Book Review: “The Cure for Burnout” by Emily Ballesteros
Running on Empty
Have you ever woken up on a workday and wished that you could somehow disappear off the face of the earth without dying? Congratulations. You may be suffering from burnout, and you would not be alone. If I remember this fact right from Emily Ballesteros’ blisteringly good self-help manual, The Cure for Burnout, a recent survey found that 55 percent of single Americans felt that they were burned out during COVID. That number jumped to a whopping 75 percent for those who had children. Burnout is something that can affect almost anyone, and that’s what makes this guide so vital. I know for myself that I’ve probably had periods of burnout: in addition to writing this blog, I also have a day job (not related to book reviewing) and a side hustle writing for a trade publication (related to book reviewing). I can be as busy as a bee, so it was important for me to learn a few new tricks and tools for managing stress and time. I will share at least one of them later to illustrate how this book has helped me in my professional life. So, yes, this is a five-star review (of sorts, because no book is perfect).
Ballesteros sets out in the first chapters of this book to outline the three types of burnout a person can have (and, as she says, you can “go three for three”). These range from having too much on one’s plate to do, facing social burnout (when colleagues or friends and family impose too much friendliness on you), and burnout by boredom. With those three types defined, she then turns to five coping mechanisms that can cure what ails one of these burdens: stress management, personal care, time management, mindfulness, and boundary setting. (The latter of which I’ve always had trouble with.) The final portion of the book is about building resilience, but also learning when it’s time to let go of a job that may be almost literally sucking the life out of you. As you can see, this is an exhaustive book. No stone goes uncovered, but that also makes this an exhausting read. That’s not to be critical, but the topic of burnout is a bit of a sensitive one for some people who don’t like reading what they’re living. You may be best inclined to read this book slowly. (It also helps to read slowly if you have a physical copy to highlight sentences that resonate or dog-ear pages that are helpful; I had a digital galley on my Kindle, so I couldn’t indulge in those author-sponsored practices.)
The key to what makes this work is that Ballesteros — who has a Master’s degree in industrial-organizational psychology and has given presentations for the likes of PepsiCo and Nickelodeon — has an affable voice. Reading this, I had the tone of a good friend in my head (hi, Jessica!), which is what makes this book so successful. The writing is a breeze to get through, though, again, it’s not an easy subject to parse at times because of those reminders about stressors you might be going through. However, eventually, you will want to read this book to relax and unwind, for this book teaches you how to do this without guilt. Let me explain how this worked out for me in my professional (day job) life. I was recently given a project at work with vague instructions where I had to use some brainpower and the help of some colleagues to figure out what to do. However, it was still tough to pull off. Ballesteros recommended that people with a stressor such as this schedule little reward breaks throughout the day to give themselves a hit of feel-good dopamine. And you know what? It worked! I found myself getting naturally refreshed and clear-headed to tackle the project with relative ease from there. So, I can attest to the power of this book.
I might be able to give The Cure for Burnout the ultimate type of praise that you can lavish upon a book as a reviewer. This might be a book that I will eventually buy for myself (or get the family to gift it to me — hi, Mom!) to re-read and work through some of the exercises and tools that Ballesteros so expertly provides. My only real quibble might be that a small portion of the book might cop to pop psychology: Ballesteros borrows a tool from Stephen Covey, who I’ve always thought was a bit of a Dr. Phil-type. You know, the type of person who looks good for the media, but whose solutions might appear to be a bit on the platitude side. Still, it’s a minor quibble in what is undoubtedly going to be a very useful resource for some people. The author’s “can-do” attitude is infectious, and the stories she tells about facing anxiety in her personal life are relatable. As she notes, life is hard, but everyone has the right to live it pleasurably. To that end, you can take comfort that a book such as this exists to help people manage their pressures and workloads. No matter what industry you’re in, you’re bound to find some good takeaways with this volume. I cannot be more effusive in my praise (other than to say this is a book that I would now buy) except to say that this is one of the best self-help manuals I’ve read in some time. It is excellent. It is profound. I heart this book. Forget what I said about five stars. If there was room for this book to get an extra digit along the lines of Spinal Tap, I would gladly give this a six for sure.
Emily Ballesteros’ The Cure for Burnout: How to Find Balance and Reclaim Your Life will be published by The Dial Press (Penguin Random House) on February 13, 2024.
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Get in touch: zacharyhoule@rogers.com
