How Gratitude Changes Your Brain When You’re Under Pressure

When life feels heavy and pressure is high, your brain doesn’t respond by becoming calm or rational—it narrows its focus, scans for problems, and stays on high alert. That’s not a personal failing. It’s biology.

In this episode of Burnout-Free Me, Dr. Amy Grimm breaks down what neuroscience actually says about gratitude—and why it works very differently than most people think. This is not about pretending everything is fine or forcing positivity when you’re exhausted. It’s about how gratitude, when practiced in small, grounded ways, changes how your brain processes stress, recovers from pressure, and carries mental load over time.

You’ll learn

• how gratitude affects attention, memory, and nervous system regulation,
• why it can help pressure feel less intense and less sticky,
• and how it supports faster recovery after stressful moments.

Amy shares practical, science-backed prompts you can use even on your busiest, most overwhelming days—no journaling marathons required.

If you’re a high-achiever who feels constantly “on,” mentally compressed, or unable to fully relax even when nothing is actively wrong, this episode will help you understand what’s happening in your brain—and give you tools to work with it instead of fighting it.

✨ If this episode resonated, consider sharing it with someone who helps you feel a little steadier under pressure.

Burnout & Wellbeing Coaching With Amy:

✨ Ready to break free from exhaustion and stop running on empty, so you can create real balance, reclaim your energy, and finally feel like yourself again? Book your free Burnout-Free Me consultation today!

🌐Visit www.daringdvm.com to learn more about coaching and ways we can work together. You can also find out about team trainings and speaking engagements here.

JOIN the Burnout-Free Community for weekly inspiration, coaching tools, special offers, and more!

📩Let's connect on Instagram or LinkedIn

Meet Amy:

Dr. Amy Grimm is a success and well-being coach, speaker, and veterinarian who helps high-performing professionals lead with clarity, energy, and purpose without sacrificing their well-being.

A former medical director who experienced burnout firsthand, Amy now coaches leaders across industries to recognize the hidden costs of hustle culture and create sustainable success through strategic prioritization and people-first leadership.

She also hosts the Burnout-Free Me Podcast (previously Daring DVM Podcast), a free resource for high-achievers and career professionals who want to live with less stress and create a life of balance, fulfillment, and joy.

Outside of work, Amy and her partner enjoy travel and all things outdoors. You’ll most likely find them on top of a mountain, in the middle of a desert, somewhere underwater, or 100 miles into a ride on their tandem mountain bicycle.

The Human Cost of Caring: Burnout, Compassion, and Meaningful Work with Dr. Marie Holowaychuk

Caring deeply about your work can be meaningful—and exhausting. In this episode of Burnout-Free Me, I’m joined by Dr. Marie Holowaychuk, veterinary specialist and author of A Compassionate Calling, for a powerful conversation about the human cost of caring in high-pressure, high-responsibility careers.

While Marie’s work is rooted in veterinary medicine, the themes we explore extend far beyond one profession. We talk about stress, burnout, perfectionism, professional identity, and the emotional weight that comes with work that truly matters. Together, we unpack what happens when high-achieving women hold themselves to impossible standards—and what it takes to stay human, connected, and resilient without losing yourself in the process.

This episode is for anyone who loves their work, cares deeply, and is quietly wondering if there’s a better, more sustainable way to keep going.

About Dr. Marie:

Dr. Marie Holowaychuk, DVM, Dipl. ACVECC, is a passionate advocate for mental health and wellbeing in caregiving professions, and empowers veterinary teams and other caregiving professionals to prevent burnout, build resilience, and cultivate fulfilling careers.

With over 20 years of experience as a veterinarian and critical care specialist, Marie founded Reviving Veterinary Medicine to provide evidence-based resources through transformative programs like From Burnout to Balance and From Toxic to Terrific.

As a certified coach, yoga and meditation teacher, and wellbeing facilitator, Marie blends science, empathy, and practical insights to engage and inspire audiences. She also hosts the Reviving Vet Med Podcast, exploring topics such as mental health and workplace culture. Her contributions have earned her the Alberta Veterinary Medical Association’s Communication Award and the Alberta Blue Cross Face of Wellness Award, as well as being recognized as one of Canada’s Top Keynote Speakers of 2025 by Eureka Education and Top 100 Health & Wellness by Top 100 Magazine.

Marie’s book, A Compassionate Calling: What It Really Means to Be a Veterinarian, offers a candid exploration of the challenges and rewards of a career in veterinary medicine, shedding light on the emotional complexities and deep sense of purpose that drive those in the profession.

Learn about Dr. Marie's work:

Website: https://marieholowaychuk.com/

Reviving Veterinary Medicine: https://revivingvetmed.com/

A Compassionate Calling (book): https://acompassionatecalling.com/

Burnout & Wellbeing Coaching With Amy:

✨ Ready to break free from exhaustion and stop running on empty, so you can create real balance, reclaim your energy, and finally feel like yourself again? Book your free Burnout-Free Me consultation today!

🌐Visit www.daringdvm.com to learn more about coaching and ways we can work together. You can also find out about team trainings and speaking engagements here.

JOIN the Burnout-Free Community for weekly inspiration, coaching tools, special offers, and more!

📩Let's connect on Instagram or LinkedIn

Meet Amy:

Dr. Amy Grimm is a success and well-being coach, speaker, and veterinarian who helps high-performing professionals lead with clarity, energy, and purpose without sacrificing their well-being.

A former medical director who experienced burnout firsthand, Amy now coaches leaders across industries to recognize the hidden costs of hustle culture and create sustainable success through strategic prioritization and people-first leadership.

She also hosts the Burnout-Free Me Podcast (previously Daring DVM Podcast), a free resource for high-achievers and career professionals who want to live with less stress and create a life of balance, fulfillment, and joy.

Outside of work, Amy and her partner enjoy travel and all things outdoors. You’ll most likely find them on top of a mountain, in the middle of a desert, somewhere underwater, or 100 miles into a ride on their tandem mountain bicycle.

Can Burnout Affect Your Sex Drive? The Effect of Chronic Stress on Desire

When you’re exhausted, overwhelmed, and constantly running on empty, desire is often one of the first things to fade. But that doesn’t mean something is wrong with you or your relationship.

In this episode of Burnout-Free Me, Dr. Amy Grimm explores how burnout and chronic stress affect the nervous system—and why that directly impacts libido, intimacy, and pleasure. This isn’t a conversation about fixing desire or forcing intimacy. It’s about understanding what your body is doing when it’s been in survival mode for too long.

Amy breaks down how the fight, flight, and freeze response can turn inward, leading to self-criticism, avoidance, and overthinking around intimacy. You’ll learn how burnout quietly reduces capacity for pleasure, why desire often goes offline as a protective response, and what to pay attention to if you suspect burnout may be affecting your sex drive.

If you’ve ever thought, “Everything is fine, so why don’t I want this?”—this episode will help you make sense of what’s happening with compassion, clarity, and a nervous-system-informed lens.

Burnout & Wellbeing Coaching With Amy:

✨ Ready to break free from exhaustion and stop running on empty, so you can create real balance, reclaim your energy, and finally feel like yourself again? Book your free Burnout-Free Me consultation today!

🌐Visit www.daringdvm.com to learn more about coaching and ways we can work together. You can also find out about team trainings and speaking engagements here.

JOIN the Burnout-Free Community for weekly inspiration, coaching tools, special offers, and more!

📩Let's connect on Instagram or LinkedIn

Meet Amy:

Dr. Amy Grimm is a success and well-being coach, speaker, and veterinarian who helps high-performing professionals lead with clarity, energy, and purpose without sacrificing their well-being.

A former medical director who experienced burnout firsthand, Amy now coaches leaders across industries to recognize the hidden costs of hustle culture and create sustainable success through strategic prioritization and people-first leadership.

She also hosts the Burnout-Free Me Podcast (previously Daring DVM Podcast), a free resource for high-achievers and career professionals who want to live with less stress and create a life of balance, fulfillment, and joy.

Outside of work, Amy and her partner enjoy travel and all things outdoors. You’ll most likely find them on top of a mountain, in the middle of a desert, somewhere underwater, or 100 miles into a ride on their tandem mountain bicycle.