Busyness, Burnout, and Boundaries in Public Service

This episode takes a step back from policy topics to dive into a pervasive phenomenon in public service work: constant busyness and burnout. Ronan Harrington, an international speaker, expert on burnout and resilience, and MPP alumnus, joins MPP student Nate for a conversation on why burnout is so pervasive in public service careers and what we can do about it.

The conversation explores:

• Why is overwhelmed and burnout a particular problem in public service?

• What are the root psychological factors that lead to constant busyness and burnout?

• Is overwhelm and exhaustion just necessary in high impact careers?

• Can technology and AI save us?

• What are practical strategies to manage overwhelm when we can’t control the demands placed on us?