Hal Pan argues that the prevalence of burnout today occurs because individuals assign more and more of their identity to their work, but the unique impact of the work itself is less and less meaningful to their communities. Pan argues we must practice rectify this imbalance as individuals and a society for an overall healthier and sustainable human lifestyle.
"Burnout has been steadily on the rise and is now a fever pitch. I'm pursuing research for this issue and framing my research around three key themes that contribute to burnout: productivity, personal fulfillment, and technology. These three core themes tie in with one another and all influence the way in which we see ourselves and our work. In each theme there are exploratory questions I am pursuing.
Personal fulfillment closely ties in with meaning of life questions, so it gets existential, fast. It's important to understand this as it relates to burnout as burnout is often accompanied by a fundamental meaninglessness and futility of work.
In what ways is personal fulfillment defined? Where do people find meaning in life? What values are we taught that influence how we interpret personal fulfillment? When are we taught these values?
Productivity is defined as "the measure of the efficiency of production." It ties in with accomplishment and progress of work. How do we define productivity? How is productivity measured and evaluated? What things feel more or less productive? How does productivity contribute to feelings of personal fulfillment? How does
Technology in the last 30 years has generated significant changes in the landscape of work and our social connections, all of which factor into how burnout is exacerbated and alleviated. How does social media influence feelings of burnout? What is the effect of technology on the way we experience work? How does technology improve productivity? How does technology add meaning to our lives and work?
Beyond these core three themes there are also other frameworks I intend to expand upon and use to evaluate the state of work life balance.
Using the economic framework of inflation/deflation to analyze how work is viewed and treated in society, I see there being an inflation of how important work is to individual identity and fulfillment while at the same time a deflation of the impact of individual work as well as monetary compensation for most work. Both these factors enhance the burnout that people experience.
Borrowing from historical studies of migration, I want to apply the framework of push and pull factors that influence people to pursue work. Push factors include financial need (needing work in order to meet basic needs) and pull factors include the promise of community and fulfillment (among others).
Burnout is a complex issue that is tied in with a very complex society that has an equally complex relationship with work and personal fulfillment. In my research I aim to better understand how those connections are formed and maintained. From this information I want to create and provide individual and structural solutions to burnout so that people can have healthy and balanced lives. If people have a more balanced life they will be able to engage in their workplaces for efficiently and consistently. They will also be able to engage in civics and address growing global issues such as environment crisis."