Burnout Immunity: How Emotional Intelligence Can Help You Build Resilience and Heal Your Relationship with Work
About this audiobook
An essential guide to protect yourself from burnout by learning to develop and master key emotional intelligence skills
Why do some people in the world’s most stressful careers avoid burnout while countless others are overwhelmed by the demands of ordinary jobs? What can we learn from these resilient role models who seem to be naturally resistant to the psychological hazards of work?
After extreme stress caused a life-threatening health crisis in her own life, Dr. Kandi Wiens left a lucrative career in management consulting and enrolled in a doctoral program at the University of Pennsylvania to understand why work was leaving millions of us sick, exhausted, unmotivated, and feeling stuck and ineffective. In her research, she discovered something remarkable: Despite dangerous levels of work-related stress, some people seemed to be naturally “immune” to burnout.
So what did these people have that Dr. Wiens and millions of others did not? In digging further, she uncovered one key difference: Regardless of their role, industry, or experience, all these professionals exhibited a high degree of emotional intelligence (EI). EI is the ability to clearly perceive, understand, and productively manage emotions, thoughts, and behaviors in service of one’s overall well-being and performance. The people with burnout immunity were relying on specific EI skills to successfully cope with stressful work environments and experiences. The result is that they were more productive; had happier careers and lives; and were free from the physical and mental ravages of exhaustion, negativity, and inefficacy that characterize burnout.
The good news is that everyone can build and boost emotional intelligence and use EI-based skills to manage workplace stress before it leads to breaking down or burning out. Burnout Immunity shows readers how to develop and master the EI skills, principles, and strategies Dr. Wiens uncovered in her research, including
- Awareness
- Regulation
- Meaningful Connections
- Mindset
- Recover, Reconnect, and Reimagine
and bring them to bear on their own unique roles and work environments.
Bolstered with research, exercises, self-assessments, and real-life stories from people with natural burnout immunity and those who’ve cultivated it, Burnout Immunity teaches workers how to positively cope with stress and to enjoy healthier and happier relationships with work.
Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.
About the author
Kandi Wiens, EdD, MSEd, MBA, is a senior fellow at the University of Pennsylvania, the director of the Penn Master’s in Medical Education Program and the Penn Health Professions Education Certificate Program, and the academic director of the PennCLO Master’s Program. She frequently teaches in various graduate-level and executive-format programs across the University of Pennsylvania. She is a member of the Thinkers50 Radar 2024 cohort, a researcher, a national speaker, and an executive coach whose work focuses on helping leaders hone and use their emotional and social intelligence to amplify their positive impact and protect themselves from burnout.
