The hidden health crisis: how to recognize if you’re in burnout
We’ve recently started to talk more about burnout, yet it remains a hidden health problem. That’s because people experiencing burnout often feel ashamed to speak about it. I know this firsthand, as I felt that same shame, in my…
We’ve recently started to talk more about burnout, yet it remains a hidden health problem. That’s because people experiencing burnout often feel ashamed to speak about it. I know this firsthand, as I felt that same shame, in my professional life before becoming a psychologist.
I suffered from burnout while working as a media entrepreneur for over 10 years, and it burned me out. But few people knew about my burnout crises back then. At the time, I didn’t fully understand what was happening to me, mainly because no one around me was talking about it. I didn’t know anyone who had gone through what I was experiencing, and I hadn’t heard anyone speak publicly about it.
For a long time, I didn’t even know burnout existed. Later, when I discovered it — and accepted that it was real — I struggled to believe it was happening to me. I also resisted the idea because I lacked information, which made it harder for me to seek the help I needed.
I had to study burnout to truly understand and believe in it — because only through hard research did I find the information I needed. And I know that many people still question whether burnout is real, despite estimates that at least half of the global workforce could be suffering from it.
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines burnout as an occupational syndrome resulting from poorly managed chronic stress. It was included in WHO’s diagnostic manual (though not as a standalone diagnosis) in 2019.
However, burnout is not new. It has been studied in the United States since the 1970s, meaning burnout existed even 50 years ago. Now, as constant stress becomes a part of daily life and the world changes at a breakneck pace, burnout is all the more present in our reality. Yet, somehow, it remains hidden. In plain sight.
I am committed to talking more about burnout, both from what I’ve learned and studied, and from my personal journey of experiencing and recovering from it, as well as from working with others who are dealing with it.
How do we know if we’re experiencing burnout?
On the one hand, we have the guidance of the WHO and burnout research. The WHO identifies three main dimensions of burnout based on scientific literature: Exhaustion, Cynicism, and Inefficiency.
Exhaustion is often the most visible, manifesting physically, mentally, and emotionally. Symptoms include trouble concentrating, mental fog, decision-making difficulties, sleep problems, and constant fatigue.
Cynicism, or detachment, often appears as disconnection from others, from one’s work, colleagues, family, and friends. We begin to care less about what we do, lose empathy, and our relationships become transactional and hollow. We do the bare minimum across the board and stop caring.
