In Good Companies is back with a special series to relax, reset, and dive back into business. And while this is an ideal season to press pause and step out of the office, for some of us, the need for a break is pressing. In 2024, 38% of US employees report having experienced burnout; a phenomenon recognized by the World Health Organization as an occupational issue.

So how do we change our systems and habits to enhance well-being at work, and avoid burnout? When it comes to our corporate lives, what can we do to stay motivated, productive and healthy in the long term? We answer these questions with Paula Davis, a burnout recovery and well-being expert, and CEO of the Stress & Resilience Institute.

In this episode, our new host Ari Marin speaks with Paula about what burnout feels like, and how to recognize it before it’s too late. Together, we strategize recovery and discuss how to undo stigma, to open up conversations on mental health inside our companies. Throughout, Paula will share her experiences of triumph over chronic fatigue; proving that burnout is not the end of the road, but a fork in it.

So tune in with Paula and Ari, to start a new conversation today and find your path to stress resilience.

Highlights:

• Paula’s own experience with Burnout (3:11)
• The science of stress resilience (6:26)
• How habits, values, or preconceptions contribute to Burnout (8:03)
• Taking the time for recovery (10:49)
• Recognizing early signs of Burnout (12:19)
• An exercise to notice symptoms (16:25)
• A “me” and a “we” approach to Burnout (18:56)
• The “core six” drivers of chronic stress (20:36)
• How to tackle motivation from generation to generation (23:24)
• Strategies for recovery and prevention (25:45)
• Paula’s go-to resources for education (29:12)
• Breaking the stigma around Burnout (30:49)
• Using flexibility for professional empowerment (33:29)
• Burnout as a constructive journey (36:42)

Links:

• Cadence Bank Website
• Cadence Bank X (Twitter)
• Cadence Bank LinkedIn
• The Stress & Resilience Institute Website
• Paula Davis LinkedIn
• Paula Davis in Forbes
• World Health Organization - “Burnout as an ‘occupational’ phenomenon”
• Spill - “Burnout Statistics You need to know for 2024”
• Book - Nick Petrie’s “Work Without Stress”
• Ted Talk - Dr. Kelly McGonigal’s “How to Make Stress Your Friend”

Feedback:

If you have questions about the show or topics you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producers, [email protected], [email protected], or [email protected].

 

Read the full show transcript.

Meet the Host

Ari Marin, SVP, Family Enterprise Advisor, Cadence Asset Management & Trust and the new host of Cadence Bank’s In Good Companies (IGC) podcast, says his idea of “good company” is being around creative, insightful people who enjoy sharing personal stories about the things that helped make them successful.

From 9 to 5, Marin is a Cadence Bank senior vice president and family wealth strategist, whose specialty is consulting with family-owned and small businesses. Now, he’s squeezing in IGC hosting duties, bringing in a new voice and fresh perspectives.

As a lawyer with a master’s in taxation from Villanova, Marin holds his own in the business world. But hosting IGC gives him a new way of engaging with entrepreneurs and experts to learn smart ideas and new ways of doing things.

Outside the office, Marin is a history fan and podcast aficionado who loves reading and exercising with his two dogs: Friday–aka “the angel”--and Mahla, the stubborn Shih Tzu with selective hearing.

 

Meet the Speaker

Paula Davis JD, MAPP, is the Founder and CEO of the Stress & Resilience Institute, a training and consulting firm that partners with organizations to help them build thriving and resilient teams. Paula has been working closely with organizations of all sizes to improve team well-being and performance for more than a decade, and since 2020 alone has delivered nearly 400 workshops, trainings, keynotes, and programs at the intersection of team motivation, well-being, resilience, and burnout prevention.

 

Paula left her law practice after seven years and earned a master’s degree in applied positive psychology from the University of Pennsylvania. As part of her post-graduate training, Paula was selected to be part of the University of Pennsylvania faculty teaching and training resilience skills to soldiers as part of the Army’s Comprehensive Soldier and Family Fitness program. The Penn team trained resilience skills to more than 40,000 soldiers and their family members.

Paula is the author of Beating Burnout at Work: Why Teams Hold the Secret to Well-Being & Resilience, which is about burnout prevention using a teams-based approach. Beating Burnout at Work was nominated for best new book by the Next Big Idea Club, which is curated by Adam Grant, Susan Cain, Malcom Gladwell, and Daniel Pink. In addition, her book was the #1 best-selling title for her publisher, the Wharton School Press.

Paula is writing her 2nd book to be published by the Wharton School Press in April, 2025. In it, she will share five mindsets leaders must develop to create thriving team cultures.

Her expertise has been featured in and on The New York Times, O, The Oprah Magazine, The Washington Post and in many other publications. Paula is also a contributor to Forbes, Fast Company and Psychology Today.

Paula has been a guest lecturer for various Harvard Law School Executive Education and the Wharton School Executive Education programs. Paula is also a two-time recipient of the distinguished teaching award from the Medical College of Wisconsin.

Paula’s website is www.stressandresilience.com, and you can reach her directly at [email protected].

 

 

 

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