“Too many PR pros still equate productivity with work,” Katie Neal said. “The behaviors that we’re rewarded for, especially early in our careers, are driven by perfectionistic tendencies… and long hours.”
In communications, “We’re trained to say yes to doing whatever it takes to get things done, even when we’re running on empty,” she said. “And that leads to burnout.”
Neal is principal and CEO of Katie Neal Coaching & Consulting in Lexington, Ky., and president of PRSA’s Thoroughbred Chapter. To mark World Mental Health Day on Oct. 10, she joined John Elsasser, PRSA’s publications director, for a short video conversation.
In the May 2025 issue of Strategies & Tactics, Neal, a frequent contributor to PRSA publications and certified executive coach, wrote about a “crisis of well-being” in public relations. In her article, she said that many PR professionals are “breaking themselves just to justify a break” from their work. Elsasser asked why this mindset persists in the communications profession.
Many PR pros fear that setting boundaries between their work and personal lives will make them appear less committed or less capable, Neal said. But communicators should value creativity and quality work over sheer activity.
“It’s time that we redefine success as sustaining ourselves while still doing high-quality work,” she said. “And that means challenging the old hustle culture,” clarifying priorities and “pushing back on unrealistic expectations and timelines.”
As Neal said, “When we stop wearing burnout as a badge of honor, we create more room for the kinds of relationships, the creative ideas, and the healthier version of success that we all need and deserve.”
Watch the full interview between Elsasser and Neal below:
Photo credit: jadon b/peopleimages.com
