Episodes

  • 317 Workplace Politics

    317 Workplace Politics
    Apr 27 2026
    Workplace Politics & Ethical Influence: Navigating Power Without Selling Your SoulPolitics exist in every workplace. The question is whether people engage ethically or get blindsided by informal power dynamics. In this episode, Dr. Grajdek defines workplace politics and distinguishes healthy influence from toxic manipulation and exclusion. She provides an ethical influence playbook as well as integrity guardrails. Furthermore, Dr. Grajdek offers leader practices that reduce toxic politics through consistent processes and decision clarity. Tune in to learn more.
    Check out Stress-Free With Dr G on YouTube
    https://youtube.com/channel/UCxHq0osRest0BqQQRXfdjiQ
    The Stress Solution: Your Blueprint For Stress Management Mastery
    https://a.co/d/07xAdo7l
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    16 mins
  • 316 Career Plateauing

    316 Career Plateauing
    Apr 20 2026
    Career Plateauing: When Growth Stalls and Motivation Drops
    In this episode, Dr. Grajdek reframes career plateaus as signals, not failures. She breaks down the three common forms of career plateaus and discusses the psychological costs of plateauing. Dr. Grajdek explains why impulsive exits or novelty-chasing can backfire, as she offers better options, such as building a “career lattice” through adjacent skills, lateral moves, internal projects, and targeted stretch assignments. Moreover, she discusses the importance of both mentorship and sponsorship at the workplace along with their relevance in one’s career. Finally, Dr. Grajdek offers best practices for organizations. Tune in to learn more.
    Check out Stress-Free With Dr G on YouTube
    https://youtube.com/channel/UCxHq0osRest0BqQQRXfdjiQ
    The Stress Solution: Your Blueprint For Stress Management Mastery
    https://a.co/d/07xAdo7l
    Show More Show Less
    20 mins
  • 315 Impostor Phenomenon at Work

    315 Impostor Phenomenon at Work
    Apr 13 2026
    Impostor Phenomenon at Work: From Self-Doubt to Steady Confidence In this episode, Dr. Grajdek discusses how we normalize impostor thoughts as a common experience—especially during promotions, pivots, and high-visibility work. She underlines the importance of distinguishing impostor thoughts from genuine skill gaps. Dr. Grajdek examines how ambiguous success criteria and comparison culture can fuel overpreparing, avoidance, burnout, and under-claiming credit. Moreover, she offers a concrete confidence toolkit for individuals. Finally, Dr. Grajdek shows leaders how to reduce impostor triggers. Tune in to learn more.
    Check out Stress-Free With Dr G on YouTube
    https://youtube.com/channel/UCxHq0osRest0BqQQRXfdjiQ
    The Stress Solution: Your Blueprint For Stress Management Mastery
    https://a.co/d/07xAdo7l
    Show More Show Less
    13 mins
  • 314 Micromanagement

    314 Micromanagement
    Apr 6 2026
    Micromanagement: The Control Trap That Quietly Kills PerformanceIn this episode, Dr. Grajdek unpacks micromanagement as a trust-and-clarity problem disguised as “high standards,” showing how constant checking, redoing work, and approval bottlenecks erode autonomy and motivation. She explores why micromanagers micromanage—often anxiety, fear of accountability, and unclear expectations—and how the fallout spreads across teams through slowed cycle times, hidden errors, and disengagement. Dr. Grajdek offers a practical fix and scripts employees can use to request clarity and autonomy without confrontation. Tune in to learn more.
    Check out Stress-Free With Dr G on YouTube
    https://youtube.com/channel/UCxHq0osRest0BqQQRXfdjiQ
    The Stress Solution: Your Blueprint For Stress Management Mastery
    https://a.co/d/07xAdo7l
    Show More Show Less
    17 mins
  • 313 Psychological Ownership

    313 Psychological Ownership
    Mar 30 2026
    Psychological Ownership: Getting Employees to Treat Work Like “Theirs” Without Exploiting Them Psychological ownership can drive initiative, pride, and higher-quality work, but it can also slide into over-responsibility and “martyr” norms if boundaries aren’t built into the system. In this episode, Dr. Grajdek explains how healthy ownership develops through autonomy, competence, voice, and visible impact. She also discusses how and why it can backfire when workloads are unclear or the culture rewards constant availability. Dr. Grajdek describes best practices that help leaders to create an “ownership ladder” with clear decision rights. Moreover, she helps leaders to recognize learning and outcomes (not overwork), while pairing empowerment with guardrails that protect wellbeing. Tune in to learn more.
    Check out Stress-Free With Dr G on YouTube
    https://youtube.com/channel/UCxHq0osRest0BqQQRXfdjiQ
    The Stress Solution: Your Blueprint For Stress Management Mastery
    https://a.co/d/07xAdo7l
    Show More Show Less
    15 mins
  • 312 Compassion Fatigue

    312 Compassion Fatigue
    Mar 23 2026
    Compassion Fatigue in Leaders and Helping Roles
    When your role requires supporting others’ stress, the emotional cost can accumulate into compassion fatigue. In this episode, Dr. Grajdek explains what compassion fatigue looks like, who is most at risk, and how to prevent depletion without becoming emotionally shut down. Dr. Grajdek discusses “compassion boundary”, peer support structures, micro-recovery practices, and organizational levers which help support roles to remain sustainable. Tune in to learn more.
    Check out Stress-Free With Dr G on YouTube
    https://youtube.com/channel/UCxHq0osRest0BqQQRXfdjiQ
    The Stress Solution: Your Blueprint For Stress Management Mastery
    https://a.co/d/07xAdo7l
    Show More Show Less
    16 mins
  • 311 Workplace Friendships

    311 Workplace Friendships
    Mar 16 2026
    Workplace Friendships: Healthy Connection vs. Drama, Favoritism, and Boundary Mess Workplace friendships can be a protective factor, but they can also create cliques, favoritism perceptions, and messy boundary conflicts. In this episode, Dr. Grajdek examines the benefits and risks of workplace friendships, including the special complications of manager–direct report “friendships” where power dynamics can blur fairness and feedback. She offers ideas for practical boundaries and leader practices that encourage connection while maintaining inclusion, transparency, and professional integrity. Tune in to learn more.
    Check out Stress-Free With Dr G on YouTube
    https://youtube.com/channel/UCxHq0osRest0BqQQRXfdjiQ
    The Stress Solution: Your Blueprint For Stress Management Mastery
    https://a.co/d/07xAdo7l
    Show More Show Less
    13 mins
  • 310 Psychological Detachment

    310 Psychological Detachment
    Mar 9 2026
    Psychological Detachment: Why People Can’t “Turn Off” After Work

    If your body leaves work but your mind remains at work, recovery doesn’t happen and burnout becomes more likely. In this episode, Dr. Grajdek explains psychological detachment as a skill (not avoidance), showing how rumination, unfinished tasks, and unclear priorities keep people mentally “on-call”. The good news is that effective psychological detachment can be learned. Dr. Grajdek discusses techniques like shutdown rituals, next-step lists for closure, containment strategies for worry loops. Tune in to learn more.
    Check out Stress-Free With Dr G on YouTube
    https://youtube.com/channel/UCxHq0osRest0BqQQRXfdjiQ
    The Stress Solution: Your Blueprint For Stress Management Mastery
    https://a.co/d/07xAdo7l
    Show More Show Less
    20 mins