Burnout Isn’t a Badge of Honor: How to Set Boundaries & Protect Your Mental Health at Work

The Thrive Careers Podcast

She used to be the top performer on her team.
Until one day, she couldn’t get out of bed.

What looked like laziness to her manager was actually burnout—chronic emotional exhaustion from blurred boundaries, nonstop pressure, and always being “on.” And she’s not alone.

In this powerful Mental Health Awareness Month episode of the Thrive Careers Podcast, host Olajumoke Fatoki sits with clinical psychologist Oyin Oladipupo to unpack how burnout hides in plain sight at work — and what we can do about it.

🎯 Inside this episode:
✅ How to tell the difference between everyday stress and actual burnout
✅ Why high performers crash — and what managers often miss
✅ Real examples of toxic productivity and blurred boundaries post-COVID
✅ What healthy workplace boundaries actually look like
✅ The importance of inclusive, culturally competent mental health support
✅ Why rest is not a luxury — it's a leadership strategy

Whether you’re on the verge of burnout, leading a team, or just want to feel like yourself again at work — this episode will meet you with both wisdom and real-world tools to help you protect your peace and thrive in your career.

🔔 Hit follow, leave a review, and share with someone who needs this reminder:
Burnout is not a badge of honor. You deserve better.

📱 Guest: Oyinkansola Oladipupo – LinkedIn | Instagram
📸 Host: Olajumoke Fatoki – @thrive_careers_hub
🎙 More episodes:

#BurnoutRecovery #MentalHealthAtWork #BoundariesMatter #ThriveCareersPodcast #WorkplaceWellness #HustleCulture #LeadershipWellbeing #EmployeeSupport #WomenInWork #CareerGrowth #ToxicProductivity #CulturallyCompetentCare

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Let’s keep thriving together!

Chapters

1. Intro: Welcome to Thrive Careers Podcast (00:00:00)

2. Why Mental Health at Work Matters (00:00:14)

3. Meet Our Guest: Clinical Psychologist Oyin Oladipupo (00:00:14)

4. Oyin’s Background and Approach to Therapy (00:02:04)

5. Why Burnout, Stress, and Anxiety Are on the Rise Post-Pandemic (00:02:53)

6. The Role of Workload and Blurred Boundaries (00:05:43)

7. Normalizing Mental Health Conversations at Work (00:06:23)

8. The Full-Self Approach: Mind, Body, and Soul at Work (00:08:01)

9. Burnout vs. Stress: What’s the Difference? (00:08:44)

10. How Burnout Affects Performance & Why Leaders Miss It (00:10:45)

11. What Managers Can Do: Signs of Burnout vs. Performance Issues (00:13:33)

12. What Healthy Work Boundaries Actually Look Like (00:16:25)

13. Leadership’s Role in Modeling Boundaries (00:19:11)

14. Inclusive Mental Health: Supporting Women, Gen Z, and More (00:21:36)

15. Thrive Tip: Set Boundaries, Take a “Me Day” (00:25:09)

16. Rapid-Fire: If You Weren’t a Psychologist... (00:27:17)

17. Final Words: The Power of Real-World Human Connection (00:28:24)

18. Where to Connect with Oyin (00:29:46)