Stress and burnout: what should you know?

Short-term stress may bring tension, worry, irritability, or difficulty sleeping around a specific demand. Burnout is a longer-lasting state of mental and physical depletion, often with cynicism, detachment, poor concentration, and a sense that effort is no longer helping. Fatigue, feeling anxious, loss of libido, and difficulty sleeping can also have medical or mental-health causes. These symptoms describe a pattern rather than proving burnout on their own.

Start by identifying the demands that cannot continue at the same pace. Protect sleep and meal routines, take brief recovery breaks, and reduce avoidable commitments where possible. Speak with a trusted person and arrange a clinical review if symptoms persist. Treatment may address workload, mood, anxiety, sleep, or another health problem; learn more about [Burnout](/conditions/burnout/) and [Insomnia](/conditions/insomnia/).

Book an appointment when exhaustion, low mood, anxiety, concentration problems, or sleep disruption affects daily functioning or continues after time away from the stressor. Seek urgent help if you feel unable to stay safe, have thoughts of self-harm, or cannot manage basic needs.

Ask how burnout differs from depression, anxiety, anaemia, thyroid problems, or a sleep disorder, and which changes to work, rest, or treatment should come first.