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Many seasonal workers struggle with burnout due to the high-demand, high-intensity nature of their work.

Transitioning from an all-consuming schedule to the off season can feel like psychological whiplash.

Burnout can include irritability, exhaustion, apathy, restlessness, and feeling directionless.

Patience, easing back into routines, and reorienting to what matters most can help ease symptoms of burnout.

Here it is, the day you’ve been waiting for. You get to sleep in your own bed, wake up without a 3 a.m. alarm, and bask in the glorious silence of a quiet house.

And yet, you feel agitated and restless, tossing and turning all night despite feeling completely depleted. You feel flat and down instead of how you think you should feel (grateful and happy). You have been looking forward to this moment all summer, but now that it’s arrived, you just feel apathetic.

Why Do Seasonal Workers Struggle With Burnout?

Seasonal workers face a unique pattern of work-related stress. This is especially true for those whose work intensifies during the summer season, such as mountain guides, outdoor educators, park rangers, wildland firefighters, and hospitality workers, among others.

High intensity, high demands.

Seasonal work can consume enormous amounts of physical, mental, and emotional energy. Instead of working a predictable eight-hour workday with established breaks, many seasonal workers may be working multiple days straight. There may be long hours, early mornings, minimal sleep, and very little time or energy left over for other parts of life.

High responsibility and risk.

Some seasonal employees work in high-stakes environments in which........

© Psychology Today