#WorkMomSays 2025 has been exhausting for just about everyone. In this episode, Lori Jo Vest breaks down the challenges workers faced this year—layoffs, inflation, mounting pressure, and nonstop change—and how simple shifts can set you up for a brighter 2026. From building consistency and boundaries to reflecting on wins and supporting each other, Lori shares honest, actionable strategies for finding resilience when times are tough.  If you’re looking to reset and recharge for the new year, this episode offers practical advice and encouragement to help you move forward with more confidence and less burnout. Themes discussed in this episode Coping with exhaustion and anxiety in a changing work environment Why consistency matters more than hustle The importance of boundaries and self-care Building and nurturing business friendships Using reflection, mantras, and rest to reset for the new year Episode Highlights Time-stamped inflection points from the show 00:12 — 2025’s tough realities: burnout, layoffs, and financial stress 02:20 — How consistency (not hustle) leads to real, sustainable change 04:11 — Boundary-setting in the workplace as a buffer against burnout 05:27 — Building business friendships as an essential support network 09:26 — End-of-year reflection ritual: listing your accomplishments to spark optimism Top Quotes 02:01 – “Consistency beats hustle. We all think we’ve got to get up at, you know, 6 a.m. and get moving. And you see the TikTok videos of the guy that’s up at 4 a.m. and he’s out the door by 5:15 and he’s already worked out and, oh my God, just thinking about it makes me tired.” 04:26 – “I watched our team at the agency that I run set some boundaries, and it was fantastic. Not, you know, not asking, ‘Can I have time off,’ but saying, ‘I need this time off,’ or, you know, ‘I need this flexibility,’ and that has helped us alleviate some of that burnout by paying attention to the boundaries that you have power over.” 05:52 – “And that kind of support, you can’t buy that. You have to build it. So make it a point in 2026 to build some relationships, to make three new business friends that you’ve gone out to lunch with four times or something over the course of the year, to really get to know them and add them to your network.” 14:20 – “You’re not behind. You’re exactly where you need to be. Chin up. Keep going. You’ll make mistakes. Grit will get you through. Rest matters.” Transcript 00:12Thank you so much for joining me for this episode of Work Mom Says, Don’t Be an Idiot. I am going to talk to you tonight about 2025—let’s wrap up this year—and then ways to ease into 2026. Because, let’s be real, we need to talk about 2025 before we can do anything with the future. It has been exhausting. If you’re out of a job, it’s been really difficult in the job market. If you have a job, you’re being expected to do more with less. You may have a coworker that got laid off, and you’re the one left standing, and you are expected to do both of those jobs, or at least take a big portion of that work without more money. Companies are keeping wages low, but prices and inflation are up, so it’s really hard, and things aren’t happening quickly. Matter of fact, they seem to be in a holding pattern. 01:16There’s mixed news about the economy—in, you know, as of December 2025 when we’re recording this, it’s the 22nd right before Christmas—and a lot of us are really burned out. We’re working hard because, again, there’s job loss all around us, and we see our friends who have been disemployed and are struggling. So we feel burned out. There’s lots of pressure on us at work, there’s pressure on us at home, there’s pressure on us financially. It’s not been great. 01:49However, there are some t