We spoke to Burnout Protection Officer Sarah Wassell on burnout, how to avoid it and apparently, all it comes down to is your golden balls. Colour us intrigued. Find out more by listening to the full episode.
Meet Sarah Wassell, otherwise known as The Burnout Protection Officer or BoPo for short. After suffering 2 spouts of burnout herself, Sarah considers herself an expert in burnout and now helps primarily women, avoid and recover from burnout.
Our co-host Kate sat down with her and recorded a fantastic episode with lots of juicy questions getting right to the heart of what causes burnout, how to spot it and how to keep it away for good and create practises that keep it at bay.
Below are snippets of some of the questions we asked Sarah, listen to the full episode for complete details on burnout.
Interviewer: “So what would you say is the primary cause of burnout?”
Sarah: “I think it’s all the little things that you say yes to. So you’ll say yes to this little thing, which doesn’t seem like a lot, but it takes up your time. And then yes to this, and then yes to that. And then you’ve got 553 things. And there’s different stages with the mental load. …one is anticipating it. Kids are going to need new shoes. The second one is identifying it. We need to buy the shoes. The third one is exploring all the options. and doing and getting the shoes. And then the fourth one is making sure that the shoes have been bought and they are adequate.
Interviewer: What do you think happens if people don’t solve their burnout and people just keep soldiering on?
Sarah: Well, I’ve seen it and I’ve felt it in myself as well, that you just, it’s just not fun. And you’re operating on a system that is, it’s like a battery that’s dying. You know, you’re not at your best. You’re not at your best for yourself or for your family. You’re not your best at work. And it’s just, it’s a really hard slog. It’s not fun. It’s not nice. And eventually when you keep on ignoring all the signs, it just gets you and it just floors you like it did with me.
Central to her narrative is the concept of identifying and prioritizing our “golden balls,” a metaphor for the essential aspects of our lives that we must protect and nurture. This essay delves into the significance of recognizing these golden balls and the transformative power of prioritisation in fostering well-being and resilience.
Sarah’s journey into burnout began with a series of life events that many can relate to: the sudden loss of her mother, the demands of raising three young children, and the pressures of starting a new job. Initially, she believed she could cope with the stress, attributing her ability to manage to a high stress threshold. She then later experienced an emotional breakdown which was when she finally recognized the extent of her struggle.
Overall, the chat we had with Sarah for our latest episode was truly insightful. Anyone who is a people pleaser, parent or used to putting other’s needs above their own can relate and find it useful. Self-care and managing time isn’t a luxury only for the organised, it is necessary to avoid burnout and to truly live a rich, balanced and happy life. We implore everyone to be introspective, identify their golden balls so that we can all thrive rather than survive.
To listen to Sarah Wassell share all her best tips and tricks to avoiding and noticing burnout listen to the full podcast episode here.
