Same Burnout, Different Decade: From Hustle to Healing in the Modern Workplace:
Whether you were around in 1979 when Michael Jackson released, “Workin’ Day and Night” or paid top dollar for Beyonce’s Renaissance tour and heard, “Break My Soul”, you’d noticed that these two legends in music, even decades apart, addressed common themes: overworked, burnout, and a lack of balance.
The pursuit of mastery, particularly in high-performers, comes with many sacrifices. The reality is that passion does not cancel out exhaustion. And for professionals in high-stress fields like finance and law, that tension has only intensified — especially since COVID blurred the lines between work and life even more.
Let’s take a closer look at the lyrics. In Michael’s “Workin’ Day and Night” he speaks to the old school grind mentality that your output in work equates to value and where “balance” is a luxury. His line, “You got me working day and night / And I'll be working from sun up to midnight”, captures the essence of the workaholic mentality and neglecting anytime for rest.
Is this mindset sustainable and how does it affect one’s wellbeing in the long run?
Some signs::
- Changes in behavior (isolation & withdrawal from others)
- Changes in feelings (low morale)
- Changes in thinking (difficulty concentrating & fulfilling responsibilities)
- Changes in health (fatigue & exhaustion) (McCormack & Cotter, 2013)
While “Break My Soul” shares similar concepts, Beyoncé introduces anthems and mantras that suggest moving from surviving to liberation/healing. “I’m looking for motivation / I'm lookin' for a new foundation”, reflects what it means to find fulfillment in the work one does as well as finding intrinsic motivators inside and outside of work.
Examples including:
- Starting a passion project
- Pursuing hobbies
- Socializing with peers
- Volunteering
Take me for example, a young performance consultant working in sports, eager to participate in any experience that came my way. My motto was simple: work harder than the next person.
That required, sacrificing free time, missing moments with loved ones, and no time to recover.
A recipe for burnout, Brill (1984) explains High Work Ethic x No Recovery = Burnout. And that’s exactly where I found myself.
So I made a shift. I moved to Colorado. Discovered collective care. I started hiking. Set real boundaries. I redefined what being "driven" looked like not just grinding, but growing.
Have I mastered work-life balance? Not even close. But being intentional in how one treats themself is a powerful starting point.
I encourage everyone to find the practices, people, or moments that help you decompress.
Still unsure where to begin? Don’t just take it from me. Maybe Beyoncé and Michael Jackson can help shift your mindset. And if you're looking for more personalized support in that journey, Emerge EQ and I are here to help
Machai Jamison, Coach