Redefining Burnout: A New Perspective on Workplace Exhaustion
December 21, 2022
Most people perceive burnout as a state of chronic physical and emotional exhaustion typically caused by long-term stress, excessive workload, or overcommitment at work. In this commonly accepted worldview, the solution to burnout seems straightforward – reduce workload, take a break, or implement better work-life balance.
However, let’s consider a fresh perspective that suggests burnout is less about our work’s objective circumstances and more about our understanding and interpretation of these circumstances.
According to the inside-out understanding, our experience of reality is generated from our thoughts and feelings. Therefore, feelings of burnout are not directly caused by a heavy workload or high stress, but by our thoughts and beliefs about these situations.
If something stands between you and your success, move it. Never be denied.
John Appleseed
Moreover, burnout can also be perceived as a symptom of living out of accord with our authentic self. This viewpoint suggests that when we are in alignment with our genuine selves, we experience a sense of ease, creativity, and flow in our work. Burnout, then, emerges when we misalign with this authentic self, leading us to feel drained and disconnected.
Symptoms of such misalignment could include persistent fatigue, cynicism, reduced productivity, feelings of inefficacy, and a sense of disillusionment. Viewing these symptoms merely as consequences of an excessive workload overlooks the core issue – our misunderstanding of the true cause of our burnout.
When we shift our understanding, recognizing that our thoughts and misalignment with ourselves contribute to burnout, a transformation occurs. We can start to view work not as a drain, but as an opportunity to express our genuine self. Feelings of exhaustion will be replaced by resilience, and burnout can be seen not as a problem to be eliminated but as a signal to realign.
What does it look like when you are in alignment with your true self, particularly in your work life?
BurnoutEnergyInner Operating SystemMisunderstandingProductivityRealizationThree PrinciplesTransformationTrue SelfWell-beingWork
