Burnout and resilience: what to know

Resilience is the ability to adapt, recover and use support during difficulty. It is shaped by rest, relationships, control over demands and access to safe working conditions; it is not a personality test or a reason to blame yourself. Burnout can involve exhaustion, detachment, irritability, sleep disruption and trouble concentrating. Persistent fatigue, anxiety or low mood may have additional causes and should be considered separately.

Choose small, repeatable actions: set a realistic stopping point, take protected breaks, eat regularly, move gently and keep a consistent sleep routine. Tell someone you trust what has changed, and ask for a specific adjustment such as fewer competing tasks or clearer priorities. Therapy or coaching may help with boundaries and coping; a medical clinician can check for health conditions and coordinate care. Related pages include Burnout, Feeling Anxious and Irritability.

Book an appointment if exhaustion or detachment continues, affects relationships or work, or makes routine tasks difficult. Get urgent help for immediate danger, thoughts of self-harm, severe confusion, fainting, chest pain or major breathing difficulty. Do not wait for personal coping strategies to work if your safety or ability to function is deteriorating.

What signs suggest burnout in my situation? Which workload changes would be reasonable? Could sleep, physical health or medication be affecting my resilience? What support should I try first?