Living Balance | The Burnout Queens

Reader Feedback we love

July 26, 2018

Reader Feedback!

Huge response both on and offline to our June 30th Feature Article on Bullying in the adult world [Stand Tall, No Sagging Allowed! HSPs Stand Up To Bullies]

Here’s a taster of the feedback from across the globe! Thank you all.

“Great ideas for coping with bullies! Thank you.” Deb V. Las Vegas, USA

“Hi there I’m not being bullied but was when I was a teenager and my daughter has been too.I used to have a background in HR. I would have loved to have shared these tips to our staff back then. Fab post 🙂 Have a lovely weekend x Wishing you fabulousness! ” Ruby McGuire, MCIPD, ASC (Visibility Diva, aka Queen of Connection Visibility Strategist, Trainer, Speaker, Author. UK

“I just had to tell you how timely your latest email was about bullying. I am currently going through the negotiations over dissolving the partnership in my business and everything in your email hit home for me. I was literally lying awake at 1am so upset over everything and I pulled out my phone and saw the headline of your email. Thank you! This will make me stronger throughout this time! ” J.G. BC, Canada

What if your workplace is toxic?

July 24, 2018

What is a toxic workplace and how will I know if mine is toxic?

The Burnout Queens love to share good articles and this is a good article in Inc.com (Marcel Schwantes) based on solid research out of Harvard.

The article titled 5 signs of a toxic workplace that should be stopped immediately (Inc.com magazine), summarises who toxic workers are and what they do that is so counter-productive to the company and their workers.

“much has been written about hiring and developing top performers in the workplace, but less attention has been paid to the effects of toxic workers on their organizations. [toxic] workers are not low-functioning or low-status employees…[they]are talented and productive….”

Here are this article’s 5 signs of a toxic office.

Gossip is spreading
Morale is at an all-time low
Managers are dictators not leaders
The human touch is lost
Health issues and absenteeism are on the rise

These are just some of the situations our Executive Clients find themselves in, many of them disheartened by their company culture, disillusioned by an absent listening leadership. Others grapple with questioning whether they should stay or take the opportunity to leave and place themselves in their dream career move. This all leads to low morale and possibly burnout, which has a knock-on effect on many leaders, teams, executives and ultimately erodes the company’s bottom-line.

Read the full article and get really honest with yourselves. Next step? Implement healthy, rather than punitive change. To ignore and keep following the same path is to risk losing your most talented to the competition.

The step after that? Get in touch (www.livethesolution.com) . We coach Highly Sensitive Executives in these situations all the time and they learn to thrive.

A 9 year anniversary for The Burnout Queens

July 3, 2018

Well it is hard to believe. A lifetime ago now, really. This was Dr T at the airport in Vancouver (Dr B taking the photo) awaiting our flight to London, England.

Our adventure that we both dreamt about in 1972 was about to come true, albeit late. But then we have both always been off-time (off-beat even).

Big change was happening, and more was about to happen. Change that we didn’t know but were fully ready to embrace. We left Canada knowing we would not return. When that last call to board was made (Ladies and gentlemen we are now boarding Air Canada flight to London) Dr T & Dr B smiled widely and joyfully marched into that plane to our new homeland.

Nine years ago, on July 4th we landed at Heathrow and the first words out of the immigration staff when she looked at our passports stamped VISA, she said “welcome home ladies”. London was our independence and our freedom. Little did we know how much!

Yes, we are home. We had lost a lot leading up to that day, but we have gained so much more in taking that final leap. Would we redo it again? No. We have created a culture and lifestyle for ourselves here in the south-east of England.

This was just meant to be, the way we had always planned and more. We are so fortunate to have met and lived close to wonderful people who have been so open to helping us out and sharing our good moments (and stressful ones). Don’t think we even think like we used to.

And then of course there is the joy of art, pastries, walks, our dogs, and last but never least, tea and cake.

They say you can’t go home again. Well Darlings, we are home at last.

It Ain’t Easy Being Short!

July 3, 2018

It certainly isn’t easy being short, especially these days. You see we are experiencing a heatwave here in the UK and it’s going on, and on, and on, which means that every day the heat on the pavement keeps rising! And that is exactly why when you are short like we are, you feel the heat on your feet pads and bellies Really Fast! I’m sure if you are a dachsie you can relate, right?

So us ‘little critters’ have a BIG request for our dachsie-owners:

Keep us inside most of the day while this heat is high (we can catch up on our barky walks later when it cools down).
Don’t take us grocery shopping, leave us tied up on the street, walking the pavements, or on long walks as usual even in parks (it’s too hot to expect us to take 5 steps at a clip to your every one…we hate marathons and your belly doesn’t drag on the ground!).
Don’t ever leave us in the car with the windows cracked while you pop into a shop (it only takes a minute for us to overheat or worse!)
Leave us at home with lots of water and a floor blanket in the coolest part of the house (classical music on the radio is appreciated).

Most people think our owners fuss too much, but we’re glad because we don’t end up in the vet emergency with heat stroke, seizures, or burnt paws.

Here’s a special tip from The Burnout Pups that works like a charm.

Check out Easi-dri cooling coats and blankets (http://www.easidri.com). We don’t get any special reward points, compensation, or treats for sharing this with you! In the heat, we wear our coats with delight. They cool down our body temperature and we just love the wet-bathing-suit feel on our wire-hair and skin. We think our picture says it all!

Bliss!

Repeat after us…”when it’s this HOT, HOT, HOT, keep us little shorties IN, IN, IN”.

With love and gratitude,

The Burnout Pups

Hello from Lewes & London! 16 June 2018

June 16, 2018

It’s May, it’s May, the busy month of May

It’s been a right royal month hasn’t it Darling! This edition of Hello is no exception, because we are back from vacation and we have everything ‘royal’ to share with you. Grab your tea and come on vacation with us.

Mid-May we celebrated Dr T’s birthday in style at London’s The Wolseley Piccadilly (Remember she is a Burnout ‘Queen’so that makes her part of the royal tour). Class all the way from menu to service and even an unexpected surprise birthday dessert was brought to top it all off. Perfection! After cake it was off to shop (The Burnout Queens consider shopping an art form) and enjoy the display of banners and decorations celebrating the upcoming Royal wedding.

The vacation officially began with the relatives arriving. Their wish list this visit (it’s their third so far) was royal castles, homes, and gardens; ancestral sites, and as much history as we could see. This is England, they won’t be disappointed. This trip ‘Flash’ (our great new car) created some fun and crazy moments in the countryside, especially on roundabouts and when getting lost with sat navs. Thank heavens Dr T set us straight with her trusty paper maps.

First stop Hever Castle, Kent. Drizzly day, but this is the family home of Anne Boleyn. What a beautiful place inside and out. The Astor family lived here for a time and it is still a working home. I’ll give you a smattering of the pictures we took, but we’ve decided to mail you an extra edition of the whole day because it’s too beautiful to miss and we know many of you will never visit in person.

Two days later we were back in ‘Flash’ and landed at Dr T’s ancestral cottages on the south coast. A quick drive to a great lunch, then a trek through cow pastures and gun turret sites to the coastguard cottages on the white cliffs (which were absent in the mist). Last year we did the same trek with her niece, but this trip we added another generation, so they counted a few more titles of great, great, great onto the relatives who lived here. We paid homage to the Canadian soldiers who were killed during a German flyover, as they camped in the fields at Cuckmere Haven, and enjoyed watching a flock of Canada Geese and their goslings by the river as we walked back to the car park (Canadian theme going strong).

More history! We drove to Alfriston, a little village (pop 700+) that now has a famous vineyard, but historically was a route for religious marches and smuggling. Dating to Neolithic times (!) some of the buildings on the narrow high street dated to 1394. The architecture and layout of the village is stunning in the middle of the South Downs. I’m sure you will agree. We can’t wait to go back for afternoon tea!

Hope you aren’t getting bored, but this last royal venue was beyond fabulous.

We hopped the train into London and went to Buckingham Palace (always a family stop) and toured The Royal Mews. The coaches, town cars, coronation coach, horses and bridle apparel are all housed here. Beyond interesting, especially when you often see all of these being drawn through the streets to Parliament by horses and cavalry. The best way to end the everything ‘royal’ visit and having a little ‘royal’ moment for Dr T.

Sad to say the relatives have gone back to Canada, but not before we had an East meets West meeting. You see Lewes falls smack dab along the Greenwich meridian so we are the 0-degree divide between the eastern and western hemispheres on the planet. How cool is that! Couldn’t resist dipping our toes into the divide just before taking one last walk with The Burnout Pups through the ancient monastery ruins at The Priory (great dog walking park don’t you think).

Hope you enjoyed the royal tour. Now go get yourself a cuppa and cake and enjoy your day.

Until the special Hever Castle issue,