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Only Your Boss Can Cure Your Burnout
Article

Only Your Boss Can Cure Your Burnout

Olga Khazan
The Atlantic, 2021
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If you are feeling burnt out, you are not alone. The number of workers suffering burnout has sharply increased during the pandemic. Worries about job security, health concerns and added childcare responsibilities have only compounded workplace-related pressures.  But as Olga Khazan writes in this eye-opening piece, burnout is primarily a workplace problem – and only employers can fix it. Her article offers tangible solutions for employers who want to be proactive about employee wellbeing. 

Summary

Burnout manifests itself in both mental and physical symptoms.

Psychoanalyst Herbert J. Freudenberger coined the term “burnout syndrome” in the 1970s when his after-hour volunteer position at a clinic treating poor patients led him to lose the joy and sense of fulfillment that had initially motivated him to take on the second job. People with burnout develop a cynical attitude toward their job and live with a sense of chronic exhaustion. Additionally, they may experience physical symptoms such as headaches and problems with digestion or sleep.

People misunderstand the role of the workplace in perpetuating burnout.

The term “burnout” has become overused and is often misunderstood. Advice abounds about how to treat the condition, from getting...

About the Author

Olga Khazan is a staff writer at The Atlantic. 

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