Episode Summary: What if the most productive thing you could do this summer… is less?

In this gentle-yet-grounded episode of the Advancing Women Podcast, we challenge the pressure to “make the most” of summer by doing more—and instead embrace the science and soul of slowing down. Host, Dr. Kimberly DeSimone offers five simple, evidence-based shortcuts to reclaim moments of real joy, presence, and restoration—without guilt or hustle.

Grounded in psychology and full of permission to pause, this is your gentle invitation to swap striving for savoring, even just for a few minutes a day.

In This Episode, We Explore:

• Why summer sometimes feels like a grind (and how to resist it)
• The science behind savoring: Attention Restoration Theory + Positive Psychology
• The power of micro-rest and ritual for combating burnout
• The Broaden-and-Build Theory and how joy makes us stronger
• 5 liberating shortcuts to lighten the mental load

Here’s a sneak peak! 5 Tiny Summer Shortcuts for More Joy & Less Grind:

1. Do chores in the sunshine – Boost mood & vitamin D while still getting things done.
2. Reclaim waiting time – Turn “wasted” minutes into mini-retreats.
3. Make a ritual, not a routine – Infuse meaning into daily habits.
4. Go outside for no reason – Unplug, un-goal, and let nature reset your brain.
5. Say yes to low-stakes joy – Let go of perfection and embrace play.

Manifestatement: You don’t need to escape your life to enjoy your summer. You just need to insert small moments of pause, presence, and play into the life you already have.

Listener Invitation: What does your micro-moment of joy look like? Tag @AdvancingWomenPodcast on IG or Facebook, or send a message to share how you’re reclaiming rest this summer!

References:

• Attention Restoration Theory (Kaplan, 1995)
• Broaden-and-Build Theory (Barbara Fredrickson, 1998)
• Positive Psychology + the science of savoring
• Norton & Gino (2014) on the power of ritual

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~A follow-up to “Permission to Pause”

If you've ever stepped away to “rest” but came back feeling just as drained, this episode is for you. In this powerful follow-up to Permission to Pause, we name and unpack a concept that deeply resonated with listeners: contaminated leisure — the kind of downtime that looks like rest but still carries the weight of responsibility, guilt, and multitasking. And naming it matters. Because once we recognize what’s happening, we can begin to reclaim the kind of rest that actually restores.

This episode dives deep into:

• What contaminated leisure really is
• The neuroscience behind why it’s so exhausting
• Why ambitious women are especially affected
• What the research says about emotional labor and the “leisure gap”
• How to reclaim rest as a biological, psychological, and cultural necessity

If rest has ever felt like another item on your to-do list, tune in.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• The origins of the term contaminated leisure and how it shows up in everyday life
• Why “just relaxing” often doesn’t work — and how pseudo-recovery tricks our brains
• How true rest activates the Default Mode Network (DMN), the brain’s key to meaning-making, emotional regulation, and creativity
• How internalized expectations and the "casualty of competence" leave ambitious women especially vulnerable to burnout
• Five science-backed strategies to create space for real, uncontaminated rest

Manifestatement: Rest doesn’t make you less ambitious, it makes your ambition sustainable.

#ContaminatedLeisure #RestIsResistance #AmbitiousWomen #PermissionToPause

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This episode is for the ambitious woman who’s doing it all—and still feels like it’s never enough.

If you’re listening while multitasking—folding laundry, answering emails, or in between Zoom calls—this one’s for you. Dr. KimberlyDeSimone invites you to press pause on the pressure and unpack why we’ve lost the ability to truly rest. With research, real talk, and radical empathy, this episode explores:

• The blurred boundaries of remote work and why they’re burning us out
• The myth of “productive breaks” and the science behind contaminated leisure
• The invisible labor women carry—and why it’s so exhausting
• How rest can be resistance, recovery, and a reclaiming of your humanity
• A gentle, 3-step invitation to begin unlearning productivity as self-worth

If you’ve ever felt guilty for resting, this episode offers both validation and a vision for a more sustainable model of success.

🔑 Key Takeaways:

• Contaminated Leisure is real — downtime that isn’t really down leads to depletion, not restoration.
• Emotional labor—managing feelings, smoothing tension, anticipating needs—is invisible work that disproportionately falls on women and contributes to burnout.
• Rest as Resistance reframes rest as a radical act in a culture that equates productivity with worth.
• Guilt isn’t a sign you’re lazy — it’s often a signal you’re doing something different, not something wrong.
• Micro-moments of rest matter — true rest doesn’t require a retreat, just your presence.

Research Referenced:

• LeanIn.org x McKinsey Report on women and the pandemic’s impact on unpaid labor
• Sociology Compass and American Psychological Association studies on gender and contaminated leisure
• Arlie Hochschild’s work on emotional labor
• Journal of Emotion study linking emotional labor to burnout
• Stephen Covey’s "sharpen the saw" philosophy
• Dr. Brené Brown’s “never enough” script and shame research✨

Manifestatement: "We are human beings, not human doings. We deserve rest—not because we’ve earned it, but because we are human."~ Dr. Kimberly DeSimone

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Are Your Expectations Really the Problem — or Is That Just What You've Been Told?

Research shows that expectations can be a major source of stress, anxiety, and even the breakdown of trust and respect in our relationships. But let’s challenge the tired narrative that women’s so-called “too high expectations” are to blame.

In this episode of the Advancing Women Podcast, I flip the script. We take a closer look at the real issue: the difference between expectations (often shaped by social norms and limiting stereotypes) and requirements or standards (which are rooted in self-respect, self-worth, and self-care).

The real question isn’t, “Are my expectations too high?” It’s: “What do I truly require in my relationships—and why?”

Spoiler alert: You are allowed—encouraged, even—to set clear, healthy standards for how you want and deserve to be treated. This episode is your permission slip to stop shrinking, stop second-guessing, and start owning your requirements unapologetically.

Tune in for a powerful mindset shift—from bending to meet others’ comfort zones to boldly honoring your own. Let’s stop blaming women for wanting more, and start asking why we’ve been taught to settle for less.

Referenced Episodes:

Young Men are Opting Out of Marriage and Relationships. Should We Care? (March 2023)

Comparison is the Thief of Joy (May 2023)

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We’re constantly reminded to take time for ourselves, to prioritize self-care, to fill our own cup first. These messages are everywhere—but let’s be honest, it’s not always that simple. Life has a way of stacking the deck against us. The expectations never stop piling up. We’re juggling so many responsibilities—personally, professionally, emotionally—and somehow we’re supposed to keep all the balls in the air…with a smile on our face.

In this episode of the Advancing Women Podcast, I explore the radical idea of accepting the chaos—acknowledging it without judgment—and finding ways to care for ourselves within it. Not after everything is calm. Not when the to-do list is done. Now.

This is about creating a sustainable practice of peace. It’s about showing up with intention, even in the messiness. Being mindful of how we feel, how we move through the world, and the energy we bring into our relationships and spaces.

References:

The Blissful Mind website https://theblissfulmind.com/

https://recreation.ku.edu/seven-pillars-self-care#

Studies show that mothers of children with autism experience stress and depression levels on par with those of active combat soldiers. In this episode, we dive into the importance of awareness, empathy, and practical ways you can offer meaningful support. These are the things autism moms wish you understood, and this episode shares how you can show up for them.

Tune in to the Advancing Women Podcast to hear from autism moms about our experiences and what you can say or do to offer the empathy and support we need.

Advancing Women Podcast Website: https://advancingwomenpodcast.com/

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