12 Stages of Burnout

Psychologist Herbert Freudenberger was one of the first to study burnout syndrome in 1980. He and his colleague Gail North, defined burnout as a “state of mental and physical exhaustion caused by one’s professional life.”

Through their studies, they broke down the various stages of burnout - and unsurprisingly, it is more than just a feeling of exhaustion or overwhelm. There are thoughts, feelings, and actions that amount to the various stages of burnout. It’s important to know what each of the stages are so that you can identify whether you exhibit similar behaviors in yourself. Bringing awareness to where you are at presently can help you care for yourself in the appropriate ways that you need.

Stage 1: Excessive ambition

While ambition is a positive trait that supports our personal and professional goals, anything in excess can quickly create a downward slope. Excessive ambition can kick in when you feel the need to prove something – whether to yourself or to others.

Stage 2: Working harder

This occurs when establishing high goals with one focus (generally work) and all other aspects of your life fall as secondary importance.

Stage 3: Neglecting own needs

Do you ever feel you don’t have time to cook a healthy meal for yourself? Or you just don’t have time to exercise or sleep on time? This stage is when our personal needs are sacrificed. We may even see the effects of this through unhealthy weight gain, insomnia, or decreased focus.

Stage 4: Displacement of conflicts and needs

Due to the excessive focus on work, problems are often dismissed; we may feel threatened, panicky, and jittery.

Stage 5: No longer any need for non-work related needs

Friends, family, and self-care are often dismissed as being irrelevant or not as important.

Stage 6: Increasing denial of the problem 

This stage signifies you may perceive collaborators or those you work with as undisciplined or lazy. Furthermore, there are often times excuses made where the only reason problems exist is because they are caused by time pressure and work, as opposed to any life changes. “If only I had more time, then…”. There is a sense of removal from reality.

Stage 7: Withdrawal, lack of direction, cynicism

As with stage 5 there is no room for a social life and often times there is a need to feel relief from stress using substances, such as alcohol or drugs.

Stage 8: Behavioral changes/psychological reactions

Changes in behavior are unique to each individual but there may be noticeable changes in demeanor that are obvious to family and friends.

Stage 9: Depersonalization: loss of contact with self and own needs

Unable to see your value. You have lost the drive you used to have. You may feel like quitting/moving/leaving and making a bigger life decision.

Stage 10: Inner emptiness, anxiety, addictive behavior

There is no enthusiasm or interest in work therefore this drives destructive behavior which may include excessive alcohol and drugs. Activities are often exaggerated.

Stage 11: Increasing feeling of meaninglessness and lack of interest

Feeling lost, exhausted, anxious, and hopeless around your life, your mission, and your values.

Stage 12: Physical exhaustion that can be life-threatening

This can include a total mental and physical collapse, which could lead to the need for full medical attention.

After reading through each of these stages, do you fall into any of these stages currently? Is this a consistent pattern you experience of when this occurs? Do you have a grasp on how to begin taking care of your whole self?