Member-only story
Why Are We Ashamed Of Burnout?
The key reasons shame is an inevitable aspect of burnout — even though it shouldn’t be.
My friend Dave recently contacted me out of the blue, asking about an article I’d written on burnout.
“Are you ok?” I pinged back.
“Not really, been struggling of late. You’d think after a decade working in healthcare I’d know better!”
As I stared at the message, I could feel his shame emanating from my phone. Dave was kicking himself while he’s down. Which pretty much everyone does when they realize that they’re burnt out.
I should have known better.
I’m so stupid.
Something’s wrong with me.
It’s my fault.
I’m a failure.
It prompted a question that’s been lurking at the back of my mind since I started researching burnout.
Why are we ashamed of burnout?
When I asked Google, no clear answer emerged. Which was annoying because it meant I had to actually think rather than just, like, be told.
The thing is, this question is incredibly important.
