How to manage the conflicting demands of work, career ambitions and family aspirations and not be a burned out working Mom?

A raw, relatable, and quietly powerful episode of Rest and Recreation for anyone trying to juggle work, identity, and a brand‑new baby. In this conversation, licensed mental health counsellor Christi Gmyr shares with host Michael Millward the truth behind returning to work after “only 10 weeks [with her new born] before I was expected to be back at work” and the emotional whiplash of wanting a career while wanting to be home.

From midnight on‑call shifts to the guilt of daycare drop‑offs, Christi’s story captures the pressure modern parents face — and the courage it takes to redesign your life when the old version no longer fits. As she puts it, “what was working before maybe isn’t working now.”

Christi describes her journey from agency work and on‑call nights to the difficult decision to leave a nine‑year career and rebuild her professional life in a way that aligned with her values and the demands of parenthood. Along the way, she reflects on resentment, exhaustion, shifting identities, and the invisible work mothers often do; all while acknowledging the supportive role of her husband and the absence of a local extended family.

This episode is bold, honest, and full of the kind of clarity that makes you rethink your own balance. Perfect for working parents, HR leaders, and anyone who’s ever felt stretched thin by competing priorities.

Discover more about Christi Gmyr and Michael at Abeceder.co.uk

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Kate Hendrickson is a business coach and author whose first novel Christmas Switch draws on her own experience to tell the story of Ali, a woman who experiences burnout and decides to switch life with Tommy, her husband to create a better life for herself and her family.

In this episode of the Abeceder work life balance podcast Rest and Recreation, Kate and host Michael Millward discuss burnout and Christmas Switch.

During their conversation Kate and Michael cover:

• How the industries and types of work that Kate decided to do increased her risk of experiencing burnout.
• Michael’s appearance in feature film The Magician
• Signs that someone is experiencing burnout
• How people stop feeling like themselves and become their job
• The power of little words like yes and no
• How to say no when the workload gets too big
• The similarities between work and home-based pressures
• Problems of putting the company first
• The lessons learnt from living through burnout

This episode of Rest and Recreation is ideal listening for anyone who wants to understand burnout so that they can avoid it or recover from it to build a new life.

Discover more about Kate Hendrickson and Michael at Abeceder.co.uk

Audience Offers

Rest and Recreation is made on Zencastr, because it is so easy to use. You can as well. Visit Zencastr.

Travel – at trade prices to anywhere in the world at trade prices as a member of The Ultimate Travel Club.

Health – The Annual Health Test from York Test is conducted by an experienced phlebotomist at your home or workplace. Hospital standard tests for 39 health markers.

A Personal Wellness Hub provides easy-to-understand results and guidance for effective lifestyle changes anytime.

Visit York Test and use this discount code REST25.

Tech Problems? – Visit Three for information about business and personal telecom solutions from Three, and the special offers available when you quote our referral code WPFNUQHU.

Be a Guest Visit Matchmaker.fm. Use code MILW10 for a discount on membership.

We recommend that potential guests take one of the podcasting guest training programmes available from Work Place Learning Centre.

Thank you to you for listening.

We appreciate every like, download, and subscription.

Reverend Sydney Francis provides trauma-informed spiritual healing who helps people transform emotional pain into spiritual purpose

In this episode of the Abeceder work life balance podcast Rest and Recreation, Rev Sydney and host Michael Millward discuss her latest book Activating Lunar Alchemy.

During their conversation Rev Sydney and Michael cover:

• Rev Sydney’s journey to ordination, and the founding of Soul Gardener
• Trauma informed spiritual healing
• What lunar alchemy is and how it can be applied most successfully
• The origins and applications of the Lakota Medicine Wheel.
• How modern life and the natural world conflict
• How Michael has subconsciously implemented these in his own approach to work life balance

This episode of Rest and Recreation is ideal listening for anyone who wants to live a life that is more in-tune with the way the natural world functions.

Discover more about Rev Sydney and Michael at Abeceder.co.uk

Audience Offers

Buy books by Sydney Francis at Amazon

Rest and Recreation is made on Zencastr, because it is so easy to use. You can as well. Visit Zencastr.

Travel – at trade prices to anywhere in the world at trade prices as a member of The Ultimate Travel Club.

Health – The Annual Health Test from York Test is conducted by an experienced phlebotomist at your home or workplace. Hospital standard tests for 39 health markers.

A Personal Wellness Hub provides easy-to-understand results and guidance for effective lifestyle changes anytime.

Visit York Test and use this discount code REST25.

Tech Problems? – Visit Three for information about business and personal telecom solutions from Three, and the special offers available when you quote our referral code WPFNUQHU.

Be a Guest Visit Matchmaker.fm. Use code MILW10 for a discount on membership.

We recommend that potential guests take one of the podcasting guest training programmes available from Work Place Learning Centre.

Thank you to you for listening.

We appreciate every like, download, and subscription.