Burning Yourself Out: A Philosophical Approach to Addressing Burnout: A Philosop

<p>Dr. Morrison connects mindfulness, one of three ways to address and prevent burnout, to philosophical concepts and aphorisms that have been proven to have universal authority in some respect. He quotes from the Stoics, existentialists, and absurdists throughout in hopes that their words coupled with psychological research will encourage you to begin fully examining your life, and whether or not you are suffering or will eventually suffer from burnout, in a more serious way.</p><p><br></p><p>The World Health Organization included burnout in its 11th Revision of the International Classification of Diseases as an "occupational phenomenon". It's not quite classified as a medical condition, but it has been described as a factor that influences health status and as a reason people contact health services.</p><p>It is defined as a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed and consists of three dimensions: </p><p>feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion;</p><p>increased mental distance from one's job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one's job; and</p><p>reduced professional efficacy</p><p><br></p><p>The increased mental distance from one's job is also referred to as detachment. If you were to summon a visual representation of someone detaching from something you'd probably see them either shrugging their shoulders or flippantly throwing their hands in the air. It is a process of letting go and allo