Dr. Kristen Donnelly & Dr. Erin Hinson: The Culture of Burnout
May 5, 2024
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Dr. Kristen Donnelly and Dr. Erin Hinson delve into the origins of burnout culture in the US, influenced by early religious beliefs and modern-day capitalism. They discuss the dangers of equating hard work with morality, the impact on female-identified individuals, and the importance of challenging societal norms. The podcast highlights the need for individual and cultural changes to combat burnout, emphasizing self-awareness and embracing joy as a tool for recovery.
Origins of burnout culture in the US stem from early religious notions of hard work and individualism.
Female and non-binary individuals are most vulnerable to societal pressures equating self-worth with productivity.
Recovery from burnout requires personalized strategies focusing on self-awareness, self-care, and embracing joy.
Deep dives
Join the Unfried Recovery Group Coaching Program
Unfried advocates for recovering pleasers struggling with burnout, offering support to restore energy and embrace meaningful change. Sessions starting on June 3rd cater to morning and evening groups, providing an opportunity to break free from burnout and prevent future exhaustion. Interested individuals can apply at bit.ly/unfried to access comprehensive recovery support.
Introducing Dr. Kristen Donnelly and Dr. Erin Hinson
Dr. Kristen Donnelly and Dr. Erin Hinson, corporate trainers emphasizing employee engagement and retention, delve into the roots of discontent and communication issues leading to high turnover rates. Both educators with social science PhDs, they co-authored the book 'The Culture of Burnout,' focusing on cultural aspects often overlooked. Their insights challenge traditional burnout views, advocating for a deeper understanding of societal influences.
Exploring the Origins of Burnout Culture
The podcast discusses the cultural origins of burnout culture, tracing it back to historical and religious influences like the Puritans. By dissecting Calvinism's impact on American work ethics, listeners gain insights into the ideologies driving workaholism and resource accumulation. The conversation delves into how cultural beliefs around productivity, individualism, and hard work contribute to societal burnout trends.
Embracing Fluidity and Adaptability in Burnout Recovery
The episode emphasizes adapting approaches to burnout recovery based on shifting circumstances and individual needs. Encouraging listeners to recognize daily fluctuations in self-awareness and self-care, the speakers advocate for personalized, flexible strategies. By focusing on immediate self-needs and emotions, individuals can construct recovery routines that prioritize self-love, joy, and resilience.
Prioritizing Joy and Personal Happiness in Recovery
Amidst burnout discussions, a vital theme emerges: incorporating joy and personal happiness as essential components of recovery. Recognizing that human joy is non-negotiable, the conversation encourages listeners to embrace activities that bring genuine, unfiltered happiness. Reclaiming joy as a central element to combat burnout culture, the speakers highlight the significance of self-exploration, individual joy, and the practice of self-love as crucial in the recovery journey.
“How are we not supposed to burn out? That’s what our culture wants us to do: produce, make and do until we can’t anymore,” says Dr. Erin Hinson who, with Dr. Kristen Donnelly, joins the FRIED podcast to discuss the origins of burnout culture in the United States. Early religious tenets have formed our attitude toward hard work and individualism, those tenets evolved into modern-day capitalism and the resulting false and damaging beliefs remain hard-baked into the American identity. Drawing from their bestselling book “The Culture of Burnout,” they’ll discuss the dangers of equating hard work with morality, basing one’s self worth on what they are able to produce and the myth of the lone conquering hero.
While no one is immune from this type of social conditioning, female-identified and non-binary people tend to be targeted the most by this propaganda. Dr. Erin discusses caregiver burnout, the gender roles we perpetuate that we aren’t even aware of. Dr. Kristen points out the hypocrisy of American culture demanding we be individualistic while also telling us not to trust ourselves and the emotional bonds that are formed when we ask for help.
We are not beholden to the stories our culture creates for us. With the tiny changes we make with each new day, we have the chance to write our own.
Quotes
“There are shades of this in other cultures all over the world, we are never going to say that America is the only culture that has burnout ever because that’s a lie that someone would use to sell more books and that’s not who we are. But what we will say is there’s a specific flavor of it here that’s so tied to the wellness industrial complex and the process of making money for other people that we need to call that out.” (10:25 | Dr. Kristen Donnelly)
“How are we not supposed to burn out? We are supposed to burn out because that’s what the culture wants us to do. It wants us to produce until we can’t anymore. It wants us to make, it wants us to do, until we can’t anymore.” (12:12 | Dr. Erin Hinson)
“America just thinks the myth of the individual hardworking hero is the archetype we should all live up to, and not only is it a lie, but it kills a lot of us every year.” (14:03 | Dr. Kristen Donnelly)
“We are all just figuring it out as we go along and we can ask for help. We have to, because none of us know what we’re doing.” (38:04 | Dr. Kristen Donnelly)
“I should figure it out, because I can. I should do it by myself because I don’t want to be a bother. That’s my thing. I don’t want to bother anybody. Everybody else is stressed out; everybody else is busy. I don’t want to be stressful, I don’t want to be a bother. I didn’t realize how deeply ingrained that was until we wrote this book.” (44:33 | Dr. Erin Hinson)
Links
Connect with Dr. Kristen Donnelly & Dr. Erin Hinson: