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301

 – Resilience, Burnout, and the Power of Self-Compassion – with Dr. Olivia Ong

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Hosted by HerBusiness

On air:

27 March 2025

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What would you do if everything you worked for came to a crashing halt?

Our guest today, Dr. Olivia Ong, has a truly incredible story – one not just of resilience, grit, and ‘pushing through the pain’… but one of self-compassion.

After a horrible accident, Olivia was told by her doctor that she would never walk again, never practice medicine again and that her life would completely change.

Instead of giving up hope, Olivia has transformed her experience into helping others remember the importance of self-compassion and the prevention of burnout.

Here Are Some Takeaways From the Episode: 

  • Dr Olivia Ong’s remarkable story of healing after a life-changing spinal cord injury (+ the unexpected path she found).
  • Why self-compassion is far more powerful than self-criticism (especially when you are on a journey of healing, navigating burnout, or facing challenges).
  • The surprising reason why willpower and ‘pushing through the pain’ isn’t the best path forward.
  • Why so many women are unknowingly addicted to busyness and the toll it takes on our brains and bodies.
  • The 3 clear signs you’re heading toward burnout – exhaustion, disconnection, and loss of purpose – and how you can spot them early.
  • How Olivia describes burnout using the “energy bank account” analogy (and why many women don’t realise they’re in burnout until they are “overdrawn”).
  • Practical, science-backed ways to interrupt the burnout cycle and stop it from becoming a repeat pattern in your business and life.
  • How to use “micro-moments of self-compassion” to reset your nervous system throughout the day.
  • Olivia’s “No, but…” strategy to help you set boundaries without feeling guilty.
  • The real cost of ignoring rest, and how cortisol overload leads to brain fog, inflammation, and chronic stress.

If YOU have ever felt stuck, overwhelmed, or caught in that nasty cycle of burnout… this episode will give you practical tools and a whole new way to think about success, recovery, and self-compassion.

 

 

 

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Subscribe to the HerBusiness Podcast

For more stories of remarkable women entrepreneurs, subscribe to the HerBusiness Podcast.

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Mentioned in This Episode:

HerBusiness Network

Celebrating 300 Episodes of the HerBusiness Podcast – Inspiring Insights from 5 Business Icons

Book: Jojo the Kind Sloth (Children’s book on self-compassion)

Karen Rettig, Alternatives for Animals

Episode 299 – 7 Thoughts Stopping You from Making More Money (and How to Change Them)

Episode 296 – Get Your Spark Back, Overcome Burnout, and Grow Your Business

 

Subscribe to the HerBusiness podcast:

For more stories of remarkable women entrepreneurs, subscribe to the HerBusiness Podcast.

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About the host

Suzi Dafnis

Hi there. I’m Suzi Dafnis, CEO at HerBusiness. My BIG passion is helping women business owners to grow and scale their business, so that they can create their ideal lifestyle and make a difference in the world. Every day I am inspired by the more than 30,000 amazing women (and men!) in our community and I love finding the best education, mentors, and resources from around the globe, to help them get the skills, knowledge, and support they need to succeed. It’s been my privilege to lead HerBusiness (formerly The Australian Businesswomen’s Network) for the past 23 years (two+ decades – WOW!) because, whilst I’ve enjoyed success in business, I’ve also experienced the highs and the lows – sometimes you can feel on top of the world and in control and other times you can feel isolated, exhausted and stuck. What has made the biggest difference for me has always been having great people around me and having a lifelong commitment to learning. That’s why I am so passionate about the work we do here at HerBusiness – providing a Connection Network for women in business to get the mentors, contacts, referrals, knowledge, and skills they need to grow their confidence, make more money, build their businesses, expand their network and create the lives they love. My entrepreneurial journey started in the spare room of my Sydney apartment in 1994 when my business partner and I started a boutique events company that represented speakers and authors from the USA, here in Australia. Over the years I’ve grown multiple multi-million dollar businesses in the events, publishing and education niches – with teams in Australia, New Zealand, and the USA. Not everything has worked and there has been a degree of trial and error, and a lot of bumps in the road. But I have always had a strong commitment to always surrounding myself with great mentors and like-minded peers – a Connection Network that I can depend on and who can depend on me to be there for them too. I truly do what I love, every day.  

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About the guest(s)

Olivia Ong

Olivia Ong

Dr. Olivia Ong, known as the Heart-Centred Doctor, is a physician-entrepreneur and professional speaker specialising in helping professional women overcome burnout. A Rehabilitation and Pain Physician with 20+ years of experience, her life changed after a spinal cord injury left her a paraplegic. Through recovery, she gained profound insights into nervous system regulation, neurological resilience, and burnout. Now, through The Heart-Centred Method Institute, Olivia empowers high performing professional women and leaders to regulate stress, heal their nervous systems, and thrive. She has helped thousands of professionals and has been featured on TEDx, ABC, and Sky News. Learn more at drolivialeeong.com.

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