Humans are generally not equipped to handle all the demands and stress of modern, fast-paced work. We seem to get busier as time goes on, and we are unable to have a work-life balance. However, burnout and fatigue have become synonymous and stem from either personal commitment or work demands.
Before making necessary interventions to improve your well-being, it’s best you first understand and clarify both terms. Both burnout and fatigue are closely related but are two different concepts that we will distinguish.
How do you know if you are simply fatigued or completely burned out?
With fatigue, you can sleep, rest or do something you love to help you recover from exhaustion. Fatigue is a natural state of wanting rest or sleep. That feeling will automatically reduce once you get adequate rest and sleep.
Fatigue doesn’t make you lose positive emotions, make the mind believe there is no way out, or cause bleak thoughts. However, burnout, on the other hand, is a physical, mental, and emotional state of exhaustion caused by severe stress. Burnout, unlike fatigue, is more complex and may not be resolved until the person reduces the stress they are experiencing.
You don’t feel better with burnout even if you get all the rest or sleep. The exhaustion is present daily, as well as mental breakdown and negative rumination. In addition, burnout makes you want to withdraw from people as you might feel that the world cares less about you.
In the end, these terms are used to examine workers’ emotional and mental well-being. So, it is important to understand these terms to find the best solutions for your well-being.
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