Anna Hartz
The system rewards speed and constant productivity, and it rarely pauses to consider the energy it requires from real people.
Work takes up a huge part of our lives. Many of us move through it almost on autopilot. We focus on output, results and performance. We push through long days and full calendars. Over time this can drain workers. Stress rises. Well-being drops. Engagement fades. Burnout becomes common. Around the world, many employees say they feel exhausted and worn down by work. Most also say their mental health is affected by their job.
Treating Humans Like Machines
Burnout is often treated as a personal failure. In reality, it grows from the way many workplaces are built, writes Videnskab. This structure is not new. It goes back more than a century to engineer Frederick Taylor. He developed management methods that treated workers like parts in a machine. Work was measured. Managed. Controlled. The goal was efficiency at any cost.
A lot has changed since then. We know far more about mental health and human limits. Yet many workplaces still operate in the same old pattern. They focus on targets and output without asking what happens when people run out of energy or time to recover.
As researchers, we began to question this. We saw how concerns about the planet pushed companies to rethink how they use natural resources. So we asked ourselves: Are workplaces draining people in the same way? Are they using human energy as if it were endless?
Circular Work
This led us to a different way of thinking about work. We call it circular work. The idea is simple. Human resources such as energy, skill, focus and relationships should not be treated as fuel to be burned. They should be renewed. Work should move in cycles that balance effort with rest, learning and rebuilding.
Circular work relies on four ideas. Human resources are connected. They can be restored. Work can build people up or wear them down. And workplaces thrive when they protect and rebuild these resources.
This approach requires leaders to rethink how they design tasks and manage people. It asks them to consider workload, recovery time, support, autonomy and recognition. It also values psychological safety, where employees can speak openly and take reasonable risks.
When workplaces protect well-being, they keep talent, reduce stress and create environments people want to stay in. The message is straightforward. Burnout is not inevitable. We can work hard in a healthier way. But it requires systems built for human beings, not machines.
Sources: Videnskab
