What is burnout?
Burnout is more than being tired after a hard week. The WHO describes it in the ICD-11 as a syndrome resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed — with three clearly named dimensions. And it is not a sign of weakness: it most often takes hold in people whose work mattered to them.
The three dimensions (WHO)
Exhaustion
Energy depletion that sleep and days off no longer restore. The tank stops refilling.
Cynicism and distance
Mental withdrawal from the job: indifference, irritability, a newly negative view of colleagues, clients or the work itself.
Reduced efficacy
The sense of achieving nothing and mattering to nothing — even when performance objectively still holds.
What drives burnout
Sustained overload
A workload that is structurally impossible — not one hard project, but the normal state of things.
Lack of control
High responsibility with no decision-making latitude. This combination is one of the strongest predictors there is.
Absent recognition
Effort that nobody sees — not in words, not in pay, not in progression.
Values conflict
Regularly having to work against your own convictions wears people down faster than sheer volume does.
Note: this page is informational and is not a diagnosis. Burnout and depression frequently overlap, and telling them apart is a clinician's job.
Spot the exhaustion early
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Try it freeFrequently asked questions
Is burnout an illness?
In the ICD-11 the WHO classifies burnout not as a medical condition but as an occupational phenomenon — a syndrome resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. It is defined by its link to work, though its health consequences are entirely real.
What is the difference between burnout and depression?
Burnout is tied to work: on holiday or at the weekend, things noticeably lift. Depression follows you into every part of life, including the good parts. They can overlap — and untreated burnout can develop into depression.
How do I recognise burnout early?
Early signs: tiredness that survives the weekend, growing distance and cynicism towards work, the feeling that nothing you do makes a difference, disrupted sleep, and quietly withdrawing from your life outside work.
Does burnout go away with a holiday?
A holiday provides rest but changes none of the conditions that produced the burnout. Without changes to workload, control and recognition, the exhaustion usually returns within weeks.