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Welcome back to Brains at Work! In Episode 2, Steph and Claire dive into a topic many people experience but rarely have the words to explain: Rejection Sensitivity Disorder (RSD) and how it shows up in everyday work life.

If you’ve ever spiralled after hearing “Can we have a quick chat?”, replayed a conversation in your head at 2am, or avoided opportunities because the possibility of rejection felt overwhelming, this episode is for you.

Steph and Claire explore what RSD actually feels like, why it’s often misunderstood, and how it can affect confidence, decision-making, and workplace relationships. They also unpack demand avoidance, explaining how loss of autonomy can trigger stress responses and make even simple tasks feel impossible.

In this episode, we discuss:

• What Rejection Sensitivity Disorder is—and what it isn’t
• Why perceived rejection can feel so intense and immediate
• How RSD and demand avoidance show up in professional environments
• The hidden ways perfectionism, people-pleasing, and burnout develop
• Practical tools to manage triggers and create safer, more supportive work environments

Steph and Claire also share practical strategies—from separating fact from the story your brain creates, to designing work in ways that respect autonomy and reduce unnecessary pressure.

This episode is honest, relatable, and packed with tools for anyone who has ever felt like their brain turns small moments into full emotional catastrophes.

Because sometimes the problem isn’t you—
it’s the environment your nervous system is trying to survive in.