How do you navigate career transitions when things feel uncertain and uncomfortable? In this episode in English, I’m joined by Dr. Rachael Skews — behavioural scientist, psychologist, coach, and internationally recognised expert in Acceptance & Commitment Coaching. We take a deep dive into career transitions and psychological flexibility & ACT (Acceptance & Commitment Therapy),exploring why uncertainty, fear, impostor thoughts, and self-doubt often show up when our work really matters — and how ACT can help us move forward. * TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 Introduction to Choose Work01:05 Career transitions, psychological flexibility, and why this episode matters01:30 Meet Dr. Rachael Skews and her work in Acceptance & Commitment Coaching03:10 What Acceptance & Commitment Coaching really is (and what it isn’t)06:45 Impostor thoughts, self-doubt, and why high performers experience them08:30 Why the goal isn’t to get rid of difficult thoughts and feelings10:30 Rachael’s non-linear career journey: consultancy, academia, health tech, and entrepreneurship15:10 Moving from academia to Headspace and working in behavioural science18:10 Entrepreneurship, uncertainty, and psychological flexibility as a resource20:00 Rest, recovery, and treating yourself like an elite performer22:20 Self-criticism, overworking, and building self-compassion at work23:40 Redundancy, career inflection points, and conscious career choice25:10 Starting a business: loneliness, creativity, and stepping into the swamp27:30 Values, meaning, and designing work that actually fits you30:10 The “swamp” metaphor: discomfort as the price of meaningful work33:00 Fear, uncertainty, and speaking outside your comfort zone35:10 ACT in action: focusing on what’s on the other side of the swamp38:00 Risk tolerance, uncertainty, and how personality shapes career choices42:20 Case example: supporting a senior leader considering entrepreneurship45:00 Scarcity mindset, money fears, and responsibility during career transitions48:00 Why fear makes sense — and why it shouldn’t make the decision50:30 Is it ever too late to build psychological flexibility?53:10 Psychological flexibility as “conscious evolution”54:20 Rachael’s upcoming book on Acceptance & Commitment Coaching56:00 A practical reflection exercise for listeners navigating career transitions58:10 Where to find Rachael and her work * Resources mentioned: - Association for Contextual Behavioral Science (ACBS) - ACBS World Conference 2026 * Support the podcast:- If you enjoy Choose Work, you can support it with a small voluntarycontribution (even the price of a coffee) via Buy Me a Coffee: buymeacoffee.com/choosework * Contact Dr. Rachael Skews and learn more about her work: - Website: https://www.rachaelskews.com/ - The Coaching UnpACT podcast * For show notes, please visit heididelanghe.com/podcast For feedback or suggestions for topics or guests, email me atcontact@heididelanghe.com Contact Heidi - Career & Leadership Coach • Expert inGiftedness • Mindfulness Teacher: - Book a free discovery call at heididelanghe.com/contact - Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/heididelanghe - Instagram: instagram.com/heididelanghe.coaching/ * Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the host. The conversations are intended for informational purposes and do notconstitute professional, psychological, or career advice.
