Revive & Thrive - Managing Stress and Burnout

Rich Bagnall

Revive & Thrive is a straight-talking podcast about stress, overwhelm and burnout, and what actually works to change it. Hosted by Rich Bagnall, stress and burnout coach, mental health nurse, and organisational wellbeing lead, this podcast goes beyond surface-level advice and generic “self-care” tips. If you’re exhausted but can’t slow down… If you look like you’re coping on the outside but feel wired and overwhelmed underneath… If you’re constantly “just getting through the week”… This is for you. Each episode explores what really drives stress in modern life, high pressure environments, leadership load, people-pleasing, overthinking, nervous system overload, and how to build genuine capacity instead of just coping harder. Expect: • Real conversations with real people • Practical tools that work in real life (not just in theory) • Honest discussions about burnout, boundaries and emotional load • Insight into how pressure affects the body and mind, and how to reset it This isn’t about quitting your job or escaping your responsibilities. It’s about learning how to stay steady under pressure, protect your energy, and build a life that doesn’t rely on running on empty. If you’re ready to stop surviving and start living properly again, you’re in the right place. FOLLOW RICH ON INSTAGRAM: @rb_burnoutcoach - Instagram WEBSITE FOR 1:1 COACHING PROGRAMME - https://www.rbburnoutcoach.co.uk/ CONTACT BY EMAIL: rrbburnoutcoach@gmail.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. The Hidden Grief Behind Burnout, Self-Sabotage and Survival Mode

    May 14

    The Hidden Grief Behind Burnout, Self-Sabotage and Survival Mode

    In this episode of Revive and Thrive, I’m joined by Kendal, a certified grief guide, for one of the most powerful conversations I’ve had on the podcast to date. When we hear the word grief, most of us think about bereavement and the death of someone we love. But grief and loss can show up in so many other ways throughout our lives, through relationship breakdowns, estrangement, childhood experiences, health struggles, miscarriage, identity shifts, career changes, unmet expectations, and the life we thought we would have. Kendal shares her own deeply personal story and explains how grief she hadn’t fully recognised was quietly shaping the patterns that kept repeating in her life, from self-abandonment and burnout to emotional eating, overworking and feeling stuck in the same loops. Together, we explore how unresolved loss can sit underneath the behaviours we judge ourselves for, why simply “keeping busy” or “giving it time” doesn’t always heal what’s there, and how curiosity, nervous system support and being willing to look beneath the pattern can begin to change things. This is a conversation about grief, yes, but it’s also about survival, self-understanding, and recognising that sometimes the question isn’t “What’s wrong with me?” but “What have I been carrying that I never had the chance to process?” A rich, honest and thought-provoking episode that I think will stay with you long after listening. FOLLOW KENDAL ON INSTAGRAM: @kendalgriefguide: Instagram FOLLOW RICH ON INSTAGRAM: Instagram: Rich Bagnall - ILM Qualified Coach and Mental Health Nurse (@rb_burnoutcoach) • Instagram photos and videos 1:1 Coaching Programme: Work With Me | Rich Bagnall Stres Email: rbburnoutcoach@gmail.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1h 15m
  2. An Honest Story of Stress, Pressure & The Moments That Shape You

    Apr 2

    An Honest Story of Stress, Pressure & The Moments That Shape You

    In this episode, I’m joined by Jess as we dive into her journey through corporate life, burnout, parenting, and building a business that actually feels aligned. Jess was also my coach for 6 months and I've been waiting to try and get her on for a while now! Jess shares what it was like growing up around parents with psychology backgrounds, seeing burnout up close, and how her own experiences shaped the way she now works and lives. We talk honestly about pressure, the kind you choose, the kind that’s put on you, and the kind you don’t even realise you’re creating for yourself. We talk about those moments where you realise something has to give: The internal battles. The guilt. The pressure to keep going. We also talk about those tough moments in life, the ones that feel like too much at the time, and how they’re often the ones we look back on and realise shaped us, made us stronger, and pushed us to grow. This isn’t a “perfect story” episode. It’s real life. The messy middle. The pressure. The moments where something has to change. And it's a must listen! FOLLOW JESS ON INSTAGRAM: jessbatescoaching: Instagram Jess's Business and Mindset Coaching: Jess Bates | Business Coaching & Mentoring | for coaches and service based businesses FOLLOW RICH ON INSTAGRAM: Instagram: Rich Bagnall - ILM Qualified Coach and Mental Health Nurse (@rb_burnoutcoach) • Instagram photos and videos 1:1 Coaching Programme: Work With Me | Rich Bagnall Stres Email: rbburnoutcoach@gmail.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1h 29m
  3. Stuck in the Diet Cycle? Let’s Talk About What’s Really Going On

    Mar 20

    Stuck in the Diet Cycle? Let’s Talk About What’s Really Going On

    This one’s a really powerful conversation. In this episode I sit down with Cathy, a weight loss coach, but honestly… this goes way beyond just food and weight. We get into the stuff that actually matters. Not just what you eat, but how it all links with your mindset, your nervous system, and the way you see yourself. We talk about: • Why most diets don’t work (and why that’s not your fault) • The cycle of yo-yo dieting and how people get stuck in it • How your relationship with food is shaped over time • The pressure society puts on us to look a certain way, and where that actually comes from • And how all of this connects to stress, burnout, and how you feel day to day There’s a big part of this conversation around unlearning. Unlearning the rules. Unlearning the guilt. Unlearning the idea that you’re the problem. Because you’re not. We also get into how nourishment, movement, nervous system regulation and mindset all work together. Not in a perfect, rigid way…but in a real, human way that actually fits into your life. I really enjoyed this one. It’s honest, it’s refreshing, and it challenges a lot of what people have been told for years. And I know you’ll take something from it. If you’ve ever felt stuck in that cycle of trying, failing, starting again this one’s definitely worth a listen FOLLOW CATHY ON INSTAGRAM: @dietculture.dropout Instagram FOLLOW RICH ON INSTAGRAM: Instagram: Rich Bagnall - ILM Qualified Coach and Mental Health Nurse (@rb_burnoutcoach) • Instagram photos and videos 1:1 Coaching Programme: Work With Me | Rich Bagnall Stres Email: rbburnoutcoach@gmail.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1h 10m
  4. Stop Forcing Calm: A Different Way to Regulate Your Nervous System – With Jane, Creator of the MirrorWalk Method

    Feb 25

    Stop Forcing Calm: A Different Way to Regulate Your Nervous System – With Jane, Creator of the MirrorWalk Method

    Most people think regulating their nervous system means calming down. Breathing slower. Meditating harder. Journalling more. And when that doesn’t work? They assume they’re doing it wrong. In this episode, Jane (creator of the MirrorWalk Method) and I flip that on its head. Because it’s not that the tools are wrong. It’s that we’ve been using them the wrong way round. If your system is stuck in survival mode, forcing calm can actually make things worse. Top-down tools – thinking, analysing, trying to relax your way out of stress – often aren’t what a dysregulated system needs. Why? Because 80% of the messages that regulate your nervous system travel from your body to your brain. Not the other way round. So we don’t start with “calm your thoughts.” We start with safety in the body. We talk about: • Why joy isn’t indulgent – it’s regulatory • Why movement beats white-knuckling stillness • Why rhythm and familiarity matter more than you think • Why trying to “relax properly” can backfire And then Jane shares her MirrorWalk Method – a simple but powerful bottom-up practice that’s exploding for a reason (over 40k followers on Instagram). Because it works. This isn’t another “just breathe” conversation. It’s honest. It’s energising. And it might completely change how you think about stress and regulation. This is genuinely one of the best conversations I’ve had. If you’ve been trying to force calm and wondering why it’s not landing…You need to hear this one. FOLLOW JANE ON INSTAGRAM: @herfireconfidence - Instagram The MirrorWalk Method - Jane (@herfireconfidence) | Stan FOLLOW RICH ON INSTAGRAM: Rich Bagnall - ILM Qualified Coach and Mental Health Nurse (@rb_burnoutcoach) • Instagram photos and videos 1:1 Coaching Programme: Work With Me | Rich Bagnall Stres Email: rbburnoutcoach@gmail.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1h 7m
  5. Welcoming Back Stress Consultant Jan Summerfield

    Feb 9

    Welcoming Back Stress Consultant Jan Summerfield

    In this episode, Jan and I get properly stuck into what stress really looks like in real life, not just the theory, but the day-to-day reality of trying to juggle work, family, responsibility and everything else life throws at us. We talk about navigating uncertainty, especially when work feels unstable or overwhelming, and how easy it is to lose sight of what actually matters when you’re stuck in survival mode. We explore meaningful work, identity, and what happens when you’ve been “just coping” for so long that you forget what feeling well even looks like. We get into the science of stress and recovery in a really down-to-earth way, what’s happening in the nervous system, why so many people can’t switch off even when they’re exhausted, and why rest often feels harder than pushing through. Jan shares lots of practical wisdom around boundaries, self-care (the real kind, not the Instagram version), and how small daily habits can either keep us stuck… or gently bring us back to ourselves. This is one of those conversations that feels like a deep breath. Honest, relatable, and full of reminders that you don’t need to overhaul your whole life overnight, but you do need to stop ignoring what your system has been trying to tell you. If you’ve been feeling stuck in stress, running on empty, or like you’ve lost a bit of yourself along the way… this one’s for you. FOLLOW RICH ON INSTAGRAM: Rich Bagnall - ILM Qualified Coach and Mental Health Nurse (@rb_burnoutcoach) • Instagram photos and videos 1:1 Coaching Programme: Work With Me | Rich Bagnall Stres Email: rbburnoutcoach@gmail.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1h 21m
  6. The Cost of Trying to Be Everything to Everyone - With Ben Russell

    Feb 2

    The Cost of Trying to Be Everything to Everyone - With Ben Russell

    In this episode, I’m joined by Ben Russell, host of the Couch to Coached podcast and we’re having a proper honest conversation about what happens when life just quietly piles up. Ben shares his story of starting a business, supporting his elderly parents, raising a family, and trying to keep everything afloat… until his mental health started to suffer and burnout crept in. We talk about what that actually looked like day to day, the pressure no one else really sees, the guilt, the self-blame, and that feeling of “I should be coping better than this.” Ben also opens up about losing his mum, the complex emotions that came with that, and how grief can sit alongside relief when the pressure you’ve been carrying finally shifts. A big part of Ben’s recovery has been running, and we get into how movement helped him manage stress, clear his head, and start feeling more like himself again. And he shares how Couch to Coached became more than just a podcast, it became part of how he looked after himself. We also talk about Ben’s ADHD and autism diagnosis, how that’s helped him understand himself better, and why neurodivergent nervous systems can experience stress and burnout differently. This episode is for anyone who’s been trying to be everything to everyone, quietly struggling, and wondering why they feel so overwhelmed. You’re not weak. You’re not failing. Sometimes life just gets heavy, and you don’t have to carry it alone. FOLLOW RICH ON INSTAGRAM: Rich Bagnall - ILM Qualified Coach and Mental Health Nurse (@rb_burnoutcoach) • Instagram photos and videos 1:1 Coaching Programme: Work With Me | Rich Bagnall Stres Email: rbburnoutcoach@gmail.com FOLLOW BEN AND THE COUCH TO COACHED PODCAST: Ben's Instagram Couch to Coach Instagram Books mentioned in the podcast: Dopamine Nation The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F**kThe Let Them Theory The dose Effect Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1 hr
  7. The Coaching Transformation - From Burnout & Surviving To Actually Living Again

    10/06/2025

    The Coaching Transformation - From Burnout & Surviving To Actually Living Again

    In today’s episode, Tina, a Senior Sister on Critical Care, opens up about her journey through burnout. She describes what it was really like to reach the point of exhaustion, giving everything to work, holding it together for everyone else, and completely neglecting herself in the process. When we first started working together, Tina was in a dark place, overwhelmed, anxious, constantly running on empty, with no boundaries and no energy left for the things or people she cared about most. Through coaching, everything began to shift. Each session helped her untangle the guilt, challenge the stories keeping her stuck, and start rebuilding from the inside out. Together, we worked on mindset, boundaries, and self-compassion, practical tools that helped her take back control, one small step at a time. Now, Tina’s calmer, more confident, and leading both at work and in life from a place of strength rather than survival. She’s proof that coaching isn’t about “fixing” people, it’s about guiding them back to themselves, helping them see that change is possible, and empowering them to create a life that actually feels like theirs again. If you’ve ever thought “I can’t keep doing this” this episode will show you what’s possible when you stop trying to survive alone and start investing in yourself. Takeaways Burnout can happen to anyone, regardless of their role or responsibilities.Recognising the signs of burnout is crucial for recovery.Coaching can provide valuable tools and support for managing stress.Setting boundaries is essential for maintaining mental health.Self-compassion is key to overcoming feelings of shame and guilt.It's important to prioritise self-care and personal well-being.Speaking up about mental health struggles can help others feel less alone.Creating a toolbox of coping strategies can aid in recovery.Social support is vital during difficult times.Transformations take time, and it's okay to seek help along the way. FOLLOW RICH ON INSTAGRAM: INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/rb_burnoutcoach/ CONTACT US BY EMAIL: reviveandthrivepod1@gmail.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1h 17m

About

Revive & Thrive is a straight-talking podcast about stress, overwhelm and burnout, and what actually works to change it. Hosted by Rich Bagnall, stress and burnout coach, mental health nurse, and organisational wellbeing lead, this podcast goes beyond surface-level advice and generic “self-care” tips. If you’re exhausted but can’t slow down… If you look like you’re coping on the outside but feel wired and overwhelmed underneath… If you’re constantly “just getting through the week”… This is for you. Each episode explores what really drives stress in modern life, high pressure environments, leadership load, people-pleasing, overthinking, nervous system overload, and how to build genuine capacity instead of just coping harder. Expect: • Real conversations with real people • Practical tools that work in real life (not just in theory) • Honest discussions about burnout, boundaries and emotional load • Insight into how pressure affects the body and mind, and how to reset it This isn’t about quitting your job or escaping your responsibilities. It’s about learning how to stay steady under pressure, protect your energy, and build a life that doesn’t rely on running on empty. If you’re ready to stop surviving and start living properly again, you’re in the right place. FOLLOW RICH ON INSTAGRAM: @rb_burnoutcoach - Instagram WEBSITE FOR 1:1 COACHING PROGRAMME - https://www.rbburnoutcoach.co.uk/ CONTACT BY EMAIL: rrbburnoutcoach@gmail.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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