What if the solution to overcoming burnout is to stop buying into the narrative of a burnout society?

This is the question Byung-Chul Han raised in his book The Burnout Society.

During my morning walk I listened to a fascinating episode of Philosophise This! Podcast with host Stephen West. Episode #235 … The Philosophy of Zen Buddhism – Byung-Chul Han.

A few points stood out, and they reflect some of the dissatisfaction and frustration I’ve been feeling for a while around where my life is, what I “should” have accomplished, achieved, obtained by now.

1. Neoliberalism turned people into mini-corporations.

From the late 1980s, in the Western world, we’ve been sold this story: the only thing stopping you from becoming a millionaire/billionaire is you, your hustle, your skills, your “value” to the market you live and operate in.

2. “You can do anything” is a form of control

In the past, we had kings and authorities that told us “you can’t do that”. Now, we’re sold a narrative of “you can be anything you want, as long as you are constantly self-improving.”

So guess what happens next: life becomes an endless cycle of self-improvement, optimisation and personal branding.

(Quick check – how many apps have you got currently on your phone/smart watch that track things like sleep, steps, etc. so you can “optimise” them?)

3. Relationships are viewed from the perspective of “how do they serve me?”

How often have you caught yourself asking, “Is this person worth my time?” Or “How can I benefit by attending this event?”

This way of thinking creates invisible barriers and separates us from each other. We miss the magic of true friendship, where we can be in each other’s presence with zero expectations of where it might lead.

4. Your worth = your market value.

If you don’t like your life, the solution is typically: learn a new skill, become more valuable.

If you get sick or can’t “perform” (interesting choice of word, right?), then it’s your fault that you didn’t prepare better.

5. Your brain gets blamed instead of the sick system.

What does an endless self-upgrade loop produce? More narcissism, anxiety and depression, that’s what. But within this worldview, if you feel anxious or depressed, the assumption is that something is wrong with your brain.

Not the toxic world you’re trying to operate within.

We’ve bought into life being one massive ego-driven project, with the people around us being tools for achieving our goals or competitors blocking our dreams.

…

Listening to this podcast gave me awareness. Awareness of the toxic stories I’d bought into, and why I’ve been seriously burnt out more than once in the past ten years.

Watch or listen to the full podcast here:

So the question now becomes: What choices can we make that let us step off the treadmill handed to us, stop buying the false narrative, and truly live the gift of life we already have?

(Maybe my desire to chase the tiny home dream isn’t that crazy after all…)