Burnout is a state of complete mental, physical, and emotional exhaustion. If you are experiencing burnout, you may notice it is difficult to engage in activities you normally find meaningful. You may no longer care about the things that are important to you or experience an increasing sense of hopelessness.
Being burned out means feeling empty and mentally exhausted, devoid of motivation, and beyond caring. People experiencing burnout often don't see any hope of positive change in their situations. If excessive stress feels like you're drowning in responsibilities, burnout is a sense of being all dried up.
1 Burnout symptoms include feeling exhausted, empty, and unable to cope with daily life. If left unaddressed, your burnout may even make it difficult to function. Learn the physical and mental symptoms of burnout, factors that may increase your risk, and a few recovery strategies.
How Long Does Burnout Last? It takes an average time of three months to a year to recover from burnout. How long your burnout lasts will depend on your level of emotional exhaustion and physical fatigue, as well as if you experience any relapses or periods of stagnant recovery.
Burnout will never go away on its own. We're quick to dismiss mental disorders and feelings because they aren't immediately visible like a broken leg might be–but ignoring them can be just as painful. The more you ignore burnout, the greater the risks in the future. Remember: You don't have to get better in a day.
Reduce your job demands—and increase your work resources.
That supports an earlier study published in the Journal of Applied Psychology, which found workers' self-reported feelings of burnout had bounced back to pre-vacation levels just four weeks after taking time off.
Burnout causes the prefrontal cortex – the part of the brain that is responsible for cognitive functioning – to thin. This happens normally with ageing but in people who are stressed for prolonged periods of time, it occurs much more rapidly. Parts of the brain that control memory and attention spans are weakened.
Burnout is when a person reaches a state of total mental, physical and emotional exhaustion and it has some similar signs and symptoms to a nervous breakdown. Your doctor can prescribe medicines for many mental health conditions, and refer you to other healthcare professionals, such as psychologists or psychiatrists.
People don't burn out because they're weak. They burn out because they overdo it and live with stress for so long that their bodies take over in defense. But by the time the body takes over, it's usually too late. Even after making professional and personal changes, the effects of burnout might linger for a lifetime.
Burnout and depression have many overlapping symptoms, and it can be hard to tell them apart. If removing the source of your stress makes you feel better, chances are you're experiencing burnout rather than depression. If you have ongoing symptoms of burnout or depression, it is important to seek professional help.
Common causes of burnout include: lack of adequate social support; taking on more than one can handle at work, school, or interpersonally with family and friends; and poor self-care. Burnout is a serious matter.
Burnout can be a cause of a mental health disorder, but mental health conditions can also cause burnout. According to a study conducted by the University of Macedonia, burnout has an interconnected relationship with both depression and anxiety.
Typically, a psychotic break indicates the first onset of psychotic symptoms for a person or the sudden onset of psychotic symptoms after a period of remission. Symptoms may include delusional thoughts and beliefs, auditory and visual hallucinations, and paranoia.
Several studies conducted to identify the association between emotional exhaustion and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) caused by excessive work stress have showed a strong positive correlation between burnout and PTSD [19-21].
“New research has suggested exposure to stressors in the workplace can alter personality over time,” says Gemma Leigh Roberts, organisational psychologist and founder of The Resilience Edge.
Being a "Type A" personality (or even just working closely with someone who is) can cause chronic stress, which increases your risk for burnout. If you find yourself being impatient with people and life's minor hassles and having trouble keeping from lashing out at people, you might be a "Type A" personality.
Taking on more than our fair share
The personality type that takes on more than their fair share of stress and is most prone to burnout is the Rescuer. The Rescuer puts others' needs ahead of their own, and they're always there to lend a hand when other people need them.