Burnout syndrome, (to literally feel burned out) refers to a state of exhaustion, cynicism and loss of motivation, often linked to our work. In defining it, some researchers have placed emphasis on the connection between the arising of burnout and the misalignment between what an employer expects compared to what an employee is willing to give. In reality, the concept is much more complex and is not only limited to the work arena. Anyone who experiences burnout literally feels like they have been consumed by fire, and all that is left of them is an empty shell. From the outside, it might not even be noticeable, but inside, the person feels extremely drained, without fully understanding how they ended up in this predicament.
There can be many causes of burnout, and they are not confined to only one aspect of our lives. And this is how it manifests: we might end up ruminating over work problems even once we have left the office, and these worries begin to gnaw away at private lives. Just like a vortex, burnout drains more and more of our energy, leaving us feeling impotent and isolated.
There is a condition linked to burnout, which is both cause and consequence, which American Psychologist Martin Seligman called “learned helplessness”, or the conviction that there is nothing we can do to change our current state, so we feel as though there is no point in even trying to change the situation in which we find ourselves. Burnout isolates people and pushes them to lose their social connection with others, catapulting them into a spiral of loneliness from which it is extremely difficult to escape. Addiction and depression are two of the most serious consequences of burnout.
