According to the 11th Revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11), Burnout is included as an occupational phenomenon and not a medical condition. It can be described as ‘Factors influencing health status or contact with health services’ and these factors include reasons for which a person would reach out to health services, but are not classified as a disease or health condition. ICD-11 has defined burnout as follows:

“Burn-out is a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. It is characterized by three dimensions:

• feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion;

• increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one's job; and

• reduced professional efficacy.

Burn-out refers specifically to phenomena in the occupational context and should not be applied to describe experiences in other areas of life.”

The term “burnout” was first coined by psychologist Herbert Freudenberger in the 1970s, to describe a severe stress condition that causes severe physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion. It is more difficult to cope with as compared to regular fatigue, making it challenging for people to handle their routine responsibilities as well. People facing burnout find it hard to get out of bed each morning, making it a battle with themselves, and may even resort to a pessimistic outlook towards life, due to the sheer sense of hopelessness. It is not something that will resolve by itself and requires professional or medical help to get over, or else it may result in psychological illnesses like depression, heart disease, and even diabetes.

So have you ever found yourself just lying in bed lying down and not doing much? Do you get easily fatigued and just give up and not do anything? Do you feel that this kind of behavior is mere laziness? Well, there is definitely a lot in common between burnout and laziness and it is very important for you to identify it in time and take charge of the situation. According to a survey that was conducted in the United States in 2010, almost 75% of the population in the United States alone had already experienced symptoms of burnout, 40% of which had been quite severe. Here are 6 signs for you to know if you are suffering from burnout and NOT laziness:

1. A feeling of disconnect: If you are suffering from burnout, one of the most common signs to identify is a feeling of detachment from one’s emotions. You feel like you are observing yourself from outside your body, or have a feeling like the surrounding in which you are, aren’t real. This is known as ‘Depersonalization’. You have this strange sense of emotional numbness and don’t exactly feel like yourself. You will feel overwhelmed by the feeling of getting in charge of your life and your inability to do it.

2. You were a motivated person before: Laziness is a character trait, something you develop and grow over time. Lazy people are at peace with the pace of their life and do not get perturbed if they do absolutely nothing in a day, it’s in their nature. But, if you were a motivated person at one point in your life and now find yourself exhausted, apathetic, or exhausted, then this is a big red flag. Burnt out individuals were once really hyped about their work and also possibly achievers in their field and so the sudden exhaustion and mental fatigue they are experiencing make it really hard to cope.

3. You were a passionate person: The main difference between a burnt-out and passionate person is the sudden loss of passion. This could be anything, like a sport, reading, hiking, professional performance, or even academics. Burnout makes it extremely difficult to even do the things you once loved and enjoyed and you might even come to resent it because of how much you overworked yourself in the process to achieve more.

4. You have become increasingly moody and irritable: Do you find yourself very moody and out of control of your emotions? (PS- and girls I’m not talking about PMS). These are some of the most common signs of burnout which are very often overlooked or associated with other factors. Lazy people on the other hand are always relaxed and placid and don’t seem to get affected by things happening around them.

5. You neglect yourself: One of the most distressing and big warning sign that someone is burnout is when they start trying to be aloof and start cutting off from society. There are changes in the eating, sleeping patterns of a burnt-out person and they stop making efforts to look good and groom themselves and spend most of their time alone because they get so exhausted by the simplest of tasks. Lazy people on the other are used to just taking it easy, follow erratic life patterns, and not creating any efforts to groom themselves. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms all of a sudden beware that you might be burning out.

6. You experience these symptoms gradually: Most importantly all the signs mentioned earlier slowly creep on you. Burnout happens in 5 stages: 1) the Honeymoon phase, 2) the Onset of stress, 3) Chronic stress, 4) Burnout and, 5) Habitual burnout. Each of these stages has an increasing severity. Most people begin to experience symptoms as early as the 2nd stage when there is still only a moderate amount of stress, but it affects their optimism, motivation, and performance. If left unchecked, it will come to the point where burnout becomes synonymous with life putting a person at an increased risk of developing anxiety and depression in the long run.

References:

https://www.who.int/news/item/28-05-2019-burn-out-an-occupational-phenomenon-international-classification-of-diseases

https://www.healthline.com/health/tips-for-identifying-and-preventing-burnout#whats-burnout