What Is Burnout? Definition, Symptoms, and Treatment

Burnout syndrome is a marked decline in emotional, mental, and occasionally physical health caused by persistently high stress levels. The effects of burnout vary, especially since it is not a diagnosis but rather a general collection of signs and symptoms, often exacerbated by other mental health conditions like anxiety disorders and depression.

Job burnout is one of the most studied forms of the syndrome, but workplace stress isn’t the only stressor that can contribute to it. For example, family or home life issues that require constant attention can wear an individual down over time.

People can experience burnout in many ways. Here are three broad categories of burnout:

1. 1. Overload burnout: If you have too many daily tasks to tackle, you may be at risk of overload burnout. These tasks can include working long hours, serving as the primary caregiver to children or a sick family member, or other demands that render stress management virtually impossible.
2. 2. Under-challenged burnout: Burnout can occur from sheer monotony, especially if your work or personal life requires you to perform repetitive and exhausting tasks that don’t stimulate you mentally or emotionally.
3. 3. Neglect burnout: Neglect burnout can occur in a toxic home or work environment where it feels like your constant efforts are never or rarely acknowledged or appreciated. This state of affairs can wreak havoc on your emotional health and make you feel extreme levels of self-doubt and worthlessness.

The precise causes of burnout vary from person to person. However, the commonalities are risk factors like unrelenting stress, physical or emotional isolation, and a general lack of agency.

If you’re in a position where you cannot set boundaries in your life that allow you to attend to your self-care and reduce stress, you may experience burnout.

Burnout manifests differently from person to person. These are some of the most common signs of burnout:

1. 1. Emotional symptoms: The emotional exhaustion that burnout causes can make you feel hopeless or worthless. It can make performing your daily tasks feel futile and give you the sense that no one cares about your well-being.
2. 2. Mental symptoms: People with burnout often have difficulty focusing on or performing tasks and may have little motivation due to a constant state of mental exhaustion. There’s a general feeling of decreased capacity or ability and possible forgetfulness or decision paralysis.
3. 3. Physical symptoms: If you’re experiencing burnout, your sleep hygiene may have suffered as you’ve found it more difficult to relax or wind down. Burnout can also contribute to other physical health problems: Chronic stress can harm your immune system and contribute to various diseases.

If you’ve clocked some looming burnout warning signs, consider the following actions to alleviate your stress levels and establish a healthier, more nourishing lifestyle:

1. 1. Exercise regularly. Adding exercise into your routine can reduce stress and contribute to better sleep. You don’t have to run a marathon: Any type of physical movement can help reduce stress. Learn how to do a full-body workout for beginners.
2. 2. Communicate with the people in your life. If poor work-life balance contributes to your stress, talk to your manager or coworkers about reworking your schedule or responsibilities to lighten the load. In terms of finding support in your personal life, open up to your loved ones or a mental health professional about how you feel rather than internalizing these feelings.
3. 3. Establish good sleep habits. Prioritizing a better night’s sleep can give you more energy and make you feel more capable during the day. If your current schedule doesn’t allow for you to get the sleep you need, rearrange it, so it does.
4. 4. Practice mindfulness and meditation. A routine of meditation and introspection can help reduce stress, putting problems in perspective and helping you identify stressors. Learn how to meditate.

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