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The Operating Manual

The Operating Manual

By: Naomi Clayton
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About this listen

 The Operating Manual is a podcast about why capable, intelligent people still end up exhausted at work, even when they’re doing well. Hosted by Naomi Clayton, the show focuses on systems, not self-improvement: the invisible labour, cognitive and emotional load, and quiet over-functioning that modern workplaces normalise but never name. Each episode offers language, not advice. The aim is to help listeners understand what’s actually happening beneath the surface, so agency can emerge without self-blame. This isn’t about coping better inside broken rules. It’s about learning how to see them clearly.Copyright 2026 Naomi Clayton Social Sciences
Episodes
  • Why you're tired even when you're 'doing well'

    Why you're tired even when you're 'doing well'
    Feb 3 2026

    The exhaustion that doesn't show up on a timesheet.
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    11 mins
  • Why working harder doesn't work

    Why working harder doesn't work
    Jan 27 2026

    In this first episode of The Operating Manual, Naomi Clayton introduces the question the series will keep returning to: why capable, intelligent people so often end up exhausted at work, even when they’re doing well.

    This episode sets the frame for a longer exploration of invisible labour, unspoken rules, and the systems that shape how work actually feels.
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    6 mins
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