The science behind Camp Burnout

The science behind Camp Burnout

At Camp Burnout, we have collected a knowledge base with things you need to KNOW and things you need to DO. But where does it come from? A closer look at the techniques and principles of Camp Burnout.

Can you tell me about the knowledge and science behind Camp Burnout?

To make Camp Burnout the most comprehensible recovery journey, the knowledge here comes from multiple different sources. The basic idea is this: There is A LOT written about burnout/chronic stress, but that knowledge is spread out over thousands of books, (sometimes incomprehensible) webpages and therapists worldwide. So what we did is this:

  1. We applied order. So you can consume the knowledge in a step by step manner.
  2. We filtered. Not everything is useful for everybody. So we filtered and derived the lessons that apply to (almost) everybody.
  3. We translated & visualized. At Camp Burnout, we strongly believe in making things visual and easy to understand. That’s why we applied graphics and analogies where we could.
Where does the knowledge at Camp Burnout come from?

Here we’ll make an attempt to tell you where the insights and ideas come from, and give credit where credit is due:

  • The Rider & Horse analogy is based upon the Rider & Elephant analogy by NYU psychologist Jonathan Haidt to explain, in his case, the difference between the rational and emotional brain. You can learn more about that here.
  • The ‘Energy Points System’ comes from a Dutch psychologist specialized in burnout treatment, he’s based in Amsterdam and was my therapist when I went through recovery.
  • The Recovery Curve, with which we visualize how burnout/chronic stress works, comes from the world of sports, where it is called the SRA Curve
  • The idea behind the Reality Filter comes from the unfortunate connection between fatigue and depression-symptoms. More about this can be read here.
  • The module about meditation and connecting to the body comes from all the great sources there are about practicing Mindfulness. One of the best apps out there is Headspace.
  • The module about changing your habits and beliefs is based upon the idea of Self-Defeating Beliefs. You can find more on them here.
  • The exercise we use to confront mistaken beliefs is one of the most common exercises from CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy), which is widely used among therapists and used to challenge thoughts.
  • The ideas behind the Panic-Attack-session come from the scientific idea that deep breathing and mindfullness helps calm a person during a panic attack. An article on this subject can be found here.
What do I do if someying is unclear or I have questions about a certain technique or session?

Please let us know here! Together we make Camp Burnout better.