Dr. Kristen Donnelly

“The Culture of Burnout: Why Your Exhaustion is Not Your Fault” (2023)

Burnout is as American as apple pie, baseball, and the 4th of July. Its foundations go all the way back to the first White folks who permanently settled in North America: the Puritans. Way back in the 17th century, they helped create the American culture of overwork that keeps so many of us caught in today's work-till-you-drop, never-ask-for-help hamster wheel of exhaustion.The good news is that we don't have to be. Culture is made through the decisions and actions of everyone who lives in that culture. So if we all want to be less burned out and more balanced, we can be. It's difficult, but not impossible -- and most importantly, it's doable. Inside this book is a breakdown of why your exhaustion and your burnout are not your fault. And, pragmatic to its core, it also starts every reader on their own path to dismantle the culture of burnout and start working toward a culture of balance.Dr. Kristen Donnelly and Dr. Erin Hinson are The Good Doctors of Abbey Research. They are researchers and educators with social science PhDs, who also happen to be best friends. Kristen and Erin have a long history of being obnoxiously curious, which means they have always been interested in how and why people do what they do. Their passion for understanding, research, and writing -- as well as their fascination with the origins of burnout culture -- are the foundations of this book.