The Move. Talk. Thrive. Podcast

Burnout and Boundaries: It's a Slippery Slope

In this episode, we tackle the critical issue of burnout, drawing insights from Liz's personal experience with burnout, suffering a stroke at 33 and what she shares in her burnout presentations on the subject.
 
Burnout is not just exhaustion; it's an occupational phenomenon characterised by chronic workplace stress that remains unmanaged. This stress can manifest as decreased energy, increased mental distance from one's job, and feelings of ineffectiveness due to an overwhelming workload or too many responsibilities.
 
The conversation delves into the difference between empathy and compassion, emphasising that while empathy is about feeling with someone, compassion involves taking actionable steps to help. Staying in a constant state of empathy without transitioning to compassion can be dangerous, leading to what is known as compassion fatigue. This involves taking on the emotional and psychological burdens of patients, which can be particularly taxing for healthcare professionals who are naturally empathetic.
 
We explore the slippery slope of burnout, discussing the challenges faced by both employees and contractors in maintaining a healthy work-life balance. Bonuses and incentives can inadvertently contribute to burnout by encouraging workers to take on more responsibilities without adequate support or boundaries.
 
The episode also touches upon the paradoxical nature of being a healthcare professional. What makes someone good at their job – empathy, compassion, problem-solving skills – can also be their undoing if they overcompensate for these strengths. Liz shares her personal journey of how her empathetic nature, which initially drove her to become a health professional, eventually led to additional emotional burdens after her stroke. We discuss practical strategies for preventing burnout and maintaining boundaries, such as not taking work home, setting aside decompression time between work and home, and being realistic about what you can manage. Communication is key, especially for certain working structures like having your own business or working as an independent outside employee arrangements where clinicians may feel obligated to be available 24/7. Taking personal accountability and seeking psychological support when needed are also crucial steps in preventing burnout.
 
This episode serves as a reminder that while hard work and empathy are admirable qualities, they must be balanced with boundaries and self-care to avoid burnout. Being aware, educated, emotionally intelligent, and proactive in maintaining balance are essential for both personal well-being and effective client care. If you feel yourself tipping towards burnout, it's crucial to pull back immediately and refocus on what gives you balance and fulfilment. Join us as we delve into the complexities of burnout and explore ways to foster a healthier, more sustainable approach to work and life.
 
Check out our courses and websites:
https://www.lizzydawson.com.au/
https://www.emilymackie.com.au/
 
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Youtube : https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEnHKjQ7CD_B40Jy6RD04FQ
 

Finding Your Niche: Exploring Generalist and Specialist Paths in Allied Health

In this episode, we delve into the concept of navigating your career journey, considering the span of a career and the various factors that influence it. Whether you're a man or a woman, your career trajectory might differ due to life events like having children, but ultimately, many of us find ourselves working until around 65 years old. It's a considerable chunk of our lives, especially if we start our professional journey at 22, leaving us with approximately 40 years in a given profession. So, how do we keep our motivation and passion alive throughout this time?
 
We discuss the balance between specialisation and generalisation, a crucial aspect for maintaining enthusiasm in our work. This balance is particularly pertinent for new graduates faced with the daunting question of what career path to pursue. The pressure to have it all figured out can be overwhelming, but our guests shed light on the importance of experimentation and exploration in finding one's true calling.
 
Em shares her personal journey of specialising in preschool language, highlighting the value of trying out various roles to discover where your interests lie. She warns against the dangers of pigeonholing oneself too early in one's career, advocating instead for a more flexible approach to professional development. Likewise, Liz recounts her experience of initially wanting to work with adults but finding fulfilment in working with children, illustrating how career paths can evolve over time.
 
Throughout the conversation, we explore the importance of considering different life stages and personal circumstances when planning our career trajectories. Achieving a healthy work-life balance involves finding stability in some areas while embracing change in others. We also touch upon the role of emotional triggers in our career choices, emphasising the need to set boundaries and prioritise our well-being.
 
Ultimately, this episode encourages listeners to adopt a curious and open mindset, embracing change and recognizing that career journeys are fluid and ever-evolving. Whether you're just starting out in your career or contemplating a shift later in life, there's always room for growth and adaptation.
 
Join us as we explore the nuances of navigating your career journey and finding fulfilment along the way.
 
Check out our courses and websites:
https://www.lizzydawson.com.au/
https://www.emilymackie.com.au/
 
For more check out our social pages and we would love you to subscribe, review and share this episode with your community.
@movetalkthrive https://www.instagram.com/movetalkthrive/
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Crafting Your Path: Creating a Professional and Personal Development Plan

In this episode, we explore the importance of professional and personal development (PD) as essential components of success, emphasizing the need to lead and master oneself before leading others.
 
We delve into the concept of "why" – understanding your personal mission and career mission, inspired by Simon Sinek's influential book and video, "Start With Why."
We encourage listeners to reflect on their motivations and identify who is doing what they aspire to do.
We discuss the significance of setting both long-term (5 years) and short-term (1 year) career goals, applying the same principles to personal development as one would with clients.
This involves defining the specific populations you want to work with and setting goals in various aspects of life, including work, personal, health, possessions, and family.
 
The episode provides practical guidance on how to approach PD, from selecting the right courses and modalities (online, face-to-face, research) to budgeting and implementing what you've learned.
We emphasize the importance of assessing the effectiveness of your PD efforts and refining them over time to ensure continuous growth and development.
We discuss strategies for proposing PD opportunities to employers, including presenting a business plan outlining how you will contribute and serve your peers through your newfound skills.
 
Researching available PD courses and taking advantage of professional organizations like Speech Pathology Australia, ESSA, OT, and Physio can also be beneficial.
Drawing from our own experiences running courses, we share insights into what we have learned from the process and stress the importance of completion, engagement, and feedback.
 
This episode aims to empower listeners to take control of their professional and personal development by setting clear goals, selecting appropriate courses and modalities, and effectively communicating their PD needs and contributions to employers.
By adopting a strategic and proactive approach to PD, listeners can pave the way for continued growth, success, and fulfillment in their careers.
 
Join us as we navigate the intricacies of professional and personal development and explore practical strategies for achieving your goals.
 
Check out our courses and websites:
https://www.lizzydawson.com.au/
https://www.emilymackie.com.au/
 
For more check out our social pages and we would love you to subscribe, review and share this episode with your community.
@movetalkthrive https://www.instagram.com/movetalkthrive/
@lizzydawson_ https://www.instagram.com/lizzydawson_/
@emilymackie.speechie https://www.instagram.com/emilymackie.speechie/
 

Growing With Grace: Essential Skills for Child Development Professionals

In today's episode we talk about the skills that we see as essential being paediatric clinicians.
 
It is without a doubt that it takes a special kind of health professional to work with kids and we have worked with and trained up so many amazing speechies and exercise physiologists over the years and what we see is that there are two distinct sets of skills that are required for this work.
 
A person's natural skillset and those skills that are developed over time. We talk about the Natural skillset, being the skills that give someone the ‘permission to play’; they are the natural skills that they possess as a person.
 
Some of these include:
Permission to Play- Natural skillset
Bubbly
Expressive and playful
Smiles
Warmth
Natural around kids
Calm in chaos
Curious and inquisitive
Confidence around children
Being flexible and adaptable - happy to go off plan and calm in a storm.
Creative, innovation with time, energy, planning, hold yourself and seeing things that aren’t there
See the potential
Be optimistic and positive
Nurturing
Educator
Playful
Ok asking questions
 
Note that most of these skills are not clinical. They are not technical. We unpack how new grads so often can be wound up with clinical skills and we both take these clinicians through training focussing on connection being the most important factor as when we cant connect we wont be able to share our clinical knowledge.
 
Then we looked at the developed skillset; the skills that we develop over time and through experience in the role.
These are skills that we don’t expect new grads to have when starting a position and skills that are built on through training and mentoring.
 
These include:
Calm in chaos- engaging kids creatively
Curious- improvising and finding opportunities to layer in therapy.
Clinical technical skills
Knowledge of research
Communication skills with parents and educators, skills to talk to different audiences and help them understand
Education skills in advocacy, teaching, educating for the profession
Skills in running a group of children and sessions in different settings
Managing behaviour and engaging kids
Engagement with kids more strategically to achieve goals
Learning using all senses, multimodal communication – how do you use all these to engage children
Multitask- Doing three things at once, talking to parent, while managing child, taking data and knowing your goal and where you are going clinically
Scripting for activities and goals
 
We hope you enjoy today’s episode and we would love for you to subscribe, share and review our show! Let us know what you are liking the most as we develop season 2!
 
Check out our courses and websites:
https://www.lizzydawson.com.au/ https://www.emilymackie.com.au/
 
Follow us on Instagram @movetalkthrive https://www.instagram.com/movetalkthrive/
 
@lizzydawson_ https://www.instagram.com/lizzydawson_/
 
@emilymackie.speechie https://www.instagram.com/emilymackie.speechie/
 
Watch us chat on Youtube : https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEnHKjQ7CD_B40Jy6RD04FQ
 

Setting Yourself Up For Clinical Success: Navigating Complex Behaviours

In this episode we unpack behaviour and dealing with complex behaviours that we see in clinical settings. 
We talk about how to take the first step to establish the reason for behaviour and what might be causing the behaviour.
 
You will learn…
Some of the most challenging and complex client behavioural presentations we have seen
Looking beyond the behaviour to see the soul/ mental health challenges. Seek first to understand, then to be understood.  
How to avoid negative experience 
How to create a clinical plan and strategies to manage behaviour 
Setting expectations with caregivers- need to develop trust first 
Challenging conversations with caregivers to help get on same page 
Modifying environment and being flexible  
Managing the parents and mental health for all parties 
Creating a safe space- emotional bank accounts and building trust 
Follow their lead, child led and educating parents along the way as you play
Take responsibility- How to prepare for your initial AX - make sure you set yourself up for success and the benefits of having mentoring. 
The process Liz’s team has adopted to set up for a successful initial session
Connecting with other allied health professionals and getting thorough case Hx.
Making considerations for other side of timetable and environment- communicating with clients where needed and appropriate when complex behaviour may occur. 
Mindset- being ok with the unexpected, being ok with not knowing and having strategies that know to do when struggling such as talk to colleagues. 
Being confident to allocate more time for these children and setting up expectations with parent and caregiver 
Redirecting over reprimanding behaviour, get to know child and know their interests so you can successfully do this.
Praise for 3-5x for one correction and eliminating the word ‘no’ in sessions. 
How Engagement and behaviour go  hand in hand  
Positive reinforcement and being a role model 
 
This episode is full to the brim with practical strategies that our teams and each of us implement in practice on the daily. Get your note pads ready and don’t forget to subscribe, share and review so we can spread this message far and wide. 
 
Check out our courses and websites: 
https://www.lizzydawson.com.au/
https://www.emilymackie.com.au/ 
 
Follow us on Instagram 
@movetalkthrive
https://www.instagram.com/movetalkthrive/ 
 
@lizzydawson_ 
https://www.instagram.com/lizzydawson_/  
@emilymackie.speechie 
https://www.instagram.com/emilymackie.speechie/ 
 
Youtube : https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEnHKjQ7CD_B40Jy6RD04FQ 

Employee vs. Independent: Which Role Suits You Best?

In today's episode, we delve into a critical decision many health professionals face: whether to pursue a career as an employee or venture into independent work. In this episode we explore our own experiences, our own journeys from being employees to contractors, and ultimately, to running our own businesses. Along the way, we'll uncover valuable insights about values, mentorship, and finding alignment in your professional life. 
Em embarked on her professional journey by working within various frameworks: public sector, governmental roles, community health, and hospitals. Eventually, transitioning into the role of a contractor before finally establishing her own business. 
Liz's career path is a testament to versatility, having worked as a contractor, an employee, and finally, as the owner of her own business. “Through my experiences, I emphasize the importance of understanding personal values and how they align with different career trajectories.” 
In our experiences we have found that employees attract a level of training, quality control, support and career progression. Access to mentorship and structured professional development opportunities are often a part of the ageement and often the stability that comes with these terms can be helpful for home loans and benefits like sick leave.  
On the other hand, contractors enjoy greater freedom in hours, unpaid leave, work approach and flexibility in service offerings. Including more fluid mentorship processes which pave the way for entrepreneurial endeavours. These arrangements can often also present the opportunity to explore diverse career paths and adapt to changing life seasons. 
Choosing your path is a deeply personal decision. It's essential to prioritize alignment with personal values and recognize the importance of mentorship and professional development in shaping your career trajectory. For those aspiring to entrepreneurship, transitioning through independent roles can be a strategic move. 
In the journey of professional growth, the decision between being an employee or an independent is deeply personal. Our stories shed light on the multifaceted nature of career choices and the significance of aligning values with professional endeavours. Whether you're seeking stability or entrepreneurial freedom, understanding your unique path is essential in crafting a fulfilling career journey. 
 
@movetalkthrive
https://www.instagram.com/movetalkthrive/ 
 
@lizzydawson_ 
https://www.instagram.com/lizzydawson_/  
@emilymackie.speechie 
https://www.instagram.com/emilymackie.speechie/ 
 
Youtube : https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEnHKjQ7CD_B40Jy6RD04FQ

6 Steps To Overcome Imposter Syndrome

Today on the show, we delved into the concept of imposter syndrome, a term that has gained significant traction in recent years. We explored how stepping out of our comfort zones is essential for growth and development, yet it often triggers feelings of inadequacy and fraudulence, particularly in early career stages when working with children and collaborating with parents, educators and other allied health professionals.  
 
Reflecting on our own personal experiences, we discussed how imposter syndrome wasn't always recognized or labelled, highlighting the way in which the word itself has allowed us to be a little more vulnerable. We emphasized the importance of acknowledging and sitting with these feelings, rather than simply identifying with the label of imposter syndrome. 
 
Throughout the discussion, we highlighted that imposter syndrome is a common experience shared by many, and the key to overcoming it lies in being curious about the underlying emotions without feeling threatened by them.  
 
We looked at some practical strategies including fostering connections and relationships with influential figures in a clinical setting, as well as focusing on your purpose to reframe those tricky feelings of fraudulence. We encouraged our listeners to shift focus away from themselves and towards those they aim to help, recognizing that everyone is preoccupied with their own concerns, rather than scrutinizing others for perceived inadequacies. 
 
@movetalkthrive  https://www.instagram.com/movetalkthrive/ 
@lizzydawson_ 
https://www.instagram.com/lizzydawson_/ @emilymackie.speechie 
https://www.instagram.com/emilymackie.speechie/ 
Youtube : https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEnHKjQ7CD_B40Jy6RD04FQ

Em & Lizzy; From Biz Besties to Joint Ventures, Here is Our Story

In this episode, we'll take you through our journey of how we met at a business conference and quickly formed a bond, fuelled by our shared experiences of business and being mothers in the professional world. Despite working on different projects, we found solace and support in each other, sparking both business and mentoring journeys that have enriched our lives.
 
Our collaboration has been a long time coming, stemming from way back when Em attended Liz's Kids Heart Pilates and immediately saw the potential for partnership. Through frequent conversations over Voxer, we provided each other with encouragement and peer mentoring, drawing from our individual strengths in areas like team culture and mindset.
 
As we navigated challenges like maternity leave while running businesses and our own children's developmental needs and complexities, we realised the power of collaboration in addressing broader issues in child development and the power of working together.
 
Throughout our journey, we've learned the importance of openness, collaboration, and embracing challenges as opportunities for growth. By sharing our experiences and learning from each other, we're committed to making a meaningful impact in the field of child development through our podcast, courses, and collaborative efforts.
 
For more check out our social pages and we would love you to subscribe, review and share this episode with your community.
 
@movetalkthrive
https://www.instagram.com/movetalkthrive/
@lizzydawson_
https://www.instagram.com/lizzydawson_/
@emilymackie.speechie
https://www.instagram.com/emilymackie.speechie/
Youtube : https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEnHKjQ7CD_B40Jy6RD04FQ

Behind the Pod: Emily’s Untold Story

We thought it would be good to go back a little bit and tell you our individual stories. This was super fun as we got to interview each other and learn things we still didn't know about each other. We have been business besties for 9 years, but there's always more you don't know someone!
 
We both talk about what shaped us, our values and how we responded to opportunities and mistakes over the years. We both have had a lot of personal growth and professional growth and we hope you feel encouraged wherever you are at in your journey.
 
Specifically, in this episode, Liz interviews Em. Emily shares about her early years in life, growing up in Western Sydney, starting her career and building her businesses. She shares her top thing that has lead to her success, as well the role her faith has played.
 
For more check out our social pages and we would love you to subscribe, review and share this episode with your community.
 
@movetalkthrive https://www.instagram.com/movetalkthrive/
 
@lizzydawson_ https://www.instagram.com/lizzydawson_/
 
@emilymackie.speechie https://www.instagram.com/emilymackie.speechie/
 

Behind the Mic: Unveiling Lizzy’s Journey

Today, it's Em's turn to lead, firing questions at Lizzy who gracefully guides us through her remarkable journey. Starting from her school days, Lizzy shares how her involvement in sports not only shaped her business values but also cultivated the confidence that she carries into her career today.
Transitioning from hospitality and tourism to exercise physiology, Lizzy reflects on how each experience contributed to her growth, even as she navigated the complexities of her allied health clinics. It was during this transition that she began to make the tough decisions necessary for her personal and professional fulfillment.
The experience of suffering a stroke profoundly influenced Lizzy's approach to work and life, setting clear boundaries and defining her core values. Motherhood, too, has brought a new pace to her life, offering moments of reflection and prioritization.
Through it all, Lizzy emphasizes the importance of being aligned with her purpose, which has made decision-making and seizing opportunities feel effortless.
For more check out our social pages and we would love you to subscribe, review and share this episode with your community.
 
@movetalkthrive
https://www.instagram.com/movetalkthrive/
 
@lizzydawson_
https://www.instagram.com/lizzydawson_/
 
@emilymackie.speechie
https://www.instagram.com/emilymackie.speechie/