"Are we all doomed? And if not, what can help us move beyond despair into something more useful?"

When despair feels like the only rational response to our world's challenges, how do we move beyond it without burning out?

We explore sobering data: 48% of young people feel dismissed when talking about climate change, with three-quarters describing the future as "frightening." Nita reflects on climate activist Patience Nabukalu's powerful words: "2050 is too late for communities like mine. Promises that far away are a death sentence."

Sol introduces "judgment vs discernment" - moving beyond anger and othering into constructive action. The episode includes a guided compassion practice for acknowledging fear without being controlled by it.

This isn't about denial or toxic positivity - it's about finding sustainable ways to stay engaged without burning out on despair.

• Guided compassion meditation for working with fear
• Questions for moving from judgment to discernment
• "What story am I telling myself?" self-inquiry

• When does despair show up in me? What does it feel like?
• What story am I telling myself right now?
• What else might be true?

• BBC Ideas Earth Day research on young people and climate change (YouTube video: https://tinyurl.com/fpbffpp9)
• Pod Save the UK episode featuring Patience Nabukalu (Crooked Media: https://tinyurl.com/4ucjttw6)
• Sol's post on "othering" in sustainability work (Linkedin: https://tinyurl.com/mr8acy5y)

Connect with Sol: https://www.thealtacademy.co.uk/ Connect with Nita: https://bio.site/nitapwoods

Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and join the conversation about keeping going without burning out.

What happens when the stories in your head start sabotaging the work you care most about?

In this first episode, we explore "the algorithm in our head" — how our brains feed us old, fear-based narratives that keep us stuck in overwhelm, self-doubt, and disillusionment.

Nita opens up about her 20-year journey in corporate sustainability, from starting as a first-generation British Indian graduate at a global bank to sitting on boards today. She shares her current crisis: watching DEI rolled back, ESG under attack, and net zero being diluted under political pressure, while questioning whether decades of work were "all a waste of time."

Sol guides Nita (and listeners) through live coaching to identify the loudest stories running in our heads and explore how to shift our relationship with them. You'll hear practical tools for moving from autopilot to aligned action, including the "IN/OUT/FORWARD" practice for breaking free from mental doom scrolling.

This isn't about toxic positivity or pretending everything's fine. It's about recognizing when we're stuck in old narratives and finding space to respond with clarity instead of collapse.

If you've ever felt like your inner critic is louder than your sense of purpose, this episode offers both solidarity and practical tools for rewiring the algorithm in your head.

Featured Practice: You can find the IN/OUT/FORWARD technique in a recent post on Sol's LinkedIn

Connect with Sol: https://www.thealtacademy.co.uk/
Connect with Nita: https://bio.site/nitapwoods

Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and join the conversation about keeping going without burning out.

Ep 0: Meet your hosts - an intro to Before We Burn (Out)

"How do I keep going when the world feels like it's on fire?"

In this introductory episode, meet your hosts Sol and Nita as they share why they created Before We Burn (Out) and what you can expect from this podcast.

Sol, a mental fitness coach, and Nita, a sustainability strategist with 20 years in corporate systems, open up about the moment they realized that doing good shouldn't mean running yourself into the ground. They discuss the emotional toll of working for change when progress feels slow, actions seem performative, or your entire value system feels under threat.

This isn't another self-help podcast promising easy fixes. Instead, it's an honest space for mid-career professionals, changemakers, and anyone holding it together on the outside while wrestling with overwhelm on the inside. You'll hear about what's coming in future episodes: personal stories from boardrooms and activist spaces, mental fitness practices, cultural critique, and practical tools for living and leading with more integrity.

If you're someone who cares deeply about the world but feels exhausted by it, this conversation will help you understand why you're not alone—and why there's another way forward that doesn't end in burnout.

Connect with Sol: www.thealtacademy.co.uk/

Connect with Nita: bio.site/nitapwoods

Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and join the conversation about keeping going without burning out.