What Is Burnout? Signs, Symptoms, and Prevention Tips
Burnout is a mental phenomena that occurs as a result from unrelenting work-related stress; however, the condition of burnout is distinguished from stress by the inability to recover after a period of rest.
In general, stress is an overwhelming number of pressures that demand too many mental, physical, and emotional resources. Burnout is conceptualized as a void of resources, or “running on empty”, and can leave an individual feeling chronically depleted. This can manifest as intolerance, indifference and impatience with self and others.
Burnout vs. Stress
Burnout is conceptualized as a void of resources rather than as an excess amount of perceived workplace pressure. Burnout is related to unrelenting stress; however, the line between excessive stress and burnout can be extremely difficult to differentiate in practice. The key hallmarks of the two constructs are the emotional ability to rebound after a period of time away from the factors that contribute to stress.
