The Burnout Epidemic

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The Six Causes of Burnout

Burnout isn’t something that just happens overnight. It’s a slow erosion of coping skills and one’s ability to adapt to the daily chronic stress that finally overwhelms. So, perhaps this is a good time to remind those of us in leadership positions what preventing burnout isn’t.

One of my least favorite suggestions for reducing burnout is telling people, “Just say no.” It’s not as if most employees have the luxury of telling their boss or their clients, “Sorry. No can do.” It’s chalk full of bias, privilege, and worse, victim blaming. Unfortunately, we still see this as the standard advice for reducing overwork.

It may also be a good time to remind leaders that burnout can’t be stretched out of people in yoga class ...