What is burnout
Burnout is defined by the American Psychological Association (opens in new tab) as, “physical, emotional or mental exhaustion, accompanied by decreased motivation, lowered performance and negative attitudes towards oneself and others.” Burnout is not a medical condition but is related to chronic stress, and depression. According to the Cleveland Clinic (opens in new tab), depression and burnout overlap in symptoms, but depression is “a diagnosable mental health condition, whereas burnout is not.” Burnout is usually associated with a stressful job, or when your work-life balance is out of sync. Job-burnout is a type of work-related stress that we’ll talk more about below.
What are the symptoms of burnout
There are physical, mental and emotional symptoms of burnout. Specifically when discussing job-burnout, common symptoms include:
- Loss of motivation
- Difficulty concentrating
- Reduced productivity
- Irritability or impatience with coworkers or situations