What is burnout?

School and work can be extremely stressful areas of our life, but how do we know if we’re simply stressed or burnt out? Burnout is defined as a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress, while stress is defined as a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or very demanding circumstances. There are similarities and differences between the two but burnout is essentially what could potentially happen after a prolonged period of extreme stress.

Some symptoms of burnout include loss of interest and motivation, reduced productivity, feelings of hopelessness, fatigue, change in appetite or sleep habits, self doubt, and procrastination. Other than stress, burnout can be caused by feeling that you have little or no control over your work, a lack of recognition for your work, taking on multiple large responsibilities, having little to no time for socializing or relaxing, and not getting enough sleep.

Burnout can also have significant effects on the brain as it can overwhelm your cognitive skills and neuroendocrine systems. It can enlarge the amygdala, which is the area of the brain that is critical for emotional reactions such as fear and aggression. This can result in a significantly weaker connection between the amygdala and the anterior cingulate cortex, the area is linked to emotional stress. In addition, there is a weaker relationship between activity in the amygdala and medial prefrontal cortex, which helps with decision making. This would explain why someone who is burnout can have difficulty controlling negative emotions such as hopelessness, self doubt, and loss of motivation.

There are multiple simple solutions to burnout such as reaching out to those closest to you, limiting your contact with negative people, finding balance between work and personal life, taking time off, taking regular breaks from technology, setting aside time to relax or wind down, getting lots of sleep, and exercising. Additionally, seeking help from a medical professional is always a great solution as they will be able to properly assess you and your needs as well as help to point you in the right direction.