155 - Caregiver Burnout, Advocacy, and the Courage to Take Up Space, with Michelle Anderson

A conversation with Michelle Anderson on burnout beyond the workplace, boundaries that flex, and learning to advocate for yourself.

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Episode Info:

What happens when you're the person everyone relies on, and there's no job title for what you actually do?

In this episode, Dr. Amy Grimm sits down with Michelle Anderson, founder of J and B Inspired and host of the podcast Nervous System Reset for Caregivers. Michelle's caregiving journey started over fifteen years ago in a hospital she wasn't prepared for, and today she supports three children with complex medical needs along with an adult family member. Amy and Michelle dig into the parallels between caregiving in the traditional sense and the kind of caring that happens in high-responsibility careers, plus the very real ways those two experiences diverge.

This conversation covers advocating for yourself in rooms where you're outnumbered and outranked, why boundaries need to move like the banks of a river instead of staying rigid, and the difference between something that looks like rest and something that actually is.

What You'll Learn:

• The moment Michelle realized her own body was breaking down, and why it took months for anyone to take it seriously
• Why rigid boundaries can backfire, and what it actually looks like to let your boundaries flex without losing yourself
• The self-care myth almost every high-achieving woman believes, and what actually helps instead
• How to find your voice and advocate for yourself in a room where you're outnumbered, whether that's a hospital, a boardroom, or anywhere in between
• Michelle's one-sentence mantra for getting through the hardest moments

Links & Resources:

Michelle's website: https://jandbinspired.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JandBInspired 
Her podcast, Nervous System Reset for Caregivers: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nervous-system-reset-for-caregivers-burnout-advocacy/id1740574668

Amy's Interview on the Nervous System Reset for Caregivers:

• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/caregiver-burnout-signs-why-rest-feels-unsafe-and-guilty/id1740574668?i=1000780150151
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7l1xGHynC8hGNr7HGLNRxQ?si=olGVa-UzROqkIMFnwcoFTw
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBZPCAGHIFI

Substack: https://amygrimmburnoutfreeme.substack.com
Coaching & more: https://burnoutfreeme.com

About Michelle:
Michelle Anderson is a caregiver, advocate, and the founder of J and B Inspired, known for her trauma-informed, practical approach to caregiver burnout and nervous system support. After navigating significant medical trauma and recovery and caregiving for her family through medical crises, Michelle built a body of work for caregivers who are holding it together in hard rooms and then paying for it afterwards.

Her focus is regulated advocacy: helping caregivers steady their body so their brain comes back online and they can speak clearly without self-abandoning. She hosts Nervous System Reset for Caregivers and created the 90 Second Reset Program — a self-paced toolkit of micro-resets that helps caregivers leave the room with clearer words, a next step, and less aftershock.

About Amy:
Dr. Amy Grimm is a veterinarian, success coach, and wellbeing expert and the host of Burnout-Free Me, the podcast for high-achieving women who are done running on empty. Real talk, practical tools, and honest mindset shifts every week.

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