A Guide to After Life

Ep 22. How to Avoid Burnout When You Grieve and Build a Healthier Relationship with Work with Dr. Claire Plumbly, Clinical Psychologist.

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This week on A Guide to After Life, Dr. Monika Wieliczko is joined by clinical psychologist and author Dr. Claire Plumbly to explore the often-overlooked intersection between grief and burnout. Together, they unpack how the nervous system responds to grief, why burnout is so common after loss, and how we can begin to rebuild capacity when simply getting through the day feels overwhelming.

Claire shares insights from her book Burnout: How to Manage Your Nervous System Before It Manages You and offers a powerful framework for understanding the nervous system like a car engine with different gears—and how knowing what gear you’re in helps you navigate recovery more effectively.

They explore:

  • How grief-related burnout differs from emotional exhaustion

  • What it means to be in “survival mode” and why you can’t just breathe your way out of it

  • The three types of burnout and how they show up in widowhood and solo parenting

  • Why nervous system regulation matters—and how to start shifting gears gently

  • How professional identity, parenting, and purpose get redefined after loss

    Resources:

      • take part in The Grief MOT - your first-aid course for grief
      • Don't forget to subscribe to A Guide to After Life podcast list to be notified of more conversations about navigating grief: 
      • Book a free 15-consultation with me to discuss the results of your Grief MOT
      • Find out about Grief Group Therapy that I offer
      • Unsure whether to see a psychologist, psychotherapist or counsellor or grief coach for grief support? Read this blog post to find out more.

        • Where to Buy Claire’s Book:
        📘 Burnout: How to Manage Your Nervous System Before It Manages You (UK edition)
        📘 The Trauma of Burnout (US edition)
        🛒 Buy the book directly from Claire’s website: www.drclaireplumbly.com/burnout-book

        Guest Bio:
        Dr. Claire Plumbly is a clinical psychologist with expertise in trauma, burnout, and nervous system regulation. She is the author of Burnout: How to Manage Your Nervous System Before It Manages You and founder of Good Therapy Ltd. in Somerset, UK. Claire is passionate about helping people understand that burnout is not a personal failure, but a nervous system stuck in survival. Her practical tools and compassionate approach empower people to reclaim their energy, purpose, and self-trust after loss.

        Connect with Dr. Claire Plumbly:
        🌐 Website: https://www.drclaireplumbly.com
        📱 Instagram: @drclaireplumbly
        📘 Facebook: Claire Plumbly Psychology
        🔗 LinkedIn: Dr. Claire Plumbly
        🎥 TikTok: @drclaireplumbly

         

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        A Guide to After LifeBy Dr Monika Wieliczko