150. Cortisol Addiction Explained (and How to Break the Cycle)

Shamelessly Ambitious I Helping Ambitious Women Prevent Burnout + Create Nervous System First Success in Business, Motherhood, & Life

Are you loving it? Send Ash a text!

Even after I slowed down, healed, lost 40 pounds, and felt like a brand-new human, the old patterns still tiptoed back in. Not the dramatic face-down-on-the-floor kind of burnout, just the sneaky version that makes you pause and say, “Oh, interesting… you again?” It was enough to make me curious.

This part-two debrief is me pulling back the curtain on why urgency creeps in even after rest, how cortisol becomes our go-to fuel source, and the small, doable resets that actually change the pattern without blowing up your entire life. Think of it as the gentle, real-life guide to breaking the burnout cycle… and all the tiny daily shifts that we all need.
TOPICS & TANGENTS:
• When old patterns creep back after rest
• Cortisol addiction and why stress starts to feel like energy
• How “busy” becomes an identity we get praised for
• Childhood wiring: control, chaos, and early responsibility
• Relational fawning: regulating everyone but yourself
• The urgency we learn young (and why I still watch our mornings)
• Tiny resets that help: the 90-second nothing timer, sense grounding, and vagus-nerve hums
• Values vs. ideals: hearing your life tell the truth
• The Somatic Wealth Framework: Regulate, Reflect, Rewire
POINT OF THE STORY:
You can’t out-sabbatical a nervous system pattern. The shift isn’t a life overhaul; it’s honest values + tiny, embodied resets repeated today.
RELAUNCH GIVEAWAY (10/29 – 10/31):
Free Access to The Energy Advantage (Mini - less than 15 minutes!) Training where I reveal the exact framework I used to double my energy, work less frantically, and actually end my days with something left in the tank.

Here’s how to get instant access:

• Leave a review for Shamelessly Ambitious on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
• Screenshot your review.
• Upload it using this short form.

Once you do, you’ll get immediate access to the mini-webinar, From constant exhaustion to overflowing energy: the fastest way high-achieving women can reclaim their capacity in 2025.

Rooting for you, your way, always 🖤

MORE ABOUT ASH
I am the definition of duality — I swear like a sailor and break rules like it’s my job, but I also hold incredible space for my clients and work my ass off to help them achieve the success they’re after. But I'm also here for the non-preneur woman, too. My background in counseling gives me a unique perspective on what it means to show up, serve, & create connection for those who feel like they've never belonged before.

LINKS:

• Become the Regulated Woman
• Get emails that feel like your best friend (if your best friend was a therapist and actually told you the truth).
• Use code BB20 to get The Burnout Breakthrough for only $7
• Follow me on IG (dropping in once a quarter for updates & gossip)
• Website: ashmcdonaldmentoring.com

Work with me 1:1

• Therapeutic Mentorship
• Business Therapy (therapy + strategic mentorship)
...