Zander attributes burnout (at root, excessive, sustained stress) to optimising our lives. There is some truth in that. But to write an article in late 2020 about excessive stress while ignoring the major stressor of COVID-19 is naive at best.

Even in New Zealand where we're not in lockdown and life is pretty normal, there's still that "what if we get a big outbreak" sitting in the back of your head constantly.

Modern life comes with a range of stressors and competing in the labour market is just one. There are loads more that we as individuals can do little about. Limited progress on climate change is another big one.