In this episode of the MGMA Insights Podcast, host Daniel Williams welcomes journalist, author and public speaker Celeste Headlee to discuss themes from her book Do Nothing: How to Break Away from Overworking, Overdoing, and Underliving. Throughout the conversation, Headlee shares her personal experiences and surprising insights from her research along with practical strategies for finding balance and reclaiming one's sense of self when dealing with burnout.
Headlee’s personal burnout journey
Headlee's journey to writing Do Nothing began out of a desire to understand and address her own struggles with burnout. As a seasoned journalist, Headlee recognized the parallels between the demands of her profession and those faced by healthcare workers. "We're dealing with two fields that are constantly on deadline, pretty much always on, and the stakes feel very high." Headlee's initial research was prompted not by stress or anxiety, but by concern for her physical health. "I started getting regularly sick, every two to three months, where I'd have to miss work," she recalls. "And the other thing I noticed is that I was really irritable, small things that people did wrong sent me over." This realization led Headlee to explore the underlying causes of her condition.
Surprising insights from burnout research
Contrary to her initial assumptions, Headlee's research revealed surprising insights. One of the most significant revelations was the historical context of work patterns. Her research uncovered evidence that for most of human history, people worked far fewer hours than the modern-day norm, with some cultures celebrating extended periods of rest and leisure. "I have always thought that work was an essential need for Homo sapiens – that we need to work in order to be fulfilled, in order to experience well-being," Headlee shares. "The fact that that's not true was a big surprise to me."
Technology’s role in burnout
Headlee's insights into the impact of technology on human behavior and cognition were equally eye-opening. She explains that while technology itself is not inherently problematic, the constant presence of devices and the inability to distinguish between work and personal use can have detrimental effects. "Our brain behaves differently in the presence of the phone, and we just don't evolve fast enough to handle healthily the changes that have happened so rapidly," she says. To combat these challenges, Headlee advocates for a more intentional and balanced approach to technology use.
Conclusion
Ultimately, Headlee's message is one of reclaiming control over our lives and finding the balance that allows people to thrive professionally as well as personally. "This addiction to productivity is a blip on the evolutionary time scale for Homo sapiens," she asserts. "It means they can be undone for myself, personally, and if we can get enough people on board for all of us en masse."
Actionable takeaways for beating burnout:
- Establish clear boundaries around technology use, such as setting "opening and closing" hours for email and social media.
- Experiment with different strategies to find what works best for individual needs, whether it's a tech-free vacation or a daily time limit on device usage.
- Cultivate an understanding of the historical context of work patterns and the recent origins of the compulsion to be constantly productive.
- Advocate for organizational cultures that prioritize work-life balance and well-being over excessive productivity
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