Archive for Wednesday 4th September 2002 - The stress of modern life
Is ‘burn-out’ a sign of the times? And if it is, can we use it to cope with the aggravated stress of modern life. Therapist and lecturer Dr Dina Glouberman believes that four out every five of us relate to the condition and that, yes, ironically we can use burn-out to improve our lives. In her new book The Joy of Burn-Out she sees it as a chance to take stock, change direction and move on to greater fulfilment: “Burnout is the state of mind, body and spirit reached by those who have come to the end of a particular road but haven’t acknowledged this.”

She likes to use the analogy of the goose that lays the golden egg. Once the egg is laid, the goose is forgotten. People just want the egg and even the goose forgets about herself. Glouberman insists that what is important is who we are and not what we do.

Deep within us there is a voice, which she believes is ‘the soul whispering’. We hear it but seldom listen. But to do so is transforming. She says: “The truth can hurt but it never harms us, only illusion does that.”

She chronicles the burn-outs of many people, including author Sue Townsend, and analyses how their crises have opened new horizons. She is confident that people can now aspire to live more complete uncompromising lives. For some, though, burn-out is the painful but inevitable first step in that direction.

Are you burning out?
There are no right or wrong answers – nor any scorecard. The idea is to take a closer look at your life:
Is work no longer a pleasure?
Is pleasure no longer a pleasure?
Are you doing more but accomplishing less?
Do you feel less appreciated?
Are your stress levels rising?
Are you losing faith in yourself?
Do you feel if you stop you’ll fall apart?
Are you losing the plot?

Mark Winter