The Link Between Burnout and Depression

What is burnout and what is the difference between burnout and depression? 

According to the Mental Health America Survey, 75% of U.S. workers have experienced burnout at some point with 40% of those people experiencing burnout as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of depression and burnout can overlap. Burnout causes overwhelming feelings of mental and physical exhaustion due to prolonged stress. Burnout can be emotionally taxing but can be temporary and disappear when one takes longer breaks or focus on activities theyenjoy. Burnout is composed into three dimesions: exhaustions, cynicism, and lack of professional efficacy. Exhaustion refers to feeelings of stress leading to chronic fatigue resulting from exessive work demands.  Some of the burnout symptoms resemble the ones of depression such as anhedonia, lost of interest or pleasure, depressed mood, fatigue, impaired concentration, and feelings of worthlessness. There seems to be a strong positive correlation between emotional exhaustion-the core component of burnout-and depressive symptoms. Burnout and depression can go hand in hand meaning that someone who is depressed could be depressed but someone who is depressed can also be burntout. 

How to manage burnout?

Take breaks

• Taking a short break, vacation, or leave of absence can significantly help with the feelings of burnout. If this is not an option, taking mental stress breaks including recognizing that you can't control everything, doing activities that give you a sense of safety, and writing down your thoughts and feelings can also help. 

Set boundaries

• Protect your personal time by setting times to unwind and relax from your day. Some things that could help are setting a time each day to finish all your work, taking a break from technology, and saying no to requests that asks you to do extra work. 

Social Connection

• Surrounding yourself with people you love and enjoy spending time with is important for an individuals well-being. They help to boost your motivation, confidence, and self esteem which are important to combat burnout. 

Mindfulness 

• There are links between practicing mindfulness and a reduction in stress, anxiety, and depression. There are many ways in which you can pracitce mindfulness including: breathing exercises, focusing on doing one thing at a time, and listening to soothing music. 

Exercise 

• Physical activity is one of the best ways to improve your mood, reduce symptoms of depression, and decrease stress. In addition, it can benefit your energy, memory, and motivation. Exercising at least 30 minutes each day, whether it be a light jog, seated dance break, or walk, can help improve overall well-being. 

Make a plan 

• Taking time to reflect on your experiences with burnout can help you prevent future burnout experiences. Some of the questions one may consider are what responsibilities causes the most stress in your life? How do I know I am burned out? What are my signs that I should be aware of? 

Symptoms: 

• Depressed mood
• Loss of interest in activities
• Difficulty or excessive sleeping
• Having trouble focusing, thinking, and decision-making
• Fatigue and reduced energy
• Thinking about death or suicide