Meet Your Match: How To Rise From The Ashes Of Burn-out Part 1

(Image courtesy of Tangerine Newt. Image can be found on https://unsplash.com/es/@tangerinenewt?utm_source=wix-media-manager&utm_medium=referral)

We live in a society inundated with information. At a click of a button, a person can discover the U.S. foreign policy toward post-Soviet nations or if Ari and Bini from 90-day fiancé are still together. It is no surprise that this access has a cost. In 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) published an article about burnout. WHO defines burnout as "a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. It is characterized by three dimensions: feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion; increased mental distance from one's job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one's job; and reduced professional efficacy" (WHO, 2019).

(Logo courtesy of WHO. Image courtesy of https://www.embeddingproject.org/resources/who-wash)

The article is the first in a series that tries to answer the reasons and solutions to burnout. As the first article in the series, this piece discovers why people experience burnout.

Looking past WHO's definition, I believe the root of burnout is simple: you can instantly accomplish anything.

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During the Renaissance, aspiring artists would serve as appetencies with accomplished artists. The aspiring artist was encouraged to take the taught skills and apply them to the best of their ability. A student would only become a master if they worked with their teachers. Consequently, it would take a student years to hone their craft to the point of proficiency. This kind of learning is not compatible with the information revolution. A person needs to have a repertoire of skills before knowing a task. Technology allows us to know that y=mx+b, but not why it does.

(Image is The Florentine Academy by Baccio Bandinelli. Image courtesy of https://www.worldhistory.org/image/12803/the-florentine-academy-by-baccio-bandinelli/)

Society needs to address that instant accomplishment is a contributory factor in burnout. As I study burnout, I. want to uncover ways to help kindle creativity. I will continue to search for matches to spark new ideas and possibilities.