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Healthy Calling: From Toxic Burnout to Sustainable Work
When You Don't Know Who You Are Anymore
Research shows that people who have a sense of calling are more productive, motivated, and resilient than their peers. But they are also more likely to experience the physical, mental, and spiritual exhaustion of burnout. When they do, the impact is more severe and disorienting. Burnout often starts from something very a passionate commitment to meaningful work and the skill to make it a reality. But the dark side of calling is that passion and skill without boundaries are like matches to a dry forest, at risk for devastating destruction.
How can we pursue our callings while managing our risk for burnout? Communication and workplace expert Arianna Molloy explores the nature of a healthy calling and the surprising key to unlocking a more sustainable approach. Humility is essential to a healthy calling, one that involves knowing yourself well, being teachable, and embracing the vulnerability of consistently taking time to rest and reflect. Molloy identifies essential practices and disciplines to recalibrate your calling and transform your work, relationships, and life.
You don't have to feel stuck and alone, disoriented in the dark. Let the Caller turn on the lights and return you to health.
Research shows that people who have a sense of calling are more productive, motivated, and resilient than their peers. But they are also more likely to experience the physical, mental, and spiritual exhaustion of burnout. When they do, the impact is more severe and disorienting. Burnout often starts from something very a passionate commitment to meaningful work and the skill to make it a reality. But the dark side of calling is that passion and skill without boundaries are like matches to a dry forest, at risk for devastating destruction.
How can we pursue our callings while managing our risk for burnout? Communication and workplace expert Arianna Molloy explores the nature of a healthy calling and the surprising key to unlocking a more sustainable approach. Humility is essential to a healthy calling, one that involves knowing yourself well, being teachable, and embracing the vulnerability of consistently taking time to rest and reflect. Molloy identifies essential practices and disciplines to recalibrate your calling and transform your work, relationships, and life.
You don't have to feel stuck and alone, disoriented in the dark. Let the Caller turn on the lights and return you to health.
192 pages, Paperback
Published January 7, 2025
27 people are currently reading
136 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
January 28, 2025
A refreshing read for those feeling a sense of burnout. It helpfully connects burnout to the Christian concept of calling, warning that those who feel called are at greater risk of burnout. It offers some helpful strategies, with the chapter on humility being particularly helpful—those who have too high of a view of themselves feel like they cannot stop working in their calling and inevitably wear themselves down.
January 15, 2025
I listened to the audio of this book and, in fairness, my mind wandered a lot so I don't feel like I have the most accurate review. What I did hear were a lot of helpful reminders that I feel as though I've heard or learned already - boundaries, humility, and being more focused on the Caller rather than just the calling.
November 4, 2025
Could’ve been an article
August 11, 2025
A sense of calling has paradoxical outcomes.
People who view their work as a calling are passionate, committed, and valuable to have around. However, they can also be prone to toxic burnout, exhaustion, and disillusionment.
Ariana Molloy’s fascinating book includes the positive and negative realities of calling in the workplace. It provides a helpful analysis of the causes of toxic burnout and suggestions for improving the situation.
Work can result in a job, a career, or a calling. In contemporary Western society, the average person changes jobs 10 times between age 18 and 42, the book suggests.
Malloy recognizes that experiencing work as a calling is a gift and a privilege.
Calling involves an overwhelming sense of purpose in our work, a caller (God), integration of our skillset and passion, and positively contributing to society.
She describes calling as a dynamic process, a journey that contains all the requirements of falling in love and the maintenance required while being in love.
But calling has a shadow side. People who feel called are more likely to work overtime or agree to take on extra responsibilities without any extra pay or acknowledgment.
Burnout is rooted in chronic stress. There is a difference between general burnout and calling burnout, Molloy argues.
In the former situation, a person might respond: “I don’t know what I’m doing anymore.” In the latter, they may say: “I don’t know who I am anymore.”
The fallout from calling burnout damages more than the individuals who suffer this, she writes. “It doesn’t happen only to us; it affects everyone else in our lives.”
While burnout is not a fixable problem, it is a manageable problem, she suggests.
Workaholism and job idolization are a deadly duo that can lead to burnout. People prone to either of these temptations must learn to distinguish between perseverance and denial.
Self-protection requires confronting inconvenient truths and being wary of workplace demands. Malloy reminds readers that despite what a manager may say, work is not your family.
She warns people to recognize the duplicity of two (conflicting messages) that may be given in a workplace: “Take care of yourself but do more with less.”
The book provides a helpful explanation of the impact of shame in calling burnout and the connection between burnout and boundaries.
Establishing clear work boundaries can be challenging, as they are a process, and subjective. They require maintenance, flexibility, and (re)clarification.
The author provides useful reflections on how to maintain boundary resilience when others try to “boundary shame” you into working beyond your capacity.
The book explores humility and its application as a “central virtue from which all other virtues rise.”
Molloy views humility as a “social oil” that helps balance work as a calling and the larger purpose of our lives.
Healthy humility has three components: knowing your strengths and weaknesses, being teachable, and consistently taking time to rest and reflect.
Humility means thinking about yourself less, not thinking about yourself poorly, she writes. The book also explains why people have difficulty fully embracing the importance of the Sabbath. She explores the ideas of sabbath sadness and sabbath survival, offering sabbath surrender as an antidote.
Malloy makes no false promises, admitting there are no easy recipes or quick fixes. “Practice makes progress, not practice makes perfect.”
“A healthy calling is sustainable when we stay more concerned with our Caller than our calling.”
People who view their work as a calling are passionate, committed, and valuable to have around. However, they can also be prone to toxic burnout, exhaustion, and disillusionment.
Ariana Molloy’s fascinating book includes the positive and negative realities of calling in the workplace. It provides a helpful analysis of the causes of toxic burnout and suggestions for improving the situation.
Work can result in a job, a career, or a calling. In contemporary Western society, the average person changes jobs 10 times between age 18 and 42, the book suggests.
Malloy recognizes that experiencing work as a calling is a gift and a privilege.
Calling involves an overwhelming sense of purpose in our work, a caller (God), integration of our skillset and passion, and positively contributing to society.
She describes calling as a dynamic process, a journey that contains all the requirements of falling in love and the maintenance required while being in love.
But calling has a shadow side. People who feel called are more likely to work overtime or agree to take on extra responsibilities without any extra pay or acknowledgment.
Burnout is rooted in chronic stress. There is a difference between general burnout and calling burnout, Molloy argues.
In the former situation, a person might respond: “I don’t know what I’m doing anymore.” In the latter, they may say: “I don’t know who I am anymore.”
The fallout from calling burnout damages more than the individuals who suffer this, she writes. “It doesn’t happen only to us; it affects everyone else in our lives.”
While burnout is not a fixable problem, it is a manageable problem, she suggests.
Workaholism and job idolization are a deadly duo that can lead to burnout. People prone to either of these temptations must learn to distinguish between perseverance and denial.
Self-protection requires confronting inconvenient truths and being wary of workplace demands. Malloy reminds readers that despite what a manager may say, work is not your family.
She warns people to recognize the duplicity of two (conflicting messages) that may be given in a workplace: “Take care of yourself but do more with less.”
The book provides a helpful explanation of the impact of shame in calling burnout and the connection between burnout and boundaries.
Establishing clear work boundaries can be challenging, as they are a process, and subjective. They require maintenance, flexibility, and (re)clarification.
The author provides useful reflections on how to maintain boundary resilience when others try to “boundary shame” you into working beyond your capacity.
The book explores humility and its application as a “central virtue from which all other virtues rise.”
Molloy views humility as a “social oil” that helps balance work as a calling and the larger purpose of our lives.
Healthy humility has three components: knowing your strengths and weaknesses, being teachable, and consistently taking time to rest and reflect.
Humility means thinking about yourself less, not thinking about yourself poorly, she writes. The book also explains why people have difficulty fully embracing the importance of the Sabbath. She explores the ideas of sabbath sadness and sabbath survival, offering sabbath surrender as an antidote.
Malloy makes no false promises, admitting there are no easy recipes or quick fixes. “Practice makes progress, not practice makes perfect.”
“A healthy calling is sustainable when we stay more concerned with our Caller than our calling.”
March 10, 2025
I picked up "Healthy Calling" at a pivotal moment in my life, feeling the weight of burnout from both work and personal responsibilities. Dr. Molloy's book proved to be exactly what I needed—a thoughtful exploration of how to align my life with a sense of purpose while navigating the challenges of burnout.
Dr. Molloy begins by defining a calling as a combination of meaningfulness, a relationship with a Caller, a skillset aligned with personal passion, and the ability to make a positive impact. She then guides readers through the complexities of living out their calling, including both the fulfilling and difficult aspects. What resonated deeply with me was her practical advice on recovering from burnout by embracing humility and establishing boundaries to find rest. This guidance was both timely and transformative for me personally.
One of the book's most valuable features is the inclusion of guiding questions and orienting prayers at the end of each chapter. These elements reflect Dr. Molloy's heartfelt faith, encouraging me to reflect on my current circumstances and chart a path forward. The questions prompted meaningful introspection, while the prayers offered a sense of spiritual grounding.
If you're seeking a more sustainable and joy-filled life, I highly recommend "Healthy Calling." Dr. Molloy's wisdom and compassion make this book an indispensable resource for anyone looking to rediscover their purpose and live it out with vitality and resilience.
Dr. Molloy begins by defining a calling as a combination of meaningfulness, a relationship with a Caller, a skillset aligned with personal passion, and the ability to make a positive impact. She then guides readers through the complexities of living out their calling, including both the fulfilling and difficult aspects. What resonated deeply with me was her practical advice on recovering from burnout by embracing humility and establishing boundaries to find rest. This guidance was both timely and transformative for me personally.
One of the book's most valuable features is the inclusion of guiding questions and orienting prayers at the end of each chapter. These elements reflect Dr. Molloy's heartfelt faith, encouraging me to reflect on my current circumstances and chart a path forward. The questions prompted meaningful introspection, while the prayers offered a sense of spiritual grounding.
If you're seeking a more sustainable and joy-filled life, I highly recommend "Healthy Calling." Dr. Molloy's wisdom and compassion make this book an indispensable resource for anyone looking to rediscover their purpose and live it out with vitality and resilience.
January 1, 2025
Healthy Calling
From Toxic Burnout to Sustainable Work
By Arianna Molloy
This wasn’t quite what I thought it was which was not as helpful. The spiritual part of the book was calming and non focused. The advice part was like going through with gauze on your eyes instead of your wound. The author knows her regular audience: college students set in their spirituality but earlier in their calling. The one story I felt was going where I needed to go the person just quit to find a new calling. The author doesn’t understand people who don’t have partnerships. I need money to live on and the author said there is no shame in that. There is also no time and space to process much less to reflect. I wasn’t the intended audience. Thanks to Netgalley for copy to review and InterVarsity Press for an advanced digital copy.
From Toxic Burnout to Sustainable Work
By Arianna Molloy
This wasn’t quite what I thought it was which was not as helpful. The spiritual part of the book was calming and non focused. The advice part was like going through with gauze on your eyes instead of your wound. The author knows her regular audience: college students set in their spirituality but earlier in their calling. The one story I felt was going where I needed to go the person just quit to find a new calling. The author doesn’t understand people who don’t have partnerships. I need money to live on and the author said there is no shame in that. There is also no time and space to process much less to reflect. I wasn’t the intended audience. Thanks to Netgalley for copy to review and InterVarsity Press for an advanced digital copy.
March 26, 2025
This book offers a rich and nuanced exploration of calling, written from a distinctively Christian worldview. The author emphasizes cultivating gratitude, building intentional community, practicing healthy humility, and turning toward God as our ultimate Caller.
One insight that really stuck with me was the vital role of community in our sense of calling—how it shapes what we believe is good, possible, and true, and how support (or the lack of it) directly impacts us. I also appreciated the author's reflections on unhealthy work environments and the "dark side" of calling, which resonated with my own experiences in the workplace.
This book is both deeply thoughtful and practical, and I highly recommend it to anyone reflecting on their sense of calling, work, and purpose.
One insight that really stuck with me was the vital role of community in our sense of calling—how it shapes what we believe is good, possible, and true, and how support (or the lack of it) directly impacts us. I also appreciated the author's reflections on unhealthy work environments and the "dark side" of calling, which resonated with my own experiences in the workplace.
This book is both deeply thoughtful and practical, and I highly recommend it to anyone reflecting on their sense of calling, work, and purpose.
March 18, 2025
Practical manual to avoid toxic burnout and restore and reignite the joy of your calling.
This book is fantastic. I recommend it to whoever feels they have something unique to contribute to their community’s welfare. It will enlighten them on ways to fulfill their calling, protect them sometimes from experiencing deep burnout. It is an excellent tool for those who feel stuck and have lost their passion and joy while doing their works as their calling in life. It is for church members and others who are out of church and believe their work is their calling.
This book is fantastic. I recommend it to whoever feels they have something unique to contribute to their community’s welfare. It will enlighten them on ways to fulfill their calling, protect them sometimes from experiencing deep burnout. It is an excellent tool for those who feel stuck and have lost their passion and joy while doing their works as their calling in life. It is for church members and others who are out of church and believe their work is their calling.
May 6, 2025
Turns out that when I'm in a transition in my personal life, I like reading about others' transitions. Molloy weaves her story with practical Christian advice beautifully for those of us looking for something more in our work.
I'd recommend this book to Christians who are dissatisfied with their work situation(s) and want to reflect on what they can do to find meaning and break away from burnout.
I'd recommend this book to Christians who are dissatisfied with their work situation(s) and want to reflect on what they can do to find meaning and break away from burnout.
September 5, 2025
DNF - confusing mixture of anecdotes, spiritual pep talks. I’m not convinced calling burnout is distinct from regular burnout. Not compelling or insightful for someone dealing with burnout.
Read
September 29, 2025This book had an interesting premise, but the heavy religious themes made it unrelatable for me.
March 11, 2025
This book had so much good rich things to say about calling. It was logically presented and included healthy doses of both evidence, anecdote and the Bible. It made me realize that I've heard a lot of these things before and I need to start living them out. People who are in or thinking of going into ministry need to read this book.
September 27, 2025
As someone navigating a season of transition and questioning "What's next?" (thanks, midlife!), I was intrigued by the premise of this book. Bonus points for Arianna Molloy because she addresses the topic from a biblical worldview. I needed more of this and less of the typical "follow your dreams" mantras from the secular business world.
I picked up this book after hearing Molloy on The Double Win podcast--she speaks with authority and optimisim. I wish I'd picked up the audiobook because she narrated it!
I found the book full of interesting, researched-backed info along with biblical insight. Here are a few of my many takeaways:
-"People who feel general burnout might respond with various levels of 'I don't like what I'm doing anymore.' But people who identify a sense of calling and feel burnout respond more like, 'I don't know who I am anymore.'"
-There's a difference between a job, a career, and a calling.
-The way we interact with our calling may change over time.
-"..the road to burnout is cluttered with well-intentioned mindsets and actions, which at first glance look like perseverance and commitment. Upon greater reflection, they are really a form of addition or idolization."
-In workaholism..."Productivity becomes the measuring stick of self-worth."
-People have different work capacities (i.e. we should not expect everyone to operate the same)
-Sabbath Sadness is a thing. "Researchers and theologians have found that when we take time to slow down, all of the things we've been keeping under the surface rise in the stillness."
-Avoid the "duplicity of 2 messages" in the workplace. For example, "Take care of yourself but work more with less. Pursue mental health but fill in the gaps because we are understaffed." (This is a big problem in the education world!)
-"When calling burnout occurs, resulting feelings of shame can distort our relationship with the Caller, convincing us we are wasting, destroying, or even violating the skills, passions, and opportunities the Caller has given us."
And so much more!
My only regret is learning more about what to do when experiencing deep shame or how to recover from burnout. While Molloy provided resources like reflection questions, etc. this is more a primer on how to be mindful of when you are approaching burnout and how to get a handle on it before it's too late. I'm in the latter, so I would have appreciated a little more help on navigating the way forward.
I picked up this book after hearing Molloy on The Double Win podcast--she speaks with authority and optimisim. I wish I'd picked up the audiobook because she narrated it!
I found the book full of interesting, researched-backed info along with biblical insight. Here are a few of my many takeaways:
-"People who feel general burnout might respond with various levels of 'I don't like what I'm doing anymore.' But people who identify a sense of calling and feel burnout respond more like, 'I don't know who I am anymore.'"
-There's a difference between a job, a career, and a calling.
-The way we interact with our calling may change over time.
-"..the road to burnout is cluttered with well-intentioned mindsets and actions, which at first glance look like perseverance and commitment. Upon greater reflection, they are really a form of addition or idolization."
-In workaholism..."Productivity becomes the measuring stick of self-worth."
-People have different work capacities (i.e. we should not expect everyone to operate the same)
-Sabbath Sadness is a thing. "Researchers and theologians have found that when we take time to slow down, all of the things we've been keeping under the surface rise in the stillness."
-Avoid the "duplicity of 2 messages" in the workplace. For example, "Take care of yourself but work more with less. Pursue mental health but fill in the gaps because we are understaffed." (This is a big problem in the education world!)
-"When calling burnout occurs, resulting feelings of shame can distort our relationship with the Caller, convincing us we are wasting, destroying, or even violating the skills, passions, and opportunities the Caller has given us."
And so much more!
My only regret is learning more about what to do when experiencing deep shame or how to recover from burnout. While Molloy provided resources like reflection questions, etc. this is more a primer on how to be mindful of when you are approaching burnout and how to get a handle on it before it's too late. I'm in the latter, so I would have appreciated a little more help on navigating the way forward.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews