Since the pandemic began, large numbers of Americans working in diverse fields have reported increased levels of burnout and exhaustion. 

But the phenomenon of burnout is nothing new, argues frequent Commonweal contributor Jonathan Malesic. The problem has been with us for decades, a consequence of the increasingly blurry lines between our professional and personal lives.

On this episode, Malesic speaks with Commonweal managing editor Katie Daniels about his new book The End of Burnout: Why Work Drains Us and How to Build Better Lives. If we want to combat burnout, he says, we first need to agree on a definition. 

Read Jonathan Malesic’s Commonweal essays here: