Episode 06: Lisa Poole Part 2

In this episode of Identity First, host Stephanie Fleet is joined again by occupational therapist and transactional analysis practitioner Lisa Poole to explore why caring roles can be so emotionally demanding and why “switching off” from work is often harder than we expect. They discuss how professional identity, personal values, and ingrained drivers such as “be perfect” or “please others” can blur the boundaries between work and home, leaving carers feeling drained, or sometimes unexpectedly energised. Lisa introduces the importance of rituals and transition points, especially in a world where many people now work from home. Simple actions like changing clothes, wearing shoes for work, or physically stepping outside can help signal a shift between roles and support emotional wellbeing. The conversation also explores burnout, reframing it not as personal failure but as a signal that contracts, expectations, and resources may need renegotiation. Through the lens of transactional analysis, Lisa explains how energy is influenced by patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving, and how tools such as completion lists, reflective supervision, and clear professional boundaries can protect against depletion. The episode closes with a powerful reflection on the importance of “strokes” – positive recognition and affirmation – encouraging listeners to seek, give, and offer these to themselves as a vital, renewable source of emotional nourishment.