What is burnout and what causes it?

WHO classifies burnout as an occupational phenomenon rather than a disease. That is why burnout is considered in the context of working conditions: when demands consistently exceed the support available, an employee’s resources become depleted. Burnout symptoms therefore tell us as much about the organisation of work as they do about wellbeing.

What are the symptoms of burnout?

Burnout symptoms can affect mental health and personal life as well as professional functioning. They span three dimensions:

• emotional – emotional exhaustion, irritability, mood swings, helplessness, reduced motivation, low self-esteem and emotional distance;
• physical – chronic fatigue, lack of energy and psychosomatic symptoms such as headaches, muscle tension, sleep disturbances and digestive problems;
• behavioral – difficulty concentrating, reduced effectiveness, procrastination, social withdrawal and avoiding responsibilities — or, conversely, excessive work at the expense of recovery.

How does exhaustion present in burnout?

Exhaustion is tiredness that does not improve with rest. The body becomes more susceptible to infections, tension headaches return, and things that once brought pleasure no longer do so (anhedonia).

In practice, Monday begins with the same level of fatigue as Friday afternoon, and coffee no longer provides a boost. The stages-of-burnout model describes using caffeine or alcohol to regulate mood as a sign of the chronic stress phase. Their physiological background is explained in our expert article on burnout.

How can you recognise distancing from work?

Distancing is a defence mechanism: the nervous system tries to shut out further sources of stress. In relationships, it appears as indifference, coldness and irony towards colleagues or clients; in tasks, as mechanical work without initiative.

For example, someone who used to contribute ideas in meetings falls silent or makes sarcastic comments and withdraws from additional projects.

What does a reduced sense of effectiveness look like?

Before effectiveness declines, the warning sign can be the opposite.

‘We often fail to notice that the first sign of burnout is not reluctance to work, but excessive and chaotic activity.’ – notes Andrzej Silczuk, MD, PhD, DSc, psychiatrist and Head of Mental Care at Benefit Systems.

Someone experiencing reduced effectiveness tries to compensate by working overtime, at the expense of recovery. This starts a vicious cycle. Routine tasks take increasingly longer, and chronic tension, irritability and helplessness emerge.

What might a manager notice at work?

A manager sees changes in behaviour rather than internal feelings: mistakes by someone who previously made none, reduced engagement, longer task completion times and withdrawal. It is not worth waiting until sick leave becomes the warning sign. According to a Hays report, 79% of exhausted Gen Z employees have never taken sick leave because of burnout.

‘A leader is not there to act as the team’s therapist, but is responsible for helping create a safe environment,’ emphasises Associate Professor Andrzej Silczuk.

In practice, this means discussing workload and priorities, and pointing people towards available support, such as a psychologist. The speed of the response also matters. According to Gallup, employees who frequently experience burnout are 2.6 times more likely to be actively looking for another job.

How can you tell whether it is burnout, fatigue or depression?

Ordinary fatigue usually improves with recovery, whereas burnout lasts longer and primarily concerns working life. It can, however, coexist with depression. If persistent sadness, loss of interest outside work or a clear decline in functioning occurs, it is worth seeking professional psychological support. The Multi.Life platform offers consultations with psychologists and development coaches.

These differences are discussed in more detail in our guide to burnout, while steps you can take yourself are described in our article on recovering from burnout.