The Effects Of Burnout On The Brain
(Why is burnout dangerous?)
By: Neikella sandy
What is Burnout
A brain that is burned out will suffer not only mental but also physical consequences, the most crucial of which is the loss of cognitive function. Burnout is a type of work-related stress that is distinct from other types of stress. Burnout is a feeling of physical or emotional tiredness accompanied by a sense of self-doubt and imposter syndrome. Burnout is not a medical condition. But many researchers and doctors believe that burnout can be caused by depression. Many of the signs and symptoms of burnout are similar to those of depression, such as intense exhaustion, a lack of passion, and an increase in cynicism and negativity.
​
What Causes Burnout
Burnout occurs when a person's ability to cope with stress is essentially nonexistent. There are many other causes of burnout. Burnout is not restricted to age or gender and there are numerous ways it could happen. This can include a lack of social support, taking on more than one can bear at work, school, or with family and friends, as well as poor self-care.
Burnout Symptoms
Burnout is a silent but deadly disease. Burnout attacks not only mental health but your overall well-being. Burnout symptoms can be classified into three groups:
Physical symptoms include having low energy, being lethargic, and easily fatigued for long periods of time, Frequent illness accompanied by
headaches, back pain, muscle aches, and Changes in your appetite or sleeping patterns. Those symptoms are just a small portion of a frighteningly
long list.
Emotional symptoms are Self-doubt; feelings of failure; lack of motivation; low satisfaction; feeling defeated and alone in the world; feeling cynical
and resentful about life.
Behavioral symptoms are Substance abuse, irritability around others, isolating oneself from others withdrawing from responsibilities, and
procrastination.
​
Burnout Prevention and treatment
All these symptoms I’ve described sounded like forever, after getting burnout is something one can’t come back from. That is wrong. The cause of burnout is the inability to cope with stress. If one can learn to cope and deal with their stress effectively they will never have to go through burnout. If you find that you cannot get rid of burnout you should seek professional help, burnout could be so dangerous that it is often compared to depression. Burnout can be caused by too much stress. Stress, on the other hand, is not the same as burnout. To summarize burnout and its causes, burn is a type of stress that stems from overworking and not knowing how to cope/deal with this stress effectively and the symptoms they get are similar to depression.
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
Works cited
Michel, Alexandra. “Burnout and the Brain.” Association for PsychologicalScience - APS, 29 Jan. 2016,
https://www.psychologicalscience.org/observer/burnout-and-the-brain.
Mayo Clinic. Physician Distress and Burnout: The Neurobiological Perspective.
https://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/article/S0025-6196(20)31500-7/fulltext.
Kayla Yup. “‘How People Fall Apart’: Yale Faculty Discuss the Impact of Burnout on the Brain.” Yale Daily News, 12 May 2022, https://yaledailynews.com/blog/2022/03/29/how-people-fall-apart-yale-fac ulty-discuss-the-impact-of-burnout-on-the-brain/.