What are the Signs of Burnout Syndrome? Symptoms, Causes, and Stages of Work Burnout

Are you feeling burnt out and unappreciated at work, or that what you do doesn’t matter? Are you emotionally and physically exhausted, totally unmotivated to get anything done? 

Does the thought of going to work fill you with dread? Are you worried something is wrong with you? 

While there are many different reasons for these feelings, it is quite possible you may be experiencing burnout from work. 

What is burnout from work? 

Burnout on the job is more than a result of being overworked and underpaid. Yes, working under those conditions can cause stress, and it’s not uncommon for people to say, “I’m burnt out,” when they are feeling overwhelmed. However, true burnout syndrome is more complex and can have potentially serious emotional and physical consequences if not addressed. 

But the good news is that research shows that, in most cases, work burnout is not your fault! And more importantly, you can survive and thrive once you recognize what’s going on and take appropriate action.

This guide will walk you through the signs of burnout on the job, helping you to better understand the differences between burnout syndrome and “normal” stress at work. It will also provide a general overview of the differences between fatigue, depression, and burnout syndrome. 

Finally, we will discuss the causes of work burnout and give you some ideas to deal with burnout from work. 

Burnout Definition — What is Burnout Syndrome?

Before we discuss the signs, stages, and causes of work burnout, it’s important to have a definition of burnout (sometimes written burn-out, or as burn out). The term burnout syndrome became popular in 1974 when psychologist Herbert Freudenberger used it to describe the state of “becoming exhausted by making excessive demands on energy, strength, or resources” in the workplace. He went on to say that burnout is “a state of fatigue or frustration brought about by devotion to a cause, way of life, or relationship that failed to produce the expected reward.” 

Leading expert on job burnout and author of The Truth about Burnout, Dr. Christina Maslach considers burnout to be “a human condition or response to stressors… what we're talking about here is a high frequency of these stressors. It's not something that people experience occasionally or only a couple of times a year. They're facing it daily; they're facing it on a regular high frequency. And so, the chronic nature of the job stressors is really what's critical here.” 

Maslach’s definition of burnout concentrates on three areas—emotional exhaustion, depersonalization of clients, customers, co-workers, and/or management, and reduced feelings of personal accomplishment at work

In 2019, based upon Maslach’s research, the World Health Organization (WHO) added “burn-out syndrome” to the 11th Revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11)—expanding and refining its IDC-10 definition of occupational burnout (ICD-10-CM Code for Burnout - Z73.0). 

WHO now defines burnout syndrome as follows:

“Burn-out is a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. It is characterized by three dimensions: 

* feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion; 

* increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one's job; and 

* reduced professional efficacy. 

Burn-out refers specifically to phenomena in the occupational context and should not be applied to describe experiences in other areas of life.”

As of January 2022, the IDC-11 has burnout listed in the section related to problems associated with employment or unemployment with the code QD85. Previously, ICD-10 listed burnout as a “life-management difficulty” and described it as “a state of vital exhaustion” without outlining any symptoms.

Unlike a short-term situation on the job, for example, a major project with tight deadlines or having a bad working relationship with a single unreasonable boss, burnout syndrome is the result of chronic stress at work. Another distinction between burnout syndrome and just being overworked or under-appreciated is that all three of the WHO criteria are present over an extended period of time. 

Occupational burnout is a reaction to chronic stress at work, which leads to both physical and emotional disturbances.

WHO classifies burnout as a syndrome, not a disease. 

When we talk about a “syndrome,” we are referring to a collection of symptoms, distinctive features, or traits that tend to occur together without a specific biological cause. A person with a “syndrome,” in most cases, will not have all the associated symptoms, but many will be present. In contrast, a disease is a condition that has a defined set of symptoms, causes a consistent change in the body, and can be linked to an established biological cause.

As we will discuss further on, if left untreated, burnout can lead to medical disease and psychological disorders.

Another distinction between a syndrome and a disease relates to treatment and cure. 

For a disease, there is typically known method(s) for treating the condition which is consistent across patients. However, with syndromes both the specific source of the symptoms and the treatment methods are not universal. There may be similarities from person to person in ways to manage the condition, but not a single known cure/treatment that works for everyone.

_{Why we’re burned out and what to do about it: Christina Maslach, APA}

Is burnout a medical condition?

Despite countless articles that declare that burnout is a disease, WHO does not classify burnout from work as a medical condition. Burnout syndrome is an occupational phenomenon that can lead to medical (and mental health) conditions that can be diagnosed.

WHO considers burnout syndrome to be among the factors that influence a person’s health status and/or the need for health services. While burnout syndrome in and of itself is not a medical condition, the body’s reaction to chronic stress does cause physical conditions which can ultimately require medical attention. It is these symptoms of burnout that are the medical conditions, not burnout syndrome.

The physical and medical symptoms experienced by someone with work burnout follow trends, but the actual conditions and severity will vary from person to person.

Is burnout syndrome a mental illness?

Just like burnout syndrome is not a diagnosable medical condition, it is not considered a formal mental illness (despite many articles that say the contrary). Instead, burnout syndrome can be characterized by a variety of emotional and mental health issues. 

As of this writing, burnout syndrome is not listed as a mental illness in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), but the counseling, psychology, and psychiatry world definitely recognizes the impact of occupational burnout on emotional well-being. 

Mental health professionals treating clients experiencing chronic burnout on the job frequently have symptoms consistent with psychological disorders such as Adjustment Disorders, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Sleep Disorders, and/or “Situational” Depression/Major Depressive Disorder. New research is showing that burnout syndrome shows characteristics that are extremely similar to post-traumatic stress disorder. 

So, while burnout syndrome is not a mental illness, depending upon the severity, it has psychological and emotional symptoms that are.

Is Burnout Real? Work Burnout Statistics

Work burnout is often accompanied by feelings of despair.

While the expression “burnt out” can be a buzzword used when people are frustrated and tired, true burnout syndrome is indeed a real phenomenon. The negative impact of burnout from work is increasing, with serious financial, medical, and emotional consequences.

Depending upon the study, as many as 77% of participants report that they have experienced burnout at their current job on at least one occasion, with the quality of their work being impacted by unmanageable stress at work.

The Gallup Organization conducted a study on the effects of employee burnout. The 2018 study found that respondents (23% of the 7,500 full-time employees surveyed) who reported they “very often or always experience burnout at work” are:

• 63% more likely to take a sick day
• Half as likely to discuss performance goals with managers
• 23% more likely to visit the emergency room
• 2.6 times as likely to leave their current job
• 13% less confident in their performance

It’s estimated that American businesses lose an estimated $300 billion annually due to burnout-induced absenteeism and employee turnover alone.

A 2015 article by the Harvard Business Review shared the results of multiple studies on the cost of stress and burnout at work (numbers that we can expect to be much higher today). Some of the findings include:

• Workplace stress costs the US economy over $500 billion a year and can be linked to 550 million lost workdays annually.
• Between 60% to 80% of all workplace accidents and over 80% of doctor’s visits can be attributed to stress.
• Healthcare costs attributed to stress are estimated to be between $125 billion and $190 billion each year, accounting for 8% of all national healthcare spending.
• Stress at work is linked to a wide range of health issues, from metabolic syndrome to cardiovascular disease and even mortality.

When employees experience excessive stress and are burnt out at work, they become disengaged. The end result for companies and businesses includes:

• Higher absenteeism
• More accidents
• Increased errors and defects
• Lower productivity
• Reduced profitability 
• Higher employee turnover

The extent to which these issues impact companies by industry and profession varies, and new studies are starting to show the increased financial consequences of workplace burnout.  For example, a study by the AMA and co-written by Christine Sinsky, MD, found that “Physician burnout is costing the U.S. about $4.6 billion annually when you conservatively estimate the costs related to physician turnover and reduced clinical hours.”

A 2021 study by the American Psychological Association found that 79% of employee respondents experienced work-related stress in the prior month. “Nearly 3 in 5 employees reported negative impacts of work-related stress, including lack of interest, motivation, or energy (26%) and lack of effort at work (19%). Meanwhile, 36% reported cognitive weariness, 32% reported emotional exhaustion, and an astounding 44% reported physical fatigue—a 38% increase since 2019.”

A similar study conducted by Indeed in 2021 found that 52% of survey respondents were experiencing symptoms of burnout, an increase from 43% in their pre-COVID-19 survey. When asked about the impact of the pandemic, “80% believe COVID-19 has impacted workplace burnout, though how and to what extent vary. A 67% majority say burnout has worsened during the pandemic, though 13% believe it has gotten better.”

According to the 2021 MetLife Benefit Trends Study, Redesigning the Employee Experience, burnout rates increased 25% since April 2020, with the most stressed out groups being IT/tech workers (46%), millennial workers (42%), and essential workers (39%). Seventy-two percent (72%) of the employers surveyed reported that stress and/or employee burnout were a concern for their organization.

While it is still unclear how much the COVID-19 pandemic has played a role, there is no doubt that burnout syndrome is not only real but also on the rise. 

This is why it is extremely important to be able to identify the signs of burnout syndrome. The 2021 MetLife study found that a large number of employees didn’t realize that what they were feeling was burnout. However, when they were shown the WHO definition of burnout syndrome, 70% stated that they had experienced those symptoms.

What Are the Symptoms of Burnout Syndrome?

Burnout is much more than “I’m tired,” “I can’t concentrate,” or “being irritable.”  While the signs of burnout on the job vary by individual, one of the most common is a feeling of helplessness and a lack of control. A person who is just overworked may feel stressed out, but they will often still enjoy their job. In contrast, a person who is burnt out from work will find little to no enjoyment in what they are doing.

A critical factor that bears repeating is the severity and chronic nature of the stress at work in burnout syndrome. When there is ongoing stress, the hypothalamus in the brain triggers the adrenal glands to release “fight or flight” stress hormones. It is because of this that some literature has dubbed burnout a type of “adrenal fatigue.”  

Extreme stress and the hormones released have an effect on the entire body, including musculoskeletal, respiratory, cardiovascular, endocrine, gastrointestinal, nervous, and reproductive systems. This is why burnout syndrome can present with different physical symptoms.

One of the symptoms almost always associated with burnout syndrome is severe exhaustion and fatigue. Despite feeling overwhelmingly tired, this is often coupled with insomnia, difficulty sleeping, and disrupted sleep patterns.  This can include trouble falling asleep, an inability to stay asleep, as well as nightmares.

The sleep disturbances associated with burnout syndrome are serious because of how crucial sleep is for both physical and emotional health, as well as for performance.

Physical Signs of Burnout on the Job

There is extensive research that proves that chronic stress puts your health at risk. As can be expected, the physical symptoms of burnout syndrome follow similar patterns you would see under any other situation with extreme, ongoing stressors.

In addition to fatigue, exhaustion, and sleep disturbances, these can include: 

• Headaches, often classified as tension headaches
• Weakened immune system, increased susceptibility to colds and flu
• High blood sugar, Type 2 diabetes
• Hypertension, high blood pressure
• Generalized body aches and muscle tension
• Gastrointestinal disorders such as heartburn, stomach upset, and diarrhea 
• Weight gain or weight loss
• Memory and concentration impairment
• Feeling listless and lethargic

Emotional and Psychological Signs of Burnout from Work

We’ve already covered some of the emotional and behavioral signs of burnout, such as absenteeism, reduced performance, lower productivity, and feeling unappreciated or devalued by those in charge.

Psychologically, the impact of burnout at work can lead an otherwise or previously “happy” person to start to lose their sense of self and purpose. 

It is extremely common to experience emotions that don’t make sense to them and that carry over to their lives outside of the job. These can include:

• Frequent mood changes, general irritability, and quick to anger
• Depression and withdrawal
• Generalized anxiety, especially at work, but can carry over to 
• Sense of detachment and/or emotional numbness
• Poor focus and difficulty concentrating
• Lack of motivation and creativity 
• Loss of purpose and/or sense of fulfillment
• Low commitment to work, lack of caring, low morale

Another possible “sign” of burnout is turning to drugs and alcohol as a means of coping with the stress. Sadly, people with chronic burnout syndrome often exhibit co-morbid substance abuse disorders

How Do I Know If I Am Suffering from Burnout?

When experiencing burnout, even the smallest tasks can feel overwhelming.

Many of the conditions associated with burnout syndrome can cause serious medical complications. For example, people who experience burnout for extended periods have a higher risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, heart conditions, strokes, as well as certain types of cancer. Additionally, many medical conditions are associated with symptoms on the burnout list, such as fatigue, sleep disorders, depression, and irritability.

For this reason, it is essential that you see a doctor to both rule out other possible medical causes for your symptoms and to treat the symptoms before they get worse.

With that being said, there are ways to help identify whether the cause of your symptoms is due to burnout syndrome. If you think you may be experiencing symptoms of burnout syndrome, BrainManager offers a comprehensive online burnout test that you can take from the comfort of your home.

Earlier, we discussed how burnout syndrome can present with symptoms that match other mental health disorders. When determining whether a diagnosis of burnout syndrome is appropriate, it’s important to consider whether those psychological and/or psychiatric issues either existed prior to the toxic workplace conditions and/or whether they persist outside of the work environment. 

According to WHO ICD-11, burnout refers “specifically to phenomena in the occupational context and should not be applied to describe experiences in other areas of life.” 

ICD-11 goes on to provide the following exclusions when they exist outside of the workplace:

• Adjustment disorder (ICD-11 6B43)
• Disorders specifically associated with stress (ICD-11 6B40-6B4Z)
• Anxiety or fear-related disorders (ICD-11 6B00-6B0Z)
• Mood disorders (ICD-11 6A60-6A8Z)

Does this mean a person with burnout syndrome can’t have anxiety or mood disorders? 

Absolutely not! 

What it means is that medical professionals and clinicians, as well as individuals, need to look at the whole picture. In order for the proper treatment of the symptoms, it’s important to have a clear understanding of severity, frequency, history, and triggers.

Let’s take a look at a few examples to better understand this holistic approach.

Is It Burnout or Depression? How to Tell the Difference

Studies show that as many as 90% of people suffering from burnout syndrome meet the clinical criteria for depression. Some professionals are beginning to wonder whether burnout can actually be classified as a depressive disorder. Because of this high similarity between symptoms of burnout and depression, answering the question, “What’s the difference between depression and burnout?” is similar to answering, “Which came first, the chicken or the egg?”.

If you are unsure whether you are depressed or burnt out, the first thing you need to do is to ask yourself whether your feelings of depression are new. 

Have you felt this way before? If so, for how long? Was it more than once? Is there a family history of depression? 

It is important to note that just because you may be predisposed to clinical depression does not exclude you from also being burnt out. There is research that suggests that people who suffer from clinical depression may be more susceptible to burnout syndrome. One possible explanation is that negative self-talk is commonly associated with depression.

When it comes to burnout from work, depression is a symptom of other issues and a reaction to the situation. If only the depression is treated without changing the conditions, you may be able to better manage the situation, but the root cause will still exist. 

One way to help distinguish depression as a primary issue, as compared to a symptom, is to reflect on how you feel when you are not at work. 

Does taking a mental health day provide any relief? While you will probably still feel “down” (unless you totally quit your job), burnout depression symptoms are likely to lessen somewhat over weekends and on vacations. 

Another way to help tell the difference between burnout and depression is to look at your work-life balance. When you are away from work, are you still able to enjoy time with family and friends? Do you still find joy in hobbies and other activities? 

With clinical depression as the primary condition, people tend to withdraw from all areas of their lives, not just work. However, when a person gets to the stage of habitual, chronic burnout, mood disorders can intensify and carry over into their home life.

Regardless of whether you believe your depression is related to feeling burnt out at work or not, it is important to seek professional help.

This is especially true if you are experiencing thoughts of giving up or suicide. 

Burnout vs Fatigue—Am I Burnt Out from Work or Just Tired?

Fatigue and exhaustion are symptoms but are not unique to burnout syndrome. Just like a doctor can not make a diagnosis based purely on a patient having a fever, the same is true with fatigue.

What we do know about fatigue and burnout is that it is frequently one of the first symptoms to present itself. It can be due to working long hours, insomnia and sleep disturbances, or depression. Fatigue and lack of motivation to do anything can also occur when you are feeling helpless, like nothing you do matters. This type of emotional fatigue is extremely common when people experience a lack of control in their lives.

How is fatigue different from just being tired? 

One way to help tell the difference between being tired and burnout fatigue is whether you feel better with sleep. When you are exhausted from working too hard, a good night’s sleep or a weekend of rest will work miracles. People who are physically tired usually feel sleepy and often fall asleep as soon as their head hits the pillow.

In contrast, emotional exhaustion and fatigue can be described as an ongoing lack of energy, often without feeling sleepy. This whole-body tiredness does not go away with sleep, even after more rest than usual. Additionally, many people with fatigue have trouble sleeping, which only makes matters worse. 

Like with other conditions associated with burnout syndrome, if your fatigue and exhaustion are chronic and do not get better with rest, it is important to see a medical professional to rule out other possible causes.

Am I Burnt Out or Lazy? Personality Traits Associated with Work Burnout.

Perhaps one of the saddest things about burnout syndrome is that during the initial stages — even when it’s at a peak in terms of symptom severity — is the tendency to blame oneself. It’s hard to believe that many people actually question whether there is something wrong with them, often questioning whether they are actually burned out or just lazy.

In some ways, it does make sense because of the extreme fatigue, lack of motivation, and reduced productivity that comes with feeling burnt out at work.  But being lazy and burnout are definitely not the same thing, and laziness is not a symptom of burnout syndrome. 

In fact, research suggests that people who are “truly lazy” are less likely to experience burnout. 

Some possible reasons are that people with a “lazy personality” are more likely to take breaks and less likely to take their jobs too seriously. Some lazy people develop habits to “work smarter, not harder” to get things done, while others may be less goal or career-oriented, often choosing less stressful jobs. 

The laid-back, Type B personality may also have a lower risk of stress-induced job burnout.

In contrast, one trait that is frequently associated with burnout syndrome is the Type A personality, which can be considered the polar opposite of laziness. Research done by Dr. Geri Puleo, SPHR, and President/CEO of Change Management Solutions, found that it was often the star employees and high achievers, the ones that go above and beyond, that were suffering from burnout at work.

If you are wondering whether you are burnt out or lazy, as with other symptoms, consider what your behaviors are outside of work and prior to the stressors at work. 

You also want to consider your overall mood and your personal satisfaction with work. If your lack of motivation and sense of not wanting to do anything are new behaviors and/or mostly isolated to the job, then it’s more likely that this is a sign of burnout from work.

_{Burnout and post-traumatic stress disorder: Dr. Geri Puleo, TEDx SetonHillUniversity}

What Are the Causes of Burnout Syndrome?

While we have discussed some of the personality traits associated with a higher risk of burnout syndrome, such as Type A personalities, perfectionists, and overachievers, these are not the cause of burnout syndrome. Yes, a person can bring on a type of burnout from doing too much (we’ll discuss that further down), but that’s different from occupational burnout syndrome. However, it is still a sign that something needs to change.

Dr. Christina Maslach uses the analogy of the canary in the coal mine to describe burnout syndrome. Coal miners would bring canaries into the mines because they were more sensitive to dangerous gasses than people. If the birds died, the miners knew there was something wrong in their workplace — it was a signal to get out of the mine quickly.

Like the canaries, burnout syndrome is a sign that there is something amiss in the workplace. It wasn’t the bird’s fault that they died, they didn’t do anything wrong. It was the environment they were in. According to Maslach, “Burnout is essentially saying there's something not healthy, or not fair, in a lot of different places.”

More and more, research is showing that it’s the workplace and not the person that causes burnout syndrome. For example, one study showed that burnout can be caused by a mismatch between a person’s unconscious needs and the demands of the job. This lack of alignment between realistic expectations and work conditions can cause a person to feel mentally, emotionally, and physically exhausted.

A comprehensive study of the literature on the causes of burnout at work reveals the following workplace conditions to be strongly linked with burnout syndrome (particularly if multiple factors exist at the same time): 

• Unfair treatment at work, especially when someone else takes credit for work
• Unmanageable workload, demand overload
• Lack of role clarity and/or unclear job expectations
• Lack of communication, empathy, and support from manager/boss
• Unreasonable time pressure and unrealistic deadlines
• Lack of control, inability to influence decisions that affect job
• Disorganized work routines and/or consistently going between too little and too much work
• Socially toxic workplace, especially if it is part of an unsupportive culture

In the world of remote work, feeling isolated and lack of connection to others can also be a contributing factor to burnout syndrome.

In terms of mitigating factors, having a good work-life balance can help a person better handle the stressors in the workplace. There is some research that shows that rewards such as recognition and high salaries can also help mitigate feelings of burnout, but money alone won’t stop it. Just look at the increase in physician burnout if you need proof.

_{Understanding Job Burnout - Dr. Christina Maslach, IT Revolution} 

What Are the Stages of Burnout from Work?

Burnout syndrome doesn’t happen overnight. It develops over time, in stages. 

Depending on the research (and what parts of the employment process are under consideration), the number of formal stages varies from as few as three stages to as many as twelve stages. 

For the sake of this guide, we are going to look at a model for burnout progression that consists of five stages.

5 Stages of Burnout Syndrome

Early research on the stages of burnout was conducted by Veninga and Spradley (1981) and has since been adapted by researchers at Winona State University. Understanding the stages of burnout and learning how to recognize the symptoms of burnout from work improves the chances that people will stop blaming themselves and seek help.

Stage 1: Honeymoon — The Excitement Phase

If you recall, one of the causes of burnout syndrome is a mismatch between expectations and outcomes, and between personal needs and demands of the job. During the honeymoon phase there is excitement about work, high levels of dedication, energy, and feeling of job satisfaction. 

NOTE: A person who hates their job from the onset can also experience burnout but the underlying reasons and initial expectations may be different.

Stage 2: Balancing Act — The Onset of Stress Phase

As work stressors increase, you start having days that are more difficult to manage than others, but there are still good days. At the onset of work stress, it’s a balancing act to stay motivated. You will begin feeling less satisfied with work and are likely to notice both physical and mental signs that something isn’t quite right. Some common signs of early burnout from work include fatigue, headaches, sleep disturbances, difficulty making decisions, absentmindedness, high blood pressure, and irritability.

During this phase, productivity starts to decline, and you are likely to engage in activities to escape from thinking about work. As long as these are positive activities, this is actually a good coping mechanism, but unfortunately, many people turn to binge/comfort eating, drinking, and/or drugs.

Stage 3: Chronic Symptoms — The Chronic Stress Phase

When you continue to experience persistent and chronic stress at work, the mental and physical symptoms become more intensified. Irritability will turn to anger, resentment, and depression. Fatigue turns to emotional and physical exhaustion and apathy. Work productivity continues to decline, reaching the point where you procrastinate, miss deadlines, and make more mistakes. Tardiness and calling out of work completely are common during this stage (and later ones).

As the chronic stress phase continues, your symptoms will also become more chronic, often spilling over into other areas of your life. You may find yourself not only lashing out at co-workers but also becoming short with friends and family. Frequent illnesses, headaches, lack of sleep, stomach problems, and other medical conditions may start to impact your physical well-being.

Stage 4: Crisis — The Beginning of Burnout Phase

By stage 4, as burnout sets in you are in crisis both physically and emotionally. You’ve reached your limit; going to work is unbearable and fills you with dread. But more importantly, the chronic symptoms are now taking over your entire life, making it extremely difficult to function normally. Family and friends will be able to clearly see the changes in your health, mood, and behaviors.

Physical symptoms will intensify even further, to the point where you may develop serious medical conditions. Mentally, you are likely to obsess over work problems with job frustrations consuming your mind. The ability to feel happy and optimistic at home is often replaced with self-doubt, cynicism, and pessimism about life in general. Signs of clinical depression start to set in.

Stage 5: Enmeshment — The Habitual Burnout Phase

Without intervention or treatment, the emotional symptoms of burnout have become embedded or enmeshed in your life, so much so that they may appear to have taken over who you are. If you haven’t already, by this stage you are likely to meet the diagnostic criteria for at least one mental health disorder. Both depression and anger may become so overwhelming that you run the risk of hurting yourself or others. 

Remember that expression “going postal”? This is it.

In addition to the lack of emotional control, people who reach the habitual burnout phase are in danger of developing serious medical complications. Sadly, ulcers, migraines, gastrointestinal problems, and serious sleep disorders are among the “mildest” possibilities. As we already discussed, chronic stress from burnout syndrome puts a person at increased risk of Type 2 diabetes, strokes, heart attacks, and cancer.

Professional Burnout — Are There Different Types of Burnout?

Burnout syndrome is extremely common in toxic work environments.

When we talk about types of fatigue, there are different constructs for what makes up a “type.”

One way of classifying the burnout types is by profession. While the signs of burnout syndrome are the same, the type of work a person does or a person’s profession may have different “underlying causes.” For example, people in the helping professions often experience burnout syndrome as a result of compassion fatigue.

Compassion fatigue is caused by the emotional and physical toll that comes with taking care of others on a daily basis. This type of burnout is often called empathy fatigue because one of the symptoms is the inability to feel empathy for clients anymore, with compassion sometimes turning to resentment.

Some examples of burnout by profession include:

• Caregiver burnout
• Teacher burnout
• Physician burnout
• Therapist burnout
• Nursing burnout
• Social work burnout 
• Healthcare worker burnout
• Parental burnout

Another way to classify burnout into different types is to look at the work environment coupled with the way a person handles work conditions.  

What are the 5 Types of Burnout?

Approaches such as that utilized in a study by the University of Zaragoza consider how people cope with burnout, breaking them down into burnout subtypes. Most of these frameworks define three different types of burnout with similar characteristics but different names. However, when we reviewed the literature, we came across information that suggests there may be two more subtypes of burnout, for a total of five.

1. Frenetic Burnout or Overload Burnout

Frenetic burnout happens when a person feels overloaded and overwhelmed by work commitments and demands. Burnout happens when a person works frantically at an unsustainable pace to get everything done, despite unrealistic expectations and deadlines. Burnout management coach Emily Ballesteros refers to this type of burnout as “burnout by volume”—taking on too much work or booking too many appointments that can reasonably be managed and still leave energy for life outside of work.

Overload burnout is the type that is familiar to most people, characterized by working to the point of exhaustion, taking work home, taking few if any breaks, and a poor work/life balance. Frenetic burnout is common among Type A personalities as well as people who are “people pleasers.”

2. Underchallenged Burnout or Burnout by Boredom

While it may seem contradictory, feeling under-challenged and chronically bored at work can lead to job burnout. Unlike the overworked, frenetic type, under-challenge burnout is when a person feels stuck in a rut, doing the same tedious and monotonous tasks day after day. Lack of challenge or stimulation at work can lead to indifference, lack of personal development, and low motivation. An under-challenged employee often wonders, “Is this all there is to life?”, with no optimism for the future.

Lack of stimulation and boredom is actually a type of emotional stress. When a person believes their life will look exactly the same, next year or ten years from now as it does today, it can leave them feeling paralyzed and helpless. 

3. Worn-Out Burnout

While an overloaded employee can feel “worn-out, the frenetic worker keeps going to the point of exhaustion. Worn-out burnout differs because the coping mechanism for the stressors at work (which can include than too much to do), is to neglect one’s duties and give up. 

4. Burnout by Socialization

We talked about people pleasers in the frenetic burnout section, but we agree with burnout expert Emily Ballesteros that this group has characteristics distinct enough to warrant their own subtype. According to Ballesteros, burnout by socialization happens when a person “would rather be uncomfortable than potentially make somebody else uncomfortable.”

When someone struggles to say no, they accept more responsibilities and tasks than can be managed in a healthy way. This personality type is often taken advantage of because of its giving nature. In addition to the physical symptoms associated with being overworked and burnt out, people pleasers tend to feel socially drained and put a lot of pressure on themselves to make others happy. On top of that, rather than recognizing that they may have taken on more than they can handle, they may instead internalize their inability to get everything done as something wrong with them. Beating oneself up is common with burnout by socialization.

5. Neglect Burnout or Burnout from Lack of Purpose

Neglect burnout is similar to under-challenged burnout, but rather than being a result of “boredom” or lack of challenge in the workplace, the focus is more internal. Both may make a person feel helpless, but someone suffering from neglect burnout doubts their own abilities and talents. Without a sense of purpose, it’s difficult to feel personally fulfilled.

Instead of a strong desire for more work, or tasks that are more rewarding (as is seen in burnout by boredom), people with the neglect burnout subtype feel they are personally unable to keep up with work demands. Self-doubts and feelings of incompetence are common. While one may be quick to see this type of burnout as being connected to personality traits, even the most self-confident person can feel neglected under poor management or a toxic work environment that does not recognize a person’s achievements and skills.

What Can I Do About Burnout from Work?

Even something as simple as taking a proper lunch break can help reduce stress.

The most important thing you can do if you think you are burnt out from work is to recognize that it’s not your fault. Let go of any stigma or shame you may have and get help if your symptoms are severe, chronic, or impacting your ability to enjoy life.

If you are unsure, there are online tests that can help you measure your risk of burnout syndrome.

While treatment strategies for burnout syndrome are beyond the scope of this article, successfully dealing with burnout depends on addressing the symptoms as early as possible. 

To do this, we recommend using a three-step approach.

The Three R Approach to Burnout

Here are the three steps in the 3 R Approach to dealing with and preventing burnout syndrome from work.

1. Recognize — watch for the warning signs of burnout
2. Reverse — undo the damage by seeking support and managing stress
3. Resilience — build your resilience to stress by taking care of your physical and emotional health

Throughout this article, we have repeatedly mentioned the first step, recognition. As a matter of fact, by reading this far, you are already heading in the right direction.

It might be easy to say that the next step to reversing or stopping the symptoms of burnout would be to leave and find another job. However, if it were that easy, you would have done it already!

Even if quitting is an option, depending upon the severity of your symptoms (especially the medical ones), you may still need to see a physician and/or a counselor to reverse any damage caused by the chronic stress conditions. 

Building resilience is crucial, whether you’re staying at your job or if you want to be able to better cope at your next one.  Do your best to eat healthy, exercise, and get your rest. If you can take a little bit of time off to help recuperate, definitely do it.

Here are some simple things you can do right now to start feeling better.

• Spend time with friends, family, and loved ones. Do things that bring you joy!
• Pick up an old hobby or find a new one. Creative endeavors are a good option.
• Practice gratitude and mindfulness. Start a journal if that suits your personality.
• Relax, sit in silence, and do nothing. Give your mind time to let everything go.
• Set boundaries at work and make sure to take your breaks. If possible, leave the office or work site for lunch, even if it’s just to sit on a bench away from the stress.
• Laugh more. Binge on comedy shows. Find pleasure in the little things.
• As much as possible, avoid bringing work home with you.