We talk a lot about burnout, overwhelm, and productivity — but not nearly enough about the invisible mental gymnastics happening behind the scenes. The remembering, anticipating, overthinking, emotional labor, and “just handling it” that so many women carry every single day. Not just at home, but at work too.

In this episode, Nicole sits down with Dr. Liane Davey — known as the Teamwork Doctor — to unpack the concept of “thought load” and why high-achieving women are especially vulnerable to carrying way too much of it. Liane is a New York Times bestselling author, leadership advisor to Fortune 500 companies, and author of the book Thought Load: Manage the Madness and Free Your Team to Do Great Work.

Together, they explore how over-functioning gets rewarded in workplaces, why busyness and productivity can become traps, and how to stop becoming everyone else’s emotional support system and human reminder app.


In This Episode, We Explore:


  
What “thought load” actually is — and why it’s draining women at work



  
Why high-achieving women often become the default problem-solvers for everyone else



  
The difference between being busy, productive, and actually impactful



  
How to determine what truly matters instead of trying to do everything



  
Why managing attention matters more than managing time



  
How to stop becoming the go-to person for everyone’s problems



  
Boundary-setting strategies that don’t require becoming cold or unavailable



  
Why letting go is necessary if you want to grow into leadership




Because the higher you want to climb, the more willing you have to be to let go of the roles, responsibilities, and expectations that are keeping you stuck.



Thank you to our sponsors!

Visit Upwork.com right now and post your job for free!

Families are better when they’re working together… go to myskylight.com/WOMANSWORK for $30 off your Skylight Calendar.

Become a Fora Advisor today at Foratravel.com/woman 

Connect with Liane:

Website: https://lianedavey.com/ 

Book: https://www.amazon.com/Thoughtload-Manage-Madness-Free-Great/dp/1774586517

LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lianedavey/ 

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/drlianedavey 

IG: https://www.instagram.com/lianedavey 


Related Podcast Episodes:


  How To Tame Your Inner Critic (Without Gaslighting Yourself) with Megan Dalla-Camina | 354

  VI4P - Head Trash and Giving Grace on the Journey (Chapter 7)

  Holding It Together: Women As America's Safety Net with Jessica Calarco | 215



Share the Love:

If you found this episode insightful, please share it with a friend, tag us on social media, and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform!

🔗 Subscribe & Review:Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | YouTube
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This Is Woman's Work with Nicole Kalil

Nicole Kalil + Airwave Media

Thought Load: Overthinking, Overfunctioning & Exhaustion with Liane Davey | 413

MAY 20, 202638 MIN
This Is Woman's Work with Nicole Kalil

Thought Load: Overthinking, Overfunctioning & Exhaustion with Liane Davey | 413

MAY 20, 202638 MIN

Description

We talk a lot about burnout, overwhelm, and productivity — but not nearly enough about the invisible mental gymnastics happening behind the scenes. The remembering, anticipating, overthinking, emotional labor, and “just handling it” that so many women carry every single day. Not just at home, but at work too. In this episode, Nicole sits down with Dr. Liane Davey — known as the Teamwork Doctor — to unpack the concept of “thought load” and why high-achieving women are especially vulnerable to carrying way too much of it. Liane is a New York Times bestselling author, leadership advisor to Fortune 500 companies, and author of the book Thought Load: Manage the Madness and Free Your Team to Do Great Work. Together, they explore how over-functioning gets rewarded in workplaces, why busyness and productivity can become traps, and how to stop becoming everyone else’s emotional support system and human reminder app. In This Episode, We Explore: What “thought load” actually is — and why it’s draining women at work Why high-achieving women often become the default problem-solvers for everyone else The difference between being busy, productive, and actually impactful How to determine what truly matters instead of trying to do everything Why managing attention matters more than managing time How to stop becoming the go-to person for everyone’s problems Boundary-setting strategies that don’t require becoming cold or unavailable Why letting go is necessary if you want to grow into leadership Because the higher you want to climb, the more willing you have to be to let go of the roles, responsibilities, and expectations that are keeping you stuck. Thank you to our sponsors! Visit Upwork.com right now and post your job for free! Families are better when they’re working together… go to myskylight.com/WOMANSWORK for $30 off your Skylight Calendar. Become a Fora Advisor today at Foratravel.com/woman  Connect with Liane: Website: https://lianedavey.com/  Book: https://www.amazon.com/Thoughtload-Manage-Madness-Free-Great/dp/1774586517 LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lianedavey/  Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/drlianedavey  IG: https://www.instagram.com/lianedavey  Related Podcast Episodes: How To Tame Your Inner Critic (Without Gaslighting Yourself) with Megan Dalla-Camina | 354 VI4P - Head Trash and Giving Grace on the Journey (Chapter 7) Holding It Together: Women As America's Safety Net with Jessica Calarco | 215 Share the Love: If you found this episode insightful, please share it with a friend, tag us on social media, and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform! 🔗 Subscribe & Review:Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | YouTube Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices