Burnout

February 15, 2019
The authors, twin sisters with backgrounds in health education and the arts, define burnout as emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and decreased sense of accomplishment. They feel that women are destined for burnout because they're by nature victims of the Human Giver Syndrome, schooled to put others before themselves. Stress and stressors are two different things, according to the Nagoskis, and the secret to beating burnout is to first attack stress by completing the stress cycle before facing down the stressors. And finally, the authors suggest practical ways, including social connection, rest, and self-care, to increase wellness and lower stress. Each chapter concludes with a tl;dr (too long; didn't read) list that recaps important points. Some of the advice is self-help standard, but the Nagoskis do a good job offering ways to remind already overwhelmed readers that time can be found even in the busiest schedules to take care of the caregiver by rearranging schedules and accepting help. And in the end, giving to ourselves the compassion and gratitude we give to others will lighten our load.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)