Occupational burnout is a critical concern in the modern world of work. While the term “burnout” was originally coined by psychologist Herbert Freudenberger in the 1970s to describe the effects of extreme stress placed on “helping professionals,” it has now evolved to include the loss of our ability to cope and is becoming more recognized across professions.

Unlike stress, which is a response, burnout is a very real condition. Psychologist Jeremy Sutton explains that burnout is the accumulation of stressors over time, resulting in unmanageable stress levels. Burnout is the natural evolution of chronic stress that has gone unchecked and unrelieved.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes burnout as an occupational phenomenon, defining it as a “syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.” Burnout is generally characterized by three symptoms:

Freudenberger and his collaborator Gail North originally outlined the development of burnout in a 12-stage model. A simplified 5-stage model is now commonly seen in the research today.

Here is an overview of the five stages of burnout:

Stage 1: Honeymoon

Like the honeymoon phase, you may begin a new job, role, or task with high energy and enthusiasm. You feel creative and productive. It’s easy to be optimistic at this stage. While it is ideal to stay within this stage, you also need to........

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