Dr. Erica Oberg promotes pleasure-based self-care to fight burnout

On International Self-Care Day, naturopathic doctor Erica Oberg is pitching a new model of self-care built around restorative pleasure instead of deprivation. Her new book and campaign argue that sustainable habits can help prevent burnout, support health and improve workplace performance.

Why it matters: - Burnout and disengagement are draining workers, with Gallup's State of the Global Workplace 2026 putting global employee engagement at 20 percent in 2025, the lowest level since 2020. - Gallup estimated disengagement cost the global economy $10 trillion in lost productivity. - The World Health Organization estimates depression and anxiety cost 12 billion working days and $1 trillion in lost productivity each year. - Oberg argues self-care is not a luxury add-on. She says sustainable self-care supports energy, creativity, judgment and performance.

What happened: - On July 24, International Self-Care Day, Erica Oberg launched a message centered on restorative pleasure as a better model for self-care. - Oberg's new book, Healthy Hedonism: Why Feeling Good Is Good for You!, challenges the idea that health and productivity must be earned through deprivation. - The campaign ties self-care to prevention, earlier detection, better quality of life and fewer unnecessary interventions.

The details: - Oberg is a naturopathic doctor, researcher and wellness expert with more than two decades in integrative medicine, clinical research, medical education and personalized patient care. - Her book draws a line between nourishing pleasures and numbing behaviors. - Nourishing pleasures include movement, nature, laughter, creativity, touch, restful sleep and genuine connection. - Numbing behaviors can include endless scrolling, overwork, overeating and overdrinking. - Oberg says pleasure is a biomarker of vitality, not the opposite of health. - The book's