Why the Rise of Burnout Makes No Sense

On the surface, the rise in workplace burnout makes no sense.

Despite choosing our hours, working where we want and taking meetings in our underwear, we're suffering burnout more than ever.

Are we just whiny and weak, or is there something deeper going on?

#markmanson #harshtruths #burnout #burnoutcrisis #hardwork

[David-qysb]

Great wisdom. Our biological brain cannot keep up with our current technology. That's too much to handle.

[Michelle-kgbm]

It's also the nature of office work now. We used to be able to take mental breaks by doing simple tasks like filing papers or basic rinse and repeat work. Now we're paperless, so no chance to get away from the desk and file, which was not frowned upon because we were still "working." The rinse and repeat work has now been given over to bots and technology, so now ALL the tasks we do (or most of them) are a mental 10, requiring deep analysis or complex thought. We lost the simple tasks that gave us mental breaks throughout the day. Imagine if instead of having an easy English class after a tough calculus class, you have nothing but calculus for 8+ hours a day, 5 days a week. That is where we are at and what is leading to burnout.

[Pandrogas]

Churn. Going through all of the meetings and emails aren't just energy consuming, it's that there is nothing to show on the other side for it. Churn + Hopelessness = Burnout.

[codewithwisal]

Hey Mark, I am 18 I start reading books just because of you. Because I often found books boring. Once I read your book "The Subtle Art Of Not Giving A Fu*k" and it 's just amazing. Thanks mark, I started to not give a fuck about everything even on my grammatical mistakes in this comment.

[Northwest_Northwest]

Every job listing I read requires an “ability to multitask, ” or an “ability to juggle multiple projects under tight deadlines.” And it’s impossible to get hired if you respond “but I don’t want to multitask! It’s ineffective and leads to burnout.” Truth hurts, but the truth will set you free! And guarantee no one hires you, ever. I should know.

[thomasicekeys]

Wow. This is really on point and makes me realize how often I squeeze in minor tasks (like the e-mails), thinking they increase my productivity, only to end up more annoyed and burnt out by the end of the day/week/all of the time

[goglolee]

So true. Thank you for this! I thought it was just me and that I must be the only one having this switching issue.

[georgecop]

And that also applies to MULTITASKING. A lot of people achieve more if they focus on one task at a time.

[SabineCedor]

A powerful message. Couldn't agree more.

[macareuxmoine]

Then why is it the header says that burnout makes no sense? According to your explanation it does make sense (as we all know).

[niallwallace]

forget the emails, I get none of them now, it's the constant barrage of instant messages causing distraction from task, creation of teams meetings that you're easily available in etc.
emails are much easier to schedule the discovery of.

[chuckschauvliege]

Also the speed of information has increased, which goes hand and hand with this. Processing and turnaround is faster, and repetitive tasks are increasingly eliminated, leaving increased cognitive load tasks

[BlueScreenCorp]

I mean as a someone choosing to work from home, if it can be done and has little to no impact, I just do it end of story. If your manager, lead, boss, etc. needs to give you permission for everything and that's burning you out, the problem is your boss not your job.

[clarkbruce_exmuslim]

Yeah, this explains burnout way better than just "childhood trauma", if the thing is even trauma. I know trauma all too well, but I've always felt like burnout (let alone my own in recent years) is totally unrelated and something else. Turns out I was right all along. Too many shrinks in recent years have been barking up the wrong tree for too long. I think that's made many of us whiny and weak.

What can we take away from this in these times? Well, choose wisely what to follow, comment, share. Try to think of it as something physical, cause the brain in a sense has legs too it needs to use.

[seamus]

This is SO INTERESTING. Amazing insight.

[watchmethriving]

Frequent task switching takes so much out of me I wind up in meltdown mode so much faster than the average person. If I get disrupted, asked to do something else before I can get back to task 1, I'm likely to forget task 1 all together.

[GiaBao-grzd]

So it's like turning on/off an AC unit during the day. Need more power to start the machine

[CorporationSKY]

freedom - minus discipline and purpose + plus bombardment of instant gratification and promises of a fairytale world of leisure = equals self destruction

[dancingphoenixart]

Well, I wouldn't say easier communication. Text messages are lacking everything a real human interaction does, and that comes with problems.

Misunderstandings, escalations that would have never happened without said misunderstandings, mindfuck moments since you don't understand what's actually going on on the other side without seeing the persons face or hearing the voice etc. etc.

It can be quite stressful to work via text opposed to real contact that can in contrast actually be relaxing instead

[sumanyusharma]

Can you share the cure to it, or avoiding from this happening. If you know, please do share.