318: How to Talk to Your Boss About Burnout The Right Way

In today’s solo episode of Workday Playdate, Erin unpacks one of the most quietly dangerous—and completely universal—experiences at work: burnout. Specifically, how to talk to your boss about burnout the right way with confidence, clarity, and zero shame.

Through her own personal burnout stories, Erin breaks down why speaking up is an act of leadership, how self-awareness accelerates support, and why proactive conversations are the key to workplace wellness. This episode gives you the scripts, strategies, and psychology-backed steps to advocate for yourself without spiraling, stonewalling, or self-blame.

If you’ve ever felt exhausted, resentful, or on the edge of shutting down—but had no idea how to bring it up—this conversation is your roadmap to connection, boundaries, and balance.

Inside This Episode:

• Burnout Is a Signal, Not a Badge: Understanding how your body, brain, and emotions tell you it’s time for change.
• Silence Breeds Misunderstanding: Why hiding your burnout erodes trust—and how transparency builds it back.
• Own It, Don’t Over-Apologize: How to express what you’re experiencing with specificity, self-awareness, and honesty.
• Propose Solutions, Not Just Problems: Scripts and prompts to help you communicate needs + offer proactive, collaborative fixes.
• Boundaries Are the Tool, Not the Enemy: How to set limits that protect your energy and your performance.
• Communication That Builds Trust: How empathy, clarity, and a “yes, and” mindset reduce defensiveness and open the door to real support.

Who This Episode Is For:

• Leaders seeking to create a culture of psychological safety and employee support.
• Professionals craving healthier work-life balance, mental health awareness, and burnout prevention tools.
• Anyone who wants clear, compassionate scripts for tough conversations—without fear, guilt, or guesswork.

You’ve tried the Slack hacks, rewriting the meeting agendas, and promised yourself you’d protect your team’s time. But somehow hybrid work still feels like an endless game of communication ping-pong. More messages, more overwhelm.

Enter The Remote Leader’s Reset: your 5-step guide to lowering the noise, resetting expectations, and helping your team finally exhale. These simple, human-centered resets will help you reduce friction, create clarity, and make your people feel seen—no matter where they’re working from.

Download it here.

No, You Hang Up First (Let’s Keep Connecting)

• Did today’s episode resonate with you? Leave us a review sharing your favorite insight and we’ll send you a free signed copy of I See You! A Leader’s Guide to Energizing Your Team through Radical Empathy.
• Have another question that we can answer? Leave us a Speakpipe audio clip and we’ll answer it in an upcoming episode.
• Don’t want to miss another episode? If you’re a Spotify listener, find our show here and click “Follow.” If you’re an Apple Podcast listener, click here and make sure to hit “+Follow.”
• Want access to a bunch of free resources for your work life? This is your personal jackpot that gives you access to the frameworks that help us thrive both personally and professionally. Whether you’re trying to improve your daily routine, flesh out an idea that you’ve had for quite some time, or want to add more play into your day - these resources have got your back.
• Want 2 emails a week from us? One with a quick tip you can implement right away to enhance your personal and/or professional lives & one of our famous F.A.I.L. Fourward Friday newsletters? Subscribe here.

Connect with Erin Diehl x improve it!

• Erin’s website
• Erin’s Instagram
• Erin’s TikTok
• Erin’s LinkedIn
• improve it!’s website
• improve it!’s Instagram

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.