Oliver Burkeman is a British author and journalist who gained recognition through his weekly column This Column Will Change Your Life, which appeared in The Guardian newspaper. His journalism work focused on exploring practical philosophy and psychology as they relate to everyday life. In 2021, Burkeman published Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals, a self-help book that examines the philosophy and psychology of time management and happiness. The book's title references the approximate number of weeks in an average human lifespan, framing the work around questions of how people should spend their limited time.