What Exactly Is Burnout?

We often hear people say, “I’m so burnt out.” But what do we actually mean when we use that word? Is it just being tired? Is it stress? Or something deeper?

The World Health Organisation (WHO) gives us a very specific definition. In its International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11), burnout is described as:

“A syndrome resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. It is characterised by three dimensions:
• Feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion
• Increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism
• Reduced professional efficacy”

So according to WHO, burnout is workplace-specific. It’s not just a rough patch or a bad week — it’s a sustained state of physical and emotional depletion that impacts your ability to show up at work.

But this isn’t the only way to think about burnout. Psychology Today offers a broader perspective:

“Burnout is a state of emotional, mental, and often physical exhaustion brought on by prolonged or repeated stress. Though it’s most often caused by problems at work, it can also appear in other areas of life, such as parenting, caretaking, or romantic relationships.”

This is important. It means burnout can show up for:

• The new parent who hasn’t slept in months

• The caregiver who is always “on” for a loved one

• The partner constantly holding things together in a difficult relationship

Why does the definition matter?

Because words shape how we seek help. If we think burnout is just being weak or not coping, we might push ourselves harder, which only deepens the problem. Recognising burnout as a legitimate syndrome — with clear symptoms and real impact on brain and body functioning — allows us to treat it seriously and take steps to recover.

The three core elements of burnout

No matter which definition you look at, burnout tends to have three main ingredients:

1. Exhaustion — feeling drained, depleted, running on empty.

2. Cynicism — disconnection, detachment, or negativity towards your work (or role).

3. Inefficacy — feeling like nothing you do makes a difference, or doubting your own abilities.

If you’ve been nodding along, you’re not alone. Burnout has become so common that some call it “the occupational hazard of the 21st century.”

But here’s the good news: burnout is not permanent. Once we can name it, we can begin to understand how it affects us — and most importantly, how to recover and prevent it. That’s what we’ll be exploring in this blog series.

💬 I’d love to hear from you:
When you think of burnout, does it resonate more as a workplace issue (WHO’s definition), or as something that can spill into other areas of life (Psychology Today’s view)?