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Burnout. You’ve most likely heard the term before - right now, it’s everywhere. Burnout is not just about being exhausted, overextended or needing to take more time off.; it goes so much deeper than any of that.

It’s connected to resentment, a lack of agency, and a lack of recognition of the work you do. It’s being required to sacrifice the things that are important to you and the values you hold closest because you believe there’s no other way to get what you really want from life.

The first time I faced burnout was in my twenties. It happened again in my forties. There will not be a third time. In this episode, I share my experience of two very different but equally devastating burnouts and what I learned from each of them.

In this episode, I discuss

• What burnout really is (and what it isn’t) 
• Why burnout is an especially big deal for women in leadership 
• The connection between burnout and trauma
• My personal experience with burnout and the 3 crucial things I’m STILL doing to fix it

This episode at a glance:

[02:03] Three Lies and a Truth About Burnout. 

[02:56] Burnout affects women more than men. We’re dealing with pay gaps and promotion blocks, and we often carry a larger portion of the mental load of home and life. And we tend to avoid the conversations that might make this better.

[15:22] Keeping your burnout a secret because you’re embarrassed about “not handling things” is the worst thing you can do. That’s when you need to cultivate connection the most.

[17:10] My second experience of burnout, in my forties - this time while running my own business. 

[19:09] The connection between burnout and trauma. 

[22:51] The three things I’m doing to make sure I avoid round 3 of burnout. 

Disclaimer:
In this episode, I share my personal experience with burnout. But… I'm a business strategist and executive leadership coach, not a mental health professional. This is not mental health advice. Please consult your preferred mental health professional for additional support.  

Resources and links mentioned in this episode

• The 2018 Montreal University study "Gendered Pathways to Burnout: Results from the SALVEO Study," by Nancy Beauregard et al.
• The movie that made me realize life was imitating art a little too closely - “Swimming with Sharks”

You might also like

• Episode 04: “How Perfectionism is Killing Your Business” (And How to Fight Back.)
• Read Greg McKeown’s “Essentialism.”

More about the “My Good Woman” podcast

My Good Woman is a podcast for new and future female leaders, hosted by me, Dawn Andrews. I’m a happily married hockey mom, proud female leader, and founder and CEO of Free Range Thinking, where we turn founders into confident CEOs with strategic consulting and leadership training.

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