Does the Hero Experience Burnout?

During a recent wellbeing fair, I attended a mental health workshop on preventing burnout. Surprisingly, I learned that over half of US employees express feelings of burnout, a startling enough trend that companies are working to mitigate its effects.

Some time later, while listening to Episode 24 of The Podcast with a Thousand Faces, I heard Dr. Ben Rogers, Assistant Professor of Management & Organization at Boston College, explain how his ongoing research on the psychological benefits of framing one’s life within the pattern of the Hero’s Journey could be used to help alleviate burnout (48:40-50:37). This insight stirred my curiosity. Perhaps in addition to reducing the impact of burnout on the current workforce, a mythological take on burnout could offer insight and meaning to the experience. This MythBlast is the beginnings of such an endeavor.

This blog was written for and published by The Joseph Campbell Foundation on July 14, 2024.