Do You Feel the Burn?

  Look at your to-do list. Think about how many of those things on that list have been from the last month, or even the last few months. These tasks can be something as easy as mailing a letter or going out to buy your mom a birthday gift, but for whatever reason, this can be one of the hardest things you may have to do in a while. As a person you may be having a really good time at work or school but yet it is so hard to do something as simple as one of these tasks.

  “The term ‘burnout’ was coined in the 1970s by the American psychologist Herbert Freudenberger. He used it to describe the consequences of severe stress and high ideals in ‘helping’ professions. Doctors and nurses, for example, who sacrifice themselves for others, would often end up being ‘burned out’ – exhausted, listless, and unable to cope. Nowadays, the term is not only used for these helping professions, or for the dark side of self-sacrifice. It seems it can affect anyone, from stressed-out careerists and celebrities to overworked employees and homemakers,” says the National Center for Biotechnology Information.

  Many people feel burnout, it is prevalent in people as young as a child and can continue throughout someone’s entire life. For some people, burnout may be more prevalent at a certain age or time. For example, students in high school and college tend to experience more stress than students in elementary or middle school.

  “Yes, I have felt burn out before. I have never felt burnout as much as I do since I have been in high school. I also feel burnout after being with a large group of people for a long time, I just want to go inside and rest,” sophomore Courtney Hadley said.

  In schools, many teachers and counselors may only talk about college and how that is the only way to be successful in life. However, some people feel stressed out from applying to colleges, especially if it is not what they want to do with their life. Because of the pressure of applying to college and the future, some people begin to feel pressure and start to experience burnout.

  “No, college is not necessary to succeed in life. In certain professions, college is necessary, however, such as if you were going to be a doctor. The definition of success should be different and hold a different meaning to everyone. Not everyone can have the same standards based on their goals. For example, musicians are successful but that takes different goals than a lawyer,” Hadley said.  

Informed Health Online [Internet]. Cologne, Germany: Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG); 2006-. Depression: What is burnout? 2012 Dec 5 [Updated 2017 Jan 12].Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279286/