Anna Katharina Schaffner Ph.D.

Anna Katharina Schaffner, Ph.D. is a professional burnout and executive coach and a writer. She used to be a professor of Cultural History at the University of Kent. She specialises in helping people overcome burnout and overwhelm and to rediscover their passion and purpose. Her unique blend of expertise as both a writer and a coach reflects a lifelong dedication to the art of self-improvement. She is the author of Exhaustion: A History (Columbia University Press, 2016) and The Art of Self-Improvement: Ten Timeless Truths (Yale University Press, 2021). Her latest book is Exhausted: An A-Z for the Weary (Profile, 2024).

Schaffner is deeply passionate about helping her coaching clients transition from a state of exhaustion to a state of vitality in which they can direct their energy to what really matters in their life. In her coaching practice, she combines state-of-the-art and science-based coaching techniques, including co-active coaching and ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy), with tried-and-tested ancient wisdom. Her focus is on the importance of deepening self-knowledge and working on values, purpose, and character strengths. She also integrates ancient Stoic techniques and the art of letting go into her practice. You can book a free coaching exploration call with her here.

Schaffner’s journalism has appeared in the Times Literary Supplement, the Guardian, Psychology Today, PositivePsychology, Aeon, PSYCHE, The Los Angeles Review of Books, and other places. Her research has been discussed on BBC Radio 4, in Vogue, National Geographic, The Atlantic, Philosophie Magazine and in other media. You can find some of her writing here.

Photo by Albane Brand.