Amy was at the peak of her career in 2020.
She was the marketing executive at one of the world's largest healthcare companies, and she worked under constant pressure.
She felt dizzy while hosting an event.
"I thought I was dehydrated or hadn't eaten enough, but the feeling wouldn't go away."
"Everything has been a blur to me since then," she says.
She remembers hearing a constant "rustling sound," which she described to her husband as "seasick and drunk on a boat" or "like I was made of watercolors."
"Suddenly I felt like I had a disability."
Amy had to go on sick leave for several months.
"My mental health has deteriorated."
"I was losing consciousness in the shower, I couldn't take care of the children."
"It was my body's way of saying, 'No! Stop!'"
Brain fog, chronic fatigue, and loss of enthusiasm for work are signs of burnout that can often go unnoticed, but if ignored can have serious health consequences.
Only recently did Amy realize that she had burnout syndrome.
There were warning signs, she was exhausted.
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The term "burnout" was coined several decades ago by Christina Maslach, professor emeritus of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley.
He describes it as "chronic workplace stress that is not managed appropriately."
It is not a medical condition or diagnosis and cannot be treated as such, she explains.
In 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) recognized her work on burnout syndrome and defined clear symptoms.
"We are working too, too hard," warns Professor Heejung Chung, director of the Global Institute for Women's Leadership at King's College London.
"The 'always-on' culture that has developed with the spread of digitalization further fuels burnout - workers cannot physically and psychologically detach themselves from work."
Professor Chung warns that burnout is a global problem and in some countries affects more than 70 percent of employees.
There are also financial consequences.
According to a 2024 study by insurance company Axa, burnout costs the United Kingdom (UK) economy more than £102 billion (almost €122 billion) annually.
Chronic stressors are to blame, and at work, these are most often factors that are beyond our control.
A 2020 survey of 20.000 employees in Germany found that 60 percent of them were required to multitask, 48 percent felt pressured to meet deadlines and perform, 46 percent faced frequent interruptions, and 34 percent constantly worked at a fast pace.
Although burnout syndrome is mostly associated with paid work, researchers are increasingly noticing it in students, parents, and caregivers.
Psychotherapist Dr. Claire Plumbly points out that women are disproportionately affected by this phenomenon,
"The so-called 'second shift', or unpaid work at home, is overwhelmingly borne by women," she says.
Noticing symptoms
In addition to fatigue and exhaustion, experts warn that you should pay attention to two key signs that indicate burnout syndrome - an increasingly cynical attitude towards the work you do and a negative view of yourself.
Dr. Plumbly says you may not even notice such phenomena in your work.
In terms of productivity, he gives examples of a teacher who prepares a lecture plan by writing down only one note, or an employee who does not prepare for a meeting or presentation.
Many people dream of escaping from everything.
"Maybe you're thinking about how to escape, you have fantasies about someone taking over your responsibilities."
"I've had patients tell me, 'I wish I had the coronavirus,'" she says.
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Five stages of combustion
- Honeymoon - During this period, you agree to everything, but you ignore how much time it takes to get something done. You take on too many responsibilities and as a result, stress starts to pile up.
- Withdrawal - You start to give up on things that were important to you before, like going out or hanging out with friends. You lose interest in activities you once enjoyed. Focusing on work becomes a challenge, and brain fog may also occur.
- Demotivisanost - Constant irritability turns into apathy. A sense of alienation may become more pronounced - as if you are not fully present in your own life. There may be a loss of empathy because you no longer have the strength to empathize with others. Ultimately, you feel under-achieved and incompetent.
- Combustion - When employees reach the burnout stage, they feel completely exhausted, physically and emotionally. You may continue to work, but you will find it difficult to maintain a daily routine.
- Complete collapse (closure) - In the final stages, a person can barely get out of bed. Previous generations described this as a "nervous breakdown." Therapists have documented cases of people who completely shut down - some were unable to speak or leave the house, while others had severe panic attacks. Recovery can take months, even years.
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Six factors that increase the risk of burnout
- Workload - Feeling overwhelmed, too much work and too little time or resources to get it done.
- Lack of control - Low degree of autonomy in making everyday decisions.
- Insufficient awards and recognition - No recognition or reward for a job well done. Feeling like you are a small cog in a big system, without a clear view of the end result.
- Disintegration of community in the workplace - Lack of support in relationships with managers, colleagues, patients, or clients that makes it difficult to solve problems. Working in a toxic environment where there is a risk of psychological abuse and humiliation.
- Lack of justice - Discrimination, inequality in the workplace or barriers to advancement, such as the "glass ceiling".
- Conflict of values - Finding little meaning in your job or working in an environment where your work ethic is the opposite of your own.
Burnout recovery
Professor Sabine Zonentag researched employees' ability to mentally detach from work after a hard day's work.
She found that the incidence of emotional exhaustion and burnout was lower in employees who "mentally distanced themselves from work after facing high demands."
Dr. Claire Plumbly advises finding one person you can turn to, who "maybe can show you that light at the end of the tunnel."
It doesn't have to be an expert, it can be a friend or colleague.
"Contrary to popular belief, you don't have to make drastic changes in your life, like quitting your job, to successfully recover from burnout," says Dr. Claire Ashley, author of The Burnout Doctor (The Burnout Doctor).
He advises you to focus on three key areas - control over the work you do, your well-being, and a supportive environment.
To understand what is within your control, Dr. Ashley recommends doing the online exercise Covey's Sphere of Control, which will help you understand what you can realistically influence.
The exercise asks questions, such as: "If I can't control or influence this, can I accept it?"
She cites the work of Dr. Russ Harris who analyzed challenging situations through three options: leave, stay and live according to your values, or stay and not be productive.
Although these exercises were created to improve the mental health of people in difficult circumstances, Harris has worked extensively in refugee camps in collaboration with the World Health Organization.
Dr. Ashley says these principles can be applied to any difficult situation, including recovery from burnout.
"The fourth stage of burnout recovery is determining your own values, and this is crucial to do because every decision you make from then on must be consistent with those values," she explains.
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