Can a Library Card Support You Through Burnout? The Case for Bibliotherapy

The world can be a stressful place, with constant demands from work, caregiving, and electronic notifications taking their toll on our mental health. Burnout is increasingly common, and finding time to rest and heal can be difficult in our fast-paced world. However, research from the ReLit Foundation has shown that something as simple as reading a book can help.

What Is Burnout?

Burnout is a feeling of emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion caused by prolonged or repeated stress. While it’s often associated with workplace pressures, burnout can also stem from stress in other areas of life, such as school, parenting, caregiving, or romantic relationships.

It’s also surprisingly common, with two-thirds of employees reporting symptoms linked to work and other life stressors. It doesn’t help that, even outside of work, when people should be resting, frequent electronic notifications and the constant connectivity created by phones and other devices can lead to digital burnout, where the mind is never allowed to rest and therefore can never recover.

Some common signs of burnout include:

• Constant exhaustion that doesn’t go away even with sleep
• Dreading responsibilities or activities you once enjoyed
• Feeling detached from things or lacking motivation
• Struggling to focus on tasks, often leading to making more mistakes
• Frequently feeling irritated, anxious, or overwhelmed
• Recurrent headaches, digestive issues, or muscle tension

Working long hours or juggling too many tasks can contribute to burnout, but other factors also play a role. A lack of control over how tasks are carried out or being asked to take on responsibilities that conflict with your sense of self can also lead to burnout. Other contributors could include working toward a goal at home or at work that doesn’t resonate with you, or lacking the support you need to handle your responsibilities.

Neurodivergent people are especially prone to burnout because they often face additional stressors beyond the typical work and home stressors. Sensory overload, social demands and masking, unexpected changes to routines, and a lack of proper accommodations can all contribute to burnout for those with neurodivergence.

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What Is Bibliotherapy and How Can It Help?

Bibliotherapy, also known as book therapy, is a gentle therapy method that uses reading to support better mental health and well-being. Research has shown that reading books can help people sort through complex emotions and mental states they may be experiencing during difficult times in their lives. Bibliotherapy can help ease stress and burnout as well as support people suffering from anxiety, depression, eating disorders, existential concerns, and much more.

Clinical bibliotherapy is a form of book therapy practiced by professional therapists and is often used alongside other treatments. However, not everyone can afford to go to a therapist. Self-guided bibliotherapy offers an alternative for anyone seeking the benefits of therapeutic reading at home without the formal guidance of a trained professional. It can be useful for mild mental health concerns, but for anything more serious, it’s always best to consult a medical professional.

Reading is a wonderful, restorative practice anyone can do, making it a supportive form of self-help with many benefits. It can decrease stress, anxiety, and emotional overwhelm, while helping readers feel less alone and comforting them during times of grief, loss, or confusion. Reading also helps improve self-awareness, challenge negative thought patterns, and build one’s emotional vocabulary.

Which books people find helpful for bibliotherapy will vary from person to person. In clinical bibliotherapy, therapists typically select books featuring characters or topics related to the issues the patient is experiencing. For instance, someone dealing with trauma may be given a book featuring a character navigating a similar experience. In self-guided bibliotherapy, people can choose their own books, including fiction, nonfiction, poetry, or self-help titles.

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Libraries and Bibliotherapy

When people look for books on specific topics or featuring specific types of characters, they often turn to librarians for help, which can make librarians into “accidental bibliotherapists.” Librarians and libraries are well positioned to assist people who want to try bibliotherapy. Librarians are trained to provide book recommendations, and libraries offer free books, quiet reading spaces, readers’ advisory lists, digital materials accessible from home, and much more.

Libraries are also acutely aware of community mental health needs. Many offer mental health and wellness services, including reading lists on topics related to emotional health, which can be helpful for anyone exploring bibliotherapy. For people seeking help with burnout, the library can be a great place to start their self-care journey.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed or exhausted, bibliotherapy may help ease stress, and the library is a great place to start. Find the calm, focus, and emotional grounding you seek by visiting your local library today. Sign up for a library card if you don’t already have one, and explore whether bibliotherapy might be a useful tool to support your well-being.

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