Accessibility links
Episode 740: Burnout : Planet Money All types of companies are struggling with burnout. Many try to fix it. Most of them fail. One exception: A 26-year-old call center manager, with stress balls and costumes in her arsenal.

Planet MoneyPlanet Money

The Economy Explained

Planet Money

Episode 740: Burnout

Episode 740: Burnout

Listen · 19:26
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/504734219/504763750" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
Enlarge this image

The company SpotHero built a Zen Den to help employees avoid burnout. Stacey Vanek Smith/NPR hide caption

toggle caption
Stacey Vanek Smith/NPR

The company SpotHero built a Zen Den to help employees avoid burnout.

Stacey Vanek Smith/NPR

Exhaustion. Anxiety. Stress. Depression. Forgetfulness. Irritability. Screaming at large bodies of water. These are some symptoms of burnout.

Hospitals, tech companies, schools and law firms all struggle with burnout. Companies try to fix it. But burnout is really tough to solve. Even the psychologist who coined the term "burnout" had trouble preventing it. After working around the clock, he ended up burnt out.

Today on the show, why burnout is such a menace, and how a 26-year-old call center manager tried to beat it.


Music: "Mulitply" and "Evergreen High." Find us: Twitter/ Facebook.

Planet MoneyPlanet Money

The Economy Explained