Burnout is a commonly discussed topic these days, but what exactly is burnout and is it really a “millennial condition” as the popular press suggests it is? In this episode, we explain what it means to experience burnout at work and discuss some of the workplace challenges that often lead to burning out. We also provide some suggestions that may help you, or others, cope with burnout. We cap off with some discussion about burnout as a cultural phenomenon and if burnout can be viewed as a form of adaptation to the kind of work we do.

Timestamps:

1:10: What is burnout?

2:46: What causes
burnout at work?

4:54: Examples of
stressors (autonomy, role ambiguity, role conflict)

7:34: Even more
stressors - emotional dissonance and work-life conflict

9:48: Preventing and
coping with burnout

12:00: Helping others
cope with burnout as a manager or peer

14:02: Do we live in a
burnout culture?

19:26: Does burnout
protect us from emotional demands at work?

22:35: This is not Homework: Burnout self-assessment

Mentioned This Episode:

Buzzfeed article on burnout

This is Not Homework – Are you showing signs of burnout? Take this shortened version of the Maslach Burnout Inventory to find out (Disclaimer: This in no way constitutes a medical diagnosis)

mindyourworkpodcast@gmail.com – Email us your ideas here!

MindYourWorkIO – Send us a tweet!

Mindyourwork.io – Find us here!

Credits:

Our intro and outro music is “Ingenuity” by Lee Rosevere, licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC 3.0). You can find more of Lee’s music at https://leerosevere.bandcamp.com/. https://leerosevere.bandcamp.com/. Our transition music for this episode is "Looking Back” also by Lee; licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC 3.0).

Logo Artwork by Antonella Espinoza. Find her at @ellaspin on Twitter!