#127 Coming Through The Other Side of Burnout

Another Door Stories

“I know that burnout is preventable. I know that every single one of us can take steps to prevent it and to avoid it. I will say, perhaps somewhat oddly, for some of us, we have to get to that point of burnout in order for us to make the changes. I want to make burnout not be a thing, because we never reach it"

In today's episode is Kelly Swingler, ‘the burnoutologist’ and author of Mind The Gap: A Story of Burnout, Breakthrough and Beyond. Kelly shares her moment of burnout in a high pressure HR corporate role, and how she is now on a mission to banish burnout altogether as a place we never get to.

We explore the nuances of burnout, exploring the importance of preventative measures, introspection, and redefining success beyond material gains. We cover the significance of self-care, identity, and re-evaluating your values to prevent burnout. But most importantly we share an optimism than burnout does not need to be a thing.

"Who am I at my core? What are my values, my passions, my drivers, my strengths, what gets me out of bed in the morning? What motivates me? The closer we can get to that, the further away from burnout."

Here are the highlights:

01:39 Burnout can show up in our lives in so many different ways.

09:07 Plans changed, unexpected family expansion, and I faced an uncertain future.

11:29 Recognised the need to help others.

16:56 Clients feeling broken due to burnout.

30:16 If you are struggling with burnout, seek help from professionals.

48:08 Toxic power dynamics lead to stress and burnout.

53:17 Staying aligned prevents burnout from taking over.

Kelly’s Another Door go-tos

The things that helped Kelly navigate change.

Books: "The Gifts of Imperfection" by Brene Brown

Music: Any track by Pink

The one piece of advice: “I would invite you to sit with the question. Who are you? And either…sit with a friend and just sit and ask the question or sit and journal with it? Speak it into your phone. Do it with a team member. Do it with a loved one. Do it with a child, family member, partner, whoever. “

About Kelly

Kelly is a leading voice and expert in Burnout in the world of work.

“My first Burnout made me seriously ill and my second almost killed me. When I left my in-house corporate career my replacement died in her sleep whilst away on a leadership residential. My work exists because no other Leader will experience Burnout or jeopardise their health for their career, and no other Leader will die.”

Kelly has worked with employers such as Waitrose, John Lewis, Luminus Group, and Genesis Housing. ​Clients include Thomas Cook, NEWS UK, LUSH, Huawei, Tesco, Walsingham Support, BUNZL, M&S, Affinity Water, Reigate and Banstead Borough Borough Council, NHS, Dominos, LifePlus, Visa, Natwest, and Barclays.

Kelly is a five-time author, and contributor for a variety of magazines, newspapers, and publications, and appears on radio and TV raising issues around burnout.

Kelly’s mission is to banish Burnout in a changing world of work is what gets me out of bed each day.

Find out more: https://www.kellyswingler.com/

About your host Eleanor Tweddell:

Eleanor supports individuals, teams and organisations through change. Whether it’s 121 coaching or large scale organisational change through communications and training. Eleanor’s work centres around how we, as humans, work through change, embracing the messy bits, the role of playing, with the aim to see opportunity. “Too often we get stuck in the change happening to us, when just through that next door is an exciting next chapter.”

Eleanor is the founder of Another Door, and Get-Recommended.com and the author of Why losing your job could be the best thing that ever happened to you.

Connect with Eleanor:

Instagram:instagram/anotherdooruk

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/eleanor-tweddell/

Website: eleanortweddell.com

Produced by winteraudio.co.uk