Giving Yourself a Gold Star

Joanne Lockwood is joined by wellbeing and stress-reduction specialist Pam Burrows to explore what it really means to “give yourself a gold star” — recognising your strengths, noticing small wins, and stopping the habit of beating yourself up.

Pam explains how acknowledging even minor successes can lift mood and support resilience, and shares practical ideas to help people switch off from the stress “hamster wheel”, sleep better, and create healthier routines during lockdown. The conversation also covers how connection and humour can counter isolation, and why it now takes more intention to build variety and joy into repetitive days.

They also discuss the workplace context: the need for organisational policies and a culture of trust so people can say they’re not okay without fear, as well as the risks of burnout when employees try to operate at 100% while juggling additional pressures such as caring and homeschooling. Pam argues for realistic expectations, supportive leadership, and building both individual toolkits and structural support so people can thrive.