Ellen shares a powerful story about confronting years of quiet burn out and people pleasing during an unexpected moment at a musical. This experience initiated a journey of self discovery and personal growth as she realized she was trying to fit into systems not built for her. Her story highlights the importance of recognizing and addressing "emotional repression" for true healing.

Burnout does not always look dramatic. Sometimes it looks like a successful career, a stable job, and a life that makes sense on paper. In this episode of The Life Shift Podcast, we talk about workplace burnout, midlife career shifts, and what happens when your body speaks before your mind is ready to listen.

Ellen Whitlock Baker shares the quiet unraveling that led her to a line in the sand moment. Years of people pleasing, pushing through, and trying to belong in systems that were never built for her finally caught up in an unexpected place, sitting in a theater during the musical Beetlejuice. That moment changed everything.

This conversation is about listening to your body, leaving a stable job, and rebuilding a career rooted in alignment instead of obligation.

What you will hear in this episode:

- What burnout feels like before you have words for it
- How people pleasing and belonging shape our careers
- The moment Ellen’s body finally said enough
- Why leaving a stable job can feel terrifying and freeing
- What rebuilding looks like after burnout
- A reminder that sometimes it is the system that is broken, not you

Timestamps

00:00 Burnout does not always look dramatic

03:45 Ellen’s early relationship with work and belonging

10:30 People pleasing and staying too long

18:45 Crying at work and not knowing why

24:30 The Beetlejuice moment

33:10 Deciding to leave a stable job

42:20 Rebuilding after burnout

52:30 What Ellen would tell her past self

About the guest:

Ellen Whitlock Baker is the founder and CEO of EWB Coaching, where she helps professionals learn how to prioritize themselves in a world that often tells them not to. With more than 20 years of workplace experience and certification through the International Coaching Federation, Ellen supports leaders through one on one coaching, workshops, and courses.

After navigating her own experiences with burnout and self doubt, Ellen’s mission is to help others never reach that breaking point. She is also the host of the Hard at Work podcast, which says the quiet part out loud about what is not working in today’s workplaces and explores how we might change it.

Connect with Ellen:

Website: [https://ewbcoaching.com](https://ewbcoaching.com/)

Podcast: [https://hardatworkpodcast.com](https://hardatworkpodcast.com/)

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ellenwhitlockbaker/

Instagram: @ellenwbcoaching

Listen and follow The Life Shift:

Website: [www.thelifeshiftpodcast.com/follow](http://www.thelifeshiftpodcast.com/follow)

Support the show: [www.patreon.com/thelifeshiftpodcast](http://www.patreon.com/thelifeshiftpodcast)

Newsletter: https://thelifeshiftpodcast.beehiiv.com/

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Ellen shares a powerful story about an emotional experience at a musical that brought to light years of quiet burnout. This moment became a catalyst for her journey in understanding her people-pleasing tendencies, leading to significant personal growth. It's a reminder that self-improvement often begins with confronting uncomfortable truths. #MentalHealth #SelfImprovement #PersonalGrowth