The Fall of the Fall: Why Autumn Is Burnout Season

People love the fall. Seriously, whether you’re team pumpkin spice or not—it’s just that crisp, still pleasant time of year that makes people feel cozy and calm. Or, not. Because the dark side of autumn is just that: The days are getting shorter, the year is nearing its end, and winter is coming. In fact, October is rather infamous for being a time of year when people begin to burn out.

What causes fall burnout?

Part of the burnout just comes down to the time of year. We all know that the darkness of winter can severely affect people’s mood and sleep patterns. And fall is the beginning of that. But it’s also a very busy time of year. After enjoying the lazy days of summer, you can enter September a bit rejuvenated. But like any post-holiday high, that only lasts so long.

Add to that the pressure of fall: children return to school, and back-to-back holidays from Diwali and Yom Kippur to Bonfire Night in the U.K. and Thanksgiving in Canada and the U.S. The commitments can pile up quickly, just as the shorter daylight hours make you feel as if you’re literally running out of time.

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Pressure to accomplish. The fall is that time of year when the energy is most depleted—before the adrenaline of nearly being done, but after the enthusiasm of starting something. It’s like anyone who runs races—the last quarter can feel the hardest. Not the last few minutes when you’re almost done. Not early when you still have a lot of energy. It is that point when you have so much behind you, but you’re not nearly done. There’s a mental depletion upon realizing that by fall, those goals can feel halfway met instead of three-quarters done.

End-of-year goals and planning. The fall also means it’s the last quarter of the calendar year, as well as the last fiscal quarter for many companies. This means pressure to meet performance goals. That could be trying to hit a sales target before the year ends or finalizing and agreeing to a budget for next year. That can require a lot of planning and strategy. One study suggested that part of the burnout can stem not from a sense of personal underachievement but from reduced “professional efficacy.” In other words, less tolerance for the collaboration and communication required to be productive as a team.

That also can mean taking a hard look at this year’s success. Is the sales target getting pushed out? Did things go over budget? The planning process is a time to both look ahead and assess what has been accomplished thus far. This can create anxiety or frustration if goals not met feel like failure.

What are the signs of fall burnout?

Physical signs: general fatigue. Often, people experience burnout in one of several ways (or a combination). Sometimes, general fatigue is an early symptom. You might not be able to identify any one thing, but just all-around depletion. Unfortunately, people often try to make up for this by sleeping less. They aren’t just tired; they feel less productive. It’s one thing to have a really busy day and then feel ready to rest. It’s another to feel as if you dragged through but can’t point to any big accomplishments.

Emotional signals: irritation. That disconnect can lead to (or stem from) emotional dips. Whether that is a general irritability or a loss of motivation, things just feel harder to cope with at this point. Some refer to it as goal fatigue. Think of it like hitting a plateau in a diet. The adrenaline of successes earlier in the year has faded. You are no longer functioning off of new goal energy. It doesn’t mean no successes are left, but your emotional fuel—optimism, confidence, positivity—has likely cooled.

Cognitive clues: lack of focus. The other sign can be cognitive challenges. For some, that means a more general lack of ability to focus, taking longer to accomplish things, or feeling less creative. That general “mental fog” is common when under stress, which can result from looming pressure as the year-end draws closer.

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More than 20 years ago, “goal fatigue” was identified as a culprit here—the dedication to accomplishing different milestones for nine months simply hits a natural limit. And if physical symptoms are leading to poor sleep or other unhealthy habits, then that just further compounds the problem.

How do you avoid fall burnout?

Like many things, awareness and prevention are important ways of tempering a fall fallout. One thing is to try to set realistic goals, especially in areas like work, where many objectives require a team and are beyond your sole control. If that’s not possible, balance ambitious targets in one area with gentler ones elsewhere. This might not be the year you get a promotion, run your first marathon, and spend less.

Another strategy is to simply be cognizant of the calendar. Recognize that the shorter days can disrupt your body’s regular rhythm. If you can, embrace it as your body is adjusting to the season. You don’t have to succumb to the burnout; you simply don’t resist the inevitable slowdown. Think of the fall as more like late in the day. You aren’t unproductive; you simply have the natural wind-down after a bout of intense focus and drive.

The key to all of it is finding systems and practices that work for you, not against a natural reaction. That can be more self-care, letting go of minor goals (do you really have to lose another 10 pounds before the holidays?), or simply accepting that goals are to motivate us, not deflate us. Your fall burnout is inevitable only if you make missing those goals a failure. Instead, position them as the boost of ambition that gives you drive, and the things you let go of when they've outlasted their purpose. There is a season for everything.