Burnout

The term “burnout” is a relatively new term, first coined in 1974 by Herbert Freudenberger, in his book, Burnout: The High Cost of High Achievement. He originally defined burnout as, “the extinction of motivation or incentive, especially where one's devotion to a cause or relationship fails to produce the desired results.” More simply put, if you feel exhausted, start to hate your job, and begin to feel less capable at work, you are showing signs of burnout. The stress that contributes to burnout can come mainly from your job, but stress from your overall lifestyle can add to this stress. Personality traits and thought patterns, such as perfectionism and pessimism, can contribute as well. Most people spend the majority of their waking hours working. And if you hate your job, dread going to work, and don't gain any satisfaction out of what you're doing, it can take a serious toll on your life. On top of this, burnout arises also from the lack of proper quality relaxation and recovery, when these are being ignored, it will eventually lead to a weaker mind and body. While it is good to test and push our limits, it is not as wise to do so constantly without taking care of properly recharging our "batteries" before we go out there again.