The World Health Organization (WHO) recently classified burnout as an “occupational phenomenon”. This means it’s not thought of as a medical condition – but it is something that can affect your health.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recently classified burnout as an “occupational phenomenon”. This means it’s not thought of as a medical condition – but it is something that can affect your health.
Read on to learn what burnout is, who can get it, and how to spot signs that you might be burnt out.
Burnout, also known as ‘occupational burnout’, can happen when the stresses and pressures of your job are very difficult to cope with over a long period of time.
Things that can play a part in burnout include a heavy workload, lack of control over your work and difficult relationships with the people you work with.
If you’re burnt out, you’ll be mentally, physically and emotionally exhausted. This kind of tiredness is much worse than what you can get with normal levels of stress. Burnout makes it very difficult to deal with even the smallest day-to-day tasks.
The key difference between burnout and stress is your ability to look to the future with a positive attitude. When you’re stressed, you can usually still picture a time when you’ll be more in control and able to manage and reduce your stress levels.
But when you’re burnt out, you can’t see any chance of your situation improving. You may also feel that you’re beyond caring and have no motivation, due to exhaustion.
You can get burnout in any job or occupation. However, some people are thought to be at higher risk due to the constant high levels of stress in their jobs. Doctors, nurses, first responders and care workers are among those most commonly affected.
It isn’t always easy to know if you’re burnt out, so it’s good to be aware of the common signs and symptoms. These fall into 3 main categories:
Many of the symptoms of burnout are the same or similar to those of
. If you’re unsure about your symptoms you should speak to your doctor. If left untreated, burnout may also cause depression or other mental health conditions. Your doctor will be able to help identify if you have burnout or depression and provide appropriate advice to help you recover.If you have some of the symptoms above but are still unsure if you’re burnt out, try asking yourself the following questions – if you answer yes to any of them, you may be burnt out:
If you think you’re burnt out, or are unsure about your symptoms, you should seek advice from your doctor or a mental health professional. They’ll be able to help you identify if you have burnout or another condition such as depression, why it’s happened and how you can recover.
Did you know, you can use the
to track your mood? Once you've downloaded the app, go to 'Settings' then 'My trackers' and choose 'Mood’.Important: Our website provides useful information but is not a substitute for medical advice. You should always seek the advice of your doctor when making decisions about your health.