The Kindness Incorporated Podcast

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Your mind is stronger than you think. How you see the world and the way that you interpret what’s happening in your life can have a huge impact on your physical and mental health. A negative outlook can hinder personal growth while putting constant pressure on yourself to please everyone around you can quickly ignite burnout symptoms.

Giving yourself permission to change your mind and adjust is so important. Just because you ‘committed’ to attending a work party or taking a job you don’t enjoy doesn’t mean you can’t change your mind. If you’re on the route to burnout and you want to avoid breaking down, you begin by making adjustments to your daily life. They don’t have to be massive adjustments at first. You can start small such as changing the way you plan your day and giving yourself permission to take your lunch break. Or, it can be bigger adjustments like stepping away from a job that doesn’t bring you happiness or fulfilment.

Whatever the case, there are multiple layers to adjustment. The problem is that not allowing yourself permission to adjust is exactly what can lead to burnout. I’m very passionate about this topic because I truly believe in the power of adjusting and changing your mind. So, in this episode, I reveal more about why adjusting your mindset is so important and how it can help steer you off the road to breakdown.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

Why adjusting is so powerful and important
Why you should stop saying yes when you mean no
The power of listening to your symptoms and heeding them as a warning
How to act on your needs and make adjustments so you don’t get ill
Understanding that it takes time to re-train yourself to say yes when you mean yes and no when you mean no
Why you need to be patient and give yourself time to retrain your mindset

If you enjoyed this episode and want to keep up with The Kindness Incorporated Podcast and video series, please subscribe to the show on your favourite podcast app and over on our YouTube channel.

For more information or to watch the video of this episode go to: annapinkerton.com/9

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Guilt is one of the most distressful emotions you can experience and if you let it, it can get in the way of you looking after yourself. When you feel guilty about something, it can have a detrimental effect on your mental health. Once it buries itself inside your mind, guilt is an emotion that’s difficult to switch off.

Overwhelming feelings of guilt can make you want to self-punish by neglecting self-care and focusing your energy satisfying the wants and needs of others. People who are on the verge of burnout are often the type of people that can easily put themselves in other’s positions. They’re very insightful, empathetic and intelligent. However, they often end up suspending their own needs and instead occupy their thoughts with what others want.

While putting others needs before your own is an admirable quality to have, it can work against you if you continue to neglect self-care and your own health. So, in this episode of The Kindness Incorporated Podcast, I reveal why guilt can be a problem and what to do when guilt gets in the way of you looking after yourself.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

Why guilt is pointless and senseless
How guilt can keep you ‘stuck’ and how responsibility can help you move on
How the brain uses symptoms to alert us to an issue that we need to attend to
The difference between having a conscience and feeling guilty
An insight into the new ACTION in burnout – INACTION
How tiny adjustments can have a big impact

If you enjoyed this episode and want to keep up with The Kindness Incorporated Podcast and video series, please subscribe to the show on your favourite podcast app and on our YouTube channel.

For more information or to watch the video of this episode go to: annapinkerton.com/8

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What should you do when you’re on the verge of burnout? If stress, anxiety and/or depression is weighing heavy on your shoulders and you feel as though you can’t take another second of it, it’s time to take a step back and re-evaluate your life.

If you’re on the cusp of burnout, you need help. In my line of work, I see a lot of people who have reached this stage because of work-related stress. They may feel overworked and exhausted with nowhere and nobody to turn to. They feel broken down physically and emotionally and it’s when they’re on the very verge of burnout that they finally come to me for help, support, and guidance.

The first thing I tell anyone on the edge of burnout is to take everything out of your diary that isn’t absolutely necessary. This is the first step to help prevent burnout so that you don’t break down completely. In this episode of The Kindness Incorporated Podcast, you’ll discover why this is one of the best things you can do when you’re on the verge of burning out.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

Why it’s important to take everything out of your diary when you’re close to burning out
How long recovery from burnout usually takes
The problem with guilt and why it can hinder your recovery journey
How to deal with guilt and stop letting it control your decisions
The importance of prevention when it comes to burnout trauma
Why you should take time off work when you’re on the verge of burnout

If you enjoyed this episode and want to keep up with The Kindness Incorporated Podcast and video series, please subscribe to the show on your favourite podcast app and over on our YouTube channel.

For more information or to watch the video of this episode go to: annapinkerton.com/7

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I once thought that I knew everything there is to know about burnout trauma and PTSD. But, as it turns out, there’s a huge difference between thinking you know what someone is going through and actually experiencing it for yourself. And, in this heartfelt episode of The Kindness Incorporated Podcast (and video series), I open up and let you in on my personal story.

I have over 25 years’ experience as a psychotherapist and I’m very passionate about helping people recover from chronic stress reactions, traumatic experiences, PTSD, depression, and anxiety. A part of the reason why I’m so determined to help others is because of my personal experience with trauma and recovery.

What you might not know about me is that in 2011, I was assaulted by a partner and ended up with PTSD. I was thrown across my bedroom and as a result, was injured. It took me a long time to recover and although my physical injuries healed, the emotional trauma left me scarred. I knew I couldn’t keep living like that forever. So, I set out to begin my journey to recovery and although it was incredibly difficult, I did come out on the other side stronger than ever.

I wanted to share my story with you so that it might help someone else out there who is experiencing burnout, trauma, PTSD, chronic stress or breakdown. I hope that by hearing my story, you might feel empowered to look inside yourself and discover the willpower and motivation to ask for help and take the next step in your own recovery journey.

In this episode, I share:

The circumstances that led to me developing PTSD
My symptoms of PTSD and how it impacted my personal life
How I was able to take the first step in my recovery journey
The importance of being kind to yourself
How long it took me to fully recover from trauma
How my experience with PTSD inspired me to help others recover from trauma

If you want to keep up with The Kindness Incorporated Podcast and video series, please subscribe to the show on your favourite podcast app and/or on YouTube.

For more information or to watch the video of this episode go to: annapinkerton.com/6

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When our stress levels skyrocket and we overwork ourselves for too long, we often turn on ourselves. We start to get upset or even angry because we think that we should be able to cope with all of the stress raining down on us without feeling overwhelmed. Then, we berate ourselves and become our own worst enemy.

This is why investing in yourself and your mental well-being is so important. When you burnout, you’ll probably have a short fuse not just with others, but also with yourself. You might even feel like you’ve lost your “mojo,” the thing that makes you…well, you.

If any of this sounds familiar, please take a few minutes to tune into this episode of The Kindness Incorporated Podcast, where I talk about early warning signs of burnout in terms of the thoughts and feelings a person who is burnout out may experience.

This is final instalment of the mini three-part series we have going on about the thoughts and feelings people who burnout tend to have. In this episode, we focus on how someone who is facing burnout treats themselves and why self-kindness is so important.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

What it means to lose your ‘mojo’ when you burnout
Why people who burnout often say that they don’t recognise themselves anymore
The problem with berating yourself and the negative impact it can have on your mental wellbeing
The importance of practicing self-kindness to help overcome difficult times in your life
Why people who burnout hurt themselves

If you enjoyed this episode and want to keep up with The Kindness Incorporated Podcast and video series, please subscribe to the show on your favourite podcast app and/or over on our YouTube channel.

If you want to find out more or watch the episode, go to annapinkerton.com/5

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When someone is on the verge of burnout, signs can manifest as negative thoughts and feelings as a result of mental and/or physical exhaustion. Problems that you could once solve with your eyes closed suddenly seem insurmountable. Everything looks colourless, like your life is drained from the vibrancy and energy it once had.

Thoughts and feelings are complex and when you’re approaching burnout, or you’ve already burnt out, those thoughts and feelings will often roll into each other. Before you know it, they’ve exacerbated and created even more overwhelm. Despite what many people will tell you, burnout is so much more than needing a holiday. We can’t escape our own minds after all and burnout breakdown means trauma and unfortunately, you can’t break down gently.

Burnout trauma is when a sudden and shocking rupture to your mental and physical health occurs. If you want to prevent burnout, it’s important to understand its complexities. In this episode, I share part two of our Early Signs of Burnout series, where we investigate the thoughts and feelings that tend to show up in somebody who’s on the verge of burnout.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

How the feeling of being unappreciated can lead to burnout
The importance of self-care for both your physical and emotional wellbeing
Why feelings of dread about everyday life is an early warning sign
How anxiety can drive more overwhelm and exacerbate symptoms of burnout
How burnout can impact the sharpness of your mind

If you enjoyed this episode and want to keep up with The Kindness Incorporated Podcast and video series, please subscribe to the show on your favourite podcast app and and to our YouTube channel.

To find out more and to watch this episode, click here.

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Anyone can experience burnout.

Unfortunately, nobody is truly exempt from it, but there are early warning signs that you can look out for in yourself and others to help prevent burnout.

Burnout often occurs when someone is suffering from chronic work stress and disengagement. They might not be showing many outwardly signs that burnout is taking root, but their thoughts and feelings may tell a different story.

When it comes to people’s thoughts and feelings, things can get really complicated. In this episode of The Kindness Incorporated Podcast, I reveal some thoughts that people start to have as early warning signs of burnout. This episode is part one of three, so stay tuned to learn more about the early warning signs of burnout.

A few of the thoughts I cover in this episode include:

“I don’t recognise myself anymore”
“My head is so full I can't take another thing”
“What if I keep walking (or stay on the train, keep driving, etc.), and don't go to work?”
“I'm embarrassed and ashamed about feeling this way, I don't want anyone to know”

To find out more and to watch this episode, click here.

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Is anyone exempt from burnout?

Although burnout can affect anyone at any time, there are a few similar characteristics that most people with burnout seem to experience. If you notice any of these characteristics in yourself, it’s a clear sign that you could be on a fast road to burnout.

High-achievers are often prone to experiencing burnout. They love what they do but tend to overwork themselves beyond their limit. Eventually, they reach a breaking point where can’t go the extra mile anymore. Worn down and exhausted, they have no choice but to stop.

Being aware of the traits and attitudes that can lead to burnout is important because once you can identify them within yourself, you can make adjustments and avoid burnout. In this episode of The Kindness Incorporated Podcast, I share 10 characteristics that make people ripe for burnout.

Tune into this podcast episode to learn:

Why it’s usually the strong and determined people who burnout
What it means to extend yourself beyond your limit and how it increases your risk of burnout
The benefits of seeing stress as episodic occurrences rather than an inevitable by-product of work
How to prevent burnout by slowing down and adjusting your routine along the way
Characteristics to look out for in people who have a tendency to burnout
How stress at work or at home can attribute to burnout trauma

If you enjoyed this episode and want to keep up with The Kindness Incorporated Podcast, please subscribe to the podcast and to our YouTube channel, where you can get the show as a video series.

For more information and to explore other episodes click here.

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The term ‘burnout’ is often misused and misunderstood.

Burnout is a sudden rupture in someone’s mental and physical health. The truth is, many high achievers around the world are on the verge of burnout. Like a volcano, an underbelly of overwhelming stress, anxiety and trauma bubble beneath the surface until it erupts and wreaks havoc on people’s lives.

Unfortunately, with very few safe havens to turn to for help and guidance, many leaders are left to cope with burnout alone and unsupported.

I am on a mission to change that by shining a light on the reality of burnout trauma. I’ve launched The Kindness Incorporated Podcast to help people better understand the long-term impact of burnout, how to recover and, where possible, how to prevent burnout from happening to you and/or the people you care about.

In this first episode I share what burnout is and what it isn’t. Many people assume that a sunny holiday in the Bahamas will cure burnout. But, burnout trauma is about more than simply needing a break from work.

When you continue to extend yourself beyond your limits, you’ll eventually drain your resources dry until you experience a sudden rupture. This can be very traumatic, which is why you need to make yourself aware of some of the early warning signs of burnout and gather a better understanding of what burnout is and how to deal with it.

Tune into this podcast episode to learn:

Early burnout warning signs to look out for in yourself and others
Why it’s important to give your mind and body time to rejuvenate
The truth about burnout as a neurological condition
How to identify if you’re suffering from the post-traumatic state of burnout
The importance of giving yourself and your team a period of convalescence
The bigger cost of burnout and how it can impact you, your family, and your business

For more information and to watch this as a video series click here.

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Welcome to The Kindness Incorporated Podcast with me, your host, Anna Pinkerton.

This podcast is all about burnout and breakdown.

Over the coming episodes I will be discussing:

What burnout trauma is
Recognising the symptoms of burnout
How burnout can be prevented
The burnout and breakdown recovery process

I will be drawing from what I have learned from over 26 years of clinical practice, and also sharing inspirational interviews with people who have experienced burnout and breakdown.

Tune in to learn how to work hard, work healthier and live happier.

For more information visit AnnaPinkerton.com.

The Kindness Incorporated Podcast: Recent Episodes

Anna Pinkerton