The World Health Organization defines burn out as an occupational phenomenon and a “syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed”.


It is characterized by three dimensions:

  • Feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion
  • Increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one's job
  • Reduced professional efficacy

Burn-out is essentially a step ahead of fatigue and makes it difficult for a person to cope and handle day-to- day challenges. During burn-out phase a small challenge may look like a mountain, making one feel helpless, negative, depressed, and out of focus.

Burn-out can be a result of unhealthy system or culture at workplace or it can result from unreasonably high expectation or unrealistically pushing one’s own limit. This phase demands slowing down or going easy to enable us to bounce back.

The classic symptoms of burn-out are:

  • Increased negative feeling towards the work and workplace (not people)
  • Feeling of bunking the office or desperately waiting for sign-off
  • Lack of motivation for day-to day work task (task that works on reflex)
  • Getting away from new responsibility or assignment
  • Wanting to leave early or going on a long break/vacation
  • Unhealthy weight gain and other somatic complaints

Identifying and understanding burn out is essential in overcoming the condition and for overall Well-being. Let’s take a look at the phases of burnout as outlined by Psychologists Herbert Freudenberg and Gail North.

  • Excessive drive/ambition
    Observed in people starting a new job or undertaking a dream assignment, high on ambition or expectation from self or team members.
  • Pushing oneself to work harder
    Considering it is the coolest way to work and prove efficiency.
  • Neglecting one’s needs
    Such as sleep, self-care, family and social time, exercise, and eating well.
  • Displacement of conflict
    Instead of acknowledging the fact that you have reached a threshold level, one tends to blame others for their decreased performance or inefficiency.
  • No time or overlooking nonwork-related needs
    Prioritizing work over every other thing even on relaxed days at work.
  • Denial
    Your way is right and that is how it should be, and others are incompetent or lazy.
  • Behavioral changes
    Such as napping out frequently, getting aggressive and vulnerable, withdrawing, detachment, feeling out of sync with life, increased anxiety and feeling of void.
  • Somatic complaints
    Like heart diseases, disturbed sleep patterns, unpleasant-work-related, or fearful dreams, high blood pressure and vulnerability to illness.

In this part the focus is on understanding burn-out and its impact on well-being. In the next release we will understand how one can deal with burn-out without compromising on their goals and ambitions.