"If burnout is not my fault, why should I do anything about it?"

Özgün Ünver Author

When your wellbeing is affected, it is your problem. So you need to do something about it.

One of the questions I get often is "If burnout is not my fault, why should I do anything about it?"

At first glance, this question makes sense: Burnout is indeed not our fault. Anyone can have a burnout, and research suggests that structural and non-structural workplace-related issues play a very important role in driving people into burnout.

Beyond workplace-related issues, even the family, the school, and in the socio-cultural environment we were raised in may end up preparing the bedrock of burnout.

And all of these matter.

However, none of this stuff mean that burnout is not our problem when it happens.

A broken leg, depression, or any other mental or physical disease or ailment might not be your fault - but that does not mean that that thing is not your problem.

When your wellbeing is affected, it is your problem.

So you need to do something about it.

Taking responsibility for our lives, our health, and our wellbeing is the most empowered thing we can do.

I call this radical self-responsibility.

When I talk about radical self-responsibility, some people ask me if I'm "blaming the victim".

Absolutely not!

In our lives, we fall victim to many injustices. We may be subject to discrimination, racism, physical/verbal attacks, etc.

But it is always in our hands to define ourselves with that experience or not.

Even if your circumstances try and victimize you, as long as you are free and empowered in your mind, you are not a victim.

Victimhood is a mindset issue.

The opposite of victimhood is empowerment.

And empowerment is taking responsibility for ourselves and our wellbeing in the world.

Self-responsibility does not make you a loser or a victim. Not taking responsibility, on the other hand, does.

This is your life, and you have only one of it (no matter if you believe in rebirth or not, this is the one life as you know it).

You are always in charge of this one life that you have.

Burnout is not your fault.

However, you have to take responsibility for it.

Asking for help is the first step.

Credit: Photo by visuals on Unsplash.

Categories: Burnout, Mindset