Book review: “The Burnout Fix: Overcome Overwhelm, Beat Busy, and Sustain Success in the New World of Work” by Dr Jacinta M. Jiménez
Changes such as hyperconnectivity and globalisation have created an always-on-and-always-connected culture that has fundamentally altered how people live and work. Unfortunately, most of us are still clinging to outdated formulas and ideas of what it takes to be successful, and as a consequence are succumbing to burnout.
The Burnout Fix offers a systematic approach to preventing this from happening in. It also provides a roadmap for escaping burnout if you’ve already succumbed.
Dr Jacinta M. Jiménez (award-winning psychologist and leadership coach) brings together findings from a wide range of cutting-edge research to help the reader understand what burnout it is and how to address it.
Myths around burnout (such as the belief that in order to be competitive you must be constantly productive) are examined and the negative effects of believing them are spelled out.
‘Dr J’ then introduces evidence-based practices that can help one take control.
These are organised around five core capabilities (behavioural, cognitive, physical, social, emotional) that need to be actively managed to ensure a steady ‘personal pulse’. Each capability can be developed using the practices outlined in the book and in combination these practices represent a ‘periodic table of elements’ from which to create the ideal resilience practice for one’s own situation.
‘Dr J’ offers convincing evidence that if one isn’t systematically fostering one’s resilience, one’s success in work will be short-lived.
Relentlessly working harder and smarter harms one’s ability to focus, reduces creativity, drains energy, negatively impacts working with others, compromises overall work performance, and ultimately makes one less resilient.
She argues that it is imperative to actively engage in resilience practices to ensure one can sustain performance and achieve one’s goals in today’s volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous world of work.
‘Dr J’s’ book is packed with practical, common-sense tools and exercises, as well as concrete strategies for putting them into practice either independently or with the help of a coach. It also contains cleverly designed visuals that explain ‘Dr J’s’ ideas in a simple but effective way.
The Burnout Fix will be especially useful for mid-career professionals who are juggling the demands of working life and realising that they can’t go on as they are. Self-awareness is the first step toward change; this book offers the tools needed to take positive action.
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