It may sound like a harmless buzzword, but burnout is debilitating and on the rise. Learn how to tell the difference between a bad day at work and the flames of a serious problem so you can extinguish stress for good
Steve Blank realised that he was in trouble during a Friday-afternoon sales meeting. He had been dividing his time between two Silicon Valley tech roles: one for a company serving the defence and intelligence communities, the other for a microprocessor producer called Zilog. He was putting in 16-hour days, six or seven days a week, but he was good at both jobs – necessary, even. So he accepted the intense schedule.
At the meeting, a colleague reminded Blank about some classes he was scheduled to teach. “The devil’s in the details,” the colleague advised. Blank nodded and launched into a “defence contractor joke”: “I’ve got it under control,” he said, “as long as the devil coming at me isn’t an SS-18.” (He was referring to a Russian intercontinental ballistic missile dubbed “Satan”.) Expecting a chuckle or two, Blank received only uncomprehending stares. Then it hit him: these weren’t his defence contractor co-workers. He wasn’t even at his defence gig. He was at Zilog and, to his horror, he realised he had no memory of driving there, no recollection of greeting his colleagues, and no idea how he had got through most of the afternoon without even knowing where he was. Blank later left the meeting and sat at his desk, confused. “Take it easy this weekend,” the vice-president of sales told him. “You look a little burned out.”
The Great Leveller
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Every Question You Ever Had About Really Eating Well
Nutrition is a maddening business. Foods are in one day, compost the next; vitamins that cured ills last week are promptly debunked. We all want to eat better, but who has the time to sift fact from fad? Rest easy because this is your easily digestible, bite-sized guide to doing precisely that
The False Prophets Of Wellness
Muscle, fat loss, wisdom… Whatever you seek, there is now an entrepreneurial guru armed with hashtags who claims to have the answer. But is it gospel?
The Brexit Diet
Whether you voted Leave or Remain, the EU has transformed the way we eat – and crashing out threatens to deal a mighty blow to both our palates and our nutritional health. MH spoke to the experts worried that the true impact of Brexit will leave a very bad taste in our mouths.
Stamina? It's As Easy As Pie
Don’t flake on post-workout pastry. Pie and mash is your new performance enhancer
The Trip Treatment
Once the poison of the counterculture, psychedelic drugs are gaining credibility as a powerful, viable mental health tool that could transform the way we understand ourselves. Are you ready to turn on, tune in and dose up?
The Gastropub Nutrition Plan
New research suggests you don’t need to cut back on flavour either to satisfy your cravings or to cook off kilos. Better pass that piccalilli
Your Detox Doner Card
The vilified sat fat in your kebab is actually the antidote to offset booze’s impact on your liver. How convenient
Reach For The Stars
He has crossed the Atlantic, from Peckham to Hollywood, carrying multiple blockbusters on his newly broad shoulders. But while John Boyega’s star is in the ascendant, his feet remain firmly on the ground – thanks to a few fundamental life lessons learned along the way. Take note and look up.
One Word Answer #43
As tedious as they might have seemed at the time, most of the lessons our parents taught us as kids were worthy of adherence. Sit up straight at the table; look people in the eye when you thank them; try not to spit at strangers – even as an adult, these are values to live by.
Son Of A Gun
For most men, joining the family business is the easier option. Not so for Scott Eastwood, a man whose father might just be the most iconic Hollywood hard man ever. But while he is, in many ways, a chip off the old block, the firebrand’s son has his own life well figured out
