Today’s episode is a pinch-me moment.
If you’ve ever heard me talk about “time confetti” then you’ve already felt the ripple effect of today’s guest, Brigid Schulte. She coined that term. She gave language to the overwhelm so many of us live with every day.
Before I became a time management expert, I was a burned-out mom juggling everything and feeling like I was failing in every direction. Then I read Brigid’s book Overwhelmed, and everything clicked. I felt seen. I felt less alone. And for the first time, I realized the problem wasn’t me - it was the culture we’re living in.
In this episode, Brigid and I dive deep into:
The origin of “time confetti” and why your day feels so fragmented
Why burnout isn’t your fault and why bubble baths aren’t the solution
How care work (especially motherhood) is undervalued and invisibilized
The difference between personal burnout and systemic exhaustion
Why we need to redefine “work” to include caregiving and community
How both individuals and leaders can start changing the system
Brigid is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, the founding director of the Better Life Lab, and author of two groundbreaking books: Overwhelmed and Overwork. She’s spent decades researching time, gender, and culture and what it really takes to live a meaningful life.
If you’ve ever asked yourself “why does this all feel so hard?” this conversation will help you understand why, and what’s possible when we stop blaming ourselves and start changing the narrative.
Timestamps:
00:01:00 – Jill introduces Brigid and the impact of her work
00:02:00 – Why Brigid wrote her new book Overwork
00:04:00 – The outdated norms around “ideal workers”
00:06:30 – Redefining “work” to include caregiving and community
00:09:45 – The real root of burnout: systems, not just self-care
00:15:00 – Stories of real change agents transforming the culture of work
About Brigid Shulte
Brigid Schulte works at the intersection of personal transformation and systems change to ensure that all people have the opportunity to life a rich, full and wholehearted life. She’s an award-winning journalist, think tank program director, keynote speaker and author of Over Work: Transforming the Daily Grind in the Quest for a Better Life and the New York Times bestselling book on time pressure, gender and modern life, Overwhelmed: Work, Love & Play when No One has the Time.
She was an award-winning journalist for The Washington Post and The Washington Post Magazine and was part of the team that won the 2008 Pulitzer Prize. She serves as the director of the Better Life Lab at New America, using the power of story to reimagine better work, family, gender, and care. She hosts the Better Life Lab podcast on Slate. Her work has appeared in numerous publications, including the New York Times, the Atlantic, Harvard Business Review, the Financial Times, the Guardian, Time, Slate, U.S. News & World Report, New York Magazine, Fast Company, CNN, and many others. She is a frequent television, radio and podcast guest and has been quoted in numerous media outlets.
Connect with Brigid:
https://www.newamerica.org/better-life-lab
Resources Mentioned:
Overwhelmed: Work, Love, and Play When No One Has Time - https://www.brigidschulte.com/overwhelmed
Over Work: Transforming the Daily Grind in the Quest for a Better Life - https://www.brigidschulte.com/overwork
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