Accidental Experts Rachel Massa 092926

In today’s episode, mental health advocate, mother, and burnout expert Rachel Massa joins Bryce Hamilton, LSCSW, for a critical conversation about burnout in motherhood and how it can change a mom’s entire life trajectory (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 many people seem to be living in a state of burnout, which affects a broad range of well-being elements, including mental, emotional, and physical health. It can feel like living on autopilot or in a constant fight-or-flight state. 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 being completely 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 offloading some duties to lessen the burdens of everyday life. Leaning on others is hard, but finding balance is crucial to overcoming burnout and getting back to a happy life. Setting time boundaries and prioritizing your physical and emotional health is also imperative to help you recover. Remember, everyone's circumstances are different, so doing what is best for your family matters most! 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—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, her husband lovingly called her “Superwoman.” At work, she mentored other women and was often seen as someone who had “figured it out.” Behind the scenes, however, she pushed herself beyond her limits for far too long—quietly holding everything together while becoming increasingly depleted and often feeling like it was all hanging by a thread. As her responsibilities expanded both professionally and at home, 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. By sharing her story, she has connected with others in similar situations, normalized conversations around burnout, and supported women and caregivers facing similar struggles. Rachel lives in New York with her husband, Pete, Brendan (16), Hunter (12), Ethan (9), and their dog, Mookie. She currently serves on the Board of Trustees at her synagogue and enjoys playing tennis, practicing yoga, hiking, skiing, and playing guitar. Website:   / rachelbmassa     / putting-down-my-cape-now-rachel-massa-j0jxe   Follow us Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?... Instagram: @accidental_expert_family YouTube: @AccidentalExpertsFamily Tiktok: @Accidental_experts. LinkedIn:   / bryce-hamilton-lscsw-b6770057   Email us: accidentalexperts@gmail.com 👉 Subscribe to the Accidental Experts audio podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... 👉 Visit the Accidental Experts home page at Webtalkradio.com: https://webtalkradio.net/internet-tal... #burnout #parentingburnout #parentingpodcasts #accidentalexperts #brycehamilton #familypodcast #burnoutinmotherhood #neurodivergence #ADHD #autism #parentingchallenges #accidentalexpertspodcast