When it comes to workplace psychology and emotional wellbeing, my recent guest Sean Whitten and I are what you might call "armchair experts." Neither of us has formal training in psychology or therapy, but we share a deep passion for understanding how humans navigate the complex emotional terrain of work life – especially in higher education.
What I love about Sean is his ability to be both vulnerable and strategic in how he handles workplace stress. He introduced me to what he calls the "yawn" approach – not actual yawning, but taking that crucial mental pause before reacting. As he puts it, "I am yawning. Like I am giving myself a breath mentally, because I'm otherwise going to take that task, take that person, take that project to a level that has not been invited to."
During our conversation, Sean opened up about his evolution from what he calls "Sean 1.0" – who would become "deadpan in the face, blank stared and in in agreeance... but completely yelling inside" – to his current version who's learned to vocalize when he needs processing time. He's discovered that this vulnerability can actually be a strength, or as we discussed, both a necessary risk and a power move.
One of my favorite moments was hearing Sean describe his Career Day presentation to elementary school students, where he compared his role in college admissions to Batman: "I look to fight off the evils of your own... imposter syndrome, right? Like, 'I can't go to college. There's no one in my family that went to college.' Or the evils of like, 'I can't afford this.'" Leave it to Sean to make higher ed administration sound like joining the Justice League!
We also dove into the reality of transitioning from remote to in-person work, where Sean found himself "peopling so much" that he needed his weekends to recover. His solution? Creating new rhythms, like arriving early to set up the office coffee maker – a small act that helped him maintain something familiar while adapting to a new environment.
The conversation got real when we discussed burnout indicators. For Sean, the warning signs often don't show up at work, but rather at home: "If it's Tuesday at 11 and I'm still in the chair, in the living room... I need to attend to something." I had to laugh when I recognized my own "revenge" late-night scrolling in that description – you know, when you stay up way too late because you haven't had any time to yourself all day?
Through our chat, we kept coming back to this idea of finding your way back to yourself in times of stress – whether that's through touching grass (literally or metaphorically), making snow angels, or dancing with your kids. As Sean reminded me, sometimes the best way forward is to "give yourself the childlike wonder back."
Want to hear more workplace wisdom from my conversation with Sean, including his full Batman career pitch and our mutual appreciation for Beauty and the Beast references?
Check out the latest episode of The Vinedown below. We're the show talking about all things higher ed, from the intense (AI and tech) to the human (like this episode!) – and sometimes, if you're lucky, you'll catch us making Disney references while solving workplace dilemmas.
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