Burnout vs. Exhaustion: Symptoms, Causes, and Therapy for Real Recovery
Exhaustion, energy depletion, chronic fatigue, mental distance, negativity, depersonalization, feeling ineffective, low accomplishment, and lack of productivity.
These are some of the most common burnout symptoms we hear about today.
The concept of burnout was introduced in the 1970s by Herbert Freudenberger, first applied to doctors, nurses, and social workers.
He described it through constructs of exhaustion, cynicism, depersonalization, and reduced accomplishment. From personal reflection, he accounted for workers who were effectively doing two jobs—one paid, one volunteer.
Today, that reality applies to many of us. One job to make a bit. Another to make a bit more. Maybe we volunteer. Maybe our kids' optional-but-expected extracurriculars keep us running around.
Side hustles, the internet, always-on work culture, the gig economy, and the general buzz of our lifestyles keep us in constant motion.
Burnout reflects both personal experiences and systemic realities—the economic climate that rewards productivity while depleting our health.
Burnout is still most often understood in the domain of one’s work and career. We believe more hours and more effort will meet the demands being placed on us. We think we’re indispensable, even while what we do goes unnoticed.
But when we are empty, where do we replenish from?
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) offers a way of stepping out of the cycle that keeps us pushing long after we’ve run dry. Instead of focusing on eradicating stress or eliminating demands, ACT shifts our relationship to them. We acknowledge that exhaustion, frustration, and even cynicism are present, and that fighting against these feelings often makes them worse. To pause and accept that this is what’s here right now is to stop burning energy on denial.
With practice, we can loosen the grip of thoughts that drive us into overwork: “I can’t let anyone down,” “If I stop, I’ll fall behind,” “Rest is weakness.” In burnout, these thoughts masquerade as truth. Defusion techniques teach us to notice them as mental events, not orders we must obey. They’re stories—powerful ones—but still stories.
““Exhaustion means going to the point where you can’t go any further; burnout means reaching that point and pushing yourself to keep going, whether for days or weeks or years.””
Burnout thrives when we’re running on autopilot, answering every demand without asking what actually matters to us. Values-based therapy for burnout reminds us why we chose our work, our commitments, and our relationships. Reconnecting with our values often reveals that some of the burdens we carry don’t serve what’s most important.
Reappreciating or tuning our values often motivates us to commit in meaningful ways, making intentional steps aligned with those clarified values. For someone in burnout, this might mean setting a boundary at work, making space for family, or simply practicing genuine rest. These steps are not about withdrawing from life but about engaging with it in a way that sustains rather than drains.
Burnout will not vanish overnight. Breathe deep.
Burnout is what happens when we keep planting without harvesting.
What fruit do you want to harvest? Plant, cultivate, care for, and tend to those.
FIELD NOTES FROM GREENFIELD COUNSELLINGThis is where you’ll find reflections on the kinds of struggles that bring people to therapy — anxiety, burnout, grief, transitions, and the quiet disconnection that makes life feel less like your own.
