Burnout Syndrome: Symptoms and Ways to Recover

What is burnout syndrome and what are its symptoms? Read about the difference between burnout and depression, the effects of work stress and ways to recover.

The weight that settles over you when the alarm rings on Monday mornings, a tiredness that does not go away even if you rest at the weekend, and a growing distance from a job you once did with pleasure... These may be familiar signs of the experience of burnout syndrome, or "burnout" as it is commonly called, which has been talked about a great deal in recent years. Burnout is a state of physical, emotional and mental exhaustion that develops from work stress that has not been managed over a long period. It is an experience that can affect not only people who work very hard, but anyone with a heavy burden of responsibility, who feels unappreciated, or who works in conditions where control is not in their hands. In this article I look at the symptoms of burnout, its causes, how it differs from depression, and ways that can help you recover.

What Is Burnout Syndrome?

Burnout syndrome is described as a condition that emerges when chronic work stress has not been successfully managed. The World Health Organization classifies burnout not as a medical illness but as an "occupational phenomenon" related to working life. In other words, burnout arises not from a person's weakness but from a long-term imbalance between the person and their working conditions.

Burnout is generally described through three core dimensions:

• A feeling of exhaustion: Running out of energy, constant tiredness and feeling emotionally drained.
• Distance from the job and cynicism: Developing coldness, indifference and a negative attitude towards the job, colleagues or the people being served.
• Reduced sense of efficacy: Feeling inadequate however hard you work, losing the sense of achievement, and a drop in productivity.

The concept of burnout first drew attention in professions requiring intense human contact, such as healthcare workers, teachers and social workers. Today it is known to occur in many different groups, from office workers to freelancers, from entrepreneurs to people providing care at home. Unseen responsibilities such as domestic labour and child or elder care can also lead to a similar exhaustion.

What Are the Symptoms of Burnout Syndrome?

Burnout often does not appear suddenly; it develops slowly over months. For this reason, the first signs can easily be overlooked.

Physical symptoms

• Tiredness and exhaustion that do not go away even after sleep,
• Headaches, muscle tension, neck and back pain,
• Difficulty falling asleep or waking often,
• Falling ill often, stomach and digestive problems,
• Changes in appetite.

Emotional symptoms

• A reluctance that fills you at the thought of going to work in the morning,
• Getting irritated quickly, intolerance and impatience,
• Feeling helpless, trapped or like a failure,
• Becoming emotionally numb and distant,
• Things that once excited you no longer feeling meaningful.

Behavioural symptoms

• Procrastinating and struggling to complete tasks,
• Withdrawing from colleagues and social settings,
• Taking time off more often or arriving late to work,
• Turning to food, caffeine, alcohol or cigarettes to cope with stress,
• Being unable to put work out of your mind even at weekends and on holiday.

Experiencing some of these symptoms from time to time does not by itself mean burnout or another mental health problem. But if the symptoms have lasted for weeks and are getting worse, it is important to stop and listen to yourself.

What Is the Difference Between Burnout and Depression?

Burnout and depression share many symptoms: tiredness, lack of motivation, difficulty concentrating and hopelessness can be seen in both. The main difference between them is that burnout is, at least at the start, largely linked to work or a particular area of responsibility. A burnt-out person may feel partly restored when they move away from work, for example on a long holiday.

In depression, low mood and loss of pleasure generally spread to all areas of life. The person finds no enjoyment, not only at work but with their family, friends and hobbies. That said, burnout that is not addressed for a long time can lay the ground for depression. Because the two conditions can overlap, it is important for the distinction to be made by a specialist. For more information on the signs of depression, you can read the article on symptoms of depression.

What Causes Burnout?

Burnout is the result not of a single bad day but of burdens accumulated over a long time. Common causes include:

• Excessive workload: Tasks that must constantly be caught up on, unrealistic targets and no time left to rest.
• Lack of control: Having no say in decisions about your work, unpredictable changes.
• Lack of recognition: Feeling that your effort is not seen and not rewarded.
• Value conflict: The work you do not matching your own values.
• Perceived unfairness: Thinking that people are not treated equally at work and that there is favouritism.
• Lack of support: Not getting enough support from managers and colleagues, being left alone.
• Personal factors: Perfectionism, being unable to say "no," a desire to control everything, and a tendency to measure your worth only by your achievements.

Suppose an employee takes over the work of two team members who have left and has been checking emails in the evenings and at weekends for months. Although at first they think, "I'll get through this period," what they thought was a temporary busy spell becomes permanent. Over time their sleep is disrupted, they become impatient with their family and start to cool towards the job they love. In this example, burnout is the result not of the person's lack of resilience but of a load that went unbalanced for a long time.

Working life and burnout in Turkey

In Turkey, many employees live at an intense pace, with long working hours, hours spent in traffic in big cities, and the economic pressure created by the high cost of living. Worry about making a living can make it harder for a person to leave a job they are struggling in or to set boundaries. Common sayings such as "Be grateful you have a job" can prevent a person experiencing burnout from voicing their difficulty.

The blurring of boundaries between work and home with remote and hybrid working has also created a new burden. Messages arriving outside working hours, the expectation of being constantly online, and a corner of the home turning into an office make it hard for the mind to truly step away from work. For working women in particular, home and care responsibilities added to the workload can raise the risk of burnout. People working in fields requiring intense emotional labour, such as healthcare workers, teachers and those who took part in relief efforts after the 6 February 2023 earthquakes, may also struggle more.

The picture is no different for young people at the start of their careers. In periods when finding a job is harder, many young employees who say "yes" to every request for fear of losing their first job, accept overtime as normal and see rest as a luxury can experience intense exhaustion in the very first years of working life. Comparing yourself with people who always seem productive and successful on social media can also increase the pressure of "I should be doing more."

What Can You Do to Recover From Burnout?

Recovery often happens not suddenly but through small but consistent changes.

Acknowledge the burnout

The first step is to see your situation not as a "weakness" but as a sign that needs attention. Try asking yourself, instead of "Why can't I cope?", "What is too much for me, and what do I need?"

Clarify your boundaries

Not checking emails and messages outside working hours, turning off phone notifications, and being able to say "no" to unrealistic demands are important ways of protecting your boundaries. Setting boundaries may create a feeling of guilt at first, but in the long run it protects both you and your work.

Take real breaks during the day

Changing your surroundings, even briefly, rather than eating at your desk, taking a few minutes' walk or doing breathing exercises helps the mind to rest. Breaks do not reduce productivity; they often increase it.

Revive the areas outside work that do you good

Because burnout directs all of life's energy into work, hobbies, friendships and restful activities are usually the first things lost. Setting aside a few hours a week just for things that do you good helps you gather your energy again.

Don't neglect your basic needs

Regular sleep, balanced eating and movement reduce the effects of stress on the body. Trying to suppress tiredness with caffeine, sugar or alcohol may seem to help in the short term but sustains the cycle in the long term.

Redefine success

Many people experiencing burnout measure their worth only by what they produce. Judging whether a day went well by the number of tasks completed can lead you to see rest as "wasted time." At the end of your day, try looking not only at what you finished but also at how you treated yourself, who you connected with and what did you good. Broadening the definition of success eases the pressure you put on yourself.

Notice small gains

In the recovery process, improvement does not usually follow a straight line; good and hard days can follow one another. Getting through an evening without looking at emails, genuinely resting during a lunch break, or gently setting a boundary on a request are small but valuable steps. Noticing and noting these steps helps you see that change is happening.

Look for support at work

If possible, try talking to your manager about your workload, your priorities and expectations. Redistributing tasks, flexible working arrangements or a short period of leave can make an important contribution to recovery. Sharing your experiences with colleagues you trust can also make you feel you are not alone.

When Should You Seek Professional Support for Burnout Syndrome?

If one or more of the following applies to you, talking to a mental health professional can be helpful:

• If your tiredness does not go away despite resting,
• If burnout has started to affect your life outside work, your relationships and your family life,
• If you feel constant hopelessness, worthlessness or helplessness,
• If there are marked changes in your sleep and appetite,
• If you have turned to alcohol or other substances to cope with stress.

If physical symptoms are marked, it is important to see a doctor first so that possible medical causes can be ruled out. If your hopelessness has turned into thoughts of harming yourself or ending your life, please do not try to carry this alone, and in an emergency call 112 (Turkey's emergency services). Whether medication support is needed is determined by a psychiatrist's assessment.

How Is Burnout Addressed in Therapy?

In therapy, burnout is approached not only as an individual problem but as a reflection of the relationship between the person and their working conditions. Cognitive behavioural therapy is one of the approaches often used in this process.

The following topics are generally worked on in the therapy process:

• Mapping sources of stress: Together you identify which situations, demands and relationships drain your energy.
• Examining thought patterns: Beliefs that feed burnout, such as "I must do everything perfectly" and "If I say no, I'll be seen as worthless," are addressed.
• Boundary-setting and communication skills: Work focuses on responding to demands in a healthy way and expressing your needs clearly.
• A rest and recovery plan: The aim is to build restful activities and breaks into daily life in a planned way.
• Values and meaning: What your work and your life mean to you, and which changes would be better for you, are considered together.

Burnout is a sign not of how strong you are, but of how long you have carried it alone.

The aim in therapy is not to make you able to carry more, but to help you notice the load you are carrying and to arrange it more healthily. If you are curious about how individual work progresses, you can look at the individual therapy page. If you find it hard to reach sessions because of a heavy work schedule, online therapy is also an option to consider.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does burnout syndrome go away on its own?

It is generally hard for symptoms to go away on their own without the conditions that led to burnout changing. A short holiday may offer temporary relief, but when workload, boundaries and ways of coping are not addressed, symptoms often return.

Do I have to quit my job because I am experiencing burnout?

Not always. Many people can recover in the same job by adjusting their workload, clarifying their boundaries and getting support. In some cases, however, changing jobs may also be considered; it is important to make this decision not in haste but with your financial and personal circumstances in mind.

How long does it take to recover from burnout?

This varies from person to person. How long the burnout has lasted, whether the conditions have changed and the support the person gets directly affect the recovery process. What matters is less the speed of the process than that it is heading in the right direction.

Is burnout seen only in employees?

No. Students, people who provide child or elder care at home, and volunteers can also experience a similar exhaustion under long-term, unbalanced loads. If you recognise yourself in this description, it may help to know that you can go through your load with a professional.

• #burnout syndrome
• #burnout
• #work stress
• #work-life balance

Yazar

Eda Erkan Alapala

Klinik Psikolog. İstanbul Kent Üniversitesi Klinik Psikoloji Tezli Yüksek Lisans mezunu; bilişsel davranışçı terapi, çocuk merkezli oyun terapisi ve çocuk-ergen psikoterapisi alanlarında eğitimlerini tamamlamıştır.

Eğitimler