What is the main message of The Burnout Fix?

The main message of The Burnout Fix is that we can overcome burnout by making positive changes in our lives.

How long does it take to read The Burnout Fix?

The reading time for The Burnout Fix varies, but the Blinkist summary can be read in just 15 minutes.

Who is the author of The Burnout Fix?

The author of The Burnout Fix is Jacinta M. Jiménez.

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The Burnout Fix Book Summary - The Burnout Fix Book explained in key points

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The Burnout Fix summary

Name: The Burnout Fix
Rating: 4.4 (275 reviews)
Author: Jacinta M. Jiménez

Jacinta M. Jiménez

Overcome Overwhelm, Beat Busy, and Sustain Success in the New World of Work

4.4 (275 ratings)

26 mins

Brief summary

The Burnout Fix by Jacinta M. Jiménez is a guide that provides practical advice on how to identify, prevent and recover from burnout. It teaches how to establish boundaries, set priorities, manage stress and maintain a healthy work-life balance.

Topics

Career Progress Success Mental Health Mindful Work

Table of Contents

The Burnout Fix
Summary of 8 key ideas

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Key idea 1 of 8

What’s in it for me? Learn how to thrive in the modern workplace.

As we all know, the nature of work has changed considerably over the past couple of decades. And, as a result, modern workplaces are in constant flux; they’re having to adapt to new technologies, expanding global trade, and frequent restructuring.

One of the unfortunate consequences of all this change and uncertainty is an epidemic of burnout. Employees often work long hours, hustling to get ahead, but in the process they’re losing touch with their inner compass.

That’s where these blinks come in. Drawing on over 15 years of coaching high-level executives, Dr. Jacinta Jiménez reveals the secrets to developing resilience in the modern workplace. Most importantly, you’ll learn how to stop trying to live up to some external standard of success and instead discover what makes work meaningful for you.

In these blinks, you’ll learn

why nature is so important for your psychological well-being;
how showing vulnerability is the key to strong leadership; and
why any job can be meaningful if you have a sense of purpose.

Working harder or smarter isn’t enough to survive the pressures of the modern workplace.

In grad school at Stanford, Dr. Jacinta Jiménez was a typical straight-A student. The child of first-generation immigrants, she’d internalized the message that hard work was the secret to success. But one day, it all came tumbling down. She got a call from her mother that her brother had been hospitalized.

Jiménez ended up needing to play a big role in his care along with balancing her dissertation writing, lab work, and other responsibilities. But instead of adjusting her schedule or asking for support, she reasoned that she could get through it by just hustling harder, working smarter, and eliminating social activities.

Soon, she became completely exhausted. She lost all pleasure in her work and struggled to get up in the morning. In short, she started experiencing burnout.

The key message here is: Working harder or smarter isn’t enough to survive the pressures of the modern workplace.

All of us come under pressure at points in our careers, but we’re often ill-equipped to deal with it. Like Jiménez, most of us still believe that being successful means having “grit” and being able to tough out the bad times.

But, as the burnout epidemic shows, grit isn’t enough to survive and thrive in the modern workplace. In 2019, the World Health Organization officially classified burnout as a major global health challenge. And a recent Deloitte workplace study found that 77 percent of the employees interviewed had experienced burnout. Workplace stress has created unsustainable cycles of employee turnover and absenteeism, and it’s a contributing factor in 120,000 deaths every year in the United States.

Anyone entering the modern workplace should assume that burnout is one of the greatest risks that they’ll face. This may sound fatalistic, but it’s actually pragmatic and empowering. With this knowledge, employees can take proactive strategies to foster resilience and avoid burnout before it starts.

Learning from her own difficult experience – and those of her hundreds of clients – Jiménez developed several core strategies that allow modern workers to stay in tune with their own personal pulse and vitality, no matter the situation they’re in. By making feasible goals, interrogating negative thinking, and taking time to rest and connect, you can also learn how to develop your own resilience and create a career fueled by sustainable growth instead of chronic stress.

Dramatic success is created through gradual, sustainable growth.

When we think of people who’ve achieved extraordinary things – people like J.K. Rowling, Beyoncé, or Walt Disney – we may assume that there’s something innately special about them. They must be born with the huge amounts of talent they possess.

While these celebrities are extremely talented, that’s only one small piece of the picture. If we look more closely at their journeys to success, we’ll see that it took them many years to achieve the results they did. Rowling’s first Harry Potter book took seven years to write, and it was rejected by twelve publishers. Beyonce’s first girl group was a bust. And Disney’s first company failed too. Success, for all of them, was a hard slog that took years to achieve. What they all had in common was that they weren’t deterred by failure. They learned from their mistakes, pivoted in new directions, and persisted in the face of rejection.

Mindfulness reduces stress and the risk of burnout.

Have you ever spent one of your cherished weekends worrying about something that’s going on at work? Or have you found that you couldn’t really be mentally present at a meeting because you were replaying something your boss had said?

As a response to stress, our minds go into overdrive and often become filled with negative thoughts. These thoughts cause us to lose focus and enjoyment in our work. Even worse, they cloud our perceptions of reality. We lose our ability to see situations clearly or make good decisions.

Make time for silence, sanctuary, and solitude in your daily life.

What do Oprah Winfrey and Bill Gates have in common? Well, apart from being two of the most ambitious people on the planet, they also prioritize time for leisure. Oprah Winfrey speaks often about how important it is to spend time in her beautiful garden, harvesting her own crops and taking her dog for walks. Bill Gates goes on regular retreats, where he reads books, walks on the beach, and gathers his thoughts.

Studies have shown that working harder and longer doesn’t automatically equal better quality work. In fact, our productivity decreases with longer work hours. We’re humans, not machines. If we’re spending 70 hours a week working, we’ll wear ourselves out. We all need to take the time to pause and nurture ourselves.

Successful people seek out support and connection.

Colin was the partner at the law firm who everyone depended on. But then his husband got cancer. Colin was responsible for the enormous task of caring for him along with his other responsibilities. He was exhausted and stressed, but he had no idea how to reach out for support.

Like so many business leaders, Colin had internalized the idea that showing vulnerability and reaching out was a sign of weakness. But, actually, it takes great courage to ask for help. When Colin finally did reach out to his team, they responded with compassion and brought home-cooked food for his family every day. Employee morale soared, and the team got closer because everyone felt invested in helping.

Creating a personal mission statement will allow you to stay on track.

Imagine you’re swimming in a fast-flowing river, paddling desperately against currents that are carrying you in multiple directions. That’s what life feels like for many of us these days.

Modern life is so busy and demanding that we will all get swept up in a tide of conflicting demands unless we prioritize what matters most to us. Identifying your core mission is like chartering your own boat. Instead of being pushed around, you’ll be able to plot your own course – and stick to it.

We need to regulate our energy levels and emotions.

Do you come home exhausted even though you’re not working long hours? Then it’s possible that some of your activities are draining your energy.

We’re used to keeping track of how much time we spend on certain activities. But we’re less used to tracking how much energy they cost. Energy is our most precious resource – the thing that fuels our days and gives us vitality. If parts of our lives are sapping our energy, then we need to know about it.

Leaders have a big role to play in creating workplaces where employees can thrive.

Imagine you’re an overworked employee who’s routinely forced to slog through the weekends and deal with constant stress. When you start feeling burned out and approach your boss, she refuses to adjust your workload – and instead blames you for not being resilient enough. She then sends you to a mindfulness seminar.

But all the mindfulness seminars in the world won’t help you avoid burnout if the structural conditions of your job are unbearable. It’s not enough to put a self-care Band-Aid on a toxic work environment. Leaders also need to step up to create systemic change.

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What is The Burnout Fix about?

The Burnout Fix (2021) is a practical guide to thriving in the modern workplace. Today’s world of work is characterized by uncertainty, change, and a blurring of lines between home and the office. That’s why it’s essential that employees learn to set healthy boundaries, develop core skills, and make choices that prioritize their well-being.

The Burnout Fix Review

The Burnout Fix (2022) is a book that offers practical strategies to overcome burnout and reclaim a balanced life. Here are the reasons why this book is worth reading:

It provides insightful solutions to combat burnout, helping individuals regain their energy and enthusiasm for life.
By combining research-backed strategies, personal stories, and actionable tips, the book offers a comprehensive approach to tackling burnout.
The author's compassionate tone and understanding of the challenges of burnout make the book relatable and reassuring, creating a sense of camaraderie and support.

Who should read The Burnout Fix?

Innovative leaders who want to create thriving workplaces
Exhausted executives looking to regain passion and pleasure in their work
Psychology buffs striving to understand the causes of burnout

About the Author

Dr. Jacinta M. Jiménez is an award-winning psychologist and board-certified leadership coach. She’s worked with top executives in Silicon Valley and trained a network of over 1,500 leadership coaches across the world. She’s also a regular contributor to outlets like CNN, Business Insider, Forbes, and Wired.

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Health & Nutrition Career & Success Psychology

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