We Can’t Keep Working Like This: Lyanna Tsakiris on Burnout, Boundaries and (Yes) Tree Hugging
Lyanna Tsakiris is the founder of strategic communications agency Station Rd and the voice behind Wander and Wonder - a growing wellbeing practice focused on restoring clarity and connection in how we live and work.
After burning out and stepping away from a fast-paced career, Lyanna didn’t just recover - she redefined how she wanted to work and live. From barefoot walks in Africa to tree hugging as a child, her story is one of reconnection and helping others find their way back, too.
That perspective runs through her work with leaders and organisations - combining clarity-led communication, emotional intelligence and wellbeing-thinking to drive meaningful change across teams, brands and businesses.
We sat down with Lyanna about walking away, starting again and why a different pace often leads to better outcomes - in work and life.
Q: Tell us how your journey really started.
Before co-founding Station Rd with my partner Jay, I burned out. Completely. I had to take six-months out of work to focus on myself and recover. I was always ‘on,’ constantly switching gears, carrying too much and putting myself last. And when I finally stopped, I realised how far I’d pushed beyond what was healthy - mentally, physically, emotionally.
That reset gave me clarity. I wanted to live life differently, had new non-negotiables that protected my wellbeing and I wanted to build something better - for myself and for the people I’d work with. That’s how the agency began - rooted in clarity, grounded in care and focused on long-term growth, not just short-term wins.
Q: Where did Wander and Wonder come from?
It was partly personal and partly inspired by an experience going back 10 years ago. I went on a walk-and-talk networking event up a mountain, and something clicked. Strangers opened up. Ideas flowed. The conversation felt real, not forced and that stayed with me.
But really, nature has always been part of my story - I grew up in Africa, where being outside - barefoot, in the elements was just part of life. My mum is a proud tree-hugger. Literally. We hugged trees growing up, and now my own kid does the same. It wasn’t performative - it was presence. Grounding. We didn’t call it nervous system regulation or anything like that - we just knew it made us feel better.
That connection has stayed with me and I’ve always been big on the mind–body link. You can’t fix a busy head without checking in with the body. So when I started bringing more of this into my work - walking with clients, coaching outside, creating reflection space, having no-meeting Mondays - I wasn’t inventing something new. I was going back to what I knew worked.
As humans we’re not wired to sit at desks all day and as a result we simply cannot expect our best ideas to surface between meetings and sat in a box. If you want clarity, you have to allow space for it. Wander and Wonder was born from that - a place where wellbeing and work can support each other.
Q: How do your agency and wellbeing work come together?
For me, they’re not separate. Communication, culture, clarity - they’re all part of wellbeing. You can’t grow a sustainable business if your people are depleted or disconnected. And you can’t do your best thinking in an environment that doesn’t support you.
At Station Rd, everything starts with clarity - helping leaders and teams get clear on who they are, what they stand for and how to communicate (and grow) in ways that are proven to work.
That might mean finding the right words to tell your story, aligning people around a shared direction, or creating strategies that bring in the right leads. We work across brand, culture and communications - from SEO and content to employee engagement and leadership messaging - always with a focus on what can really move the business forward.
We’ve also been refining a wellbeing framework - something that helps people check in, rebalance and reset without needing a full life overhaul. It’s already proving useful in practice, helping people take small but meaningful steps that support their energy, clarity and focus. We’re building it slowly, shaped by what’s actually working - because validation matters. It needs to be grounded in lived experience, not just theory.
Q: And what are you learning from this work - what’s emerging as most needed right now?
What’s clear is that most people aren’t lost - they’re just a little disconnected. From their energy, their values, their clarity. And when that happens, it shows up everywhere - in their decisions, their relationships, their leadership, even how they speak or show up in a room.
The pace we’re all moving at doesn’t leave much room to notice what’s off - let alone do something about it. What is being built through this work is a way for people to pause, tune in, and come back to themselves - without needing to burn it all down or start from scratch (unless that’s what they actually want to do!).
It’s not about becoming someone new. It’s about building the kind of awareness that helps you live and work in a way that reflects what really matters to you. Noticing what’s draining you, what’s fuelling you, and what’s quietly asking for your attention - so you can lead, decide and connect with more ease and intention. That’s what creates a life and workstyle that feels sustainable, meaningful, and your own.
Q: You’re also EQ-certified - how does that play into your work?
Massively. I use emotional intelligence mapping as part of my work, but EQ runs through everything I do - from brand strategy to wellbeing coaching. I genuinely believe emotional intelligence is a superpower. Because communication, culture, and wellbeing all start with awareness. Self-awareness. Relational awareness. Cultural awareness.
In teams especially, EQ is often the difference between just getting by and truly performing. When people feel seen and understood - including by themselves - everything changes. Communication gets clearer, collaboration strengthens and leadership becomes more human.
Q: And what results are you seeing - practically?
People feel clearer, more focused, and less reactive. One founder said to me recently, “I feel like I’ve finally got my brain back.”
And in teams, the impact shows up in small but powerful ways - better conversations, healthier boundaries and more openness. People stop pushing through on autopilot and start working at a pace that supports clearer thinking and better decisions.
It’s that idea of slowing down to speed up - creating space so people can be more intentional, more effective and ultimately, more impactful.
In my work, I’ve seen the positive changes that are far-reaching when people feel clear on what they’re working towards, supported in their environment and genuinely heard by their teams.
One project with a fast-scaling tech company stands out. We began by listening - through focus groups, surveys and real conversations that helped shape what came next. The business made intentional changes including moving to a new office space with a wellbeing room, and adaptations for how people actually work and the culture shifted from reactive to responsive.
As a result:
- Employee connection rose from 55% to 84%
- Wellbeing support ratings increased to 80%
- Office attendance grew from around 30% to over 90% - without mandates
- Team growth by over 100%
- Revenue growth - doubled from the previous year
These shifts weren’t just operational - they were human. When people feel aligned - with their work, their team and themselves - they lead better, think more clearly and contribute more meaningfully. That’s the kind of change that lasts - and it always starts by listening.
Awareness x Intention + Action + Support = Sustainable Change.
Q: What do business leaders need to hear right now?
That we can’t keep working the way we always have and expect people, or businesses, to thrive. The 9-5 model was built for an industrial era, a time before smartphones, remote teams, and the expectation to always be available.
Work has changed. People have changed. But too often, our systems haven’t.
Wellbeing isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s a baseline. And when it’s treated like an optional extra, we lose the clarity, creativity and connection that actually drive performance.
This isn’t about free fruit bowls or subsidised yoga. It’s about designing environments (on and offline) where people can think clearly, work with intention, and show up in a way that’s sustainable - for them and for the business.
It’s not soft. It’s smart - and the results speak for themselves.
Q: What’s next for you?
Station Rd continues to grow - working with businesses who want to scale with clarity, communicate with intention and create environments where people and performance thrive.
Our work spans brand, culture and strategy through to the kind of marketing that delivers - from SEO to lead generation. But it’s never just about tactics - it’s about building teams, messages and momentum that actually work - and get results that matter.
Alongside that, Wander and Wonder is also evolving. We’ve paused intentionally to listen to our community and create space for what’s next. A retreat is on the horizon and we’re exploring more ways to support clarity, energy and creativity - for individuals and teams.
At the heart of both is a simple belief - when people are well, clear, connected and supported, everything else starts to flow - performance, communication, relationships and results.
Links
https://www.linkedin.com/in/lyannatsakiris
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