I just finished listening to Anne Helen Petersen’s “The Burnout Generation” on Audible yesterday, and I’m having so many feelings!!!

Okay, that’s overly dramatic, but this was definitely a thought-provoking listen.

“The Burnout Generation” is a quick listen that is well worth the time. Petersen tries to zero in on why the Millennial generation is dealing with burnout at unprecedented rates, to the point that the World Health Organization has listed “burn-out” as an occupational phenomenon (which Petersen pointed out. I didn’t just know that off the top of my head). For real.

Most people can probably relate to feeling burned out by work, life, social media… existence… but Petersen frames this theme as a sociological study focusing on her experience, and that of a handful of others. Petersen is both a good narrator and a good interviewer, and her interview subjects are similarly thoughtful and reflective.

Petersen does an excellent job of making this topic feel weighty, which is honestly this “book’s” downfall. It’s too short, and I think both the subject matter and format would be better served as a podcast series or a full-length book. I’ll definitely check out her other writings.

It is definitely thought-provoking and had me reflecting on my own struggles with burnout and the different forms it has taken in the decade since I graduated from college.

In fact, I’m going to write a bit about my burnout experiences, since I haven’t really recorded them in a cohesive manner before. Another time.

Steve D