The World Health Organization characterizes burnout by exhaustion, mental distance from your job or cynicism, and reduced professional efficacy. In ICD-11 it classes burnout as an occupational phenomenon caused by chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed, not as a medical condition, so see a doctor if your symptoms are serious.
Step by step
- 1
Compare with the three dimensions
Tiredness that rest does not fix, detachment or cynicism toward work, and a feeling that your performance has dropped despite the effort.
- 2
Do not put off seeing a doctor
Weeks of poor sleep, persistent sadness or physical symptoms deserve a visit to a doctor, as there may be a cause that needs treatment.
- 3
Identify the source
Write down exactly what drains you: workload, unclear priorities, lack of recognition, a difficult relationship, or no line between work and life.
- 4
Talk to your manager with facts
Lay out your tasks and deadlines, and ask for priorities to be set or some work to be redistributed, instead of a general complaint.
- 5
Recover your energy
A real break with no work messages, regular sleep, and clear limits on answering outside working hours.
- 6
Decide with a plan
If nothing changes after serious attempts, consider changing your role or company, and find the alternative before you resign.
Believing burnout is a personal weakness that more effort will fix makes it worse. It is the result of chronic stress, and the way out starts with changing the working conditions and asking for help.
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