Understanding Burnout: Symptoms and Root Causes

Burnout manifests as a profound sense of discontent with one's work, leading to real physical and mental health issues, such as anxiety, stress, and physical ailments. Symptoms include dread about work, especially on Sunday evenings, and feelings of malaise that resonate physically in the body. The root causes of burnout stem from a perceived inability to change one’s circumstances, akin to a large ship unable to navigate through tight locks. This lack of 'margin'—financial or emotional—creates a state where individuals feel trapped, forced to perform tasks that they find uncomfortable or unsatisfactory. As a result, they experience diminished agency, leading directly to burnout and its associated health consequences.