Healthcare professionals face overwhelming challenges. Long hours, constant stress, and high expectations take a heavy toll. Emma Leivesley, a burnout coach and hypnotherapist, has dedicated her work to helping doctors, nurses, and allied health professionals find balance. On the You World Order Showcase Podcast, Emma shared her story and actionable ways to prevent and recover from burnout.
Emma’s journey began with her own battle against burnout. In 2014, while teaching at a college, she woke up one day feeling emotionally empty. That moment was a turning point. It took three years to recover, but it gave Emma a purpose: helping others avoid the pain she endured.
With her experience as a hypnotherapist and years working in mental health for the UK’s National Health Service (NHS), Emma saw firsthand how medical staff struggle. Stress, understaffing, and constant patient demands create a perfect storm for burnout. Determined to help, Emma combined her expertise in coaching, mindfulness, and psychology to support healthcare professionals worldwide.
Burnout in healthcare isn’t confined to one country—it’s a global crisis. Doctors and nurses are stretched too thin, often working long shifts with little rest. Emma highlighted a sobering statistic: in the UK, doctors are twice as likely to die by suicide compared to the general population.
Burnout occurs when stress goes unmanaged for too long. The World Health Organization defines it as chronic workplace stress, but Emma believes it’s more than that. It’s a mix of professional and personal pressures. Long hours, emotional exhaustion, and unmanageable workloads create a dangerous cycle. Preventing burnout, she says, is much easier than recovering from it.
Emma clarified the difference between stress and burnout. Stress can motivate you and push you to take action. Burnout, on the other hand, results from prolonged, unresolved stress. It leaves you feeling empty, resentful, and hopeless.
Burnout takes a heavy mental toll, while stress often shows up physically—like increased heart rate or high blood pressure. Both are dangerous, but burnout is harder to reverse. Prevention is key.
Emma believes small changes can have a big impact. She encourages healthcare workers to look for “glimmers,” small moments of joy or positivity. These might include making a colleague laugh, appreciating a patient’s thank-you, or noticing a compliment. These moments build resilience and shift focus away from negativity.
Setting boundaries is another crucial step. Emma emphasized that saying “no” to extra shifts or overwhelming demands doesn’t make you less committed to your job. It makes you stronger and better equipped to help others.
Mindfulness plays a central role in Emma’s coaching. However, she understands that traditional meditation isn’t always practical for healthcare professionals. Instead, she teaches simple mindfulness techniques that fit into busy lives. Her free Mindfulness Guide helps healthcare workers reduce stress and find balance through quick, actionable exercises.
Emma is also launching a 28-day mindfulness program. It features short, daily practices designed to energize and refresh busy professionals. Participants can start anytime and work at their own pace.
Emma’s mission is to help healthcare workers stay in their roles while prioritizing their mental health. Burnout has far-reaching consequences, not only for medical staff but for the patients who rely on them. By addressing stress early and creating healthy habits, Emma helps professionals thrive in their demanding careers.
As Emma wisely said, “You can’t help others if you don’t prioritize yourself first.”
Burnout isn’t just a healthcare problem—it’s a human problem. Everyone needs to prioritize self-care and manage stress before it becomes unmanageable. Emma’s work reminds us that small changes can make a big difference.
Download Emma’s Mindfulness Guide at programmes.emmaleivesley.com to start creating balance in your life today.
What was your biggest takeaway from this conversation? Share your thoughts in the comments or join us on social media!
Unlock the power of mindfulness https://emma-s-site-47d3.thinkific.com/products/digital_downloads/free-mindfulness-guide
https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-leivesley-coach
https://www.facebook.com/share/F5tnUqm2vwKLRoi5
https://programmes.emmaleivesley.com
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