still waiting for That One Notebook(tm) that will fix our lives. Have a suggestion for our next episode? A burnout story to share? Send us a text! Support the show The Burnout Collective Podcast is hosted by Jamie Young and Rebecca McCracken. New episodes every other Tuesday anywhere you get your podcasts! Join our Discord community: discord.gg/ZwBjbmVfAF Follow us on our socials: linktr.ee/burnoutcollective Music track: Snap Your Fingers by Aylex Source: https://freetouse.com/music

    1h 3m
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
7 Ratings

About

We're tired af. We're sick of this sh*t. And we're guessing you are too. Welcome to The Burnout Collective podcast—a place for broken, burnt out brains to talk it out. Join us and our guests as we Do Our Best(tm) to break the burnout cycle.New episodes every other Tuesday anywhere you get your podcast fix!

Information

  • Creator
    The Burnout Collective
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    37
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Burnout Collective
  • Show Website
    The Burnout Collective