On Burnout

Burnout and the call of the soul. In the philosophies of the ancient Greeks, the soul was central. For Socrates, Plato and Pythagoras, illness was seen as a ‘call of the soul’ to restore the connection. In our modern Western society, this holistic view has largely disappeared and been replaced by a materialistic view of the human being. We see this reflected in healthcare and in organizations, where the focus is increasingly on performance and systems rather than on the person.

The result? A loss of soul. In work, in organizations, and ultimately in ourselves.
A burnout is rarely only the result of work pressure. It is often a deeper signal: a loss of connection with who you really are. You keep giving, adapting, meeting expectations until your energy runs out. Literally.

The way back calls for a shift: from outside to inside. From obligation to soulfulness. When you start working from your inner soulfulness again, space, energy and direction arise. No longer working for appreciation from outside, but from an inner source of meaning.

In my book Doctor’s Orders: Partner with Your Soul, I take you into this different view of health, work and meaning. A perspective in which body and soul are connected again. Where burnout is not only a problem, but also an invitation to change. And in which soulfulness is the key to recovery and growth.

Do you live out of obligation… or from soulfulness?