#010: Stepping into the Swamp: Psychological Flexibility & ACT for Career Transitions with Dr. Rachael Skews

How do you navigate career transitions when things feel uncertain and uncomfortable?In this episode in English, I’m joined by Dr. Rachael Skews — behavioural scientist, psychologist, coach, and internationally recognised expert in Acceptance & Commitment Coaching. We take a deep dive into career transitions and psychological flexibility & ACT (Acceptance & Commitment Therapy),exploring why uncertainty, fear, impostor thoughts, and self-doubt often show up when our work really matters — and how ACT can help us move forward.* TIMESTAMPS:00:00 Introduction to Choose Work01:05 Career transitions, psychological flexibility, and why this episode matters01:30 Meet Dr. Rachael Skews and her work in Acceptance & Commitment Coaching03:10 What Acceptance & Commitment Coaching really is (and what it isn’t)06:45 Impostor thoughts, self-doubt, and why high performers experience them08:30 Why the goal isn’t to get rid of difficult thoughts and feelings10:30 Rachael’s non-linear career journey: consultancy, academia, health tech, and entrepreneurship15:10 Moving from academia to Headspace and working in behavioural science18:10 Entrepreneurship, uncertainty, and psychological flexibility as a resource20:00 Rest, recovery, and treating yourself like an elite performer22:20 Self-criticism, overworking, and building self-compassion at work23:40 Redundancy, career inflection points, and conscious career choice25:10 Starting a business: loneliness, creativity, and stepping into the swamp27:30 Values, meaning, and designing work that actually fits you30:10 The “swamp” metaphor: discomfort as the price of meaningful work33:00 Fear, uncertainty, and speaking outside your comfort zone35:10 ACT in action: focusing on what’s on the other side of the swamp38:00 Risk tolerance, uncertainty, and how personality shapes career choices42:20 Case example: supporting a senior leader considering entrepreneurship45:00 Scarcity mindset, money fears, and responsibility during career transitions48:00 Why fear makes sense — and why it shouldn’t make the decision50:30 Is it ever too late to build psychological flexibility?53:10 Psychological flexibility as “conscious evolution”54:20 Rachael’s upcoming book on Acceptance & Commitment Coaching56:00 A practical reflection exercise for listeners navigating career transitions58:10 Where to find Rachael and her work*Resources mentioned:- Association for Contextual Behavioral Science (ACBS)- ACBS World Conference 2026*Support the podcast:- If you enjoy Choose Work, you can support it with a small voluntarycontribution (even the price of a coffee) via Buy Me a Coffee: buymeacoffee.com/choosework*Contact Dr. Rachael Skews and learn more about her work:- Website: https://www.rachaelskews.com/- The Coaching UnpACT podcast*For show notes, please visit ⁠heididelanghe.com/podcast⁠For feedback or suggestions for topics or guests, email me [email protected] Contact Heidi - Leadership Coach • Expert inGiftedness • Mindfulness Teacher:- Book a free discovery call at ⁠heididelanghe.com/contact⁠- Linkedin: ⁠linkedin.com/in/heididelanghe⁠- Instagram: ⁠⁠instagram.com/heididelanghe.coaching/⁠