Women Under Pressure

This episode is about emotional labor and the gap between what you feel and what you actually show when a job requires composure. Kristen looks at why staying steady for others has a cost, even when you look calm on the outside. She separates the research on display rules, surface acting and expressive suppression from her own clinical view, then asks a simple question: did you calm down, or did you just look calm? Some takeaways: What display rules are and how they shape which emotions feel acceptable to show at work The difference between surface acting and deep acting, and why surface acting is more consistently linked to exhaustion Why hiding your feelings can increase physiological strain even when you appear calm Why generic advice to just feel your feelings misses what composure actually costs How gendered expectations add pressure, including research on how women's anger gets judged differently depending on whether a reason is given A reflection practice to try this week: pick one moment you had to pull yourself together, then ask what you actually felt versus what you showed, and whether you calmed down or just looked calm Connect with Kristen: 🌐 Frontline Wellness Group 📋 Free High Pressure Leadership Assessment 🎙️ Work with Kristen 📱 Instagram Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 00:38 The Quiet Pressure 01:18 The Switch You Make 04:21 The Unspoken Rules at Work 04:58 Surface Acting vs. Deep Acting 07:26 Suppression and the Body’s Stress Response 09:36 Gendered Expectations at Work 12:55 A Weekly Reflection Practice 13:51 A Clinical Note and Next Steps 15:06 Outro and Free Leadership Assessment Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Kristen talks with Chelsea Ryckis, a business owner, wife, and first-time mom of a one-year-old. She shares how she learned to stay accountable as a leader by deciding where her involvement is necessary. Some takeaways: How becoming the woman who handles everything lead to a physical and mental decline The burnout moment that pushed her to a 360 life change that operationalized accountability in her team Operating in survival mode and how motherhood impacts mindset How to pursue ambition with more deliberate choices about your time and involvement. A practical exercise that will help you pause and reflect Connect with Kristen 🌐 Frontline Wellness Group 🌐 Free High Pressure Leadership Assessment 🎙️ Work with Kristen 📱 Instagram Conect with Chelsea 📱Instagram 🌐EthoBenefits Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode unpacks why even in the moments when you choose to delegate, you still can't stop yourself from taking the work back. Kristen shares the story of Danielle, an emergency management director who is over-functioning and why this pattern is damaging. Some takeaways: The difference between being accountable for an outcome and personally carrying every action How family systems of over-functioning and under-functioning create this pattern Why the body feels relieved when you take over and trains the brain to repeat it What inflated responsibility is A reflection question to ask yourself before stepping in Connect with Kristen: 🌐Frontline Wellness Group 📋Free High Pressure Leadership Assessment 🎙️Work with Kristen 📱Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode unpacks what you need to know about high performance burnout, a pattern in high-achieving women who are quietly running on empty. Kristen introduces the podcast’s focus: the type of burnout women experience that hides in plain sight because they still handle everything. As a licensed clinical social worker, founder of Frontline Wellness Group, and someone who grew up around frontline work as the daughter of a police officer, she is all too familiar with it. Kristen looks at why the body doesn't always get the memo that a crisis is over and why women in high-stakes roles carry a unique type of load. Some takeaways: What the clear signs of high performance burnout are How competence can conceal distress What the difference between a busy schedule and repeated exposure to crisis, grief, or high-stakes decisions is How to identify data that will help in your recovery A two-question check-in for the transition between work and home Connect with Kristen: 🌐 Frontline Wellness Group 📋Free High Pressure Leadership Assessment 🎙️ Work with Kristen 📱 Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode unpacks everything you need to know about functional freeze, or what happens when women keep performing at a high level while feeling depleted, numb, or disconnected internally. Kristen looks at why this happens, why it can feel so confusing, and why “just resting” or "trying harder" doesn't fix it. Some takeaways: Why functional freeze is a pattern rather than a diagnosis How under pressure the body prioritizes what you need to do over what you need to feel What happens when you postpone physical and emotional red flags What the difference between functional freeze and burnout is How the nervous system is trained to deprioritize your needs A mindfulness exercise for reconnecting with yourself Connect with Kristen: 🌐 Frontline Wellness Group 🎙️ Work with Kristen 📋 Free High Pressure Leadership Assessment 📱 Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.