3 signs that you’ve hit clinical burnout and should seek help | Laurie Santos

This interview is an episode from @The-Well, our publication about ideas that inspire a life well-lived, created with the @JohnTempletonFoundation.
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In the last few decades, the concept of “burnout” has become ubiquitous in modern discourse around work and academia. However, there is a common misunderstanding about what burnout actually is. To many people, burnout is synonymous with being overworked and stressed.
But cognitive scientist and Yale professor Laurie Santos wants you to know that that’s not the case. Rather, burnout is a clinical syndrome with specific symptoms of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization or cynicism, and a sense of personal ineffectiveness. It can be caused by a heavy workload, but it is often due to a mismatch in values, unfairness, or a lack of intrinsic reward.
Properly understanding burnout - and knowing how to identify it - is crucial for employing practical steps to proactively avoid the syndrome. To do so, Santos suggests four simple, actionable steps that can help you not only spot burnout, but stop it in its tracks.
0:00 3 symptoms of clinical burnout
1:51 3 causes of burnout
3:39 Questions for assessing your burnout
4:59 How to treat burnout
Read the video transcript ► bigthink.com/the-well/what-is...
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About Laurie Santos:
Dr. Laurie Santos is an Associate Professor of Psychology at Yale University. Her research provides an interface between evolutionary biology, developmental psychology, and cognitive neuroscience, exploring the evolutionary origins of the human mind by comparing the cognitive abilities of human and non-human primates. Her experiments focus on non-human primates (in captivity and in the field), incorporating methodologies from cognitive development, animal learning psychology, and cognitive neuroscience.
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[@bigthink]

Do you feel burned out?

[@AutisticAwakeActivist]

I feel emotionally burned out and worry re my spinal health. And OA and gerd and terrified of the future but due to adhd I either process ridiculous amounts of info but then don’t process others so I actually don’t appear to be burned out , I’m not sleeping I’m hyper intellectually but burned out with the system that is supposed to help

[@pietpetrus2343]

They don’t care son

[@AutisticAwakeActivist]

@@pietpetrus2343 who you calling son daughter

[@lc6450]

I've been a hair away from going berserk for 3 years now... at this point, jail or a hospital sounds like a restful vacation.

[@AutisticAwakeActivist]

@@lc6450 it’s the way I feel too. I’m sorry you feel that way too. I think the northeast is backwards re mh on working class autistics. They just don’t get that the actual system makes us sick. I’ve got one more pip I’m hoping they will just leave me in peace for 10 years at least. I’ve had 2 year assessments or fails for 18 years with them. 14 I was failed 2 I got.. the actual phone calls needing support to deal with the actual services is what roles me and being passed around to endless people. We’ve had fibre put in the village today they been buzzing my doorbell when I’m upstairs . Asking about the neighbours cars to move them even when I don’t drive3 times and I said ring 88&86 the other lass is at work . And my neighbours got really bad RA atm. Been doing a fridge maintain type clean and couldn’t get the glass to go in that’s done my back in. Supposed to be getting a kitchen in as my tap is so old they can’t get the parts. But that in next 2-8 weeks and takes a week plus’s it’s everything they are doing . That means finding some place to put 11 seriously full cupboards some place for a week. I recon that will be a microwave meal and salad week and having a Chinese 🤣🤣 Ive order loads of Temus stuff and gadgets. But it’s mostly storage keep it tidy stuff they had a sale on if storage thickened storage zip bags for £2.47 reduced from 12.99 they stack up and go on top of stuff and look tidy. I’m waiting on a decent bungalow to move into. So I’ll need stuff like that to put my stuff , had loads if vouchers and used the lot 🤣🤣 . I’ve got shrink on the 4th, someone saying they are doing a repair but not saying what it is on the 5th, the podiatrist in the 6th , the mould guy coming out to inspect the mould problem on the 7th, the social services on the 10th and the dentist in the 14th. I hate appointments. Pips assessments due anytime between July n October. Honestly I just deal with it. Just want . A holiday which I haven’t had since 1997 seriously, doesn’t have to be abroad. 🤣🤣

[@OneKillQuota]

I love how the fix to this is to take a sabbatical and re-align yourself...something a vast majority of us can't ever afford to do. It's just not a plausible fix in reality.

[@Ocker3]

That's a problem with modern culture that can be changed

[@Taku1Tqkus2]

yes but they won't because people in power want people working for them as long as possible with no breaks

[@particle_wave7614]

@@Taku1Tqkus2 that's definitely not true if you work hourly. Bosses want to avoid overtime at all cost. Also, it's a choice for you, every day, if you go to work or not. You aren't a slave. Or try becoming a "person in power" yourself and be the boss you would want to have.

[@particle_wave7614]

If you're living paycheck to paycheck, that's your own fault. People taking extended time off is quite common outside the US. Live in a cheaper house / city. Drive a cheaper car. Cook your own meals instead of going to restaurants. The average global income is like $10k ish per year. We Americans think we have to spend $50k-$100k per year to be comfortable, and we just don't. If you're working that hard just to be miserable, what's the point? And it's not like time off has to be traveling the world, staying at 5-star hotels. It IS possible to have cheap time off.

[@bigthink]

It's absolutely true that most people aren't able to take a sabbatical; she was just speaking from her own experience. Even if you don't have the luxury of being able to take one, it's worth noting you you may still be able to apply the strategies she mentions: cultivate relationships outside of work, remember to do simple things that bring you joy (e.g. Guitar Hero), move your body regularly, etc.

[@DanielWahlig]

As someone born in the US, but living the last 4 years in the Netherlands - it's very interesting to see how differently the subject of burnout is addressed in each country. In the US, the best burnout treatment most people can hope for is a compassionate boss that will help prioritize your mental health by making small, temporary adjustments to your workload. In the Netherlands, you're able to take up to two years off with a government mandated 70% minimum of your pay to allow you to focus on your mental health and truly treat your symptoms. And many companies will even add additional pay up to 100% of your salary. And yes, we do pay high taxes for the privilege of prioritizing mental health, other healthcare, transportation, education, etc - but in my mind - it's absolutely worth every penny to know that if and when I need help, I'm able to seek it - regardless of pre-existing conditions or financial pressures. Not trying to push this structure on anyone else, just some food for thought for those that might share a similar vision for a balanced and secure human existence.

[@lilaworley8935]

I've considered relocating from the USA because of the social structure and lack of prioritization of human rights ... But we can barely afford to pay the bills and I'm deeply in debt due to a life changing injury to my neck. We are enslaved to this broken system. I dream of a world where we don't allow Profits and Currency to undermine social institutions. A resource based economic system. It's not a lack of resources...but a lack of morality

[@Abbyyena]

How did you move from the U.S. to the Netherlands?

[@EmmaVB82]

Wow, that system in the Netherlands sounds amazing! I’m in the UK, and that sounds like such a good way to reset. I’ve been at the point of burnout for over 2.5 years now… a fifth of my department at work got made redundant in 2020 including my closest colleague, which was very upsetting (leading to increased workload for those remaining), and in the next year we lost three more really great people through their own choice to leave, all of whom made the experience of working there better, so their leaving has been a real detriment. We’ve since hired a few more people - some of them good, but notably the head of department and also my line manager are… not good, to say the least (my old manager is still there but I don’t report to him anymore after some restructuring, which is a shame… though I do still get to work with him a little bit). Morale is terrible, the dept head is a manipulative tyrant who treats us like children and makes every interaction something to dread, and my line manager drains the interest and enjoyment out of everything while serving purely as a slow down and obstacle to getting anything done. Everything is antagonistic and feels futile, and I’m not drawing any sense of fulfilment or satisfaction from my work anymore. Short of those two people leaving who are so instrumental in the way the team is run and managed, I don’t see any way for it to be salvaged for me… problem with burnout is it’s also difficult to get the mental energy and motivation together to update your CV and do the whole exhausting job-hunting thing, even though I know it’s essentially the only way to make things better! The idea of an extended time where I’m still getting enough money coming in to pay the mortgage and living costs, but don’t have to keep getting ground down by everything at work so I can try and muster the energy and actions required to get a new job, is very appealing.

[@scalylayde8751]

I wish I could move literally anywhere that treats its citizens better than the USA, but if you're someone who has no money, no work experience that qualifies you for a high demand job, no self employment, and experiences disabilities that mean you need some social support even if you're working... pretty much no country will allow you to immigrate there. Not to mention the double-bind of it being difficult to find work if you're not in the country you're looking at, but not able to get a work visa unless you have a job. As a globe, we make it really difficult for people to just pack up and move somewhere else if they don't like the country they were born in. I'm happy for you that you were able to leave.

[@jimwilliams3816]

Sadly, I think the Netherlands is more of an outlier than I had hoped. I have typically considered the US to be bottom of the barrel among industrialized nations with regard to employment and mental health issues, and it is. But following neurodivergent channels has made me realize that national health care does not result in particularly good or affordable mental health care in many countries. Adult autism and ADHD support is heavily privatized in many places. And obtaining meds if you have ADHD is actually even harder in a lot of places. One neurodivergent vlogger I follow is from the Netherlands, and I have gathered that things are better there. I’m not sure from news reports where things are going politically though. One thing is clear to me: we are reaching the end game with regard to unchecked global capitalism. The absolute worst export the US has given to the world is the toxic idea that capitalism is self-regulating and needs no other inputs or controls.

[@gravestone4840]

This isn't a clinical problem, it's a perfectly natural reaction to American businesses grasp on us. We are constantly driven to work ourselves to death with no hope of real growth. We fulfill other men's dreams and ours die in the process.

[@jponz85]

Absolutely correct

[@barkebaat]

Sounds like a fair observation to me (from the other side of the Atlantic) -- but what drives you to do this?

[@Heyu7her3]

If I were in a different culture or economic system, I would likely still endure burnout. That is because I am neurodivergent, which has a more intense and regular form of burnout. Communist countries, for instance, do not yet accommodate neurodivergence.

[@trinacaraway1765]

And to top it off, the burnt out party is usually Pune for being burnt out rather than helped in any way by their employer. It was the case for me anyway.

[@rhythmandblues_alibi]

The logical end step of unchecked capitalism borne of the Protestant work ethic.

[@lilaworley8935]

I'm pretty sure we live in an age and society...that creates burnout. Our lifestyles are so unnatural and nonstop. The large majority also deal with real financial stress just trying to survive and get to work and pay for childcare. Then there's all the greed and corruption that dictates and shapes important social structures like access to medicine and education. Our entire species is burned out.

[@PetraKann]

....I dont think it's created. It's symptom of lying to oneself. And affluent Western nations are champions of deceit, cowardice and self promoting propaganda...

[@MadsNordholm]

I would go as far as to argue that those that don’t experience burnout are the real issue. They are the reason we keep this charade called ‘modern civilisation’ going

[@PetraKann]

@@MadsNordholm I am more concerned with the actual definition of "burn-out" and the causes. Nobody is claiming it doesn't exist - even if it's referred to under a different name. It was referred to by the ancient Greeks and in the Stoic traditions as melancholy. The Indigenous people of Australia also made references to it in their Dream Time stories. Sports people also show signs of "burn-out" sometimes called fatigue or a lack of inspiration to battle on in contests. In affluent Western Nations it is common for "burn-out" to be exploited by the Ruling class and also the intellectual class - an excuse for facing some home truths. After all it's much easier to blame an affliction or something else rather than looking in the mirror - one of the hardest things to do. Just my opinion of course......

[@OsvaldoBayerista]

It's just the normal course of capitalism. It need to tend to that, to accelarate, it's part of his internal dynamics.

[@PetraKann]

@@OsvaldoBayerista But the USA is not a Capitalist system. It's a corrupt tyrannical Corpocracy with expansionist imperialist tentacles that has invaded at least 38 countries since the end of WW2 resulting in about 23 million deaths - mainly civilian deaths. The 20th century has seen the emergence of 3 major forms of fascism: Bolshevism, Nazism and Corporatism. Were you paying attention as to who was calling the shots during the Pandemic? Who was bailed out? Who was looked after? Who made the profits? Why there are so many corporatised elitist puppets dangling in Washington? There has been shift away from US Hegemony over the past decade or two. It has accelerated over the past 5 years. US Petro-Dollar will be dead soon. There are economic and strategic alliances being formed across the planet that dont include the toxic US master-servant model that was developed by the British during their global reign of terrorism on the high seas...... One of The most difficult things to do is to look in the mirror and make honest judgements.

[@Malavander]

As someone with ADHD + sensory processing sensitivity I feel like I walk around with this dirty secret that I've been burned out every waking moment of my life and no amount of vacation can ever remedy it.

[@wackrapsatire]

Yeah, likewise. Additionaly, currently i´m at uni + working part time highly intensive and physical labour till late evening.60,70 hours per week in total. Everyday i wake up feeling like a lorry drove over me. It´s not even burn out, but it isn´t depression. Maybe there is no medical term for what we feel. And people ask me how i am, why i´m tired. Jeez, give me a break...

[@kennethsmith2030]

i know what you mean smh

[@microscopic.caterpill]

I felt this. Being aware of it doesn’t solve anything neither even if it’s “aware now to find solutions”. You just get use to it and do what you can and got to do. Shit is ridiculous, I don’t plan on living like this forever

[@needheartranken]

If you're already 27 yrs and above, I recommend meth.

[@microscopic.caterpill]

@@needheartranken Lmaooo. Marijuana is the perquisite 21-26 before next option😩😩

[@WholesomeDough]

It's crazy that the "symptoms" of burnout are directly in line with the normal modern "work environment".

[@ethernet764]

1. Increased workload 2. Values mismatch 3. Unfairness 4. Sense of reward

[@mitul509]

I just quit my job for being burnt out. I don't think I can work anymore. After quitting I feel so good and alive again. But cannot be without job much longer, gotta take care of my family.

[@sk8legendz]

any progress in a new job? how have things been 7 months later?

[@mitul509]

@@sk8legendz I am at new job now. Restarting my career again. Career break gave me mental peace. I did lose my salary though, it's much lower than before. But mental peace is more valuable to me.

[@saltykat3533]

I suffered clinical burnout, severe clinical depression and diagnosable adrenal fatigue from my job. Brought on by a toxic boss, working in a pressure cooker, and a hostile work environment. Coupled with a personal loss, and a work injury that resulted in severe chronic pain, that I had to learn how to absorb/sit in the pain because nothing worked to relieve it. I ended up struggling for another year, concentrated on eliminating my monthly outflow of cash (bills), paid off credit cards and cancelled them. And saved as much as I could. I was able to quit work for two months and then found a part time job. I would ride my motorcycle almost daily. Sleep as long as I wanted and just sit in my hammock and watch the birds for hours. It was bare bones living but I somewhat healed my body, mind and soul. That was 3 years ago. I still struggle when I feel the least bit stressed. It is a long road to recovery, of which I really don't know if I will ever completely recover from. I now try to live the most peaceful, calm, drama-free life I can. I have walked away from people and jobs to maintain my peace and contentment. Your mental health, people is one of your most precious resources.

[@ess1163]

Sounds like you had some ptsd from the injury. accident. Great recovery future for you. Sound like on the right path.

[@alecrochon3531]

More power to you. I relate a lot to what you said and chronic stress reallllyy sucks. Hope you get a good life.

[@9liveslisa]

I ended up in the hospital because of burnout. I called it a nervous breakdown, but my shrink said I was suffering from emotional and physical exhaustion. I did recover eventually. It was a long road. I had to learn how to take care of myself. I don't run myself ragged anymore. I say no to people if I need too.

[@danielc6106]

It's very important to be able to say no to people, whether it's at work, or emotional blackmail from family and friends. Look after yourself.

[@User98681]

How long was the process? I’m a year into recovery now myself. Any tips or advice?

[@9liveslisa]

@@User98681 Sorry to hear that. I don't wish it on anyone. I was 25 at the time. I'm 66 now. I was in the hospital for 2 months. I was not working for another 2 months, but then I had to go back to work. My hands were still shaking. It took about a year for my hands to stop shaking. I was very nervous about looking for a new job, but I got one and it was the first step to me normalizing my life again. When I was 28 I accidently fell upon a medication a doctor had given me for headaches, but it turned my world from black and white to color after my shrink increased the dosage. I've been on it ever since. My recovery was one step at a time and it was important to take good care of myself. Life got better and better over time. One piece of advice for anyone with depression etc. is to stay away from drugs and alcohol. They really don't help you. I drank wine every night and I was definitely self-medicating. If I had to do it all over again, I would stay away from alcohol. Fortunately, I don't have an addictive personality so when I retired, I just didn't want a glass of wine every night and I stopped. All my best to you. Be good to yourself, stay in therapy if you need it, if you are on medication and it is helping keep taking it, take one step at a time, and leave the past behind you as much as you are able to. Counting my blessings every day really helps too.

[@_Julia.K_]

Emotional burnout doesn't happen only at work. I've got a burnout being a stay-at-home mother with three kids.

[@Yakito666]

And why did you make 3 kids then?

[@_Julia.K_]

@@Yakito666 Because I love kids. Loving parents are not immune to burnout. Your question is like "You injured your knee while you were jogging. Why did you go jogging?"

[@CanadianMason85]

Being a [good] mother IS a F/T job. You're working harder than most people w a F/T office job, hell these days you're probably working harder than most of my laborers on a bricklaying crew.

[@CanadianMason85]

​@Yakito666 because of biology and math. If 2 people replace themselves w 1 person [by having only 1 child] the entire human race would cease to exist in a determinant amount of time. If 2 people replace themselves w 2 people the race is stagnant and will just take longer to die off. If 2 people replace themselves w 3 or more people the population grows and the human race continues to prosperity. Biology and math.

[@_Julia.K_]

@CanadianMason85 Thank you ❤️

[@CarrieMHB222]

Only those in higher paying careers or those with a spouse who makes a lot of money can choose to go on sabbatical. Those of us who have struggled to build a career or are undereducated just have to suck it up when burnout happens.

[@YaroLord]

@@Dimitris_Balf pretty sure it's worldwide. Don't get me started on asian work culture. They're raised to be burned out.

[@riccardozardi2262]

@@Dimitris_Balf bro you know how many hours they work in japan, south korea and even china? do u?

[@GoogleAccount00]

Facts

[@OsvaldoBayerista]

@@Dimitris_Balf In capitalism*

[@adammorra3813]

90% of world cant afford sabbatical

[@shawnbottom4769]

She just described 99.9% of jobs in America. Why do you think "quiet quitting" became a thing?

[@Marie_Adams]

That really seems like an overgeneralization

[@canibaloxide]

Burned out with the whole system

[@SachinGanpat]

I feel you...

[@juliaa4809]

real

[@toni2309]

For me personally, the talk I hear about burnout makes me angry. I got burnt out mainly from having to care for myself, literally from self care itself, like going to the doctors, cleaning, eating, exercising etc. while having unadressed health issues/disabilities. And the solution I hear to burnout is always caring for yourself better. Aaaagh. Like mate. That being so hard is what got me there in the first place.

[@kathrynroitz]

ADHD?

[@toni2309]

@@kathrynroitz I mean, I was diagnosed with ADHD, but it's a bit more complicated, because I might be also autistic, and I kinda relate to the PDA type of autism.

[@toni2309]

@@Dimitris_Balf I mean, it's a bit complicated. You can have people in your life but they don't understand you and don't support you in ways that help you. A lot of my social struggles have to do with the same thing that made everything difficult. I'm trans and gender dysphoria got me personally really bad. I personally got chronic stress from being on the wrong hormones, there being constant noise in my emotions and them feeling wrong, my sensations feeling wrong somehow, a general sense of just something being wrong. I was just too tired and overwhelmed and emotional to deal with people.

[@jul.escobar]

Right?! We're trying to take care of ourselves with a system set up to crush us. Everyone can't take a sabbatical

[@TalaAtTanagra]

I have a lovely partner and friends, and a comfy home. I'm seriously burned out by being disabled (physically and cognitively). Being disabled in modern society practically guarantees some continuous form of burnout, particularly if you aren't wealthy.

[@l.5832]

The work environment really contributes. Micro-managers will criticize your one 'mistake' and overlook the 100 ways you do the job well. The boss has 'favourites' who get away with anything. People sense the toxicity and quit so their workload is dumped on the survivors. Salaries not keeping up with inflation Constant scheduling changes and workplace wants you available 24/7 and on short notice. Every day I go to work I wonder if this is the day where I just walk out.

[@maryannspicher]

Yes! Hard work used to be rewarded decades ago. Now you’re just rewarded with more work. I’m an older person who has seen management styles really go downhill! The lazy are rewarded. Hard work doesn’t pay off. 🤷‍♀️

[@airline_peanuts]

There is no question I've hit clinical burnout. I even took a vacation/travel sabbatical of sorts a few months ago; about 5 weeks long which is much longer than most Americans would be able to do. It was great, but when I got back to the job it was almost as if I never left. Just as cynical, fuse just as short, motivation shot, stress level rocketed back up again. Been at this 15 years. For those who are feeling the same but only a couple years in, it doesn't always get better. Sometimes a total change is in order.

[@_Julia.K_]

5 weeks are not enough. At least 3-4 month (or better a year) are needed to completely restore your nervous system. I know it's almost impossible in our current economic situation...

[@monicaross4013]

@@_Julia.K_ or two, a year in an abusive or less-than-supportive/accepting environment where you feel inferior will often times prolong this even though the nervous system has opportunity to get better, and may, it is very sensitive at this time. So, someone who is completely, or even repeatedly, assaulted/harmed/made-to-feel-unsafe-in-any-way again can easily revert back to incapacity, making recovery longer. This is why the current mechanism of our society doesn't work super well. It can, but I think truly, relationships and emotional wellbeing are the most advantageous thing to understand for long term success and change.

[@effervescentrelief]

I just came back from the holidays on a very long stretch of vacation, and coming back was painful. Even now it literally causes me pain to be at my job. I get paid extremely well and can more than provide for my family, but at what cost? I have no life, no purpose other than my family, and I waste my evenings watching ever more KZbin feeling tired but can't sleep. The sooner I sleep the quicker another miserable day comes.

[@_Julia.K_]

@@effervescentrelief Looks more like depression than burnout. Depression can't be treated by vacations.

[@la6136]

You have to take a break and also change the situations that caused burnout in the first place

[@sgringo]

As a former software engineer, the notion of "emotional burnout" resonates strongly with me. I experienced it in the final job of my career. (I retired early because of it.) If you've ever experienced sleep paralysis, that's what burnout felt like to me. When I would sit down at my computer to start working, my arms felt paralyzed; it took all of my will to lift my hands to the keyboard to start working. That was five years ago. Even today, the thought of putting together a resume and starting the interview process for another engineering job feels daunting and stress-inducing. Even worse, the experience was systemic; it left me unmotivated and apathetic toward all aspects of my life. It's a malaise that persists to this day. Prior to my last job, I always felt considerable passion for my work. This was such an unfortunate, unexpected end to my career.

[@shadowmistress999]

f

[@kaindakyle4244]

Sorry to hear about this. I can relate and I'm an engineering manager

[@stefaniasmanio5857]

Hi. I think I understand you. I am more fortunate. I still keep on going to work. Let’s say because I must. Just to survive. I wish you the best luck.❤

[@juanmaflyer]

Feeling this way with 35 yo and 12 years of programming. Can't do it anymore

[@sgringo]

@@juanmaflyer Ugh, sorry to hear it. Unfortunately, you're a bit young to retire. Are you considering moving on to something else?

[@TheInternetIsDeadToMe]

The problem is work and other people. I don’t like work and I don’t like other people. If I could just remove both of those things from my life, I would feel better.

[@sp123]

I think relationships with other people is important for happiness, but I get that some people have harder times finding people they like.

[@iftea7]

😂 hahahahah same here some times

[@vikkievenden9988]

I’m hearing ya ❤

[@user-fb3bt6to5j]

I don't like corporate world and some bosses that are too BOSSY!

[@richardnixon8678]

Dont wish your present to be something else, accept it and start to understand how to deal with everyday things, just complaining about your job, your co workers or that your family isnt ideal is not going to take you anywhere. Start taking action.

[@spenserphoenix]

"the best thing you can do is look after yourself" gee who would've thought of that, how fkn profound

[@killerpussy84]

Currently in acute burnout (day 6?) and the thing that's made/making me realize it is burnout is: no matter how little I do, no matter how much I rest, it is not enough. I am still exhausted. Every noise, every glimpse, every move takes away, even the things that used to be fun and relaxing. The difference between depression and burnout to me is: depression is "everything is useless, why bother making me good food, a chocolate bar will do" and burnout is "I need some sleep and a meal but I don't have the energy to make myself the food I need".

[@nobody983]

I burned out, got laid off from work, employer made sure that I never got another job. Job search for more than 6 years itself created a chronic burnout which is beyond all definitions. It is a privilege to sit there and tell people what is the definition of burnout and what they should do. Let me add to their knowledge that there exists a next stage of burnout as well. It is when burnout persists for many years resulting in you becoming literally a dead person. You feed yourself the bare minimum, force yourself to only have the most basic life needs. You stop caring if you died the next moment, in-fact you develop such a wish. And funny thing is that it was done to me by such "academics" like herself.

[@andreastherapper]

I hope things get better for you.

[@davidhimmelfahrt3732]

In which field were you working in?

[@dl2725]

I hear you. When you lack the control to address the burnout, it turns out there’s another level beyond what you thought was bad. I called myself burned out throughout 2019, and then every year after that was a new level of feeling helpless and angry and utterly becalmed. I’m starting to get some motivation back, finally, slowly. I hope you can have the same, friend.

[@kirandeepchakraborty7921]

Things will get better. Keep Working on it. Never Stop. The process is the key.

[@toni2309]

Yeah, it makes me angry that when it comes to academic definitions, it's all just concerning work, when in reality, people can be burnt out from applying to jobs, from school, from being a carer for a family member, even from caring for their own health if they have chronic/many health issues

[@bibilym4514]

I’m a mental health therapist and have been going non-stop since the pandemic. With burnout, I noticed a couple of days off here and there didn’t help. Restructuring my life so far has felt so reviving. I enjoy socializing again in my personal life! I decided to take break from doing therapy/my practice and work doing something non-therapy related in mental health. So far so good.

[@CarleysAngel]

So glad to hear that you've found a remedy! What tips can you share about restructuring your life?

[@brandonman94]

I love when people with the privilege of being able to take an actual *sabbatical* try to tell you how you can stop feeling burnt out.

[@mountainclawoutdoors]

I feel you Its like "go get help with the no extra money and no extra time"

[@ganymedehedgehog371]

Yeah it’s a very “let them eat cake” response. My sabbatical is retirement or death.

[@CBBeresford]

Line cook here. Yep. We work 365 days a year. No vacation. No breaks during our shifts. We make food but rarely get to actually eat. It’s unrewarding. Hot. Humiliating. Exhausting. I’m constantly in a state of fatigue and soreness. Must be nice having a career that allows time off. In the kitchen it’s get over it and get back to work and keep working until you fall over from a heart attack. Which actually happened to another line cook that used to work with me. Just fell over dead. Sabbatical. Ha!

[@Ophelia11]

​@@CBBeresfordHow do you yourself keep going?

[@CBBeresford]

@@Ophelia11 I have to work to survive and I’ve already been doing this most of my life. Coupled with the fact that I have zero friends and haven’t been on a date, or had physical contact with a person who likes me, in eight years. It’ll probably lead me to an early grave. Yay capitalism.

[@nogf42069]

What an eye opener. I started a new job 9 months ago 'cause my old company downsized and I needed to make rent and since then my mental (and even physical) health went downhill real fast. This new job doesn't let me do what I do best, I provide almost no value, and I'm even doing something that I wasn't hired for. Some days there's literally zero work to do but I still feel the pressure to do something. Most people would say "oh cool you get paid for doing nothing" but the kind of stress and emotional drain coming from feeling useless and doing things wrong just because the company works a certain way it's eating me up from the inside. I've been sleeping either 2 hours or 12, snapping at friends and family and just generally dreading going into work at 9.

[@VanillaflavoredSora]

I can totally relate to not doing anything and feeling emotionally stressed by it. During the first year and a half of covid I sat at my desk and waited to hear from my supervisor or boss. No one ever engaged with me. I played hours of animal crossing. Eventually my supervisor one day told me "the work we are doing is above you. Just wait until we ask you to do something." It made me feel worthless. I worked on myself and then one day in June of 2021 restrictions were lifted and I was at full speed ahead - double speed even since we were now all working overtime to get things back up and running. But I wasn't prepped for it, I wasn't apart of these "larger conversations" and so I broke down a couple of weeks in and have been going that speed every since. Even changing jobs it just put me in a worse position mentally. Finally I got another new job a couple of months ago and I realized after a couple of weeks that I had been so burnt-out for years that coming into a nurturing place was foreign to me. Now I'm still working but I don't cry every night, I don't feel worthless and I finally think I can focus on me again. Just in time for my wedding!

[@neosapienz7885]

I’m beyond the burnout stage at work and I’m getting worried now. I feel like I’m self-sabotaging so I can lose my job. It happened over the past couple of years. I was carrying a 161% client load. It’s about to change-we hired a couple more people in my position, but I’m not sure I’m going to make it. I’m exhausted.

[@TheMwendaa]

Better speak up or you'll end in hospital

[@Feber2001]

How's it going now?

[@shawnbottom4769]

This. Employers will push it as far as they can before investing in a proper amount of resources. Profit trumps people every time.

[@joeychandler]

Yes to all of this, but the problem is that you don’t really think you’re burnt out until you hit a wall and you have nothing left. I found the best way to get past without was to ask myself who am I at my core and how can I bring, more of that to my day. That allowed me to take baby steps when I was burnt and then bigger steps as I became more energized.

[@pse6775]

I am so burnt out that I have all the symptoms described in the video. At the end of my last job, I cried even when I was assigned to some small simple tasks which I would have no problem with. I don't want to talk to my coworkers anymore outside of work. I go berserk when someone wastes my time at work, I used to have a better control on my temper before that. I lost almost all of my compassion for others because I am busy with my self-pitying. I don't even feel happy when I get a raise because I felt like shit and my project has no progress at all, which makes me feel anxious constantly, even though my performance was praised by the manager. After quitting I still felt anxious and overwhelmed, because I need to find another job and I can't find one.

[@NehaSharma-wq9yc]

Can understand

[@Rachel-kr1jh]

I'm not sure if this description of 'depersonalisation' is accurate, especially in a mental health context. 'Depersonalisation' can refer to a disillusionment with the people around us, but in a psychological sense it refers specifcally to a dissociative sensation that is caused by prolonged heightened anxiety. I have Depersonalisation Derealisation Disorder and been chronically dissociated for over 7 years. I'm always keen to discuss and inform on it. I'm impressed by the rest of this video, but I just wanted to make sure this one qualm wasn't lost amongst all the other great points and advice.

[@Sanderteeuwen]

Got into a burn-out during the covid period. Working in a laboratory it really took a toll on me and my colleagues. Now 2,5 years later I’m still recovering.

[@Linda-gc9ru]

I have been through a burnout I really did hit rock bottom I wasn't able to work for 7 months straight. Don't ignore the early sighns it's a serious thing and YOU come first not any type of job. Cause at the end of the day a workplace can just replace you with someone else at least you put yourself first and take care of yourself ❤

[@7Write4This9Heart7]

I wish my parents felt this way. I've literally BEGGED them to quit for YEARS, espec lately, but they won't let me and get mad at me about 'being lazy' and 'just can't handle the pressure/stress' that they claim is 'my fault anyway'. Just got a massive lecture yesterday. It REALLY sucks! It's gotten to the point that I've started with they'd die just so I can get some peace! ;A;

[@lindylee1139]

I had to retire early due to burnout. Took a hit financially but there just was no way I could continue working in the field of public education.

[@snugasapugonarug]

I burned out and luckily was in a position to leave my job amicably, but unemployment is rough. Sitting around all day not doing anything is a mode you can very easily fall into, and in a way can burn you out even more. Stay active, physically and mentally. I've started doing that recently and it's really helped.

[@ToriHalfon]

I think that everyone who worked through the whole pandemic, had to pick up all the responsibilities of the furloughed staff, then those positions were never hired back, and companies didn’t give pay increases… are all in a very advanced stage of burnout. I have been trying to set better boundaries at work, have told my boss that I cannot continue to work 55+ hours a week, and must have time for myself, but every week that I don’t put the extra time in, I’m under so much stress about incomplete work, that I can hardly enjoy my free time. I feel angry and exhausted all the time, and ineffective. I know I’d actually be better at work if I could actually have a normal workload and have “me” time after work… but nothing changes and I don’t know what to do. I’ve threatened to quit if I don’t get help and a raise. Crossing my fingers that they sit up and take notice.

[@marnijay2486]

Though I don’t work nearly as many hours as you, I can relate. Since covid started, I’ve been trying to do the work of more than one person, and there being no end (no new staff) in sight… the thing that really gets me is that I love my job when I actually have enough hours to do it, or the right number of staff. I hate feeling like I’m doing a half-assed rush job all the time, letting down the people I’m supposed to be working with (I’m in healthcare). I set limits on how many hours a week I work, but the stress of untended requests sits very heavily. 🙁

[@dreamscape405]

There's quite a few comments saying not everyone can afford to go on sabbatical, which is true. However, what we CAN do, is really invest in ...making sure to get good rest every night...go out to your local park when the weather is nice, and enjoy the day, it's Free!...also, invest in social activities that you CAN afford. If you can't afford to go to the bar, have some friends over, and have an old school house party, if it's your thing. There's so many ways to let go, and have fun, as well as peace and quiet that are free, or lowered cost, and time. I started doing this about 10 yrs ago. I started treating my Friday's like it's the last day of school before summer...that alone really refocused my personal time in a Big way. Every weekend feels like summer break, and it's really changed my life😅 It really is the simple things that matter, and you can have it more often than you may realize.🥂💃

[@FabFemmeTV]

Hi everyone! I know you all think work is so important and “you can’t miss a day” but if you don’t take a break, your body will take the break for you. I spent a week in the hospital from having a seizure after being clinically burnt out. Tread realllll lightly folks.

[@TheMwendaa]

Fam. I can so relate. Was on 3 straight weeks off work for sick leave treatment and recuperation. Pneumonia mainly but fatigue that led to low immunity was the main trigger.

[@courtneyvanderwatt204]

That's awful. It has so many different ill effects on the brain, body and spirit that you don't even notice how quickly and viciously it's hitting you until it completely pulls you under. Amongst other thrilling treats, my grand prize is a stress-induced ulcer, yayyy. I resent this. I dread returning to work on Monday after 4 weeks of prescribed leave. I do not feel any better at all...

[@Hakumokuren]

Experienced burnout before years ago. Took a long sabbatical. Got a job I like but now, I'm on the verge of a burnout again. I remember the signs and the feelings with it. This video reminded me that I only can establish the boundary for work-life balance when others try to push it.

[@Malery]

I support call center operations and deal with 100's of requests from associates a day. I have no capacity to care and want to help. Every single request from associates or from my team members feels like I'm being imposed upon. I used to feel the desire to take on a little extra to help the team, but now that feeling is completely gone and I fear I am perceived as a mean slacker by my team. I have no energy for things I used to enjoy and barely manage to take care of myself and my home. I don't feel like I'm living my life anymore.

[@emysu]

I’m just finally recovering from a burnout. Had to quit a dream job and take three months off to become myself again. Wow, so many of these symptoms I didn’t realize were caused by it, like the depersonalization.

[@Trey4x4]

A healthier diet is what helped me with emotional burn out. Also taking a blood test to know what vitamins i was lacking on also helped. Eat healthy, get some sun, and stay hydrated!

[@davidsinogui]

I’ve worked in restaurant hospitality for the past 15 years. The last few years have been difficult for me and I had no way of confirming that what I’ve been experiencing is burnout until I watched this video. Especially the description of depersonalization. I’ve told a close friend recently that I’ve become a shell of who I used to be and it’s true. Thanks for this dose of gnosis. It’s time to reclaim myself 🙏🙌

[@lotsofuwuenergy3983]

Honestly if customers weren't unpleasant or rude I'd be far less burnt out. The other night a manager got cussed out for being "discriminatory" for simply stating our restaurant didn't have military discount, and couldn't tell them to leave because we're a corporate location and the higher ups are VERY "the customer is always right!" Dealing with insane people and being unable to get away from them drains us heavily as humans are social creatures 🙁

[@user-mb8rf7qk5q]

Restaurant manager here. It’s beyond hard. I don’t even have the energy to figure out something else. I just got into a new company and it was cool at first but the location blew up and it’s now the hot-spot in the area. The demand is overwhelming and the amount of employees I’m in charge of is overwhelming. 50 people bugging me nonstop. I want to escape.

[@k4metal]

I was researching on emotional exhaustion last night and frankly, none of it was appealing. However, "finding your identity outside of work" gave me something to ponder upon. Thanks 🙂

[@lafandenuel5605]

great resignation is fantastic response to be on that "verge of burnout" in my opinion. If you don't feel valued and appreciated, before you lose your own sense of value and let yourself be wounded, just runaway. You'll find someplace else, they'll find someone else. Nobody can be asked to sacrifice themselves or their health for a project. Because without your health you can't work and you'll have no income to put a roof over your head or food on your plate.

[@solarwinds-]

After a life time of working, doing my best, working nights, weekends, really working hard, I always got a below average assessment from my bosses, no matter where I worked, what job I had, how hard I worked, how smart I worked, I always always always fell short. I felt it was useless for me to try anymore but yet, I had to work or I'd starve. I feel I cannot ever please an employer no matter what the job, career, task. So YES I'm burned out. I HATED working. Thank GOD I retired. I didn't think I could but after talking to a financial advisor, I found I could. So, GOOD BYE WORK WORLD. I HATE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@sapsaFe]

"Depersonalization can consist of a detachment within the self, regarding one's mind or body, or being a detached observer of oneself. Subjects feel they have changed and that the world has become vague, dreamlike, less real, lacking in significance or being outside reality while looking in. It can be described as feeling like one is on “autopilot” and that the person's sense of individuality or selfhood has been hindered or suppressed" This is what depersonalisation feels like, I've been through this myself. The autopilot part is really how it feels like, or like looking at your life through glass, being an observer. Puting depersonalisation and being cynical or on a short fuse and labeling as the same is just wrong.

[@rachaelhoffman-dachelet2763]

But what if in fact there are structural constraints that keep you from being effective? I didn’t burn out (I 100% was clinically burned out) the job changed over time to make it actually impossible to do well. But I reject that I was the one at fault. It wasn’t a lack of self care or some fault in my mental health, it was the structure of my job! I’m a teacher who took early retirement last year.

[@cdheidt]

That’s just a toxic work environment. I’m going into my third year teaching, and I think I understand what you are saying. It’s really difficult to keep a work/life balance. Heck, I feel like a lot of the kids are experiencing burnout, but the fact is they don’t usually have to work.

[@2bfrank657]

If you're in an environment where you CAN'T succeed, the answer is to move on. If you're in this situation, and you don't realize the this quickly enough - that's a recipe for burnout.

[@sp123]

sounds like they did quiet hiring (giving an employee more responsibilities without additional pay)

[@genevalawrence801]

As a fellow educator contemplating leaving the field, I relate strongly to what you've said here.

[@SchoolforHackers]

And as a fellow educator who retired last year I understand.

[@deepSea2006]

the culture in Corporate America is probably a big cause of burnout. I worked for 6 years in Asia and colleagues there, tend to get friendly with time. Some of my good friends are my colleagues from my first job. And then I moved to America and colleagues are just cold and tend to switch out of their work personalities at 5 pm. And workplace conversations are just about work, which is why colleagues remain colleagues.

[@nurainiarsad7395]

absolutely. when my workplace (european corp but the asia company office) basically still left the country offices alone, even though my team was a virtual team across southeast asia, we got to meet about once or twice a year, and we were globally among the best teams for the seamless teamwork and camaraderie. i still catch up with some of them years later whenever i’m in their countries. today, when they try to exert more control over the department and more of the north american culture is dominant over the whole global team whereas we’re no longer allowed to get together as a regional team, it all evaporated. north american way of fostering trust in a team is by making normal human cooperation into an acronymised concept. and then instead of literally just being a genuine friend to your colleagues so that you understand why they might be struggling or snippy, and therefore have a real team culture, you tell staff they should respond to the situation by saying their behaviour “is a lemon” and that’s supposed to be a non confrontational way of reminding them it isn’t helpful or welcome and they should stop it. and somehow the north americans think this is a fantastic idea - the rest of us can’t see how that helped the person with the behaviour grow since all it seems to do is pressure them to repress and internalise it. but hey the north americans are by far the majority now, so no one says anything for fear we’ll be told we are doing a lemon! 👏🏼 fantastic idea to make sure nobody in the team ever says how they really feel!

[@wek33]

we're not allowed to talk about life and general stuff at work. it's the "time to lean, time to clean" culture. work is slavery in north american capitalism. if you aren't going at 100% 100% of the time you will be punished or at least it will reflect badly upon you in the eyes of management and they will hold it against you. the humanity of workers is disrespected and spit on constantly. poverty wages, no time off, no pensions. you're supposed to work until you drop dead on the shop floor; if you didn't already die last night sleeping on the street because you can't afford even the shittiest one bedroom.

[@jimwilliams3816]

I would have liked a last piece about recovering from established long term burnout. This is the hardest, because the preventative measures probably still apply, but they take on the quality of more things you “are supposed to be doing” - more demands. My one criticism of the piece is that I think limiting burnout to work factors creates an incomplete picture. Personal demands can definitely play a role. Single moms is probably the most often cited, though in my case an elderly parent was the biggest factor. The reason I got served this clip is that long term burnout is a big topic at the moment on the neurodivergent channels, ADHD and autism. Neurodivergence adds some tricky variables; it certainly can make you more vulnerable to burnout, and certain neurodivergent traits strongly resemble the symptoms of burnout, which makes untangling what is a result of what that much harder. Not least because some of the traits that resemble burnout may in fact come from experiencing the causes of burnout throughout all areas of a neurodivergent person’s life. These days, this type of ongoing stress is often misattributed as trauma, and I appreciate that this piece talks about stress as a root. I do feel a need to clarify one last thing about that, however: burnout as an outcome is distinguishable from stress, but it flows from persistent stress. If you are trying to preempt burnout, it’s very important not to fall into looking at your situation and going “it’s just stress.” There’s nothing “just” about stress. No one can live a stress free life, just as no one can avoid being exposed to any carcinogens. But too much of either too constantly is likely to lead to health problems, and in the case of stress, those problems are often mental health related. Alas, the concerns often get applied only to whether you have a heart attack or a stroke. But many of us can tell you that breakdowns can be debilitating too. Persistent stress does damage to all systems, especially the prefrontal cortex. It is long past time for business and society to stop pretending that “what does not kill us makes us stronger.”

[@jeplica7011]

Ugh, I went from caregiver burnout to compassion fatigue about 3 years ago, and isolation and getting to a safer situation has been obstructed as I continue to overwork myself in order to push through

[@alittlebindi25]

Every teacher around the world is feeling this. Correction: every good teacher who got into teaching to make a difference and not to enjoy a small power trip. I had to quit for my mental health. Maybe there's another type of job out there for me but being in a classroom isn't it. I'm in South Asia, burnout happened for so many people here in the aftermath of Covid.

[@blurredlines2287]

EXACTLY

[@solo-angel]

I went through a horrible burnout - took 9 months off to recover. My identity was all about work and then with the changes at work it all came crashing down. The first three months off I was just learning how to be human again and how to enjoy life. The second three months I started getting back to my routine, running chores and attending appointments was excruciatingly exhasting. And the last 3 months I was looking for a new job and enjoying things.

[@caulfieldmj]

I took a sabbatical and they repossessed my car 😩

[@highland42]

i'm sorry 😭😭 but this highlights the inevitable hypocrisy of a subject like this. i get she's a psychologist and so she's working on what individuals can do to make themselves happier but the truth is, unless we change the physical conditions of our society burnout will not end. people are getting burned out because of constant exploitation. we can't just take a sabbatical! our bills won't get paid!

[@mommybreakdown]

Lovely video and explanation. Primary caregivers like moms feel this too.

[@bendameron9922]

Oh cool the answer is just to take a sabbatical. Lmao.

[@CarrieMHB222]

Exactly. Most people don’t have the luxury of such time off.

[@wolfdreams2000]

Animal rescuers experience burnout a lot. Those of us who are ADHD,ASD,and an animal rescuer, one always feels on the edge since you absolutely cannot get away for a break

[@pourquoipas971]

A good part of the burn out comes from societal issues. Another part comes from the way one personality reacts to the environment You may try to change external causes .. you can also try to modify the way you react to things..sometimes safety is in leaving the hostile environment you are in .

[@brandon_youtube]

100%

[@alishalimbu4242]

Love this ❤

[@CarrieMHB222]

I’m trying mightily to do just that. I’ve been in burn out for so long though (years….years….years [Jim Halpert voice]), that in order to do what it takes to pull myself out and change the opportunities I qualify for I have to go beyond burn out…whatever that is. ☄️

[@rallye81]

This exactly describes all emergency personnel. In addition to working unusual shifts, covering all times of the day and week, the stresses of dealing with emergent healthcare drastically increase the speed of the onset of burnout.

[@pacer1705]

I will gladly be a psychotherapist and have patients pay me to seek help. I will help them by telling to every one of them this same solution "What do you think you can do to help yourself?" Credits to my psychothreapist who gave me the same help which I paid for.

[@meadowrae1491]

In my last job I felt burnout basically every day, but I couldn't quit because I have a small child and live in an area with limited opportunities. I was there for 7 years.

[@HighCaliberCAM]

As someone who has gone through burnout twice, this is probably the best explanation I've heard about its symptoms. I received zero support from my employer when this happened to me. The first time I went on FMLA and was told that if I came back to work I'd be demoted and placed in another position. The second time, I quit my job without having another job because I was so burnt out my body just stopped functioning. Needless to say, I've been out of work for the past 2 years and have now applied to over 700 companies.

[@psychxx7146]

Sometimes burnout isn’t so much about workload, but the nature of your tasks. When they are not as meaningful as you’d like them to be, when that feeling becomes overwhelming and causes emotional exhaustion, lack of purpose, lack of reward.

[@MishMacky]

Thats not what, "depesonalisation," is. Also, lots of people dont have the means to access the resources needed to recover. Its called poverty and disadvantage.

[@Mr3DLC]

Do it anyway If enough of us die people will have to take notice The Chinese call it bai lan

[@BearingMySeoul]

Right! I was literally thinking: This sounds like everyone who lives in the ghetto. 😏 I’m fortunate to not be in such dire straights anymore but for some people, this is a whole-life experience!

[@zoilalulu3798]

Lol yeah, what guess a cognitive psychologist from Yale know about this, right?

[@matthewnelson325]

I think "Burnout" can manifest itself far, far, far... Beyond work. I believe society its self can also be a source of "Burn" out !

[@jimwilliams3816]

Yep, Robert Sapolsky notes that one of the surest ways to have way too much stress in your life is to be poor, especially if you are born poor. That’s why there is such a life expectancy gap between the classes.

[@richardl772]

Thanks. I’m retired and live alone though I am involved in a few community groups. Can honestly say I identify with all of the burn out markers and was amazed to hear them described so accurately and lucidly. Am confused as to how i can diminish my ‘symptoms’ since I am already steeped in downtime. I am totally and utterly emotionally exhausted and exhausted too from trying to find solutions. Finally I look at things I’d like to do but am no longer able to do because of my age and lack of money…..

[@timumbra2476]

Where I’m from there’s really no help for that type of stuff, best thing to do is drink ( what most do in the area ). Used to work 12-13 hour work days for minimum wage and didn’t have days off so yeah booze is a friend sometimes when burnout happens

[@JinKee]

Laughs in software engineer

[@RantKid]

Snickers in special education teacher. I actually started as a computer science major and dropped it because despite doing OK my eyes were gonna fall out. And then I chose a more burnout of a career 😅

[@krisxaero]

you get paid a lot for that burnout.

[@TDefton]

Literally 😅

[@ENDESGA]

@@krisxaeroyeah I was just about to say, my programmer friend gets like $200K/an, they complain but they get all the cash

[@kathrynroitz]

There's no amount I could be paid that would be worth the stress of dev, unless I happened to be the scrum master.

[@havabrownkittycat7107]

I appreciate that you go right to the elements of burnout and then move on to the factors behind those elements without some long drawn out introductory history taking up space until you get to the point. Thank you. Well done.

[@rashawndaholmes2651]

My burnout came from overextending myself to my family.. I was so emotional and had no self control.. I could no longer work as my emotional state kept me negative.. once I targeted the real issue.. I separated myself from it all.. I let go of my family and took time for myself.. I forgave myself for putting myself through hardship.. and focused on my health.. forgave my family and let go of the past.. I stopped allowing that loud voice telling me negative things.. and embraced the love I found within me.. I learned to let go.. I found myself.. and saved my life! This is an amazing video.. it helped me understand what I was going through.. thank you! 😊

[@danielpintard7382]

scary how well it describes the symptoms i’ve been experiencing this summer

[@rickywinthrop]

Im all these thing all the time for 15 years as a plumber. Hated it since day one but have bills to pay and mouths to feed. I figured I was just a weak asshole, shrugged it off and carried on. Every waking moment feels like a waste and I passively contemplate ending it all daily. I also figured that was just how everybody felt all the time because the culture at work is Macho and people never really talk about these things. Weird. Did a mindfullness meditation course and It was helpful but I still cant shake that nagging feeling that everything is completely futile, meaningless and that suffering is the rule rather than the exception. My curiosity keeps me alive so there's no real chance for self harm but If not for that I would have nipped life in the bud ages ago. I take virtually no joy in life 90% of the time and even when I'm not working I spend most of that time in fear of having to go back so even leisure time is wasted on work. Friday evening is the only time my mind feels free but by Saturday I'm already dreading Monday. What's the point of all this? I have made a great upper middle class lifestyle out of this but that comfort has seemingly no effect on my mindstate. Sometimes I feel moving into a tent in the woods and living a subsistence lifestyle would be less demeaning and stressful to my soul than this crushing modern lifestyle I can't seem to escape. There I go being weak again. Literally off to work after typing this.

[@martinebon4333]

feel your pain man. In my case, I had to focus on whats important to me. Friends and Family, without these 2 factors I would have been dead 8 years ago from burnout. Nothing seemed to matter, but Ive always thought of the image of my family and friends crying over me.

[@Clint945]

As a fellow academic, i find it really very insulting that she said "oh i just took a sabbatical to fix my issues". Most people can't do that, and suggestions like that are utterly pointless. The burnout stems *from* an inability to stop working, an inability to control your circumstances, little to no reward for your work, and the apathy that comes with those things. This speaker is a professor, head of department (i.e. has been heavily rewarded for their work), and was able to take a sabbatical (i.e. has complete control of their workflow) and they have the audacity to pretend that this is any sort of solution for the vast majority of people? Further, while she does - very briefly - talk about organisations needing to change their approach to work, she spends most of her time talking about how *you* need to change *your* approach to work. Cause clearly, its the worker that's mostly at fault here. *You* haven't managed *your* workload effectively, *you* haven't taken time for *your* hobbies and interests, *you* identify too strongly with *your* work. Shifting blame and responsibility onto the worker and not the employer or the structural systems behind the work... Horrible attitude. Even worse that its held by a researcher in the field.

[@briansmutti]

i agree! when psychologists or psychiatrists pathologize normal human emotions and blame everything on the individual, rather than the system that is servile to the rich and powerful … all it means is that we have commodified the disenfranchised members of society! when laws are passed to allow the billionaires to underpay workers and overcharge/gouge customers and pay no taxes themselves - we have become the new slaves i can’t stand it when these people blame the individual for their plight! it’s like they’re telling the poor to “shut up and be a nice, compliant, lowly slave” 🤢 yeah “sabbatical”! ha! just what IS sabbatical for minimum-wage earners?

[@aricarly]

I have had the opportunity of taking almost 6 sabbatical years in my life (and I'm not even 30), not because I wanted, but because I was basically forced to take them due to my "outstanding" health... I know that not many people are able to take them and most are forced to keep studying and working and praying that they don't drop dead from exhaustion any day, but still somehow I feel very "behind" in life due to barely being able to finish university and with almost zero work experience, yet most people my age (mid to late 20s) are starting to reach "milestones" such as having a stable job, a business, a proper career, buying houses, cars, being able to afford nicer things. I know that I cannot overwork myself unless I want to die somewhat young or maybe middle aged, so I know I have to seek a career that allows me to have a modest lifestyle while not wearing myself down. Because I know if I did a demanding job, eventually I will have to spend all the money earned in hospital bills.

[@airingcupboard]

This definitely happened to me. I should have sought help. It was like being on an out of control rollercoaster. Absolutely horrible. The mismatch thing is very real as is the depersonalisation.

[@TheKim369]

I was in that place, perhaps you live around more resources, I knew I needed help and would have taken it, but from where? And what I really needed was a break from the endless grind, squeezing in an hour for counselling, and as much as another hour for getting there and back and finding and paying for a sitter wasn't going to provide any amount of relief.

[@scofah]

I appreciated that there wasn't very much background music. It is so anxiety producing. This was nice that there wasn't too much background music. Thank you for your video.

[@JazzyJae88]

This is me as a nurse. I’m 15 years in and some point during Covid I feel like something left my body. I was ICU nursing the entire pandemic. My soul was sucked out of me and I have yet to recover.

[@lostgallifreyan6436]

I hit burnout about a month before I was laid off, and I was in a bad enough place that I was happy to suddenly find myself jobless. It's been four months, and I can't say I'm completely better, but I don't feel like spending the rest of eternity curled up asleep in a blanket burrito anymore.

[@henokhsatrio8804]

I feel like I can't work anymore. I'm scared all the time especially in the morning, and nothing can heal my fatigue

[@lysadamour7645]

Same here and I have no choice to not work.

[@henokhsatrio8804]

@@lysadamour7645 I hope you're doing okay. Stay strong. I decided to resign last september after 8 years working as IT admin. in a small hospital, because I was so depressed, it was a very toxic environment, they don't appreciate hard working. They didn't even give me a laptop even after 8 years and many times I had to spend my own money to support the corporate. The leaders don't show any regret even they know they can't provide. My body was getting sick, can't do it anymore. Even until now my future is still a mystery, but there's no other choice except being strong.

[@bonbontalks]

I took a break after years of saving for it but now the problem is the opposite. I now have zero interest on going back and wasn't even sure that I have the capacity to go back. How you act during the sabbatical is also important and only take a break if you have a clear plan on what's next. I thought I had plans but they're mostly ideas that bounced off my head. My learning is that I should've had a fixed time and should've set my plans into action before I even went on a break.

[@geraldjuvejr.6171]

This is something that makes sense on paper, but not in the real world (at least in America). Some corporations may talk about (or even offer help with) mental health/ well-being, but have business practices that completely contradict it. Many of us are getting by paycheck to paycheck and telling our boss we can't work a mandatory weekend because there's always a 'hot job/order' because we need a break (which even if that worked there is house work to catch up on) usually does not go over well.

[@mariorivjoa350]

Doing the same thing over the days, weeks, and years even if you liked it at the begging after a while you just think that you should be doing something else and from my personal perspective it is worst when is a sedentary work. Also, the feeling that you cannot really stop doing this because you need the income these things are not cured with a book or sudden motivation.

[@6minus3minus2]

This hit me right in the stomach. It's a relief to hear it described by a professional.

[@constantinela8852]

THank you! I have been feeling tired and short tempered for ages and don't know why. It's obvious that I've made my identity my work and profession and lack a social life. I'm getting this taken care of now!

[@invisiblejaguar1]

This was really insightful. I thought I might have been on the brink of burnout, but now I feel reassured. Thank you BT for this video, always helps when an expert is on the case.

[@408sophon]

I especially like this guest and her speaking style. Been feeling burned out as I’m cutting my teeth in the field of network engineering. My god I wasn’t expecting so much to line up 😂

[@_________________________.-]

You just described all what I felt right now

[@regevvino]

so please take care of yourself better! rest, be forgiving to yourself, and promote steps to bring yourself to better circumstances. (hey from israel!)

[@blurredlines2287]

@@regevvinoyou can’t adequately take care of yourself in a sick society. The only sane option is to leave.

[@andrewrivera4029]

OMG I’ve been burnt out for over 30 years! Even after I retired the burnout has sort of been programmed into me to where I seek it’s familiar feeling as a substitute for actual feelings. Scary but now I have been trying to move back to positive personal interactions.

[@Liusila]

I thought I’d been just stressed and tired when work became unbearable, and it seemed like there wouldn’t be an end in sight. A colleague insisted I call for help to anyone in charge despite my protests of helplessness. I almost broke down in tears during the first call. Months later I am still feeling the effects - don’t underestimate your exhaustion and don’t take it all on yourself, whatever falls apart in the process.

[@kirandeepchakraborty7921]

So important that we have these conversations ❤

[@zhongmingyuan52]

I wish I hear this 9 months ago. Thanks Dr and all mental health workers helping me.

[@annabelle.112]

I'm in such a bad company, they think I take sick leave to be on holidays, they gaslight me to the point that I don't feel legitimate while I know exactly how I felt the past year. I saw myself in all the description.

[@jamiekenta]

I thought these were just the symptoms of adulthood

[@sp123]

pretty much

[@genevalawrence801]

If you live in the US, yes.

[@a24396]

Wow... I've been burned out since 2017...

[@cmmndln]

the awkard definiton of burnt-out shared here shows it is much more cultural and socio-economic related than we care to admit Burnt-out in Europe is defined differently and treated and prevented differently

[@JellyFlavoredGerman]

I retired from the music industry in 2019 because of burnout. 14 hour work days, never a day off, waking up in a different country every day for weeks at a time, no time for friends or family and all for less money than I would have earned at McDonald's despite playing arenas in front of thousands of people. I became disillusioned, despondent and angry and started going down the alt-right rabbit hole. I didn't know at the time it was burnout. I couldn't bring myself to pick up my drumsticks anymore. I didn't want to be around music, and I felt like it was all pointless. For the past four years even something as small as someone suggesting I play or teach again has been painful. I'm finally able to put some words to my emotions after 3 years of therapy and then getting diagnosed with both ADHD and Autism. I'm starting to want to play again.

[@SimoneBamboo]

I HATE that she only framed burnout within the context of work

[@ElectricNed]

I would love to see a follow-up version of this on parenthood, especially about parents of special needs children. I feel the symptoms but don't have the same options for addressing burnout as I would if it were employment.

[@spacemanmat]

Yeah the video seemed very work focused, what happens when your at home can be just as hard.

[@Sagealeena]

Do you have options for carer respite? In Australia if you’re on NDIS then your kids would get a support worker so you don’t need to be a carer all of the time, and you could have respite sometimes too

[@ElectricNed]

@@Sagealeena No, in the US reapit care is locked behind a significant wall of bureaucracy and only available the the most desperate cases with the most persistent caregivers. Everyone else is expected to quietly subside into the depths of unsupported disorderes mental health disorder and all the other consequences that flow from that.

[@allisonsmith8025]

​@@Sagealeena*laughs in 'Merican*

[@christinapretorius2234]

It’s as simple as closing your legs and not having children. That’s a very intentional decision you made, whether to have a child or keep a pregnancy and it doesn’t sound like you did nearly enough research before having spawn. Stop whining about your poor choices.

[@thephilguy1]

I've had this since 2016 when I finished my grad program, especially #3 because it truly feels like nothing I do is ever enough. I can't get a job in my field and stuck doing entry level stupid positions or temping for the last however many years cause no matter how many resumes, how much networking, etc. I do, it's all BS. The system only rewards being in the right place at the right time when an employer needs to fill a position. I keep thinking of going back to do a PhD but I just can't fathom getting through it when the work always leaves me with the sense of emotional exhaustion described in the video, and my future seems like I have no control over it no matter what I do. In short, damned if I do, damned if I don't.

[@143tequila]

It’s so bad! And it gets worse unless you take action. I’m dealing with agoraphobia because I ignored taking care of myself.

[@erindabney2758]

So the answer to burnout is to do even more stuff? I actually do a lot of stuff as far as hobbies and spending time with people who aren’t co-workers. I’ve never staked my identity in my job because I’ve never had a job that has anything to do with who I feel I am. The tech companies and education debt zapped my chances of engaging my talents and interests for steady, existence-sustaining income generation. I’m completely burned out and very lonely. I was fired by my therapist, so I pack my non-work hours with activities I enjoy, eschew things I don’t enjoy (aka cleaning domicile) and just hope my human existence terminates soon.

[@TanaChiarantano]

"So I took a sabbatical"... Me, a working class person in a third world country: "Am i a joke to you?"