What happens when you're so good at keeping everything together… that you forget to take care of yourself?
In this episode of The Total Health in Midlife Podcast, I'm joined by Master Certified Coach and people-pleasing expert Sara Fisk to explore a surprising culprit behind so many women's exhaustion, resentment, and stalled health goals: high-functioning codependency.
We're not talking about the kind of codependency tied to addiction. This is the polished, over-performing version that shows up in moms, partners, daughters, and leaders—the women who hold everything and everyone together… and quietly fall apart in the process.
Sara shares how people-pleasing, perfectionism, and control patterns drain your energy, chip away at your physical and emotional health, and keep you stuck in a cycle of doing for others while ignoring your own needs.
If you've ever found yourself running ragged fixing other people's problems, this episode will help you come back to yourself—with honesty, compassion, and a few practical tools to help you start saying yes to you again.
Sara Bybee Fisk is a Master Certified Coach and Instructor who teaches women how to tame the rampant people-pleasing, perfectionism, and codependency that is causing them so much frustration and resentment.
She is an anxious optimist and born-again feminist who listens to more books than she sits down to read. She loves a good hike, good dark chocolate, and good conversations.
Her big dreams include learning to sail and to sing and dance like JLo and helping thousands of women create the big, juicy lives they want to be living. She is a wife and mom of 5 and she enjoys those roles most of the time.
What high-functioning codependency looks like (and why most women don't recognize it in themselves)
How trying to "help" others can actually be a way to avoid our own discomfort
Why over-controlling others can sabotage your health, relationships, and peace of mind—and how to shift the pattern
Hey! I love hearing from you. Send me a text. Let me know what resonated with you.
If you’re a woman in midlife who wants better health without obsessing over weight, you’re in the right place. I’m Elizabeth Sherman, a life and health coach and host of the Total Health in Midlife Podcast.
After coaching hundreds of women, I know the real problem usually isn’t “not enough information” – it’s too much of it, and not knowing where to start. With close to 300 episodes, this show can feel that way too.
To make it easy, I created a free Listener’s Roadmap that helps you figure out which episodes are right for you right now. Tell me what you’re struggling with – low energy, emotional eating, stress, sleep, exercise, or all of the above – and I’ll point you to a curated path of episodes and resources to get you moving.
Download your free roadmap at https://elizabethsherman.com/roadmap.
