Burnout is at epidemic proportions regardless of what you do for a living. And yes, I dare to use the word “epidemic” given we live in a frightening (almost) post-COVID reality because quite frankly, COVID has a lot to do with the fact that as many as 52% of people across a variety of different industries consider themselves burned out, and over 67% of those same people believe burnout is worse than before the pandemic.

I argue, however, that the number of people currently burned out is far beyond 52% for one simple reason. As bestselling author and productivity expert Greg McKeown states:

“There are two kinds of people in the world: Those who are burned out, and those who know they are burned out.”

I venture to say the number of people actually experiencing burnout is much closer to 100% right now because we’re all just fucking over it.

Nothing is what it used to be.

All of our routines have changed.

If you’re working from home, back to the office, or working ‘hybrid’, expectations are higher than ever, deadlines have somehow become even more intense, everything is more expensive (but we’re not getting paid more), and most importantly, we now possess something incredibly dangerous that will no longer allow us go back to our pre-pandemic reality: PERSPECTIVE.

Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on where you stand in the “ignorance is bliss” debate), the pandemic allowed us to hit the reset button and experience - even for a brief moment - what is truly important to us (and how much of those things were missing from our lives before).

Regardless of how much we’ve been enjoying our time at the dinner table, or putting our kids to bed, or being able to sleep, or not having to commute anymore (!!!), we’re all just expected to go back to “normal” (which wasn’t working at all, btw), because the megaglobocorporations around the world have decided enough is enough - it’s back to work in the office for you!*

7 Red Flags You Might Be Burned Out (Or You're Headed There)

The Zack Arnold Podcast