I’m always up to find ways to avoid burnout or lessen my current burnout.

I feel most people have in their time felt burnout to some degree

I work in healthcare and I have had burnout 3x in the last 20 years.

I took away some great points from this book that made me re look at how I live my life. I recently have set more boundaries and trying to take some personal time.

I did find the book a bit dry/slow at times but it is also not a super exciting topic but then again it is a very important topic.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Random House, The Dial Press for permission to read this work prior to its publication date. This book is an amazing guide to managing burnout from someone who survived it. I will admit that this book brought back traumatic memories of being in graduate school and running on fumes. as well as being a newly minted professional bursting into tears at the slightest provocation. I wish I had this book then, to educate me on self-care, delegating tasks, setting boundaries and leaving anything that doesn't serve me. This is a fairly short read with great images and approachable language. I think it will be a useful tool for anyone learning to create boundaries on the brink of burnout or suffering from burnout in real time.

Have you ever woken up on a workday and wished that you could somehow disappear off the face of the earth without dying? Congratulations. You may be suffering from burnout, and you would not be alone. If I remember this fact right from Emily Ballesteros’ blisteringly good self-help manual, The Cure for Burnout, a recent survey found that 55 percent of single Americans felt that they were burned out during COVID. That number jumped to a whopping 75 percent for those who had children. Burnout is something that can affect almost anyone, and that’s what makes this guide so vital. I know for myself that I’ve probably had periods of burnout: in addition to writing this blog, I also have a day job (not related to book reviewing) and a side hustle writing for a trade publication (related to book reviewing). I can be as busy as a bee, so it was important for me to learn a few new tricks and tools for managing stress and time. I will share at least one of them later to illustrate how this book has helped me in my professional life. So, yes, this is a five-star review (of sorts, because no book is perfect).

Ballesteros sets out in the first chapters of this book to outline the three types of burnout a person can have (and, as she says, you can “go three for three”). These range from having too much on one’s plate to do, facing social burnout (when colleagues or friends and family impose too much friendliness on you), and burnout by boredom. With those three types defined, she then turns to five coping mechanisms that can cure what ails one of these burdens: stress management, personal care, time management, mindfulness, and boundary setting. (The latter of which I’ve always had trouble with.) The final portion of the book is about building resilience, but also learning when it’s time to let go of a job that may be almost literally sucking the life out of you. As you can see, this is an exhaustive book. No stone goes uncovered, but that also makes this an exhausting read. That’s not to be critical, but the topic of burnout is a bit of a sensitive one for some people who don’t like reading what they’re living. You may be best inclined to read this book slowly. (It also helps to read slowly if you have a physical copy to highlight sentences that resonate or dog-ear pages that are helpful; I had a digital galley on my Kindle, so I couldn’t indulge in those author-sponsored practices.)

The key to what makes this work is that Ballesteros — who has a Master’s degree in industrial-corporate psychology and has given presentations for the likes of Pepsico and Nickelodeon — has an affable voice. Reading this, I had the tone of a good friend in my head (hi, Jessica!), which is what makes this book so successful. The writing is a breeze to get through, though, again, it’s not an easy subject to parse at times because of those reminders about stressors you might be going through. However, eventually, you will want to read this book to relax and unwind, for this book teaches you how to do this without guilt. Let me explain how this worked out for me in my professional (day job) life. I was recently given a project at work with vague instructions where I had to use some brainpower and the help of some colleagues to figure out what to do. However, it was still tough to pull off. Ballesteros recommended that people with a stressor such as this schedule little reward breaks throughout the day to give themselves a hit of feel-good dopamine. And you know what? It worked! I found myself getting naturally refreshed and clear-headed to tackle the project with relative ease from there. So, I can attest to the power of this book.

I might be able to give The Cure for Burnout the ultimate type of praise that you can lavish upon a book as a reviewer. This might be a book that I will eventually buy for myself (or get the family to gift it to me — hi, Mom!) to re-read and work through some of the exercises and tools that Ballesteros so expertly provides. My only real quibble might be that a small portion of the book might cop to pop psychology: Ballesteros borrows a tool from Stephen Covey, who I’ve always thought was a bit of a Dr. Phil-type. You know, the type of person who looks good for the media, but whose solutions might appear to be a bit on the platitude side. Still, it’s a minor quibble in what is undoubtedly going to be a very useful resource for some people. The author’s “can-do” attitude is infectious, and the stories she tells about facing anxiety in her personal life are relatable. As she notes, life is hard, but everyone has the right to live it pleasurably. To that end, you can take comfort that a book such as this exists to help people manage their pressures and workloads. No matter what industry you’re in, you’re bound to find some good takeaways with this volume. I cannot be more effusive in my praise (other than to say this is a book that I would now buy) except to say that this is one of the best self-help manuals I’ve read in some time. It is excellent. It is profound. I heart this book. Forget what I said about five stars. If there was room for this book to get an extra digit along the lines of Spinal Tap, I would gladly give this a six for sure.

Where was this book all the years ago when I suffered through an aggressive bout of burnout? Everything that was discussed in this book was something that I wish that I had had the knowledge of back then. Instead of being a 20-year old who was so stressed out that she developed gallstones and needed to have her gallbladder removed (like an old lady), I could have been figuring out how to balance out my life in a way that was manageable and healthy!

This book takes a deep dive on the conversation how how we fall into burnout, but gives extremely practical steps to help you figure out how to get out of this phase of burnout in your life. I think this is a resource I will be recommending to those around me for years to come.

I liked that while it did mention other areas of life, such as stress and boundaries, the main focus of each was always reverted back to how burnout happens in our lives through said ways. If you are feeling like you’re burnt out or that you’re on the verge of burnout or honestly if you just want to avoid burnout all together, I would definitely recommend you give this one a read!

Thank you to @randomhouse for this advanced reader copy! 🫶

So many great reviews for this book, so please take my review as a potential outside the norm review. I thought it was ok. There was lots covered and lots of actionable steps - as you’d expect in a self-help book, but…. I found the layout a little “messy” and the topics covered a little more fast-paced than methodical and deeply. I found reading this felt a little stressful, rather than reassuring and calming 🤷🏻‍♀️.

If you’re a recovering perfectionist, this one’s for you! I read a lot of self help books, so they can become quite repetitive. But this one was a treat! It had plenty of data backed insights, and stayed true to topic (as opposed to many books in the same category which just read as a mashup list of sleep + relationships + yoga + setting boundaries etc without clear relevance). The book made me feel validated that prioritizing my personal life is the right choice for me - even if it’ll garner less accolades. I also highlighted so many notes since the author gave lots of actionable, specific advice. Can’t wait to try them!

I have read a lot of books about burnout and work boundaries, but nonetheless I really enjoyed this book. It offers some new advice and insight that I hadn’t considered before. If you’re starting to feel burned out or, like me, already know you’re burned out, this is a good book for you!

The Cure for Burnout by Emily Ballesteros is a practical guide to combatting burnout, offering useful advice for those in the early stages. Ballesteros blends scientific research with personal stories to demystify burnout. While the book addresses the initial phases effectively, it may not delve deeply into the more profound stages of burnout. As someone who has grappled with burnout long before it gained popularity, I found the insights and shared stories touching and insightful.

Incredible book - must read. I’ve recommended it before I even finished reading to many people in my life, from coworkers to friends and family. This book taught me the importance of establishing boundaries in every context (personal, professional, etc) - it not only gives you the how, but also stresses the why of the importance of establishing boundaries. I feel a lot more confident and at peace with my schedule now. I feel empowered to stand by the choices that I make for myself. This book holistically changed my perspective on what I’m willing to tolerate and forced me to evaluate how I feel about every interaction/action throughout my day and think about if and how to change what doesn’t suit me. It’s a very well written and easy to understand read. Emily includes great graphics and examples that really helps the messaging sync in. I’m really glad I came across this title, every chapter was a value add to creating balance in my life.

This book took me a while to read.... but for a very good reason. I would read one chapter, sit, digest it, and find ways to apply what I read in my day-to-day life. I've never highlighted, bookmarked, or taken so many notes from a book in my entire life. I found this book to be so helpful in addressing burn out. I found it at a time when I was having a lot of work stress and was able to utilize these to help me have a more balanced life.

As someone whose work life balance changed dramatically this year – I was excited to receive this Advance Reader Copy from Random Publishing house.
The book is in several sections – 1) to identify the types of burnout (I had no idea there were different types) and 2) offers tips on how to manage burnout.
I thought the entire book was not only relatable and helpful for me as someone experiencing the start of burnout but also as a manager to help identify if my employees are in a particular stage of burnout.
I recommend this book to everyone and as soon as I finished the book – I immediately followed the author on Instagram and Tik Tok.

Really excellent material that goes into personal/social and professional burnout from multiple angles -- self-care, boundaries, knowing what you want, taking chances, There's a lot of great advice and exercises for building the life that works better for you. It's a very positive, proactive and constrictive. I really liked it a lot. I also want to come back and write a better review.

This book is part practical guide, part in depth research, part zippy 1-liners to chant to yourself, and all cheering you on. What a great balance of theory and application. I want Emily to be my friend, colleague, and mentor.

This book is applicable to those seeking balance as well as those coming out the other side of burnout recovery to reinforce and supplement your own burnout recovery program.

It does not assume work is evil, but offers ways to seek that oh so elusive balance.

Burnout was a huge corporate buzzword during Covid and remote working. Now that the pandemic is behind and companies have mandated return-to-wrkplace, they act as if burnout has been cured. But that is far from the truth. Burnout lives on in the lives of many workers throughout the US and worldwide. So this book is a great resource for those in the midst of burnout. It is written for the individual, not the manager, but we can all learn from Ballesteros.

The first part of the book outlines modern burnout and goes into the three types. It is interesting but perhaps the least helpful. If you are in the midst of burnout, you don't need to know what it is. You need help. Still, this is good introductory material.

The meat of the book, and what you paid for, is the cure. And that is found in the middle section, which devote five chapters to the five pillars of burnout management: mindset, personal care, time management, boundaries, and stress management. Filled with great illustrations, this is what I enjoyed the most. Each chapter contains tools to add to your toolkit, such as minimums, romanticization, gamification, reminders and accountability for personal care. I particuarly liked the tools for stress management, such as fact-feeling-story, tangible vs intangible list, cognitive reframing and burnout jenga.

The chapters are long but worth reading carefully while taking notes. I loved this book and have a new set of tools I plan to use when I sense burnout rearing its ugly heads.

I have never felt so understood by an author. As an Emergency Department RN and mom to 2 under 2, I am constantly battling feeling the effects of burnout. Emily Ballesteros does an amazing job of identifying the key aspects to burn out and offering realistic, approachable solutions. Filled with humor and relatable anecdotes, this is the perfect book to help you end the constant cycle of burnout

Very helpful, approachable and interesting with actionable steps. I think almost anyone would be able to get something out of this book. I really appreciate it the nuance and action items. Thank you so much for giving me access to this book!

This was a really thorough text informing the reader of multiple types of burnout and how one can take action steps when dealing with one of the types of burnout. Highly recommend this self-help recommendations.

I appreciate that this book identifies three different types of burnout and addresses each type with actionable items. So many people suffer from burnout by boredom and I don’t think that is talked smut enough. Most of what’s in this book isn’t new, but the roadmap activity asks good questions everyone can benefit from. received an advance review copy for free via Netgalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This is a book everyone should own. So many people experience burnout these days and it continues to grow in numbers every day. What Emily has shared in this book is gold for anyone who struggles to balance work and home. Excited to start following Emily for more of her knowledge on this topic!

The writing is extremely approachable and comfortable to follow along. The organization of the book seems well planned. It’s general enough to appeal to a large audience. I stopped at 13%.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC.