Burnout
STILL TREATING BUSY AS A BADGE OF HONOUR?
When I was burning out, “Busy!” was my go-to response when people asked me (casually or not) how I was. There were whole conversations that revolved around how ‘busy’ we were, because invariably my ‘busy’ response evoked a “yeah, me too!” in reply. Now, I’m not saying we WEREN’T busy. Indeed, ‘busy’ was code for…
Read MoreChoose the discomfort
It’s funny how we so often think boundaries are for other people. Boundaries are for us. When somebody’s overstepped our boundary, it’s so often because we’ve opened the gate and beckoned them in. Or at least stood at the front door and allowed them to walk on through. When you’re feeling the onset of burnout,…
Read MoreTHE ICKY, GUILT-LADEN, UNCOMFORTABLE NO
Here’s a little schadenfreude for my executive women clients. I am the Queen of Boundaries, at least when I’m coaching others. I have some simple, elegant and thoroughly useful scripts for saying “no”, and I know through experience — my own and my clients’ — that they work. Well, most of the time they work.…
Read MoreA lack of planning on their part does not constitute an emergency on yours.
You know, I get it. Executive women are very often service-centred leaders. The idea of letting somebody down, whether or not it’s our responsibility to help them, is anathema to us. We inhale it with the ‘good girl’ principles of supporting, of fixing, of caring, of pleasing that we breathe in from our earliest days.…
Read MoreHow will you prevent burnout this year?
It’s January, and despite just returning from the ‘holiday’ break, many business leaders and executives are already feeling exhausted. You might be noticing signs of weariness, of irritation, of frustration, of cynicism, perhaps of helplessness — the opposite of what you WANT to be feeling at the beginning of a brand new year.
Read MoreWhat is it that you NEED?
Hello my loves, This is Karen Brinkley from Women Leading Women Australia, here with a gentle reminder to pause and take a two-minute breather. So often, as women leading teams, businesses, and households, we reach the end of the week running on empty. The noise, the pace, the endless decisions can drown out the most…
Read MoreManaging others’ emergencies?
Setting Boundaries at Work: The Leadership Skill That Protects You Many executive women lead with care and commitment — qualities that make them extraordinary. But when the instinct to serve turns into a habit of overextending, it becomes a fast path to exhaustion. The solution lies in learning the art of setting boundaries at work.…
Read MoreEasing the Sunday Blues: How to Stop the Dread Before Monday
For many professional women, Sunday is not always restful. Somewhere between lunch and dinner a low hum of worry can creep in. It is the Sunday blues, a learned pattern that can be rewired. Press play above for a short guided reset, then use the quick starters below to calm the mind and finish the…
Read MoreIn overwhelm? Here’s how to get to calm
In Overwhelm? Here’s How to Stop and Regain Calm When you notice the physical symptoms of feeling overwhelmed — the tight chest, racing thoughts, irritability, or exhaustion — it’s often your body’s way of saying: stop. Yet many of us try to push through. In this short video, Karen Brinkley from Women Leading Women Australia…
Read MoreBurning out? True leaders seek help
Burnout Recovery: Finding Your Way Back to Yourself Burnout isn’t something you can push through. It’s not solved by a week of leave or a few early nights. True recovery takes time, compassion, and deliberate change. In this week’s video, Karen Brinkley from Women Leading Women Australia speaks about what burnout recovery really involves —…
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