How Does Chronic Stress Fit Into Burn Out?

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Stress is such an interesting concept. It has a physiological profile that differs from burn out, and is actually quite functional if you think about it. Burnot is a little trickier, in a way, because, unlike stress, and they're related. So people under stress will often experience burnout. But people keep going with burnout. And what about depression? What's the connection between depression and burn out?

Working long hours won’t necessarily burn us out, but getting too little sleep or feeling unappreciated might. Women commonly face extra stressors, like office chores or doing a “second shift” at home, that can leave us exhausted. And once we’re burned out, it usually takes more than a few yoga classes or going on vacation to feel like ourselves again.

Mandy O’Neill, an expert on workplace well-being, explains the causes, symptoms, and repercussions of burnout. She suggests several antidotes (including laughing with your colleagues) and ways to protect ourselves from experiencing it in the first place.

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