From raising a daughter to navigating New Brunswick through the challenges of COVID-19 as the Provincial Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Jennifer Russell has faced her fair share of burnout, defeat, and moments of overwhelming pressure.

Simonne and Sarah had the privilege of joining Jennifer and her daughter Olivia, a psychology student at the University of New Brunswick, for insightful conversations about burnout and generational differences.

Quote of the Week: 

"Your wellbeing is a priority, and what you do is less important than who you are." Dr. Jennifer Russell

Greatness Together Podcast Highlights:

• Is the New Work Culture Better? 0:00
• Meet Jennifer and Olivia. 1:30
• Learning a good work/life balance. 6:00
• Changes in generational pressure & choices. 9:00
• Finding gifts in crisis. 13:00
• Allow yourself to press pause. 18:00
• Advice for starting a new chapter. 20:00
• We're human beings, not human doings. 30:00
• Next time: Are You More Than What You Do? 38:23
  
  

Following Gen Xers Follow Their Dreams

Having made the bold leap to follow their dreams—Sarah quitting her job to start her own business and Jennifer stepping into her dream role—the moms in this episode had achieved a great deal in their careers by all accounts. Today's successes were on the heels of leaving prominent roles they had aspired to and strove for. Ironically, they had to leave all of that behind because the price they had paid for success, it turned out, was too high.

Simonne and Olivia interviewed their moms about finding the strength to change what isn't working in their lives.

Generational Perspectives on Burnout

The conversation delved into how to recognize and manage overwork. With extensive experience in demanding leadership roles, Sarah and Jennifer shared how cognitive, physical, and relational pain can be signs of burnout and why these symptoms shouldn't be ignored.

Interestingly, you will hear how Simonne and Olivia likely won't have to learn these lessons the hard way like their moms did.

Sarah and Jennifer both had proud mom moments and were humbled that it took them some heavy burnouts to figure out what their psychology-minded daughters already understood!

Debunking Generational Differences

If you're a parent or teacher, you may have noticed the shift in "work ethic" between your generation and today's. Sarah and Jennifer reflect on the strict expectations they grew up with, while Olivia and Simonne discuss how those standards have shifted in today's world and explore the factors that have contributed to this.

Learning From Your Children

What was also clear was that you can be high-performing and not need to put your needs aside. Jennifer and Sarah have embraced this and can lean on their daughters to remember how to stay grounded and reiterate they deserve to be. 

Who were the teachers in this episode: the moms for their daughters or the daughters for their moms? You might have to tune in to find out!

Did you like this episode? Then you'll probably also like this one that asks, "Is Your Role Leading to Burnout?"

 

Greatness Together Podcast Links:

Are You a Recovering Perfectionist?
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