We tend to think of burnout as something abstract, like a “fashionable disease” or temporary apathy. But the World Health Organization has already included professional burnout in the International Classification of Diseases as a syndrome arising from chronic stress that a person has failed to overcome.
It’s not just fatigue. It’s a loss of inner support when the work you once loved begins to cause irritation, emptiness, or even physical pain.
According to Gallup, 76% of employees have experienced symptoms of burnout at least once, and 28% feel it constantly. And it’s not just the workload; often, the cause is deeper, the fact that we live in a world where the boundaries between work and personal life have dissolved.
Where It Comes From: Invisible Sources
Burnout doesn’t always start with overwork. Sometimes it starts with indifference. People do everything right, but they feel like they’re “out of focus”. Working remotely has exacerbated this feeling.
According to research, when the brain perceives danger rather than stress from the workplace, it releases cortisol and enters fight-or-flight mode. We are not physiologically suited for constant deadlines, even if we are enjoying coffee and a laptop in a lovely home office.
How to Tell if Burnout Has Already Set In
Often, symptoms of burnout are mistaken for simple exhaustion, and people try to alleviate them with a weekend getaway, a short vacation, or the thrill of an expensive purchase. Getting enough sleep and unwinding is indeed enough to overcome fatigue, and a person is ready for new work achievements again. But if burnout has reached its peak, neither a day nor a week of rest will solve the problem.
- Toxicity, irritability, and disdain for others appear. Every little thing irritates you, and you feel rude and answer any question rudely.
- Negative self-image, a feeling of worthlessness, and failure.
- Insomnia, headaches that feel like a band around your head. Severe anxiety before work tasks, a strong reluctance to do work, avoidance, and thoughts of “Not this.”
- Constant fatigue, a loss of desire to do familiar non-work activities, and even small household chores like going to the store or brushing your teeth.
- The meaning of your daily activities is lost. Questions arise: “Why get up for work?” “Why live?” It seems that if a lofty goal is unattainable, everything is meaningless.
Treating it is difficult if a person has reached the terminal stage; the first steps in recovery require titanic effort. After all, at that point, they must learn to rebuild their relationships with themselves, others, their work schedule, and their life. Therefore, it’s better to prevent burnout.
Why Is This So Noticeable Now?
The workplace has changed dramatically in recent years. But with flexibility comes a new burden: distributed responsibility. Everyone feels like they’re carrying a bit more than necessary. Previously, you could just close your laptop and leave the workplace; now, “the office” resides in your phone.
Technology has given you freedom, but it’s taken away boundaries. Even looking for a new job today requires emotional resilience, from sifting through endless job postings to countless video interviews.
When a Change of Context Isn’t an Escape
Sometimes the greatest approach to recuperation is to adjust both your behaviors and your environment. A new team, culture, location, or even nation might change your perspective.
Today, more and more professionals are considering vacancies with paid relocation abroad—not as an escape, but as a conscious step toward balance. The Jooble platform, one of the largest job aggregators in the world, helps you find such opportunities: it adds around 300,000 vacancies every single day. It’s where talent meets the world.
Consider it a dynamic map of employment showing you which careers are booming, which are fading, and sometimes, just scrolling through it is enough to make you rethink your own path. It’s more than job hunting—it’s perspective, motivation, and a reality check all in one.
What Else Can Help You Stay Afloat?
Burnout prevention isn’t just about yoga and rest. It’s a matter of inner honesty.
- Boundaries. Real ones, not fictitious ones. When the day is over, it’s truly over. No more “five minutes to write”.
- Meaning. Reminding yourself why you do what you do. Not for KPIs, but for ideas, people, and values.
- Movement. Physical activity remains the best antidote to burnout. Even a short walk can restore clarity of thought.
- And, perhaps most importantly, talk. Don’t shut yourself off. A conversation with a colleague or mentor often involves more than two weeks of vacation.
Thus, maintaining yourself afloat requires self-respect, purpose, and mental space.
Companies Possible Contribution
Companies are increasingly recognizing that burnout isn’t an individual weakness, but a systemic symptom. Organizations that learn to prevent it ultimately gain not only in loyalty but also in productivity.
Some companies finally got the memo: people aren’t machines. They’re adding “recharge days,” cutting pointless meetings, and giving space for real rest. A new wave of managers is being trained not just to chase metrics, but to spot when someone’s running on fumes and to actually talk about it, openly and without the corporate sugarcoating.
It’s interesting to note that the emphasis on well-being is also changing employment practices worldwide. Nowadays, many foreign businesses offer visa sponsorship employment on Jooble, helping qualified workers relocate and start over in more supportive, well-balanced settings. For many, these possibilities turn into a reset—a means of rediscovering drive and purpose—rather than an escape.
The world is slowly but surely moving from the cult of efficiency to a culture of resilience. And this is perhaps one of the best trends of the decade.
Do Not Let Work Burn You Out
Burnout is a symptom, not a threat. It means that the system can no longer manage it. Perhaps recognizing that something has gone wrong is a sign of maturity rather than weakness.
Remember: overworking and hyper-responsibility won’t help you improve or earn more. They’ll likely trap you in a state of burnout, from which it’ll be difficult to escape. A healthy balance, the ability to listen to yourself, and taking time to relax are essential in any profession.
This article was written for WHN by Alyona Potsyba, a Partnership Manager at Jooble. Her main focus is to ensure that every partner she works with gets the most out of the partnership and is satisfied with the cooperation with Jooble. In addition, using her experience in copywriting, Alyona takes responsibility for producing compelling articles for the Jooble blog as well as for various other online platforms.
As with anything you read on the internet, this article should not be construed as medical advice; please talk to your doctor or primary care provider before changing your wellness routine. WHN neither agrees nor disagrees with any of the materials posted. This article is not intended to provide a medical diagnosis, recommendation, treatment, or endorsement.
Opinion Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy of WHN/A4M. Any content provided by guest authors is of their own opinion and is not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, individual, or anyone or anything else. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
