Duke University psychiatrist John Rhoads, MD studied successful, effective, and healthy executives who worked at least sixty hours weekly and compared those individuals with executives who developed burnout from working over sixty hours weekly. Here are the differences between the “winners” and the “losers”:
Successful Executives Burnout Executives
Rested when tired When fatigued worked longer hours
Enjoyed scheduled vacations Postponed vacations
Had a supportive family life Had a chaotic family life
Cultivated friendships Had few friends
Engaged in regular exercise Had a sedentary life style
Displayed varied interests Had few interests
Enjoyed a sense of humor Humorless
Avoided excessive alcohol intake Used alcohol as an escape
Solved problems Ruminated about problems