Phoenix from the burn out

I've been asked a couple of times lately "what made you decide to set up Humans at Work?"

Rather than give glib answers, I've chosen to talk about it in real terms.

At the time, I was trying to get myself back after burning down/out. Burn-out is an individual experience, but for me the lack of feeling or care for almost everything was the scariest part. Part of my recovery involved walking along my local beach, often listening to podcasts, trying to light my curiosity spark again. One day on one of these walks, the idea for Humans at Work came to me.

It was born from a decision to value my voice, whether or not anyone was listening! And to speak about what I know from hard-won experience, to use what I am, have, care about for greater impact. I didn't want to regret not doing it, I'd rather do it and learn from it if it didn't work.

People find courage differently, and how bravery looks and feels is an individual thing. What I appear to do easily, takes bravery from others. What others appear to do without a pause, takes me putting on my big girl pants!

What helps is seeing other people doing something different, risky, stepping outside their comfort zone...feeling part of a community, feeling like you have heroes to emulate, feeling like others will back you if you stumble.

In the podcasts, I ask guests to share themselves - as a source of inspiration for myself and others. That takes bravery and courage, generosity of spirit, and their time. In return, I guarantee them that at the very least, I am listening to their voice and their stories, and that I care.

I'm very excited about the next podcast series because the line-up of guests is extraordinary, as usual a great mix of people from around the world, with a wide variety of personality quirks and stories to tell!

Caring and curiosity for and about others reminds me everyday that I'm no longer a burnt out shell, that I've grown back better, and that the next time I get close to setting alight I have a great network who would happily pour cold water on me!

Putting aside the time to create and nurture connection, to check that you're caring and curiosity are well fed, is a crucial part of wellbeing. What are you doing right now to care for yourself?

Thank you for reading our blog post! We hope you found it informative and engaging. If you enjoyed our content, we have more to offer through our podcast and monthly newsletter. Here's how you can stay connected and get even more value from Humans at Work.

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