Self-Care Isn’t the Cure for Burnout

In the book 'The Burnout Epidemic,' author Jennifer Moss examines the common issues that contribute to the declining mental health of workers and explains why techniques like self-care might not be enough to improve it.

Moss, who told CTV News that she started the book before the pandemic began, says burnout has become an even greater issue. In her second published piece, she discusses burnout's root causes and ways to solve it.

Jennifer talks about how to recognize the signs of burnout, including feelings of depletion, lack of efficacy, and cynicism. She also talks about the six root causes of burnout, including lack of fairness, lack of recognition, and unmanageable workloads, as well as the World Health Organization’s official definition of burnout.

She then talks about how to address burnout, and how it’s an organizational problem to solve, and that individuals can’t solve burnout on their own. She talks about how self-care techniques like yoga and meditation won’t solve the systemic issues that are at the root of burnout, and that organizations need to be addressing these issues in a systematic way.