Ep 53: Exhausted to Extraordinary with Dr Sharon Grossman

On today’s show I’m joined by Dr Sharon Grossman. Dr. Grossman is a Psychologist, Life Coach, and Speaker, who is an expert in Emotional Intelligence (EQ) and managing burnout in high achieving professionals. She graduated more than two decades ago with a Bachelors in Psychology and since has completed a double Masters and a Doctorate in Counselling Psychology from Fordham University. For the past two decades, Dr Grossman has worked with lawyers, doctors and other high-achieving professionals to help improve mental health and well-being, as all are prone to sacrificing their self-care as a result of work demands. Individuals she describes as having “too much on their mind, no direction, and end up focussing on unimportant items while forgetting about more important ones”. Thus entering a paradoxical downward spiral of perceived-underachievement, and eventually exhaustion. If you’re thinking this sounds eerily familiar, then you perhaps get why I was so keen to have Dr Grossman on the show! In addition to her work as a psychologist and coach, Dr. Grossman published her best selling book ‘The 7E Solution to Burnout’ in 2020. A book she hopes will help more high achievers transform their lives from exhausted to extraordinary - a book I strongly recommend you check out. Now, just before we jump into the episode, a quick word from today’s show sponsor which today is the Thrive community. If you are struggling with managing time, feeling like an imposter or burnout then you need to make a change. The good news is that you are not broken or a bad fit for the profession, you are simply missing some super-important skills no-one teaches at university. Skills you will learn as part of the VetX community. Thrive is a RACE accredited professional skills course where members receive training, toolkits and one-to-one coaching to develop these skills. Join hundreds of other vets who have changed their careers for the better as a Thrive member. To learn more and find out if the class is a good fit for you visit www.vetxinternational.com today. Now back to the show... Veterinarians are no strangers to the subjects of exhaustion, burnout, compassion fatigue and worse. We’re smart, we get that these things are risks. But despite this, too many seem to default to one of two options, collapse and leave a profession altogether, further exacerbating the effects for those that remain. Or grimly struggle on becoming ever more disillusioned with a career they once loved. What excited me about having this conversation with Dr Grossman was the opportunity to shine a light on a different pathway. To take a deeper dive into what burnout is and how we deal with work pressures. To explore some of the tools available to take control and manage our own experience, so we all have the chance to thrive in our career. One that, if more of us were willing to take, might reduce burnout, resurrect careers, and literally save lives. Vet med is after all for many of us, not just a job, it’s a vocation. This interview is a bit different from our normal format as it’s more about a subject than person - during the show I share a few of my own struggles in the hope that by doing so, you can find context and courage to get to work on you. So without further ado, find a couch, lay back, and enjoy this part conversation, part therapy session with the empowering Dr Sharon Grossman.