How to Thrive in Your Career as a Quieter, More Introverted Person - with Lara Hayward, Career Coach

Welcome to a fascinating conversation with Lara Hayward that’ll touch on aligning our careers with our values and who we are; championing our quieter personalities at work; celebrating motherhood as a high performance role; the natural world’s ability to shape how we feel about ourselves; and the ripple effect of world-class athletes speaking out and prioritising their mental health over expectations.As an ex-lawyer involved in the NHS and Olympic and Paralympic Sport, and now a Career Coach at Oxford University and a Blue Health Coach, Lara is one of those people with a career that will make you think, wow she must be super confident so I’m thrilled that Lara is sharing her behind-the-scenes story and her insights with us in this episode. You may have already met Lara if you attended one of her career workshops this summer - and if not I’ll be sharing a link to these at the end so stayed tuned for that!About Our GuestLara Hayward Career Coach & Blue Health Coachwww.larahayward.com  I started my career as a litigation lawyer, a role which required me to put on an extrovert mask and be loud and fighty every day.  Although the work could be interesting, pretending to be someone else was exhausting – and this led me to full-on burnout, anxiety and a lot of unsettling soul searching.  After taking some time out to finally listen to that quieter voice in my head, I went back to study English and retrain as a career coach at Oxford University, where I am now the strategic lead for Creative Careers & Sustainability. I’m now in a working environment that celebrates difference and have the confidence and strength to do all of those things that, as a lawyer, were too scary to do. Support the show

Om Podcasten

Do you feel anxious in social situations? Think you're not good enough? Join us on a journey from anxiety to confidence, collecting puzzle pieces to help you feel more calm & courageous so you can speak up, join in & feel like you belong. If you’re struggling with everyday tasks that other people seem to find easy; or avoiding social situations for fear of rejection and criticism, this is the podcast for you. Whether you experience panic attacks, social anxiety, or simply a feeling that you’re “too quiet” and “not good enough”, you’ll be gaining insights from those who have been where you are right now to help you move beyond fear and anxiety, reframe quiet and grow your confidence so you can live your life the way you want to. Join Hayley & Stacie to explore the journey from socially anxious to quietly confident; collecting tools and techniques to help you to manage those anxious feelings and move towards self-acceptance and practicing self-compassion, to understanding how your thoughts are not reality, and why how you are isn’t who you are. You’ll pick up a variety of tips along the way, so that you, too, can feel calmer, more confident and experience more joy doing the things you really want to. The Quiet Connections podcast is brought to you from QuietConnections.co.uk.