Burnout: Why It’s More Than Just Stress
Burnout isn’t just about being busy or overwhelmed—it’s a physiological response to chronic stress that impacts both the body and the brain. The World Health Organization (2019) defines burnout as an occupational phenomenon characterized by exhaustion, cynicism, and reduced effectiveness.
Chronic stress keeps the nervous system locked in survival mode, flooding the body with cortisol and adrenaline. Over time, this affects sleep, immune functioning, cardiovascular health, and emotional regulation.
Hidden drivers of burnout often include people-pleasing, perfectionism, and trauma-based survival strategies. These patterns may once have been adaptive but can keep the body chronically activated.
Research shows burnout is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease and early mortality (Salvagioni et al., 2017). Burnout is not a personal failure—it’s a signal that something needs to change.
Effective treatment includes boundary-setting, values-based action, nervous system regulation, and behavioral change.
References:
WHO (2019)
Salvagioni et al., PLOS ONE (2017)
Hill & Curran (2016)
van der Kolk (2014)
Cohen et al., JAMA (2012)