11. Are You Burning Out Without Knowing? How Ambition Can Steal Your Perspective – Signs & Solutions

 Is your drive for success pushing you toward burnout? Overworking often disguises itself as ambition, dedication, or passion—but how do you know when it’s harming you instead of helping you?

“Even the most vigorous and gifted among the others all failed and were defeated in the end because their task or their ambitious dream seized hold of them, made them into persons so possessed that they lost the capacity for liberating themselves from present things and attaining perspective.”
— Hermann Hesse, The Glass Bead Game

In this episode, we uncover the hidden signs of overworking and explore solutions inspired by Hermann Hesse’s literature, Buddhist mindfulness teachings, and scientific research on meditation. Drawing from The Glass Bead Game, as well as the wisdom of Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche and Thích Nhất Hạnh, we discuss how to break free from the cycle of exhaustion. Dr. Jen also shares her personal journey with burnout and the daily meditation practice that helped her restore energy and work more mindfully.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

🔹 Are You Overworking Without Knowing It? – Recognizing the early warning signs before burnout takes over.
🔹 What Can Hermann Hesse Teach Us About Overworking? – The hidden messages in The Glass Bead Game on overcoming crises through meditation.
🔹 How Can Mindfulness Help You Find Balance? – Insights from Thích Nhất Hạnh’s teachings on meditation.
🔹 Does Science Support Meditation for Productivity? – Research on how meditation, including insights from Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche (“The Happiest Man on Earth”), can boost well-being.
🔹 How Can You Recognize Overworking? – A personal story of transitioning from the high-pressure corporate world in Shanghai to the intellectually demanding academic life in Melbourne.
🔹 How Can You Develop Routines to Regain Energy for Work? – Simple mindfulness techniques tailored to my lifestyle.

🎧 Bonus: A Guided Meditation

Enjoy a short guided meditation led by Dr. Jen, featuring Thích Nhất Hạnh’s classic 16-step breathing exercise, based on the ancient Buddhist practice of Anapanasati (mindfulness of breathing).

Resources & Mentions:

• The Glass Bead Game by Hermann Hesse – A Nobel Prize-winning novel exploring intellectual ambition.
• The Joy of Living by Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche – Insights from "The Happiest Man on Earth."
• Deepak Chopra’s 21-Day Meditation Challenge (Deepak Chopra Website)
• Discovering Buddhist Wisdom:
  • Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche's Teachings on YouTube
  • Teachings from Thích Nhất Hạnh: Plum Village Website  

Podcast Recommendation:

• The Way Out Is In Podcast – exploring the Zen art of living from the Plum Village community.

🎵 Ending Music: Silken Shadow (Written for this episode using SUNO AI)

 Connect & Share:

• What’s your personal sign of overworking? Share your thoughts with me on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube.
• If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend who might benefit from this message!