You Are Not A Frog
Dr Rachel Morris
The podcast for GPs, hospital doctors and other professionals in high-stakes, high-stress jobs who want to thrive rather than just survive.
You studied for years, you’re really good at what you do but you’ve noticed that you’re starting to feel overwhelmed, overworked and under-resourced. You may be comparing yourself to a frog in boiling water - the heat has built up so slowly that you haven’t noticed the extra-long days becoming the norm. You may feel on the edge and trapped in the very job that you’ve spent years working towards.
Here’s the problem, frogs only have two choices; stay and be boiled alive, or jump out of the pan. The good news is that you are not a frog. You have many more choices than you think you do. You don’t have to quit, and nor should stress and burnout be inevitable.
It is possible to be master of your own destiny, to craft your work life and career so that you can thrive even in the most difficult of situations. There are simple changes you can make which will make a huge difference to your stress levels and help you enjoy life again.
Your host is Dr Rachel Morris, GP turned Executive Coach and Specialist in Resilience at Work who knows what it’s like to feel like an exhausted frog. In the podcast, she’ll be talking to friends, colleagues and experts all who have an interesting take on resilience for clever people in high-stakes, high-stress jobs so that together you can take back control to beat stress and burnout, survive and thrive.
You studied for years, you’re really good at what you do but you’ve noticed that you’re starting to feel overwhelmed, overworked and under-resourced. You may be comparing yourself to a frog in boiling water - the heat has built up so slowly that you haven’t noticed the extra-long days becoming the norm. You may feel on the edge and trapped in the very job that you’ve spent years working towards.
Here’s the problem, frogs only have two choices; stay and be boiled alive, or jump out of the pan. The good news is that you are not a frog. You have many more choices than you think you do. You don’t have to quit, and nor should stress and burnout be inevitable.
It is possible to be master of your own destiny, to craft your work life and career so that you can thrive even in the most difficult of situations. There are simple changes you can make which will make a huge difference to your stress levels and help you enjoy life again.
Your host is Dr Rachel Morris, GP turned Executive Coach and Specialist in Resilience at Work who knows what it’s like to feel like an exhausted frog. In the podcast, she’ll be talking to friends, colleagues and experts all who have an interesting take on resilience for clever people in high-stakes, high-stress jobs so that together you can take back control to beat stress and burnout, survive and thrive.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Apr 13, 2026 • 16min
How to Stop Feeling Guilty When It's Impossible to Do Your Job.
Every day in healthcare, a meeting ends, and a problem that was never formally handed to anyone lands on the person who cares most - you.If you've ever walked out of a room carrying something that somehow became yours without anyone asking, this Quick Dip Episode gives that experience a name, explains exactly why it keeps happening to people like you, and gives you the language to start pushing back on it.Listen to other episodes in the Over-Responsibility Trap series:Part 1: Why Responsibility Keeps Landing on YouPart 2: When ‘Can You Help?’ Doesn’t Feel Like a QuestionLearn more about The Shapes Academy here.Get more episodes and resources by joining FrogXtraMentioned in this episode:[FREE Webinar] How to Lead Without RescuingJoin Dr Rachel Morris and Dr Sarah Coope for a free 60-minute live webinar on Tuesday 21st April, 2026 at 19:30-20:30 BST OR Thursday 23rd April, 2026 at 13:00-14:00 BST[FREE Webinar] How to Lead Without Rescuing
Apr 6, 2026 • 52min
Why ‘I Have To’ Is Keeping You Stuck (And What To Say Instead)
How many times this week have you thought, "I just don't have a choice"? About your rota, your inbox, the extra patient squeezed in at the end of clinic? That thought feels true, and it can feel like a fact... But what if it’s actually a story, and that story is costing you your peace of mind?In this episode, Rachel sits down with Robbie Swale, coach, author of ‘The Power to Choose’, and creator of the 12 Minute Method, to dig into why reclaiming a sense of agency and choice matters so deeply for your wellbeing. Together, they explore how small shifts in language and perception can move you from feeling like life is happening to you to feeling like you are actually living it on purpose.Key TakeawaysSwitching "I have to" to "I choose to" is not just a mindset trick. It activates a different part of your nervous system and genuinely changes how you experience pressure.You almost certainly have more options than you can currently see. Curiosity, not certainty, is what opens them up.The 12 Minute Method proves that tiny, consistent actions compound. One lunchtime walk a week adds up to 50 walks over a year, and that matters.Feeling stuck is usually a sign you have not yet had the conversation, asked the question, or taken the step you already know you need to take.Get more episodes and resources by joining FrogXtraResources Mentioned:🐸 FrogFest Virtual🐸 The Power to Choose: Finding Calm and Connection in a Complex World by Robbie Swale🐸 The 12-Minute Method BooksMentioned in this episode:[FREE Webinar] How to Lead Without RescuingJoin Dr Rachel Morris and Dr Sarah Coope for a free 60-minute live webinar on Tuesday 21st April, 2026 at 19:30-20:30 BST OR Thursday 23rd April, 2026 at 13:00-14:00 BST[FREE Webinar] How to Lead Without Rescuing⭐️ Book Your FrogFest Ticket Now
Mar 30, 2026 • 16min
When 'Can You Help' Doesn't Feel Like a Question (Part 2 of The Over-Responsibility Trap)
Have you ever had someone ask for “a quick bit of help”… and somehow ended up owning the entire task?In caring professions, requests for help can feel less like requests and more like responsibilities landing on us. We’re trained to notice problems, fix things and support colleagues - which means it can feel incredibly uncomfortable to say no.In this Quick Dip episode, Rachel explores the moment when a simple request triggers our helping reflex, and why so many capable professionals end up carrying work that was never meant to be theirs.Learning to pause before automatically saying yes can help you support colleagues without becoming the automatic carrier of responsibility for everyone and everything.Key ideas discussed in this episodeWhy requests for help often feel like obligationsThe “helping reflex” in caring professionsHow small requests can quietly become your responsibilityThe difference between caring about something and carrying itWhy saying yes when you don’t have capacity can lead to resentmentHow awareness helps you respond to requests more intentionallyResources mentioned:The Shapes AcademyBrené Brown — “Clear is kind”Passing the Naughty Monkey Back with Dr Amit SharmaMentioned in this episode:[FREE Webinar] How to Lead Without RescuingJoin Dr Rachel Morris and Dr Sarah Coope for a free 60-minute live webinar on Tuesday 21st April, 2026 at 19:30-20:30 BST OR Thursday 23rd April, 2026 at 13:00-14:00 BST[FREE Webinar] How to Lead Without Rescuing
Mar 23, 2026 • 1h 3min
Freelance vs Employed - On Which Side is the Grass Greener?
The founder of the National Association of Sessional GPs on whether the grass is always greener, and the changes you can make in your career without feeling like a frog forced to jump out of the pan.Get more episodes and resources by joining FrogXtraMentioned in this episode:⭐️ Book Your FrogFest Ticket Now[FREE Webinar] How to Lead Without RescuingJoin Dr Rachel Morris and Dr Sarah Coope for a free 60-minute live webinar on Tuesday 21st April, 2026 at 19:30-20:30 BST OR Thursday 23rd April, 2026 at 13:00-14:00 BST[FREE Webinar] How to Lead Without Rescuing
Mar 16, 2026 • 14min
Why Responsibility Keeps Landing on You (Part 1 of The Over-Responsibility Trap)
Have you ever looked at a task on your plate and wondered when it became your responsibility?Nobody asked you to do it. Nobody assigned it to you. But somehow it landed on you, and now you're carrying it.In this Quick Dip, Rachel explores the responsibility trap - the pattern where capable and conscientious professionals automatically pick up unclaimed problems. Over time, these responsibilities accumulate, increasing your workload, emotional labour, and ultimately contributing to burnout.This episode explores why responsible people are particularly vulnerable to this trap and how being more deliberate about what you choose to carry can protect both your energy and your professional identity.Resources mentionedDr Sarah Coope’s LinkedIn article on the “silence gap”FrogFest Virtual: The Doubt Busters - a half-day online symposium for doctors and senior healthcare professionals happening on 3 June 2026.Get more episodes and resources by joining FrogXtraMentioned in this episode:[FREE Webinar] How to Lead Without RescuingJoin Dr Rachel Morris and Dr Sarah Coope for a free 60-minute live webinar on Tuesday 21st April, 2026 at 19:30-20:30 BST OR Thursday 23rd April, 2026 at 13:00-14:00 BST[FREE Webinar] How to Lead Without Rescuing
Mar 9, 2026 • 47min
How to Use Clean Language to Stop Rescuing and Really Feel Your Feelings
Mindset shifts to help you explore difficult feelings and find solutions without falling into rescuer mode or getting overwhelmed.Get more episodes and resources by joining FrogXtraMentioned in this episode:⭐️ Book Your FrogFest Ticket Now[FREE Webinar] How to Lead Without RescuingJoin Dr Rachel Morris and Dr Sarah Coope for a free 60-minute live webinar on Tuesday 21st April, 2026 at 19:30-20:30 BST OR Thursday 23rd April, 2026 at 13:00-14:00 BST[FREE Webinar] How to Lead Without Rescuing
Mar 2, 2026 • 27min
You Can’t Meditate Yourself Out of a 60-Hour Work Week
There’s more on your plate than you realise, and most likely you’re trying to cram 25 hours of work into a 24 hour day, not counting sleep and time away from work. Here’s some practical advice to help you see what’s on your plate, and what you need to sacrifice.Get more episodes and resources by joining FrogXtraDownload the Overwhelm SOS ToolkitDownload the Thrive Week PlannerMentioned in this episode:[FREE Webinar] How to Lead Without RescuingJoin Dr Rachel Morris and Dr Sarah Coope for a free 60-minute live webinar on Tuesday 21st April, 2026 at 19:30-20:30 BST OR Thursday 23rd April, 2026 at 13:00-14:00 BST[FREE Webinar] How to Lead Without Rescuing
5 snips
Feb 23, 2026 • 1h 3min
When Speaking Up is Stressful – A Psychology Researcher Tells Us What to Do Instead
What happens when we need to raise a serious concern that could affect patient safety? And what happens if someone raises a concern to you?Get more episodes and resources by joining FrogXtraMentioned in this episode:[FREE Webinar] How to Lead Without RescuingJoin Dr Rachel Morris and Dr Sarah Coope for a free 60-minute live webinar on Tuesday 21st April, 2026 at 19:30-20:30 BST OR Thursday 23rd April, 2026 at 13:00-14:00 BST[FREE Webinar] How to Lead Without Rescuing⭐️ Book Your FrogFest Ticket Now
Feb 16, 2026 • 18min
You Do Not Have to Be Good
What does it mean for a doctor to be “good”? Can you be “good” and still take care of yourself? And how can we rescue ourselves from the trap of thinking that asking for support is somehow a moral failing?Get more episodes and resources by joining FrogXtraMentioned in this episode:[FREE Webinar] How to Lead Without RescuingJoin Dr Rachel Morris and Dr Sarah Coope for a free 60-minute live webinar on Tuesday 21st April, 2026 at 19:30-20:30 BST OR Thursday 23rd April, 2026 at 13:00-14:00 BST[FREE Webinar] How to Lead Without Rescuing
Feb 9, 2026 • 47min
How to Tell if Your Workplace is Toxic or Just Misaligned to You
Claire Plumley, clinical psychologist and author focused on trauma, burnout and nervous-system-informed workplace care. She talks about spotting real toxicity like bullying, unsafe structures and blame cultures. Claire explains nervous-system signs of harm and how values or strengths misfit can drain you. Practical prompts help decide whether to stay or move on.
