.png)
There's a difference between being tired and being burnt out. Tired is when you need a good night's sleep. Burnt out is when you need a complete life restructure.
What Is Burnout?
The World Health Organization officially recognizes burnout as an occupational phenomenon characterized by:
- Feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion
- Increased mental distance from one's job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one's job
- Reduced professional efficacy
But burnout isn't limited to work. You can burn out from caregiving, parenting, creative pursuits, or life in general.
Signs of Burnout
Physical Signs
- Chronic fatigue that doesn't improve with rest
- Frequent illness (your immune system tanks)
- Headaches, muscle pain, digestive issues
- Changes in sleep patterns
- Changes in appetite
Emotional Signs
- Feeling empty or drained
- Sense of failure and self-doubt
- Feeling helpless, trapped, or defeated
- Detachment and isolation
- Decreased satisfaction and accomplishment
Behavioural Signs
- Withdrawing from responsibilities
- Procrastinating more than usual
- Using substances to cope
- Taking frustrations out on others
- Skipping work or calling in sick
If you're also experiencing anxiety or depression, burnout might be contributing.
The Three Stages of Burnout
Stage 1: Stress Arousal
Occasional anxiety, forgetfulness, irritability. You can still function, but warning signs are appearing.
Stage 2: Energy Conservation
Lateness, procrastination, decreased productivity, cynicism. Your body is trying to protect you by withdrawing.
Stage 3: Exhaustion
Chronic sadness, physical symptoms, inability to function. This is full burnout.
Burnout vs. Depression
They overlap but aren't identical:
- Burnout is situational — remove the stressor, and you improve
- Depression is pervasive — it affects all areas of life
However, prolonged burnout can lead to depression. Research shows significant overlap between the two conditions.
What Causes Burnout?
- Unsustainable workload
- Lack of control over your work
- Insufficient reward (financial or emotional)
- Absence of community and support
- Unfair treatment
- Mismatch between values and work
Notice that most of these are systemic, not personal failures.
Recovery and Prevention
Set Boundaries
This is non-negotiable. Healthy boundaries protect your resources. No is a complete sentence.
Prioritize Recovery
Sleep, genuine self-care, time off. Recovery isn't a reward — it's a requirement.
Address the Source
Sometimes recovery requires structural change: a different role, fewer commitments, or leaving a toxic situation.
Seek Support
Therapy, coaching, or simply talking to people who understand. You don't have to figure this out alone.
The Hard Truth
Burnout isn't cured by a holiday. If you return to the same unsustainable situation, you'll burn out again. Sometimes real recovery means real change.
Your worth isn't measured by your productivity.
.png)
.png)