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On this episode
Burnout is not simply a matter of stress – it can leave us exhausted, detached, cynical, and doubting our own abilities. Burnout affects our ability to function, damages our self-trust, and leaves us wondering how we ended up here.
If you’re wondering whether you’re bored, rusting out, or burning out, Dr Paula Redmond offers five common patterns to look for: self-doubt, detachment, overload, trauma, and moral distress. Each has its own challenges, but they all ask us to reconnect with what truly matters to us and find ways to protect our wellbeing while continuing to care for others.
When the signs go ignored, burnout can spiral into deeper problems like anxiety, depression, and an inability to continue in our work. It can damage our relationships, our health, and our sense of self, affecting not just us, but the people we care for and work with too.
Try taking a pause today, and reflecting on where you are. Ask yourself “what is my current situation doing to me as a person?” “What small step can I take to protect my wellbeing?” Whether it’s taking a proper break, talking to someone you trust, or even just looking out of the window for a moment of calm, it’s a start.
Show links
More episodes of You Are Not a Frog:
- Are Your Tiny Traumas Building Up to Burnout? – Episode 182, with Dr Claire Plumbly
- The Biggest Mistakes People Make When They are Heading for Burnout – Episode 222
- Surprising Ways to Avoid Burnout – Episode 188, with Nick Petrie
When Work Hurts – Paula’s podcast
About the guests
Paula is a cinical psychologist specialising in working with healthcare professionals struggling with burnout and work-related trauma, and the host of the When Work Hurts podcast.
Follow Dr Paula Redmond
Reasons to listen
- To understand the 5 distinct burnout patterns and learn strategies to address each one effectively
- For practical methods to process trauma and moral distress in challenging work environments
- To explore actionable ways to balance self-care with professional responsibilities in high-pressure roles
Episode highlights
Meeting Paula
What is burnout?
What is your burnout profile?
The “self-doubting” profile
The “detached” profile
The “overloaded” profile
The “traumatised” profile
We need to co-regulate
The “morally distressed” profile
Taking values-aligned action
Compassion, connection, and creativity
Episode transcript
[00:00:00] Rachel: When was the last time you were able to take a full break, have a coffee with a colleague, or perhaps just sit and think for a few minutes? Have you found yourself doubting your ability to cope or have you found yourself getting cynical and detached from the job? If so, or if you’ve seen these signs in a colleague, this is the episode for you. [00:00:18] Rachel: This week I’m joined by Dr. Paula Redmond, a psychologist who specializes in burnout. She hosts the When Work Hurts podcast. Now we often think of burnout as a…
