#57: The Three Skills That Get You Through Burnout with Dr. Kerry Makin-Byrd

Why do so many of the most caring, high-achieving people quietly burn themselves out? And why does it always feel like a personal failure, even when it isn't?

In this episode of the Mindform Podcast, Frank Lawton sits down with Dr. Kerry Makin-Byrd, clinical psychologist, trauma therapist, and author of The Ballad of Burnout and Start Here: A Practical Guide for the Overwhelmed. Kerry has spent her career treating trauma survivors while training other therapists and doctors to avoid the exact burnout that once broke her.

Her argument is simple but sharp: burnout isn't a character flaw or a lack of grit. It's what happens when unrealistic expectations meet unsupportive environments, all wrapped in a culture that tells us to "swan," meaning look calm on the surface while you're drowning underneath. Real recovery, she says, comes down to three skills: Soothe, Transcend, Move.

• Why the "just be more resilient" narrative about burnout is a lie
• The "swan" pressure many women feel to perform ease while struggling
• Kerry's own burnout spiral, including nightmares, drinking, and hypervigilance
• The difference between real self-compassion and self-patronizing "kindness"
• Why "clear seeing" beats "acceptance" when facing hard truths
• How the paradox of choice quietly fuels modern overwhelm

Learn more about Kerry: https://www.drkerrymakinbyrd.com/ Her books: https://www.drkerrymakinbyrd.com/books/

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