what is the difference between ‘normal’ fatigue and a burnout?
In: 33
You recover from normal fatigue by taking a break. Rest, recover, repeat. Take your vacation days, go camping for a week or something, and come back fired up and ready to get back to whatever you were doing.
Burnout is when you still feel stressed, tired, and demotivated even when you’re theoretically getting adequate rest (mental and physical). You take all your vacation days and get enough sleep at night, but the thought of getting up and going to a job you used to love now fills you with dread. You feel depressed, maybe you *can’t* sleep well at night because you dread getting up so badly…
That’s the difference. You recover from fatigue with rest. Burnout doesn’t get better without going to extremes (change jobs, change fields, take a 2-year sabbatical, etc).
ETA: Normal fatigue is actually good for you. That fatigue – rest – recovery cycle leads to growth and increased resistance to fatigue. True burnout is dangerous – a constant flood of stress hormones impacts your physical and mental health and can lead to heart disease, depression, and worse…
what is the difference between ‘normal’ fatigue and a burnout?
In: 33
You recover from normal fatigue by taking a break. Rest, recover, repeat. Take your vacation days, go camping for a week or something, and come back fired up and ready to get back to whatever you were doing.
Burnout is when you still feel stressed, tired, and demotivated even when you’re theoretically getting adequate rest (mental and physical). You take all your vacation days and get enough sleep at night, but the thought of getting up and going to a job you used to love now fills you with dread. You feel depressed, maybe you *can’t* sleep well at night because you dread getting up so badly…
That’s the difference. You recover from fatigue with rest. Burnout doesn’t get better without going to extremes (change jobs, change fields, take a 2-year sabbatical, etc).
ETA: Normal fatigue is actually good for you. That fatigue – rest – recovery cycle leads to growth and increased resistance to fatigue. True burnout is dangerous – a constant flood of stress hormones impacts your physical and mental health and can lead to heart disease, depression, and worse…
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