In this powerful episode, Dr. Payal Beri sits down with Bhavik Shah, a mental health advocate, speaker, and former financial services executive, to explore the real cost of burnout and what it takes to create a workplace culture rooted in psychological safety.

What You’ll Learn:

• The physical and emotional toll of repeated burnout and how to recognize the warning signs
• How Bhavik navigated toxic workplace culture as a queer South Asian man in finance
• Why benefits and wellness apps are not the solution to workplace wellbeing
• How to self-advocate effectively, even when your workplace isn’t ready to listen
• Actionable insights for people managers to build trust and lead with empathy

Whether you're a rising professional, a people leader, or someone navigating the pressures of high-performance culture, this episode is your reminder that work should not be miserable. Burnout is not a badge of honor.

Resources & Mentions:

Visit Bhavik’s website: www.bhavikshah.com

Explore Bhavik’s Harvard Business Review articles: https://hbr.org/2022/10/i-survived-a-hate-crime-heres-how-my-company-supported-me

Connect with Payal: 

Follow Dr. Payal Beri on Instagram: 

https://www.instagram.com/dr.payalberi

Subscribe to Reframing Perspectives on YouTube: 

https://www.youtube.com/@payalberi?sub_confirmation=1 

Check out RK Empathy: 

https://www.rkempathy.com/ 

Connect with Dr. Payal Beri on LinkedIn: 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/payalberi/

Interested in having Dr. Payal Beri speak at your event? 

https://www.payalberi.com/ 

Chapters:

0:00 – Bhavik Shah’s burnout-to-advocacy journey

3:00 – The panic attack that became a turning point

6:00 – Why burnout has been normalized in hustle culture

9:00 – Navigating corporate gaslighting and identity suppression

14:00 – How personal branding pressure fuels burnout

22:00 – Why wellness apps and perks miss the point

25:00 – What psychological safety really looks like

34:00 – Practical tips for people managers and team leads

38:00 – Why self-advocacy is essential for mental health

41:00 – Final thoughts on building better workplace cultures

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This podcast is produced by MicMoguls.com