Understanding Burnout: How Physics Explained My Experience

In a personal reflection on the nature of burnout, Zahaan Bharmal, a Google employee and recipient of NASA’s Exceptional Public Achievement medal, shares how his background in physics provided insights into the emotional and professional challenges he faced after being made redundant. Bharmal’s story highlights the ongoing struggle with stress in the workplace and the critical need for a shift in how society approaches work-life balance.

Bharmal’s journey began during his university years, where he embraced the principles of physics, particularly Newton’s second law of motion: “force equals mass times acceleration.” This law offered him a sense of order in a chaotic world, reinforcing a belief that hard work would inevitably lead to success. However, nine months into his first job, he was unexpectedly laid off, illustrating that life does not always conform to predictable patterns. The experience left him devastated and questioning everything he understood about success and failure.

The timing of Bharmal’s layoff was particularly significant. In the summer of 2001, the bursting of the dotcom bubble sent shockwaves through the global economy, forcing many companies, including Bharmal’s management consultancy, to make difficult decisions. This was not an isolated incident; similar crises occurred during the 2008 sub-prime mortgage crash, the eurozone crisis in 2011, the rupee crash in 2013, and market turbulence in China in 2015. Each of these events demonstrated how small, seemingly insignificant failures could escalate into major economic downturns.

Bharmal draws parallels between these financial crises and concepts in physics, particularly chaotic systems. While Newton’s laws can explain many phenomena, chaotic systems are governed by underlying rules but are highly sensitive to initial conditions. The analogy extends to everyday life, where unexpected events can disrupt carefully laid plans.

In his experience, Bharmal recognized that many professionals operate under high stress, often pushing themselves to the limit in the belief that relentless effort equates to success. According to a recent report from Mental Health UK, 91% of UK adults experienced high or extreme stress in the past year, with young workers particularly affected. The report also highlighted that nearly half of young employees frequently worked unpaid overtime, indicating a troubling trend in workplace culture.

Bharmal compares this pressure to a power grid operating at full capacity. When demand spikes unexpectedly, the system can fail unless there is built-in slack. Similarly, individuals working at maximum capacity without allowing for downtime become increasingly vulnerable to burnout. His personal journey through burnout revealed that stress accumulates until it reaches a critical threshold, akin to water boiling after being heated gradually.

To combat this, Bharmal emphasizes the importance of building personal surge capacity and recognizing that recovery is essential rather than a luxury. He advocates for a cultural shift in how society views overwork, noting that the economy often celebrates excessive labor while treating burnout as a personal failing. This perspective contributes to a growing trend of individuals withdrawing from the workforce due to mental health challenges.

The findings of the recent Keep Britain Working review further underscore the urgent need for change. The report highlighted an alarming increase in workforce dropouts due to mental health conditions, suggesting that the expectation to operate at full capacity without any slack may be detrimental to overall productivity and well-being.

Bharmal concludes that while Newton’s laws still hold relevance, understanding when to ease off is crucial. Recognizing that resilience requires inefficiency is a vital step towards creating healthier work environments. By allowing for flexibility and recovery, individuals and organizations can avoid the pitfalls of burnout and foster more sustainable systems.