Burnout is the story of the 20-21 academic year. Honestly, who isn’t burned out? If burnout is a lack of desire to do what you normally want to do, then how should we best think about it, and deal with it? Kel discusses an article by Brad Stulberg about the “passion paradox” and how burnout happens when you get wrapped up in obsessive passion, which is fixation on external validation, rather than harmonious passion, which, in his formula, is motivation that comes from autonomy, mastery, and belonging in your work. Karen and Kel talk about how so many academics have lost access to autonomy, mastery and belonging in their career, especially in the pressure cooker of the COVID year. Karen asks: is it burnout or is it exploitation? Either way: look for ways to reinsert small doses of autonomy, mastery and belonging into your life.
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