Vulnerability serves up a special kind of stress.
The kind reminiscent of going to middle school and worrying that no one would like me. The kind that makes me question some of my life choices.
Yet THE BIG day came! Burnout Immunity: How Emotional Intelligence Can Help You Build Resilience and Heal Your Relationship with Work was published! What’s vulnerability got to do with it?
Now that Burnout Immunity is out in the world, I’m nervous about people reading chapter one.
De-shaming burnout
I share parts of my life there that I’ve not shared with some of my closest friends. From adverse childhood events and my mental health, to old coping mechanisms and workaholic tendencies, I’m not proud of all the choices that led to my life-threatening burnout.
It feels exposing, counter-intuitive even, to open up about those painful parts when there’s a lot at stake: an established career I love, leadership roles, and two boys in college and another on his way soon.
Writing chapter one was cathartic. But when it came time to send advance copies to reporters, friends and family (and now that everyone can read it), I felt the scariness of vulnerability. I have to remind myself, over and over, that stories open conversations and destigmatize mental health and burnout. If my story can help people heal, it’s worth it.
I remember the moment that clicked: I had an interview with The Guardian to talk about the book—which usually means talking about very personal details from my past. The reporter was a complete stranger, and I had no idea what she’d ask. I was quite nervous.
Then she started with, “I really appreciate how vulnerable you were in chapter one.” She shared her story—growing up, burning out, clawing her way to recovery. Instead of being grilled about past choices or painful experiences, it felt like we were immediate friends.
So many of us have our own version of this journey. Our path to burnout may be different—childhood, descent into overwork, pursuit of other people’s dreams—but the destination is the same: Emptiness, exhaustion, self-doubt and even despair.
Eradicating burnout
There is nothing wrong with those feelings, and there’s nothing wrong with you. They are a sign—an urgent one—that something isn’t working.
If I could personally rescue every single person from coming close to the life-threatening burnout I experienced, I would. Instead, I’ve poured everything I know into a manual to help people rescue themselves.
That’s my hope for Burnout Immunity: that it lands in the hands of everyone who needs to know they’re not alone. Not broken. Not doomed, and certainly not a failure.
The gap between where they—and maybe you—are and burnout immunity is 247 pages of research, exercises, self-assessments and stories, all in service of building the emotional intelligence skills that lead to healing, resilience, and whole-life wellness.
Stress is a normal human experience, but burnout doesn’t have to be. It’s my mission to see global burnout levels plummet over the next three years, and I know they will when more of us learn how to use our emotional intelligence and build resilience.
If you can get behind that mission, I’d love your support in making it happen. Here’s what you can do to help Burnout Immunity reach the people who need it:
- Order the book. If you’ve been meaning to buy it but haven’t, now is a great time. Here are links to popular retailers: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Bookshop
- Tell other people about the book! Here’s a social media post you can share about the book, or paste into an email to send to friends, coworkers, or family members:
I just ordered Burnout Immunity: How Emotional Intelligence Can Help You Build Resilience and Heal Your Relationship with Work! This book is vital for anyone facing workplace stress and burnout.
Author Dr. Kandi Wiens reveals how developing emotional intelligence is key to building immunity to burnout. The book is filled with research, exercises, and stories from those who thrive at work, even in highly stressful situations. You can get the book here: https://www.amazon.com/Burnout-Immunity-Intelligence-Resilience-Relationship/dp/0063323664
Thank you for spreading the word of Burnout Immunity. Thank you for supporting me and this book. I appreciate it more than words can ever say.
— Kandi
