# 138. Why Does the Thought of Slowing Down Feel More Terrifying Than Burnout?

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/below-the-circle-6619723/138-why-does-the-thought-of-slowing-down-feel-more-terrifying-than-burnout
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/below-the-circle-6619723/138-why-does-the-thought-of-slowing-down-feel-more-terrifying-than-burnout.md
Podcast: [Below The Circle](https://stenobird.com/podcast/below-the-circle-6619723)
Published: 2026-05-06T09:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://drphyllishayesreams.com
Audio file: https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/7b9dd37c-a1df-4c6e-bd76-961b0fb18dd3.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/below-the-circle-6619723/episodes/138-why-does-the-thought-of-slowing-down-feel-more-terrifying-than-burnout
Duration seconds: 1519

## Resource

Why does slowing down feel more terrifying than the burnout already wearing you down? In this heartfelt episode of Below the Circle , Dr. Phyllis speaks to the woman who keeps pushing, serving, leading, and holding everything together while quietly feeling empty inside. She names five fears that keep women stuck on autopilot, including the fear of losing identity, being replaced, appearing weak, letting everything fall apart, and not knowing how to slow down. Through her own story of burnout, loss, and learning to land, Dr. Phyllis reminds listeners that true resilience is not absorbing everything. It is knowing when to pause, breathe, and reconnect with God, yourself, and the life waiting below the circle. Episode highlights: (0:00) Opening reflection on resilience and burnout (1:45) Why slowing down feels so scary (3:07) Welcome to Below the Circle (4:23) Fear of losing your identity (5:21) Fear of being replaced (6:11) Redefining true resilience (7:46) Fear that everything will fall apart (8:53) Not knowing how to slow down (11:01) Dr. Phyllis shares her personal turning point (13:18) Lessons from her mother’s passing (19:23) Slowing down helps you live with clarity (21:13) Jeremiah 29:11 and trusting God’s plan (23:06) A simple pause question for the week (24:18) Preview of the next episode Connect with Dr. Phyllis: http://drphyllishayesreams.com/ https://www.instagram.com/drphyllishayesreams/ https://www.facebook.com/phyllis.hayesreams

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## Transcript

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