Slow Productivity is Already Here

As long as the economy rewards productivity and efficiency, there will always be people:

• piling on the work
• working on the weekend.

It’s nice to think that some companies might adopt anti-burnout measures—minimizing those small tasks, and doling out fewer projects.

• When only one basket holds all of your self-esteem eggs, bad things happen. If we feel like we need to do something or prove ourselves in one area to feel good about ourselves, our self-worth is based on something.
• Contingencies of self-worth represent specific domains on which people stake their self-esteem.
• Contingent self-worth is an ineffective source of motivation; although boosts to self-esteem feel good, they can become addictive, requiring ever greater success to avoid feelings of worthlessness.

Burnout happens when, over a period of time, our resources are depleted faster than they’re restored. It’s partially explained by exhaustion at work, cynicism toward the meaning of work, and a sense of inadequacy at work.

It’s mediated by workload, control, reward, community, fairness, and values. There’s a pretty substantial overlap between the symptoms of burnout and depression, as both entail a loss of motivation.