Mental health crash course: Let's talk about burnout

Burnout is not just ordinary tiredness, it is a deep exhaustion and loss of motivation caused by prolonged overexertion and chronic stress. Unlike regular work stress, burnout takes a serious toll on both mental and physical health and cannot be resolved with a short holiday.

Burnout is far more than simply feeling tired at the end of a long week. It is a state of profound exhaustion and plummeting motivation that develops when a person has been running at full speed on a wave of stress for an extended period of time.

Unlike everyday work stress, burnout does not simply disappear after a few days of rest or a week under the palm trees. It is a condition that gradually undermines both mental and physical wellbeing, and its effects can linger long after the triggering circumstances have changed.

The latest episode of the Mental Health Crash Course video series tackles the topic of burnout directly, what it is, how it differs from regular fatigue, and why it deserves to be taken seriously rather than dismissed as a normal part of modern working life.