Burnout: Staying Spirited in Times of Stress
- Riley Lentz, LSW
- Feb 5
- 2 min read
What’s Burnout?
With burnout becoming top of mind for many people, it’s important to know what burnout is. Burnout is a mental state of exhaustion and fatigue, usually linked to chronic and persistent stressors in one or many areas of life. Stress and burnout can be similar, but the main difference lies in the prolonged nature of burnout.
Types of Burnout
Burnout can happen in multiple aspects of life. Job/occupational burnout can be experienced through an increase in work-related stress with more workload. Relationship based burnout can come up in parenting, caregiving, and in relationships. This form of burnout differs from the work setting, as it's experienced when we’re overwhelmed with our role in the relationship or perceive that we are not fulfilling our role.
Signs of Burnout
Burnout happens because of extended periods of stressful and challenging situations. It’s important to recognize the signs as they come up.
Burnout can manifest emotionally through:
● Feelings of exhaustion
● Mental fatigue
● Increased anger or irritability
It can also come up in your actions related to the stressor
● Feeling less connected or passionate about work
● Decreased motivation to do tasks if we think we won’t do it right
● Neglect of our own feelings or experiences to prioritize those of others
Anticipating & Reducing Burnout
While experiencing burnout can be difficult to manage, it can be avoided. It’s important to pay attention to the signs as they come up, so you can address them before they develop further.
This can be done through:
● Having a discussion with your boss, or supervisor, to establish clearer boundaries regarding your role
● If you’re experiencing burnout in relationships, open up experiencing about what you’ve been feeling and process it together
● Implementing small, manageable changes or break a larger task down when taking on new responsibilities
● Taking time away and use those breaks to bring focus to the “why” of what you’re doing
The point about how easily we can overlook the early, subtle signs of professional exhaustion really resonates. It's often not a sudden breakdown, but a gradual erosion of energy and engagement. I've observed that many professionals rationalize these initial indicators as just 'being busy' or 'pushing through,' only realizing the true depth of the issue when motivation plummets and work feels overwhelmingly heavy. While recognizing these symptoms is crucial, it can often be challenging for individuals to objectively assess their own state and determine if they're truly on the path to burnout. For those seeking a clearer, more structured understanding of their current well-being, taking a comprehensive burnout assessment can be an invaluable first step towards self-awareness and proactive intervention.
It's insightful how you've captured the pervasive nature of modern workplace pressures, and how these aren't just about long hours, but the constant cognitive load and blurred boundaries between work and personal life that truly take a toll. One challenge I often see is that individuals, and even organizations, struggle to identify when these pressures cross the line from manageable stress into something more chronic and debilitating. Having a clear method for a reliable burnout self-assessment can be incredibly valuable for early detection and intervention.
The AI-driven personalized reports sound like a great feature. They can offer tailored advice on how to combat your specific burnout symptoms after you take the Burnout Test.
Before you make a drastic career change, assess your situation. A Burnout Test can give you the data you need to decide if the problem is the job or your coping strategies.