Revive & Thrive - Managing Stress and Burnout

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: InstagramJess's Business and Mindset Coaching: Jess Bates | Business Coaching & Mentoring | for coaches and service based businessesFOLLOW RICH ON INSTAGRAM:Instagram: Rich Bagnall - ILM Qualified Coach and Mental Health Nurse (@rb_burnoutcoach) • Instagram photos and videos1:1 Coaching Programme: Work With Me | Rich Bagnall StresEmail: rbburnoutcoach@gmail.com

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 dayThere’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 listenFOLLOW CATHY ON INSTAGRAM:@dietculture.dropout InstagramFOLLOW RICH ON INSTAGRAM:Instagram: Rich Bagnall - ILM Qualified Coach and Mental Health Nurse (@rb_burnoutcoach) • Instagram photos and videos1:1 Coaching Programme: Work With Me | Rich Bagnall StresEmail: rbburnoutcoach@gmail.com

In this episode I’m joined by Jodie, a nurse, a mum, and someone who has been on a powerful journey of rediscovering who she is after being diagnosed with ADHD.We talk honestly about what it was like for Jodie growing up and never fully understanding herself. We then move in to how she managed work, family life, and everything else that comes with being an adult, while also trying to make sense of her own mind and identity.Our conversation moves through acceptance, masking who we really are to fit in, and the toll that can take when you’ve spent years trying to keep up or appear like you’ve got it all together. Jodie shares openly about the challenges she’s faced along the way, but also the understanding and pride that has come from learning more about herself.This episode is about making sense of why we are the way we are, embracing the lessons that come from life’s challenges, and finding confidence in who we’ve become.It was such an honest and thoughtful conversation, and I’m really excited to share it with you.FOLLOW JODIE ON INSTAGRAM:@theleveridges InstagramFOLLOW RICH ON INSTAGRAM:Instagram: Rich Bagnall - ILM Qualified Coach and Mental Health Nurse (@rb_burnoutcoach) • Instagram photos and videos1:1 Coaching Programme: Work With Me | Rich Bagnall StresEmail: rbburnoutcoach@gmail.com

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 backfireAnd 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 - InstagramThe MirrorWalk Method - Jane (@herfireconfidence) | StanFOLLOW RICH ON INSTAGRAM:Rich Bagnall - ILM Qualified Coach and Mental Health Nurse (@rb_burnoutcoach) • Instagram photos and videos1:1 Coaching Programme: Work With Me | Rich Bagnall StresEmail: rbburnoutcoach@gmail.com

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 videos1:1 Coaching Programme: Work With Me | Rich Bagnall StresEmail: rbburnoutcoach@gmail.com

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 videos1:1 Coaching Programme: Work With Me | Rich Bagnall StresEmail: rbburnoutcoach@gmail.comFOLLOW BEN AND THE COUCH TO COACHED PODCAST: Ben's InstagramCouch to Coach InstagramBooks mentioned in the podcast:Dopamine Nation The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F**kThe Let Them Theory The dose Effect