Skip to main content
Beating Burnout

Beating Burnout

By Asif Dhanani

Burnout is something that many of us accept as par for the course and is something we tolerate in the background of our lives until it becomes unsustainable, but this doesn't have to be the case.

In Beating Burnout, we present an interdisciplinary look at burnout in the domain of knowledge work, ranging from personal stories to neuroscientific explorations of the causes of burnout.

Episodes present a model of self-awareness, knowledge, and action, where we explore a topic, provide resources for further self-exploration, and invite you to take action and build your anti-burnout toolkit.
Available on
Apple Podcasts Logo
Google Podcasts Logo
Pocket Casts Logo
RadioPublic Logo
Spotify Logo
Currently playing episode

Anti-Venom

Beating BurnoutJan 06, 2024

00:00
02:27:18
Anti-Venom

Anti-Venom

In this episode, Desmond Antonetti and myself discuss how the self-doubt conditioned in ourselves at an early age shows up for us now in self-sabotaging behaviors that hurt the people around us and how taking care of our self-loathing is a vital responsibility.


We talk about how self-sacrifice only works up until a certain point, how it's important to have more fun, toeing the line between being kind to yourself and taking personal responsibility, and how regular conversations to talk about all the ways you feel like you're letting yourself and others down actually makes changing those parts of yourself so much easier. Tune in!

Jan 06, 202402:27:18
Let’s Talk About Money!

Let’s Talk About Money!

Money is the motive on todays episode of Beating Burnout. Stephanie Sosa joins me in unpacking where our views on money came from, how they’ve changed with different jobs and circumstances, and more. We hope you enjoy the show!
Mar 24, 202301:06:02
The Sweetness of Doing Nothing

The Sweetness of Doing Nothing

Therapy, meditation, nature, nutrition, sleep, blah, blah, blah. 

All of these lifestyle changes and interventions have a place in supporting our mental health, but sometimes the best thing you can do for yourself is nothing at all. Join me as special guest Stephanie Sosa tries to teach me how to chill the f*#$ out. Enjoy!

Aug 31, 202129:14
TFW Your Social Battery Runs Out

TFW Your Social Battery Runs Out

Have you ever experienced the feeling when we’re out with our friends and all of a sudden you just can’t function anymore and there’s no going back. It’s time to go home, now. Now that we’re re-entering the world, it’s taking a lot less to drain our social batteries and it’s taking a lot longer to recover. But with a few simple tweaks to our thinking and planning, we can anticipate this and find a better balance than we had before. For more detail, listen now.
Jul 01, 202159:38
Revenge Bedtime Procrastination - The Sneaky Start of the Burnout Cycle

Revenge Bedtime Procrastination - The Sneaky Start of the Burnout Cycle

The term “revenge bedtime procrastination” has recently become popularized as a way to describe what happens when you stay up late for apparently no reason and sabotage your next day. We dive into what your mind is trying to tell you when you do that, how to tackle it in a way beyond just “don’t do it”, and why it’s actually the best intervention point to impact your overall well being. Hope you enjoy it!
Jun 24, 202150:18
Promoting Emotional Wellness at Scale with Brandon Sammut, Chief People Officer at Liveramp

Promoting Emotional Wellness at Scale with Brandon Sammut, Chief People Officer at Liveramp

It's my pleasure to host Brandon Sammut, the Chief People and Culture Officer at Liveramp, a data connectivity company with over 1,000 individuals. As an employee at Liveramp, I have seen Liveramp implement a number of wellness initiatives before and throughout the pandemic including an app-based therapy offering and home office budgeting. 


I wanted to get a deeper understanding of how these types of programs are decided on, what insight leadership actually has to the mental wellness of individual employees, and how success in implementing something like a wellness program is measured. Safe to say, I was blown away by the intelligence around emotional well-being, awareness of the struggles of Liverampers, and the level of solutions-oriented insight Brandon was able to provide. 


If you are a leader looking to understand how to better improve the wellness of your team in a virtual environment or someone curious about the above topics, enjoy us for some truly eye-opening conversation!


Apr 05, 202154:01
Pandemic Proof Positivity: The Story of Antonetti's Hair for Men

Pandemic Proof Positivity: The Story of Antonetti's Hair for Men

He started his barbershop out of his garage and has been a source of inspiration, positivity, and great haircuts ever since. Foregoing traditional business principles in favor of running his business with integrity and passion, he has created an oasis of culture in Long Beach and a loyal customer base that has allowed him to not only persevere through the pandemic, but to grow and expand his business operations.  


Join me for an inside look into the journey of Desmond Antonetti, founder of Antonetti's Hair for Men. We talk about the motivations for choosing an entrepreneurial path, how to create a truly people-first business, the difficult decisions you have to make when finances conflict with values, and how he was able to adapt during the pandemic to create new opportunities. 

Mar 07, 202159:31
When to Stop Pushing: Interview with Anthony Phillips
Jan 26, 202144:01
The Burnout Wheel - Identifying the Root

The Burnout Wheel - Identifying the Root

Burnout is often thought about as having too much on your plate and not enough time to do it. But it is oftentimes just as much related to not having enough of the drivers of positive momentum that keep people engaged and excited about their work. 

In this episode, we walk through many of the common sources of burnout, walk through an exercise to understand which are most important to you, and how to take these learnings and use them to start the conversation with friends, family, or even your manager about your options for making things better. 


Burnout Wheel Exercise: https://bit.ly/35MK4tL

Jan 17, 202128:25
No Pressure New Year

No Pressure New Year

Welcome to the first episode of the new year where we discuss how to set yourself up for success without the pressure that resolutions so often bring. By focusing on your primary intentions and looking for ways throughout the year to strive for your intention, you give yourself a less stressful and more dynamic way to make progress. 


Resources for the exercise mentioned in the episode: 


Values Examples: https://www.therapistaid.com/worksheets/values-clarification.pdf

Value Statements: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DvmEDxt3I6U_MKZvqeCGXRBWDDrDBHYJ/view

AIM SMART Goals: https://www.apexmastery.com/aim-smart-toward-your-goal/

Jan 16, 202114:18
Emotional Virology

Emotional Virology

A 5 minute power charge for the rest of your day! The pace that thoughts grow and spread in the mind is so staggeringly quick that you can make major strides in your mental health journey right now.
Dec 11, 202006:41
Beyond Therapy: 7 Pillars of Mental Health

Beyond Therapy: 7 Pillars of Mental Health

No stories in this episode - this is for anyone who wants to make significant shifts to their mental health today. 

In this flipped interview, we discuss mental health by using physical health as an analog - focusing on the importance of setting SPECIFIC goals, tracking progress, and how to wade through the hundreds of things you could be doing (meditation, journaling, walks in nature, etc, etc.) to create the few things you can turn into your "mental health workout". 

Most importantly, we break down some of the most important tweaks that can make drastic changes in your anxiety levels no matter who you are and how you can easily integrate these things into your routine without much additional time and effort by leveraging the circumstances of your everyday life as opportunities to practice new skills. Join us - it's a fun one! 


To sign up for the mental health tracking challenge, fill out this quick form (30 seconds, I promise): https://forms.gle/GuLhu6Yntwp3gUPr5

To learn more about Women's Empowerment and Impact Coach Robyn, check her out on Instagram: @ownthislifecoaching

Nov 16, 202051:25
A Journey Through the Bipolar Universe
Oct 19, 202001:12:30
Imposter Syndrome: The Hidden Career Killer

Imposter Syndrome: The Hidden Career Killer

*** AUDIO WARNING - Due to some spotty WiFi, there are a few times where the audio cuts out or lags briefly - it gets better as the episode progresses. Thanks for listening and supporting as we work out the kinks - I promise this is a good one! *** Womens’ Impact and Empowerment Coach Robyn Eckersley masterfully breaks down the nuances of imposter syndrome, why it’s so prevalent in today’s work culture, and shares some immediately applicable techniques for working through it when it takes over.
Sep 17, 202049:19
Undiagnosable - A Story of Breath

Undiagnosable - A Story of Breath

In this episode, we feature breathwork practitioner Edwin Ho, who walks us through his own terrifying respiratory and digestive system shutdown. He walks us through his journey and how a few simple changes in the way he was breathing completely changed his prognosis when doctors had no idea what was going on and how some of these same techniques can make drastic changes in our stress levels and body functions.
Sep 06, 202042:60