Understanding and Overcoming Motherhood Burnout: Redesigning Your Lifestyle with Rachel Massa

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In today’s episode, mental health advocate, mother, and burnout expert Rachel Massa joins Bryce Hamilton, LSCSW in a critical conversation about burnout in motherhood and how it can change the trajectory of a mom’s entire life path (at least temporarily). Rachel discusses how being high-achieving at work fueled her sense of accomplishment, but left her feeling like she lost sight of her purpose and questioned her parenting role. 

Bryce asks Rachel about the difference between burnout and exhaustion. The two women discuss how it seems many people are living in a state of burnout which impacts a broad set of well-being elements such as mental, emotional and physical. It can feel like living on autopilot or in a constant state of fight or flight. Burnout is survival mode and most likely has a feeling of not being happy or seeing no end in sight, much like depression. Exhaustion on the other hand may feel like completely being drained and needing constant sleep but there are still some happy feelings at your core. 

The women discuss how to gain control back and strategies for overcoming burnout. Often this requires off-loading some of the duties to lessen the burdens of everyday life. Leaning on others is hard but finding a balance is crucial in overcoming burnout and getting back to a happy existence. Setting time boundaries and prioritizing your physical and emotional health is also imperative in letting yourself recover. Remember, nobody has the same exact circumstances so doing what is best for your family is most important!

Check out our video chat here!

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Rachel Massa is a proud University of Michigan graduate with more than two decades of experience at the intersection of technology, innovation, and leadership. She spent 23 years at PricewaterhouseCoopers, beginning her career advising clients on cybersecurity and technology and later leading firm-wide initiatives in AI, product management, digital communications, and culture and change. Throughout her career, Rachel was known for her ability to drive transformation and bring people along through it—an inspiring champion with a strong, trusted network.

Outside of work, Rachel is a mom to three sons, each with their own neurodivergence and support needs. For many years, she worked relentlessly to balance a demanding, high-visibility career with being a deeply engaged parent. At home, she was lovingly referred to as “Superwoman” by her husband. At work, she mentored other women and was often seen as someone who had “figured it out.” Behind the scenes, however, she was pushing herself beyond her limits for far too long — quietly holding everything together while becoming increasingly depleted and often feeling like it was all hanging on by a thread.

As her responsibilities expanded both professionally and with her family, the pace became unsustainable, and Rachel experienced severe burnout. She is now on a formal career pause, intentionally slowing down and rebuilding her sense of identity and self-worth beyond productivity and professional achievement. Through sharing her story, she has been connecting with others in similar situations, normalizing conversations around burnout, while supporting women and caregivers facing similar struggles.

Rachel lives in New York with her husband, Pete, Brendan (16), Hunter (12), and Ethan (9)—and their dog, Mookie. She currently serves on the Board of Trustees at her synagogue and finds joy in playing tennis, practicing yoga, hiking, skiing, and playing guitar. 

Website:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelbmassa
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/putting-down-my-cape-now-rachel-massa-j0jxe

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