Living through the COVID-19 pandemic put the fleeting nature of human life front and center in my own mind, just as it served as a turning point in the lives of millions of others.
Radical shifts in social interactions and ways of working, along with the prevalence of illness and grief, motivated many to reassess their priorities. A lot of people acted on what they had always wanted to do but never had the courage (or bandwidth) to face pre-pandemic. Some left marriages—divorce rates following the initial lockdown period skyrocketed—while others had children (there was a mini COVID baby boom) or adopted pets (ditto). And a staggering number of adult workers pivoted their careers or just plain left the workforce entirely, in a phenomenon that’s been coined "The Great Resignation."
If you’re wondering just how great this resignation is, here’s a stat to put it into perspective: Nearly four million workers left their jobs in April of 2021, the highest quit-rate in more than two decades—which was then surpassed in August of the same year.
What prompted this enormous shift? In a study of adults who voluntarily left their jobs in 2021, the Pew Research Center identified some of the most common reasons cited: low pay and a feeling of not being respected in one’s work environment. This pandemic-induced turning point caused people to truly consider whether their demanding, low-paying, and stressful jobs were worth it—in ways, I suspect, both existential and practical in nature.
If you are one of the millions who changed their professional life in a big way, or are contemplating what life would look like if you did, these listens about work, stress, burnout, and navigating big transitions might be just what you need to hear.
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Culture writer Anne Helen Petersen went viral with her 2019 BuzzFeed article, “How Millennials Became the Burnout Generation.” This audiobook, narrated by Petersen herself, takes a deeper dive into the subject. Petersen digs into modern workplace expectations and the many failings of a society that has led to “hustle culture” and the demand to monetize everything from free time to hobbies. In a scathing critique of late-stage capitalism, she states that burnout is a result of a labor crisis, which is causing teachers to drive for Uber in the evenings and parents to work multiple low-wage jobs. Petersen is both educational and persuasive in this impassioned and eye-opening listen.
In this listener-acclaimed audiobook, Coach Pamela Mitchell offers engaging, actionable advice for making big changes in intuitive ways. Here's what she says: "The Great Resignation has opened the door for your Great Reinvention. The best approach is to look at reinvention holistically. It’s not just about finding a career you love. It’s also about fulfilling relationships, living where you want, peak performance, and, yes, time for fun. In a post-pandemic world, we can—and should—organize our lives around these things. It is possible to rearrange the details of your life into your personal kaleidoscope of joy. Society is presenting you with a rare chance to tweak your life so it works better for you. Dream big and take it!"
Former European vice president for Twitter and host of the UK’s #1 business podcast, Eat Sleep Work Repeat, Bruce Daisley is a master at helping listeners bring joy into their jobs and avoid the dreaded symptoms of burnout. A quick and efficient listen, this 30-minute audiobook is full of tactical habits that Daisley says will help decrease feelings of being stressed out and overwhelmed.
This listen from therapist Catherine Gildiner is perfect for fans of Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by therapist Lori Gottlieb. Offering a behind-the-scenes look into the therapist's office, Good Morning, Monster details how even the deepest wounds can be tended to and eventually healed. It's a timely listen for anyone questioning their personal or professional path forward, which often requires looking inward.
This powerful and educational listen from Hungarian-Canadian psychologist and physician Gabor Maté might best be summed up by the following quote from the author: “When we have been prevented from learning how to say no, our bodies may end up saying it for us.” This wake-up call disguised as an audiobook delves into the physiological connection between life’s stresses and emotions and the body’s nervous system, immune apparatuses, and hormones.
Sisters Emily Nagoski, PhD, and Amelia Nagoski, DMA, explain the science behind burnout, specifically in women, and show how to identify the signs (because, yes, you can absolutely experience burnout without even realizing it). The Nagoskis offer tangible actions you can take to reduce stress while also breaking down the exact causes of burnout, helping listeners understand what is actually happening in their bodies during times of overwhelming stress. Narrated by the authors, Burnout is a must-listen for anyone searching for a deeper understanding of this common phenomenon and how to manage its symptoms.
In this lyrical and enlightening audiobook, poet Najwa Zebian shares her concept of home: a place of safety where one can embrace their vulnerability and discover their self-worth. By sharing her personal experience leaving her home country of Lebanon at 16 to eventually build a new identity as she came into her truth, Zebian effectively coaches each listener on how to create that home within themself, leading the way toward self-love and the discovery of a more authentic self.
New York Times best-selling author Jennie Allen draws on science, academic research, history, and scripture to explain the deep-rooted need to find community in an increasingly lonely world. Full of practical ways to form more meaningful friendships and framed by her own life experience, this how-to guide on close relationships is not to be missed, especially for listeners who feel more isolated as a result of pandemic-related life upheavals.
GQ columnist, author, and Twitter sensation Sophia Benoit explores modern womanhood (and modern burnout) in this hilarious and clever essay collection. After a lifetime of trying to do what society told her was the “right” thing—to make others comfortable and conform to expectations—she realized it was exhausting and left her drained. Listeners will root for Benoit, and themselves, as she comes into herself and throws off the weight of other people’s expectations (and her cringe-worthy, all-too-conforming past).
