What should you know about job stress and burnout?

Work stress may feel like pressure, urgency or worry about particular demands. Burnout is a deeper pattern of exhaustion, emotional distance from work and reduced sense of effectiveness. It can affect sleep, concentration, patience, energy and interest in activities outside the workplace.

A symptom such as fatigue, irritability, anxiety or difficulty sleeping can occur with burnout but does not by itself establish the cause. Persistent symptoms can also overlap with depression, anxiety or insomnia, so a clinician may look at your whole pattern rather than label it from one complaint.

Write down the demands that are changeable and those that need support. Ask for priorities in writing, agree what can wait and protect a genuine break. Set a boundary around messages when off duty if your role allows it. Keep regular meals, movement and sleep routines, and choose a trusted person for a check-in. Professional support can help you plan recovery and workplace changes.

Arrange a medical or mental-health appointment if symptoms last, keep returning or affect relationships, attendance, self-care or safety. Seek urgent help if you have thoughts of suicide, feel unable to keep yourself safe or develop severe confusion; contact local emergency services and stay near supportive people.

Ask how burnout differs from anxiety, depression or insomnia, what treatments or counselling may help and how to monitor recovery. Tell them about work hours, sleep, appetite, substances, medicines and any thoughts that frighten you.