What is Stress and Burnout?
Stress is a natural response to pressure and demands, and in manageable amounts it can help us respond to challenges. But when pressures are ongoing or there is too little opportunity to recover, stress can begin to take a toll. Sometimes the demands themselves are unusually high, while at other times, patterns such as taking on too much, finding it difficult to say no, or expecting a great deal of yourself can contribute to feeling chronically stretched.
Burnout can develop when this strain continues over time. It can involve feeling deeply depleted or exhausted, increasingly disengaged from work or responsibilities, and less motivated or effective in what you’re doing.
Understanding what is contributing to the pressure, and what may need to change, can be an important part of recovering and preventing the same pattern from continuing.