Burnout refers to a disorder that develops as a result of prolonged work stress, characterized by fatigue, difficulties in information processing, cynicism towards work, and reduced professional self-esteem.

Not all fatigue caused by work is burnout. Burnout is characterized by its long-term nature and poor, or even non-existent, recovery.

Burnout is a deceptive condition. It develops gradually. Often, the person experiencing burnout does not see the problems arising. Difficulties in information processing can push a conscientious employee into increasing efforts, which in turn leads to further exhaustion. Especially for an employee experiencing burnout for the first time, they may be quite blind to their own condition.

Because of this deceptive exhaustion, the role of close ones is important. At the workplace, burnout can manifest as changes in work behavior: irritability, snapping, long workdays, giving up exercise, and fatigue. In customer-facing roles, burnout may appear as customer complaints. Sometimes, those experiencing burnout may increase their alcohol consumption to alleviate their symptoms.

The supervisor plays a crucial role in preventing burnout, especially for young employees who are highly committed and motivated in their work. Individual factors significantly impact susceptibility to burnout. Therefore, merely monitoring workloads (hours or performance) is not enough, although it is important. Interest in the employee's working methods and well-being, support for task completion, and encouraging feedback serve as protection against burnout. At the same time, the supervisor gets to know their employees and, at best, can identify risk factors and provide timely assistance.

Colleagues may also notice unusual work behavior in someone experiencing burnout. If relationships within the work community are good, the issue can be addressed with the person who is struggling. It is important not to blame them but to offer help. One can express concern about how the colleague is managing and ask if there is any way to help. Colleagues can guide the person to seek help from occupational health services or encourage them to talk with their supervisor.

Those particularly susceptible to burnout are conscientious and self-demanding employees. It has been said that a conscientious employee needs to experience burnout at least once in their career to learn their own limits.

The term burnout is misleading. Burning out implies a hopeless state from which there is no return. In reality, one can recover from burnout. The sooner the condition is recognized, the faster the recovery. Therefore, it is important to identify the early signs, discuss them, and seek help if necessary.

Most often, those who have recovered from burnout learn to recognize the early signs of exhaustion and can make changes to their work before the symptoms become unmanageable. In this sense, burnout is somewhat like overtraining in elite athletes. Only a few fall into the condition twice.