When Burnout Becomes Reality

About When Burnout Becomes Reality

Welcome to the new chapter of the Midlife Reclaimed Podcast — a space for women navigating the second half of life with greater self-awareness, self-compassion and intention. Midlife Reclaimed Hosted by Shannon A Swales Midlife has a way of asking different questions. Questions about who we are beyond the roles we've played. Questions about purpose, work, relationships, burnout, identity, ageing, joy, and what truly matters. Hosted by Clinical Psychologist, author, speaker and founder of the Midlife Reclaimed Community, Shannon A Swales, Midlife Reclaimed is a podcast for women navigating the second half of life with greater self-awareness, self-compassion and intention. Each month, Shannon invites you to pause and explore one gentle question: What is this season of life asking you to reclaim? Drawing on psychology, lived and living experience and compassionate curiosity, these conversations offer a space to slow down, reflect, and reconnect with the woman you are becoming. Some episodes are personal reflections from Shannon. Others are thoughtful conversations with guest co-hosts and experts whose stories and insights deepen the journey. Whether you're navigating burnout, career change, relationships, perimenopause, identity shifts, or simply sensing that life is asking something new of you, you're warmly invited to walk alongside us. Because midlife isn't about becoming someone new. It's about coming home to yourself. 🌻 Explore more from Midlife Reclaimed: www.shannonaswales.com (http://www.shannonaswales.com/) Subscribe to the channel to join me as this next chapter of Midlife Reclaimed unfolds. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

Publisher

Shannon A Swales - Midlife Burnout & Women Over 40 Coach

Category

education · health & fitness · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

Yes

First episode

10 Jun 2021

Latest episode

14 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

78 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   14 Oct 2026

   Reclaiming Our Changing Bodies with Clinical Psychologist, Shannon Swales

   What changes when we finally have language for what is happening in our bodies? In this second episode of Season 9 of Midlife Reclaimed, I continue the conversation about our relationship with our bodies — this time exploring our changing bodies through the experience of perimenopause. For a long time, I knew very little about perimenopause. Like many women of my generation, it simply wasn’t something we talked about. Looking back now, I can see changes that were happening before I had the language to understand them — changes in my mood, energy, sleep, body and eventually the hot flushes and night sweats that made me stop and take notice. In this episode, I reflect openly on my own perimenopause journey: what I knew before it began, what I understand differently now, learning to advocate for myself, and why I believe talking about perimenopause matters. But this isn’t an episode about turning perimenopause — or ourselves — into another problem to solve. It’s an invitation to become informed about our changing bodies while also meeting ourselves with curiosity, compassion and care. Together, we reflect on: • What did I know about perimenopause before I started going through it? • What was happening before I had language for it? • What changed when I started to understand what was going on? • Why does talking about perimenopause matter? • How do I stay informed without this becoming another problem to be solved? I also share some of the more personal parts of my experience and what I’m learning about the difference between trying to “fix” myself and recognising when my changing body needs support, accommodation and care. I finish with a short guided practice inviting you to turn towards your own experience with compassionate curiosity — to notice what has been changing, what might deserve more of your attention, and what you may need from here. If you’d like to continue exploring the question, what is midlife asking me to reclaim?, I’d love to welcome you into the Midlife Reclaimed online community — a compassionate space for midlife women to reflect, connect, and come home to themselves. You’ll find the link below. And if the topic of joy in midlife interests you, my next Midlife Reclaimed Teaching is Coming Home to Joy in Midlife — a 90-minute online session exploring what joy is, what can get in the way, and how we can become more available to it in midlife. If you’re interested, email me at admin@shannonaswales.com (mailto:admin@shannonaswales.com) to express your interest, receive more information, and reserve your spot. Take gentle care of you, Shannon Burnout Psychologist | Midlife Women's Coach | Midlife Woman Website: www.shannonaswales.com (http://www.shannonaswales.com/) Email: admin@shannonaswales.com (mailto:admin@shannonaswales.com) Midlife Reclaimed Online Community: https://midlife-reclaimed.mn.co/ (https://midlife-reclaimed.mn.co/) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shannon.a.swales/ (https://www.instagram.com/shannon.a.swales/) Disclaimer Engaging with this podcast does not intend to create, nor does it create, a therapist-client relationship between you and Shannon A Swales. All views, opinions, and tips expressed by me or my guests are general in nature and not a replacement for personalised therapy. As I have done for myself, I encourage anyone experiencing distress to seek professional support. In Australia, if you are in a life-threatening emergency, please dial 000. For immediate counselling, contact Lifeline (13 11 14) or 13YARN (13 92 76) for First Nation Australians. Stay safe, and remember—you don’t have to face your struggles alone. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

2. 

   16 Sept 2026

   Reclaiming My Body

   What would change if, instead of waiting for our bodies to demand our attention, we began listening to them more closely and more compassionately? In this first episode of Season 9 of Midlife Reclaimed, I explore something I’ve been thinking about in my own life: my relationship with my body. For much of my life, I expected my body to carry me. To keep going. To accommodate whatever I wanted or needed to do. But burnout, midlife, and perimenopause have invited, and at times forced, me to pay attention differently. This episode isn’t about getting our younger bodies back or turning our bodies into another midlife self-improvement project. It’s an invitation to become curious about the relationship we have with our bodies: the signals we may have ignored, the needs we’ve pushed through, and what it might mean to listen with care rather than criticism. Together, we explore: • What has my relationship with my body been throughout my life? • What might my body have been trying to tell me? • What does compassionate attention to the body look like? • What might reclaiming my relationship with my body mean in this season of life? I finish with a short guided practice, Gratitude for This Body, inviting you to pause, connect with your body as it is today, and perhaps offer a little appreciation to the body that has carried you this far. The question I’ll leave you with: What is this season of life asking you to reclaim? Take gentle care of you Shannon Burnout Psychologist | Midlife Women's Coach | Midlife Woman Website: www.shannonaswales.com Email: admin@shannonaswales.com Midlife Reclaimed Online Community: https://midlife-reclaimed.mn.co/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shannon.a.swales/ Disclaimer Engaging with this podcast does not intend to create, nor does it create, a therapist-client relationship between you and Shannon A Swales. All views, opinions, and tips expressed by me or my guests are general in nature and not a replacement for personalised therapy. As I have done for myself, I encourage anyone experiencing distress to seek professional support. In Australia, if you are in a life-threatening emergency, please dial 000. For immediate counselling, contact Lifeline (13 11 14) or 13YARN (13 92 76) for First Nation Australians. Stay safe, and remember—you don’t have to face your struggles alone. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

3. 

   16 Jun 2026

   Beyond Self-Care: Collective Care, Self-Leadership & Sustainable Living

   As we close Season 8 of Midlife Reclaimed, I wanted to share a conversation that feels deeply relevant to the times we are living in. My guest is Minky van der Walt, Registered Music Therapist, trauma therapist, clinical supervisor, and educator. While much of Minky's work focuses on supporting therapists, healthcare workers, educators, and other helping professionals, the themes we explore in this conversation extend far beyond any one profession. Together, we reflect on what happens when we find ourselves operating in systems where demands are high and resources are low. Whether that system is healthcare, education, community services, a workplace, a family, or even our own household, many of us know what it feels like to carry more than seems sustainable. We explore the emotional toll this can take, the impact of burnout and moral distress, and why simply telling people to practise more self-care often misses the bigger picture. Minky introduces a different way of thinking about wellbeing through collective care and self-leadership, inviting us to consider the role of community, connection, accountability, and shared responsibility in helping us navigate difficult times. We also discuss practical approaches that can help us reconnect with ourselves, including creative reflection, music, somatic practices, and ways of accessing wisdom beyond the thinking mind. Whether you are supporting others professionally, caring for family members, navigating the demands of midlife, or simply feeling the weight of modern life, this conversation offers gentle wisdom, practical reflections, and a reminder that we were never meant to carry it all alone. Thank you for sharing another season of Midlife Reclaimed with me. I look forward to reconnecting with you in Season 9. Guest: Minky van der Walt is a Registered Music Therapist, trauma therapist, clinical supervisor, educator, and the founder of Tempo Therapy & Consulting. With more than 25 years of experience across health, education, and community services, Minky is passionate about supporting therapists, healthcare workers, educators, and other helping professionals to navigate the impacts of caring work. Her work focuses on burnout prevention, vicarious trauma, sustainable practice, clinical supervision, collective care, and fostering resilience through creative, embodied, and relational approaches. Drawing on music therapy, trauma-informed practice, somatic approaches, reflective supervision, and creative arts-based methods, Minky creates spaces where caregivers can reconnect with themselves, deepen their clinical presence, and sustain their capacity to continue doing meaningful work. Based in Hobart, Tasmania, Minky works with individuals, groups, and organisations across Australia through supervision, professional development programs, consultation, and therapeutic support. www.tempotherapy.com www.instagram.com/tempo.therapy.supervision/ www.linkedin.com/in/tempotherapyandconsulting/ Host: Shannon Swales: Clinical Psychologist, award-winning author, and midlife woman who’s walked through burnout and come out the other side. Shannon combines clinical wisdom with lived experience to support others navigating chronic stress, burnout, and big life transitions. Through gentle conversations and evidence-based insights, she helps women reconnect with themselves, reclaim their energy, and grow through what once felt like breaking points. • Midlife Reclaimed Online Community - https://midlife-reclaimed.mn.co/ • Social Media: Instagram, Facebook, or LinkedIn @shannon.a.swales • 1:1 Therapy: www.shannonaswales.com/therapy • Midlife Reclaimed Coaching for Women: www.shannonaswales.com/coaching Subscribe: www.shannonaswales.com/subscribe Disclaimer: This podcast does not create a therapist-client relationship with Shannon A Swales. The views expressed are general & not a substitute for personalised therapy. If in distress, seek professional help. Remember—you don’t have to face your struggles alone. Disclaimer Engaging with this podcast does not intend to create, nor does it create, a therapist-client relationship between you and Shannon A Swales. All views, opinions, and tips expressed by me or my guests are general in nature and not a replacement for personalised therapy. As I have done for myself, I encourage anyone experiencing distress to seek professional support. In Australia, if you are in a life-threatening emergency, please dial 000. For immediate counselling, contact Lifeline (13 11 14) or 13YARN (13 92 76) for First Nation Australians. Stay safe, and remember—you don’t have to face your struggles alone. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

69,215

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

3 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

11 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 67 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

50

Social presence

94

YouTube

85

Engagement

75

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