What is burnout?
The WHO describes burnout in its International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) as a syndrome resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. It is classified as an occupational phenomenon, and the WHO is explicit that it is not classified as a medical condition.
The WHO definition refers only to work. It should not be used to describe exhaustion from other areas of life, such as caring for family. That kind of strain is real too; our stress page covers it.
What are the signs of burnout?
The WHO names three dimensions:
- Feeling depleted or exhausted
- Mental distance from your job, or feeling negative and cynical about it
- Reduced professional efficacy: feeling less effective or accomplished at work
How can burnout affect daily life?
Burnout researchers Christina Maslach and Michael Leiter describe it as a prolonged response to chronic stressors on the job. Exhaustion can make the working week feel like something to survive, cynicism can strain relationships with colleagues, and a falling sense of accomplishment can chip away at confidence.
Burnout and depression are closely linked and can feed each other, but they are not the same. Maslach and Leiter describe burnout as job-related and situation-specific, while depression is more general. If low mood, hopelessness or loss of interest spread beyond work into the rest of your life, read our depression page and consider speaking to a professional.
What causes burnout?
Burnout grows out of working conditions, not personal weakness. Maslach and Leiter identify six areas where a mismatch between a person and their job raises the risk: workload, control, reward, community, fairness and values. The WHO lists similar psychosocial risks at work, including:
- Excessive workloads or pace, and understaffing
- Long, unsocial or inflexible hours
- Little control over how work is designed or shared
- Limited support from colleagues, or authoritarian supervision
- Harassment or bullying
- Job insecurity, inadequate pay or little investment in career development
What helps with burnout?
Because burnout comes from work, lasting change usually involves the work itself: workload, boundaries, support and, sometimes, the role. The WHO recommends that employers address psychosocial risks through organisational changes to working conditions, and Maslach and Leiter note that most efforts so far have focused on individuals even though situational factors play a major role.
Talking to a therapist can still help. Therapy can help you look honestly at what is driving the exhaustion, set limits, rebuild rest and recovery, and plan conversations or decisions about work. It can also pick up anxiety or depression that has developed alongside burnout. For managers and HR teams, our workplace mental health guide covers what organisations can do.
Common misconceptions about burnout
- "Burnout is a medical diagnosis." The WHO classifies it as an occupational phenomenon, not a medical condition.
- "Burnout is the same as depression." They are linked but distinct; burnout is tied to work, depression affects life more broadly (Maslach and Leiter).
- "It is a personal failing." Burnout is a response to chronic workplace stress, and job conditions such as workload, control and fairness play a major role (WHO; Maslach and Leiter).
- "Any exhaustion is burnout." The WHO definition applies to work only.
When to seek professional support
- Exhaustion has lasted for weeks or months and rest no longer restores you
- You dread work, feel numb or cynical about it, or feel you can no longer do your job well
- Sleep, health or relationships are suffering
- Low mood, constant worry or loss of interest are spreading beyond work
- You are relying on alcohol or other substances to get through the week
- You have thoughts of harming yourself: get urgent help now
