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On this episode
It’s easy to think stress is a normal part of life, especially if you work in healthcare. This way of thinking puts us at risk of burnout, because we end up tolerating long-term distress and ignoring the early warning signs.
Recognising stress early on is key to preventing burnout. We can break the cycle by identifying those warning signs (feeling irritated or neglecting self-care, for example). Small changes, like taking breaks or reconnecting with friends, can make a big difference. And it’s vital to give yourself permission to do these things, because self-care is not selfish.
Burnout isn’t just a linear progression from stress; it accelerates if we don’t address it. It can lead to fatigue, a lack of empathy, and decreased performance overall. The closer we get to burnout, the harder it is to recover and return to optimal performance.
But we can avoid this by paying attention to our stress levels and making small adjustments today.
Show links
More episodes of You Are Not a Frog:
- Am I Burning Out? – Episode 195
- You Can’t Organize Your Way Out of Overwhelm – Episode 245
- Finding Your Opposite World to Beat Burnout – Episode 236
Reasons to listen
- To recognise early signs of stress to prevent burnout and maintain peak performance
- For practical tips on managing workload and resources to avoid the overwhelming vortex of busyness
- To understand the importance of taking small, proactive steps to maintain wellbeing and improve professional and personal life
Episode highlights
The slippery slope to burnout
Just enough pressure to perform
Peak performance
The performance dip
How to diagnose burnout
Identify your early warning signs
Episode transcript
[00:00:00] Rachel: I wonder, how many of you, when you ask your colleagues, how are you, just expect them to say, you know, busy, stressed? For me, it’s just become the norm to get that response, particularly when I’m talking to people in healthcare. In fact, I was quite shocked the other day I was on a teams call with the GP. And he said he wasn’t stressed at all, and his workload was the best it’s been in 20 years. [00:00:21] Rachel: Now drop us a line. If he wants to know how he’s done that. And maybe we’ll…
