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Job burnout: Understand symptoms and take action
Discover if you're at risk of burnout, and what you can do when your job begins to affect your health and happiness.
By Mayo Clinic staffIt's time to head back to work after your brief vacation. You have a demanding job and carry a great deal of responsibility on your shoulders. Even though your time off was relaxing, you dread going back to work. A trusted friend says you may have job burnout.
Maybe you've started to wonder yourself whether you have job burnout. Or maybe — like many people — you've just tried to ignore the issue all together and deny there's a problem. A closer look at job burnout and why you may have it can help you face the problem and take action before it affects your health.
What is job burnout?
Burnout is a state of physical, emotional and mental exhaustion caused by long-term exposure to demanding work situations. Burnout is the cumulative result of stress.
Who's at risk of job burnout?
You may be more likely to have job burnout if:
- You identify so strongly with work that you lack a reasonable balance between work and your personal life
- You try to be everything to everyone
- Your job is monotonous
- You feel you have little or no control over your work
- You work in a helping profession, such as health care, counseling, teaching or law enforcement
(1 of 2)
- Simmons K. A cure for burnout: Management strategies for prevention. Contract Management. 2001;31(3):20-22.
- Stanley TL. Burnout: A manager's worst nightmare. Supervision. 2001;62(8):3-ff.
