It’s a sign of the times that burnout remains a buzzword in 2023. Despite our best efforts (quiet quitting, we’re looking at you), life still feels like a lot, and many of us are more exhausted than ever – even if we’re just coming back from a summer break. 

In short, we’re all tired and on the edge of feeling overwhelmed. But how do we know if we simply need a few good nights’ kip or if we’re tipping towards burnout? 

We asked the experts how to distinguish between the two, the signs and symptoms to watch out for, and how to know when to seek help. 

The term ‘burnout’ was coined in the 1970s by the American psychologist Herbert Freudenberger. Originally defined as the consequence of severe stress in a professional capacity (generally in relation to caring work such as teaching or nursing), today we understand it as something that can affect anyone, regardless of their job situation.

Burnout is notoriously difficult to define, and as such it’s hard to diagnose, but according to GP and burnout expert Dr Claire Ashley, there are three things to look out for.

“Burnout has three essential components,” she explains. “Emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation (that’s apathy and detachment) and reduced performance at work. Without having all three components, you don’t have burnout – but you may be suffering from one or more of the components.”

When you’re burnt out, you’re likely to feel sad, depressed, exhausted and lose your motivation to do anything. Rest isn’t restorative, and your state of mind will affect your career and your personal life – at this point, Dr Ashley advises you are likely to need outside help to start to recover. 

Unfortunately, the symptoms of burnout look very similar to being absolutely exhausted. But tiredness is only one symptom, so the key here is whether a period of catching up on good quality shut-eye helps.

“Burnout isn’t just plain old tiredness, but as you can see, exhaustion is one of the symptoms,” explains Dr Ashley. “If you notice that your exhaustion doesn’t get better with a good night’s sleep or time away from work, then this is your cue to assess if you might be burnt out and to make some changes.”

Additionally, the symptoms of burnout will also look similar to other mental health conditions such as stress, anxiety and depression, making it even harder to identify.

“Many of us can feel fatigued and exhausted, particularly at this time of year,” agrees Bex Spiller, a wellbeing expert and founder of award-winning platform The Anti-Burnout Club. “Many of the burnout signs and symptoms can just be mistaken for general tiredness – from mental and physical exhaustion, feeling snappy and easily overwhelmed to being unmotivated and unproductive.”

In addition to general life stress, workplace-specific burnout is on the rise. Research shows that in the UK, a huge 91% of the workforce reported feeling high levels of stress and anxiety over the past year, with one in five having to take time of work as a result. Not only this, but workplaces are poorly equipped to deal with symptoms of burnout in employees, which exacerbates the issue. 

What causes workplace burnout? 

As with burnout, more generally, the causes of workplace burnout are varied, but too much work and consistent pressure are the main drivers.

“An excessive amount of work over a prolonged period of time is often a factor in workplace burnout,” says psychologist and careers coach Eloise Skinner. “This pressure could arise in a variety of ways: long hours, stressful working relationships, unpredictable working environments, high-pressure environments or unreasonable expectations (set by oneself or others). Burnout can also arise from a lack of agency in the workplace, where we feel as though we don’t have any autonomy over our working patterns.”

How can we avoid workplace burnout? 

While a degree of stress and pressure in the workplace is normal, prolonged and high levels of anxiety aren’t, and the quicker you notice the warning signs, the more likely it is that you’ll catch it before you tip into full burnout. Clearly, the point at which things become too much will vary from person to person and will depend on what else you have going on in your life at the time. The key is knowing yourself well enough to react to the red flags. 

“Noticing the early feelings of burnout can be helpful in allowing us to take corrective steps such as taking time off, speaking to our managers or other support systems or taking steps to reconnect with our sense of purpose and passion at work,” says Skinner. “For example, noticing if work has started to feel draining and overwhelming over a prolonged period of time or noticing if you feel more easily irritated or annoyed. Observation is often the most helpful step because it allows us to take appropriate action.” 

An immediate step might be to take a break – either a scheduled vacation or time off after speaking with a manager about how you feel. It’s important to remember that short periods of time off are unlikely to fully resolve a more enduring problem. After you have an initial break, it’s worth taking time to reflect on how your working life feels for you. Do you still have a sense of purpose at work? Are there features you need to change? Could you do this within the context of your current job, or do you need to look for a new opportunity?

In the long term, setting up sustainable routines and boundaries can help you avoid repeating a burnout situation. For example, not checking your work phone during weekends (where possible), taking regular breaks or checking in with your support system (friends, family, therapist) to make sure your life continues to feel balanced and fulfilling.

Recognising if you are on the path to burnout is key, but when you’re feeling overwhelmed and exhausted, it can be hard to think straight. It can help to break the stages of burnout into three rough phases: the onset of stress phase, chronic stress phase and, finally, burnout.

Spiller refers to this as “the cycle of unwellness”.

“We begin to start feeling tired, stressed and overwhelmed because there’s so much to do, and we promise ourselves when there’s less to do we’ll look after ourselves, cramming in some quick self-care so we can get back to the to-do list ASAP, but we come back to an even bigger to-do list and start feeling tired, stressed and overwhelmed all over again,” she says.

Stress is absolutely one of the stages of burnout, and if you’re noticing that you’re finding some days stressful – with a lack of time for your personal needs along with physical symptoms (which Dr Ashley says can include but aren’t limited to headaches, anxiety, changes in appetite or high blood pressure) – then there’s a good chance this is a chronic issue and not just general malaise, and it’s time to seek professional help.

“When your stress levels become frequent and constant you might be suffering from chronic stress,” says Dr Ashley. “Your problem-solving skills and performance decrease further, and you start feeling you are out of control and powerless. Your productivity decreases, and you might find yourself procrastinating as you experience overwhelm. You might start to feel like you are not performing well at your job, and with this comes guilt and a sense of failure.”

If the situation continues, you’re well on your way to burnout, where you reach critical exhaustion levels that will make it hard to cope with work demands.

“The continuous sense of failure and powerlessness eventually leads to feelings of despair and disillusionment,” says Dr Ashley. “You can’t see a way out of the circumstances and become indifferent towards your work – this sense of apathy is the depersonalisation component of burnout. Your sense of self-doubt and pessimistic outlook on your job and life is pronounced.”

The experts agree that prevention is better than cure, here.

“If you’re exhausted but not yet burnt out, the good news is that you have an opportunity to put measures in place now to stop full blown burnout syndrome,” advises Dr Ashley. “You’ll need to make proactive changes to how you work and how you manage your stress before you reach full blown burnout.”

So, the sooner you address the problem, the better.

“Try to focus on little changes you can make that will fit into your life,” advises Spiller. “If you’re already overwhelmed and exhausted, then trying to fit in an hour of yoga or ‘relax’ in a bubble bath is going to be impossible. 

“Instead, try and break the cycle by integrating very small micro-moments of self-care into your day; a little mindful moment while you’re brushing your teeth to check in with your stress levels or using a five-minute work break to walk around the block and get some fresh air can all help break the cycle, so that we don’t reach the point of total burnout.”

If you’re already burnt out, don’t panic – but you will need intervention. Speak to your GP and see what professional psychological support is available. 

While there is no definitive recovery time for burnout, and it will vary from person to person, Dr Ashley says that recovery is possible, but it might take some time.

“If you are burnt out, you typically need around three to four months off work to recover, and the total recovery period is one to three years,” she says. “It’s vitally important that you stop, take time off work and seek the help of your doctor or a therapist.”

If you’re struggling with your mental health or emotional wellbeing, you can find support and resources on the mental health charity Mind’s website and NHS Every Mind Matters or access the NHS’s guide to local mental health helplines and organisations here.

If you are struggling, you can also ask your GP for a referral to NHS Talking Therapies, or you can self-refer.

You can also call Samaritans in the UK on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org for confidential support.

Images: Getty