Islam emphasizes the importance of having a balance and moderation in all aspects of life, including work and personal relationships. In Islam, it is believed that burnout can be a result of neglecting one’s spiritual, emotional, and physical well-being. The Rasool (SAW) is reported to have said: The strong person is not the one who can overpower another. The strong person is the one who can control themselves when angry. Strong not just in the physical sense, but emotionally, spritually, etc. Thus, Islam has an aspect of it that attributes burnout as a result of imbalanced priorities, where individuals prioritize worldly pursuits over their spiritual, emotional, and physical well-being. It encourages individuals to prioritize their well-being and maintain balance in their lives by engaging in regular self-care, seeking support from loved ones, and connecting with Allah through prayer and reflection.

 Therefore, Muslims must take care of their spiritual, physical and mental wellbeing. These things affect our relationship with Allah (SWT). The human mind is very fragile and when incorrect ideas enter into it, it can damage or reduce positive thinking and outcomes. I would like to outline two things and how they can feed off each other. They are known as burnout and confirmation bias. The first of these two you may be familiar with, the latter may require added explanation.

Burnout is defined as a state of physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion caused by prolonged stress or dissatisfaction with one’s work. On the other hand, confirmation bias is the tendency to seek out information that confirms one’s preexisting beliefs and to ignore or dismiss information that contradicts those beliefs. When these two factors intersect, they can have a negative impact on individuals and make it difficult to address root causes of burnout and find effective solutions.

Biased thinking patterns reinforced by confirmation bias can limit an individual’s perspective and make it harder to recognize and consider alternative approaches to even everyday things. In short, the combination of burnout and confirmation bias can lead to a self-perpetuating cycle of negativity and stress that can be difficult to break free from. To prevent this from happening, it is important to be aware of one’s own biases and to actively work to broaden one’s perspective and consider different viewpoints.

The limit the adverse impact of both burnout and confirmation bias. Here are some steps that can help:

1. Acknowledge and understand the presence of both burnout and confirmation bias. Recognizing when one is feeling burnt out and recognizing the presence of confirmation bias can be the first step in limiting their impact. Allah (SWT) commands us to reflect!
2. Take time to recharge and refocus. Allowing time for rest and meditation can help reduce stress and prevent burnout. Engaging in spiritual activities bring joy and satisfaction and can help rebuild their resilience. Best time to do this is after each prayer with saying Subhanallah, Alhamdulliah etc. 33x’s
3. Challenge and broaden one’s perspective. Actively seeking out information and viewpoints that challenge one’s existing limiting beliefs and biases in light of Quran and Sunnah.
4. Seek support from others. Talking to a trusted friend, family member, or mental health professional can help individuals identify the root causes of their burnout and develop effective solutions.
5. Establish healthy work-life boundaries. Setting clear boundaries between work and personal time can help to reduce stress and prevent burnout. Work matters stay at work, family matters stay at home.
6. Never burden family with your toxic work matters. Talk about your problems with someone that cares to listen, and this someone may not always need to be your husband, wife or children. They have issues that may also need resolution. Do not compound it for them.

These five points can help understand burnout and its link to confirmation bias and reduce its adverse impact on mental and emotional well-being. This can include practicing self-awareness which sounds very easy but hard to do, being mindful of our surroundings and knowing who our friends truly are, reflecting on past experiences and decisions and being critical of self rather than others, after each prayer taking a break and engaging in meditation while seeking support from caring people. These simple steps done consistently enhance one’s thinking ability to think objectively and make decisions that are in one’s best interests, even in the face of potential burnout.  

By taking these steps, we can limit the adverse impact of burnout and confirmation bias and maintain a healthy physical, emotional, and mental and spiritual well-being, InshaAllah.

Allah Certainly Knows Best.