"The groundwork of all happiness is health." - Leigh Hunt

What is the difference between burnout and sadness?

If your summer holidays already feel like a distant memories, you will not be alone. Burnout – state of emotional, physical and mental fatigue after prolonged stress – described since one in workplaces The fifth century monastery in Egypt.

Burnout and depression may look alike and these relatively conditions are normal. This is estimated 30 % of the Australian workforce is feeling eliminated some levelWhile, while About 20 % Australians diagnose sadness in some unspecified time in the future of their lives.

So what’s the difference between burnout and sadness?

Sadness has been marked by helplessness and burnout through despair. They can have different reasons and also needs to be arranged otherwise.

What is Burnout?

The World Health Organization describes Burnout as a “Professional Trends“As a results of demanding pressure from the workload. Although it is often related to workplace, children with demand requirements are also in danger for kids or elderly parents.

Our research In the Sydney burnout move to assist self -diagnosis and diagnostic physicians, we created a mix of burning symptoms. They include:

  • Tired because the important symbol

  • Mental fog (poor concentration and memory)

  • Difficulty on the lookout for happiness in anything

  • Social withdrawal

  • A restless mood (to feel upset and irritated)

  • Permanent performance performance (this may be the results of other symptoms reminiscent of fatigue).

In only one or two weeks, people can prepare the “burning” phase after severe work demands. A “burnout” phase normally follows the stress of the restless work of years.

What is depression?

A depressed event includes feelings of self -sufficiency, increasing self -criticism and desire to lose. Not everyone with these symptoms may have clinical depression, which requires diagnosis and has a further set of symptoms.

The medical diagnosed depression may vary by way of mood, how long it runs and whether it returns. There are there Two types Of clinical depression:

  1. There are genetic reasons for melancholy depression, that are largely “out of blue”.

  2. Non -melancholy depression is attributable to environmental aspects, which are sometimes dynamic as a result of necessary events in life that cause self -improvement.

When we created our burn out measure These two types of sadness.

Burnout shares some properties with melanchoolic depression, but they’re common symptoms, reminiscent of lack of happiness, energy and concentration skills.

We found that there are more similarities between burnout and non -malnacular (environmental) depression. It lacks encouragement and lack of difficulties and sleeping or happiness, perhaps reflecting the proven fact that each are environmental reasons.

The important reason is on the lookout for

When we see why they’re, the differences between burning and sadness turn into clear.

Personality comes into play. Our work It suggests that reminiscent of perfectionism puts people at great risk of burning. But they could be less prone to be depressed because they avoid stressful events and control things.

Excessive work burden may be helpful in burning.
Tarton Party/Shutter Stock

People who are frequently overwhelmed by demands or deadline that they can not meet, which they create a way of helplessness.

On the opposite hand, individuals with sadness reports reduced self -esteem. So as a substitute of being helpless, they feel that he and his future are despair.

However, it will not be unusual for anyone to face burnout and depression at the identical time. For example, a boss can demand excessive work requirements on an worker, which puts them liable to burning. At the identical time, the employer may humiliate the worker and contribute to a non -malicious depression.

What are you able to do?

One of the essential strategies to handle Burnout is indicating tensions. For many individuals, this can be a workplace. Taking a break, even a brief, or a while schedule.

Australians now have the suitable to be disconnected, meaning that they don’t need to answer work phone calls or emails after hours. Depending on boundaries will help separate home and work life.



Burnout compromise may also be attributable to the role of labor, insecurity or inequality. More widely, an authoritarian organizational structure can miss employees. At the workplace, environmental aspects, reminiscent of excessive noise, may be helpful. To solve these aspects Can help avoid burning.

As far because the symptoms are concerned, the monks had an excellent idea. Strong exercise, meditation and mind -making There are effective ways to address on a regular basis pressure.

The woman is walking with a dog in a park.
Regular exercise will help handle the symptoms of burnout.
Alexei_tm/shutter stock

Deep partnership aspects, including perfectionism, needs to be managed by a talented clinical psychologist.

Melchulic depression llin, therapeutic will do Often recommend antidepressant medicine.

Non -malnormal depressing clin will help solve and manage therapeutic stimulations, that are the important reasons. Others will profit from antidepressants or formal psychological treatment.

Although there could also be misconception between depression and burnout, burnout can imitate other medical conditions reminiscent of Anemia Or Hypotyroidism.

It is healthier to refer to your doctor or physician for the proper diagnosis, who should try to seek out a “whole picture” feeling. Only, once the running diagnosis is confirmed and other possible causes are rejected, should an efficient help strategy be developed?