McIntire Assistant Professor Yu Tse Heng and her research were included in a recent article about work-related burnout published by productivity and efficiency weblog Lifehacker.
Heng, who joined the Commerce School this past fall from the University of Washington’s Foster School of Business and teaches Organizational Behavior in the Integrated Core, was quoted for her findings in “How Being Kind at Work (to Others and Yourself) Can Combat Burnout.” The article examines major components of burnout, and writer Rachel Fairbank references Heng’s research and its practical methods that people can employ to fight cynical feelings often leading to disconnection.
Having won several awards for her research, which includes burnout and related areas such as self-compassion and suffering in organizations, Heng explains that being kind to others can help people reduce feelings of cynicism.
In discussing the topic of exhaustion—another common burnout factor—the piece also considers Heng’s findings on compassion and its ability to reduce the potential for overwhelming job-related fatigue.
“It feels easier to be compassionate to a friend than yourself, but in reality, we also need compassion. Self-compassion allows you to take a moment for yourself,” Heng says.
