The “Overwhelm” Excuse

Not every profession and person is overwhelmed these days, but you wouldn’t quite know it from our discussions.

We could concoct a partial list (and it would only be partial) of things that overwhelm most people these days, and we could even do it at a macro- and micro-level. To wit:

Macro

• Income inequality
• Inflation
• Women’s issues/abortion
• The economy as a whole
• The climate
• Partisan bickering
• What social media is doing to us

And then: Micro

• Pleasing your boss
• Getting your kids places
• Figuring out if you’re doing a good job with your kids
• Being a good spouse
• Groceries
• Keeping up with friends
• Aging parents

Some of those “micro” and “macro” may overlap, of course.

We’ve even created terms around all this, including “languishing,” and I’d be completely surprised if “burnout” wasn’t a top-five term used since 2020.