How to Have Fun Again as a High-Achieving Woman | Ep324

How to have fun again as a high-achieving woman starts with Dr. Stuart Brown’s play personalities, and as a licensed Latina therapist I’m sharing why adults stop playing. I also confess why Halloween is my least favorite holiday, and how my dance class became my own kind of play.

What You’ll Learn
 ✅ The eight play personalities from Dr. Stuart Brown, from explorers to directors
 ✅ Three questions that tell us if something is actually play or one more task
 ✅ The high-achiever trap of turning fun into a goal, like counting calories at dance class
 ✅ Why so many high-achieving women produce fun for everyone else and miss their own turn
 ✅ How our play history from ages 8 to 10 shows what still lights us up as adults
 ✅ One small way to bring play back this Halloween weekend

Chapters
 00:00 Halloween Confession
 00:28 Podcast Welcome
 01:01 Why Fun Gets Hard
 01:29 Growing Up Without Halloween
 02:56 Different Kinds of Fun
 03:25 Why Adults Struggle to Play
 05:08 Play Personalities
 07:12 What Play Feels Like
 08:01 When Fun Becomes Work
 09:44 Find Your Play History
 10:50 Bring Play Back
 11:13 Coaching Invite and Wrap

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ABOUT ME
I'm Vanessa, the therapist who helps high-achieving adults become the best version of themselves, not just at work, but in the rooms that matter most. I host the Free to Be Mindful Podcast, named the #1 Latino Mental Health Podcast in 2026 by Feedspot. 

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Free to Be Mindful Podcast episodes are for educational purposes only and should not be considered as or substituted for therapy or professional help from a licensed clinician.