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Burnout doesn't happen overnight—it creeps up slowly, often disguised as dedication or high performance. In this revealing conversation, leadership and resilience consultant Kaynika Townsend shares her personal journey through corporate burnout and how it sparked her mission to help others avoid the same fate.

"I remember one morning just being at my desk and fully, fully exhausted and thinking what's the point of continuing to do this work?" Kai-Nneka recalls, describing the culmination of months spent trying to prove herself worthy in spaces where she was often "the only or among the few"—the only woman, the only Black person in the room. This experience mirrors what countless high-achieving professionals face, particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds who feel they must work twice as hard to be seen as equally competent.

Kai-Nneka unpacks the three dimensions of burnout as defined by the WHO: cynicism about work, persistent exhaustion, and diminished belief in one's professional efficacy. These manifestations don't appear suddenly but develop through repeated cycles of stress without adequate recovery. Through her FLOW framework (Find stuck points, Learn from past data, Optimize strategy, Weave in resilient practices), she offers a practical approach to breaking this cycle and building sustainable resilience.

What makes this conversation particularly valuable is Kaynika's insight into how organizations often miss the mark in addressing burnout. While companies increasingly talk about well-being, many focus solely on recovery resources rather than preventative measures that address root causes. As she notes, with one in five UK workers taking time off due to high stress, and younger generations prioritizing well-being in their employment choices, organizations that don't adapt risk losing talent and productivity.

Connect with Kai-Nneka on LinkedIn 

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