Stress is a normal response to people, places and situations in our personal or professional lives that feel threatening or beyond our abilities to manage, whether they’re true or imagined. Our stress levels oscillate constantly throughout the day and, for some of us, if they remain high for too long, they cause distress that can make us feel burnt out. Burnout, however, is a syndrome resulting from chronic workplace stress that has gone unmanaged for many months leading to a highly dysregulated nervous system. 

According to the World Health Organization, typical symptoms of burnout include:

• Chronic fatigue and physical and emotional exhaustion
• Resentment, cynicism and detachment from one’s job or other activities that once felt important and fulfilling 
• A sense of incompetence or hopelessness: a lack of accomplishment and feeling ineffective at work or as if you have lost control of your professional and personal life.

A healthy environment is created when the work atmosphere is based on happiness and the well-being of everyone, while maintaining a good level of productivity. It’s when, in the workplace, you can talk about personal mental health matters without being stigmatized. It’s when you can set boundaries if you feel your work might lead you into a burnout process.