Podcast Summary: "Workplace Well-Being: Burnout Signs You May Be Avoiding"

Podcast: This Is Purdue
Host: Kate Young
Guest: Dr. Allie Gabriel (Thomas J. Howitt Chair in Management, Daniels School of Business, Director of the Center for Working Well)
Release Date: October 9, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode of This Is Purdue delves into the critical topic of workplace well-being, focusing on burnout, its warning signs, the myth of work-life balance, and strategies for fostering healthier work environments. Host Kate Young interviews Dr. Allie Gabriel, a renowned expert in organizational psychology and workplace well-being, who offers candid insights from her research and personal experiences as a mother, academic leader, and mental health advocate.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The State of Mental Health Today

• Information Overload & Uncertainty:
  Dr. Gabriel observes that “the state of mental health and well-being is just in a rough spot, right? We are inundated with all sorts of stressors… our brains are not programmed to handle that much information.” (03:00)
• The Flawed Ideal of "Work-Life Balance":
  She critiques the term, saying, “I think that sets people up for failure… things are off kilter all the time. . . so let’s not think about balance; let’s think about the things that you value and how we can weight those depending on different seasons.” (03:55)

2. Spotting and Addressing Burnout

• Gradual Onset:
  • Burnout “creeps in very gradually, and if we don't notice it, it can really spiral out of control.” (05:47)
• Common Signs:
  • Emotional and mental fatigue, trouble focusing, loss of enthusiasm for previously enjoyed work, physiological symptoms (headaches, eye strain, muscle tension).
  • "For me, I know I'm starting to get really burned out and stressed when I get this knot in my shoulder—always on my left side." (07:00)
• Burnout Culture:
  • She calls prior attitudes the “Suffering Olympics,” where people wore exhaustion as a badge of honor, but stresses the need to instead recognize burnout as a problem requiring intervention. (07:33)
• Course Correction:
  • Set boundaries, especially with difficult colleagues, and schedule “emotional laps”—short breaks to reset after challenging interactions. (09:00)

3. Redefining Success & Managing Expectations

• Success on Your Own Terms:
  Dr. Gabriel underscores the importance of defining realistic goals for both work and personal life, especially for working parents:
  • “Doing it all is setting me up to burnout, so I want to do it smarter… stagger [goals] in a way that feels like I’m not missing out on something.” (10:38)
• Seasonality of Focus:
  Allow life to flow in “seasons”—sometimes work may require more attention, other times family or community. (04:20, 10:45)

4. Zoom Fatigue: Causes and Consequences

• Origins and Research:
  Dr. Gabriel helped pioneer research into “zoom fatigue,” describing the unique exhaustion of constant video meetings:
  • “People just seem really exhausted being on camera all the time… The days they were on camera, they reported feeling more fatigued.” (12:41–14:24)
• Gender and Role Effects:
  “We found these effects were more pronounced for women and for newcomers who felt extra social and professional pressure.” (14:35)
• Camera Norms and Culture:
  Etiquette like eating during meetings and personal appearance became new sources of stress; constant back-to-back meetings eliminated natural breaks. (16:21–17:10)
• Solutions:
  “Why don’t we actually just like, call each other, walk and talk and get back on the phone and get outside… get some movement in?” (17:58)

5. Organizational Strategies: Supporting Employees and Parents

• Leadership Actions:
  • Have intentional, regular conversations about meeting purpose, pace, and wellbeing. Even small talk (“good morning!”) is crucial, especially in remote contexts. (17:30–18:59)
• Supporting Working Parents:
  • Gabriel shares her own challenging transition into motherhood during the pandemic—her first daughter was born right as lockdowns began, multiplying the difficulties of isolation and postpartum depression. (19:44–21:17)
  • Proactive organizational support, policy transparency, and maintaining a supportive peer network were transformational:
    “The best thing organizations can do… is proactivity in how people approached me going out on leave.” (24:24)
• Reintegration Best Practices:
  • Celebrate returning parents, help them gradually catch up, and acknowledge both their work and personal milestones. (26:50)
  • "It’s maternity leave, not vacation… acknowledging that somebody just came back and that you’ve missed their contributions.” (26:16)

6. Purdue and the Center for Working Well

• Culture of Growth and Interdisciplinarity:
  Dr. Gabriel praises Purdue’s connected, forward-looking culture and strong emphasis on well-being, noting that Daniels School values “building relationships… baked into being a boilermaker.” (30:31)
• Translating Research for Real-World Impact:
  The Center for Working Well aims to close the science-practice gap: “Most people are not going to pick up one of our academic journals… but they might read a blog, they might listen to a podcast.” (33:19–34:08)
• Accessible Expertise for the Community:
  The center hosts workshops and outreach, helping local organizations tackle burnout, conflict, and motivation. (34:08)

7. Rethinking Integration of "Work" and "Non-Work"

• Integration vs. Segmentation:
  People vary in how much they blend work and personal life; for most, “it’s really hard to do that… those thoughts are still going to keep following you.” (34:44)
  • “Working well means you’re feeling like you can thrive at both work and at home because those are going to cross back and forth.” (34:48)
• Technology and Perpetual Connectivity:
  The expectation to be “always on” makes it difficult to disengage, setting unhealthy norms:
  • “You sending an email at 8, 9pm is now the norm…” (38:09)
• Mindful Professional Boundaries:
  Gabriel includes in her email signature: “My work hours may not be yours. Please do not respond if this is not your time and respond when you are able.” (38:14)

8. Micro-Actions for Leaders

• Ask Genuine Questions:
  Leadership starts with “asking questions, ask people how they’re feeling and mean it.” (39:21)
• Emotions as Data:
  Quoting the late Sigal Barsade: “Emotions are data… They are telling you something’s wrong, they’re telling you something’s good.” (39:54)
• Humanizing Work:
  Recalling a meaningful question during her own hiring:
  • “What’s something that you want to do that’ll make you happy that you have not been able to do before that you think you could do here?” (40:28)
  • The Center for Working Well became reality as a direct result of a leader listening.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Work-Life Balance:
  “Let’s not think about balance; let’s think about the things that you value and how we can weight those depending on different seasons that we’re in.” – Dr. Allie Gabriel (03:55)
• On Burnout as a Badge:
  “I call it like the Suffering Olympics. For a long time we're like, oh, we should get a gold medal in suffering.” (07:33)
• On Zoom Fatigue:
  “Being on camera is exhausting... because you're so aware when you're on camera. The number of times I'm distracted just watching myself.” (15:35–15:49)
• On Proactive Parenting Support:
  “Having a coalition of other folks who have done this… they connected me to other people who either helped write the leave policies or had used the leave policies." (24:51)
• On Emotions at Work:
  “Emotions are data… they are telling you something’s wrong, telling you something’s good.” (39:54)

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |-------------|---------------------------------------------------| | 03:00 | Dr. Gabriel on information overload & well-being | | 05:47 | Signs and consequences of burnout | | 10:25 | Redefining success for working mothers | | 12:40 | The research and impact of Zoom fatigue | | 17:30 | Organizational solutions for virtual meeting overload | | 19:44 | Dr. Gabriel's personal pandemic parenting story | | 23:13 | Supporting working parents post-parental leave | | 26:16 | Reintegration & celebrating returnees post-leave | | 30:31 | Daniels School’s culture of workplace well-being | | 34:44 | Integration/Segmentation of work & non-work | | 39:21 | Small steps for leaders: ask, listen, humanize |

Final Takeaways

Dr. Allie Gabriel’s insights offer a roadmap for both individuals and organizations to recognize, prevent, and address burnout. Her candid discussion emphasizes the importance of proactive support, honest conversation, micro-actions by leaders, and designing workplaces where well-being is central—not peripheral—to organizational life. Whether you are a leader, a working parent, or anyone striving to thrive at work and at home, this episode’s advice is both practical and deeply human.

For more tips from Dr. Gabriel, including lighter topics like the use of exclamation marks in emails, visit the This Is Purdue YouTube channel: YouTube.com/thisispurdue

Contact & More Info:
Purdue University’s Center for Working Well
Podcast website: purdue.edu/podcast

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