Elmo is the internet's new therapist. But can he help solve burnout?

Where We Live

Beloved Muppet Elmo recently asked social media a simple question, "How is everybody doing?" The answers ranged from incredulous to raging. The trauma-dumping on Elmo begged the question: Are we burnt out?

Burnout has been reported in many industries: Connecticut Public has previously covered burnout in health care, and among early child care educators and teachers, for example. When Where We Live covered burnout in the nonprofit world in 2022, our phone lines were flooded.

This hour, we hear from Emily Ballesteros, a management coach and the author of the new book, The Cure for Burnout. She defines the phenomenon, and fields your questions.

Plus, Elizabeth Thompson is a local news researcher focused on burnout in local journalism.

A 2020 report from UNC found that more than one-quarter of American newspapers had shut down since 2005, forcing more than half of all local journalists out of the industry, and "leaving many remaining newsrooms staffed by a small number of reporters burdened by excessive workloads and unable to dedicate themselves to particular topics of local interest."

GUESTS:

• Emily Ballesteros: Management Coach; Author, The Cure for Burnout
• Elizabeth Thompson: Local News Researcher, Center for Innovation and Sustainability in Local Media at the University of North Carolina

Where We Live is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.

Cat Pastor contributed to this show that originally aired February 29, 2024.

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