Burnout is a state of emotional, mental, and often physical exhaustion brought on by prolonged or repeated stress. Though it’s most often brought on by problems at work, it can also be driven by stress in other areas of life, such as parenting, caretaking, or romantic relationships.
What Causes Burnout?
Burnout is not simply a result of working long hours or juggling too many tasks, though those can play a role. The cynicism, depression, and lethargy characteristic of burnout most often occur when a person is not in control of how a task is carried out, at work or at home, or is asked to take on responsibilities that conflict with their sense of self.
Equally pressing is working toward a goal that doesn't resonate, or lacking support. If a person can’t tailor responsibilities to match their values, or at least take a break once in a while, they could experience burnout and the mountain of mental and physical health problems that often accompany it, including headaches, fatigue, heartburn and other gastrointestinal symptoms, and an increased potential for alcohol, drug, or food misuse.
Physical and mental exhaustion, a sense of dread about work, and frequent feelings of cynicism, anger, or irritability are key signs of burnout. Those in helping professions experiencing burnout, such as doctors and nurses, may notice dwindling compassion toward those in their care. Feeling like you can no longer do your job effectively can also be a signal of burnout.
If stress is short-lived or tied to a specific goal or event, it is most likely not going to be especially harmful. Burnout, however, is an extended period of stress that feels as though it cannot be ameliorated. When stress feels never-ending and comes with feelings of emptiness, apathy, and hopelessness, it could be indicative of burnout.
Compassion fatigue is a condition in which someone becomes numb to the suffering of others, feels less able to display empathy toward them, or loses hope in their ability to help. It most often affects healthcare professionals, soldiers, and others who are regularly exposed to the suffering of others.
Any job can be a source of burnout; some data suggests that more than half of U.S. workers have experienced a period of burnout at least once in their lives. Those with particularly high-stress jobs—such as lawyers, doctors, or police officers—may be more likely than those in typically lower-stress professions to experience burnout.
How Can You Deal With Burnout?
Anyone who’s running out of gas—at work, at school, or at home—can take steps to alleviate the deleterious effects of burnout and, if necessary, reevaluate their approach to their daily life. Having a sense of purpose, having an impact on others, or feeling as if one is making the world a better place are all effective in limiting burnout. Often, meaningfulness, wherever it comes from, can counteract the negative aspects of one's day job. Other motivators include autonomy as well as a good, energizing challenge.
Maybe, but it’s not the only option. Speaking up about your concerns or restructuring your work environment to address burnout may be less risky but equally effective. Nurturing your relationships, adopting self-care habits, and focusing on hobbies outside of work can also help restore your sense of self and mitigate stress in the workplace.
When you have too many conflicting responsibilities, simply saying “no” to new tasks is an important (albeit challenging) way to reduce your workload. Scheduling regular breaks, starting and stopping at former times, and limiting attempts at multitasking can help maintain boundaries and reduce feelings of burnout.
Adjusting your work hours or location (perhaps by working from home more often) can help significantly, as can outsourcing or sharing responsibilities when possible. Setting clear boundaries between “work” and “life”—for example, by not checking email during off-hours—practicing self-care, and allowing for adequate downtime can also be effective strategies.
Self-care is an effective weapon in the fight against burnout, research shows. Though self-care looks different for everyone, common strategies include yoga, mindfulness meditation, massage, exercise, dietary changes, and practicing self-compassion.
It can be painful to watch a loved one struggle with burnout, especially because it’s rarely possible for you to address the root causes yourself. Offering them empathic listening, encouraging self-care, and stepping up to help with tasks outside of work may be the most effective ways to provide support.
What if Burnout Isn’t Caused by Work?
Jobs aren’t the only source of the chronic stress that causes burnout. Parents, partners, and non-professional caregivers can also experience persistent exhaustion, feel overwhelmed by their responsibilities, or secretly believe that they have failed at their role. These experiences are referred to as parental burnout, relationship burnout, and caregiver burnout, respectively.
Non-work burnout is less well-known than that caused by career stress. Stereotypes and stigma—particularly related to parenting—can make those living with non-work-related burnout feel as if they are to blame for their challenges. As a result, they often hide their struggles from others.
But burnout, in any form, can have severe consequences if left untreated. Discussing it openly—with a spouse, family members, friends, or a therapist—is often the first step to addressing its symptoms, getting help, and avoiding negative outcomes.
The idea that only bad parents get burned out is a harmful myth; any parent can experience burnout. Parenting is deeply rewarding for many, but it’s also demanding and challenging, and parents must balance work schedules, outside responsibilities, their own well-being, and their children's particular needs—in many cases, without adequate support.
Caring for an aging parent, an ailing spouse or sibling, or a child with special needs, can trigger burnout. Signs include persistent fatigue, frequent crying spells, and feelings of helplessness, anger, or frustration toward the person in your care. Taking care of your own health—and asking for help—can bring some relief.
Romantic relationships can be as taxing as a full-time job and can lead to similar feelings of burnout. If you don’t look forward to seeing your partner, feel cynical about your future together, blame them for whatever goes wrong, or regularly fantasize about leaving, your relationship may be burning you out.