A Christmas Day walk-and-talk reflecting on burnout, grief, ADHD, alcohol, ambition, and learning to live more gently. This special episode of Where Are We Heading? is a quiet, honest reflection on the year that’s been — and how to move forward without burning out.
Dan and Kim talk about grief, first Christmases after loss, sobriety, ADHD, anxiety, burnout, and the pressure we put on ourselves to “be further along.” Instead of setting big resolutions, they explore what it looks like to slow down, listen to the body, and let life be enough — even when things aren’t perfect.
Kim shares how burnout has reshaped her relationship with work, ambition, and self-worth, and how practices like meditation, exercise, and compassion have become essential tools rather than optional extras. Dan reflects on grief, reflection without regret, and finding meaning in presence rather than productivity.
As always, the conversation unfolds while walking, grounded in the landscape, the moment, and the reality that none of us have it figured out.
This episode is for anyone ending the year feeling tired, reflective, or quietly hopeful and for those who want to enter the next chapter with more kindness and less force.
Key Takeaways
Letting go of New Year’s resolutions in favour of compassion
Burnout as a turning point, not a failure
ADHD, anxiety, and the body’s memory of trauma
Grief and first Christmases after loss
Sobriety, alcohol, and changing relationships with celebration
Meditation and exercise as regulation, not optimisation
Learning to say no without guilt
Measuring life by presence, not productivity
Why slowing down can actually create space for better things
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Credits
Hosts: Kim and Dan
Podcast: Where Are We Heading?
Logo Design: Jane Hogan Illustrates
Music & Production: Kim
Recorded in: Margate, UK