Overthinking at work can look like “caring too much” until you’re running on fumes. In this episode, Nikki P and Corey Alexander unpack burnout in helping professions—and what it takes to protect your capacity without losing your purpose.
Together, they explore the emotional intelligence required to survive—and stay human—in work built on care: secondary trauma, toxic systems, and the quiet pressure to over-function while telling yourself it’s “just part of the job.”
Corey shares his experience working for years with homeless youth and LGBTQ+ communities, carrying the weight of others’ trauma while navigating low pay, unstable schedules, and leadership that couldn’t (or wouldn’t) adjust. Nikki reflects on parallel experiences in crisis work and why burnout often shows up as overthinking, guilt, and self-abandonment before we name it for what it is.
In this conversation, you’ll hear about:
- How secondary trauma shows up in your body, not just your thoughts
- The tension between commitment and capacity in helping work
- Why boundaries aren’t selfish—but necessary for sustainability
- The cost of chronic overthinking at work and emotional overload
- What healthier leadership, self-advocacy, and recovery can actually look like
If you’re in a helping role, nonprofit work, caregiving, or any profession built on empathy—and you’re exhausted, conflicted, or questioning your limits—this episode offers clarity, language, and permission to choose yourself without shame.
Because meaningful work shouldn’t cost you your mental health—and it doesn’t have to be either/or.
Get Connected & Support the Show:
- Listen to the companion podcast: It's Both- Guided Meditations for Anxiety, Emotional Regulation, & Real Life Transitions
- Subscribe, rate, & review It's Both on Apple Podcasts
- Join the Courageous Living Group Transformation
