I really love my job. It's challenging, always changing (therefore, never boring), and people depend on me. I feel like I am positively contributing to the company I work for, which is why I work 10-hour days, five days a week, and eat lunch at my desk. And I am good at what I do. I work hard, I am open to new projects, and my boss knows she can count on me to deliver. But every now and then, I find myself sitting on the edge of my bed in the morning, with my head in my hands, struggling to find the energy to just get up and get dressed – the thought of going to work and being functional is almost overwhelming. Fortunately, these mornings are rare. And while most of us have experienced an episode like the one I've described, for the majority of us, it never goes beyond being a bit reluctant to go into work, or being a little disengaged when we're there. For some, however, these feelings can escalate into something a lot more serious: burnout.

Burnout is not stress. Most of us are under some amount of stress, positive or negative, at any given time. Indeed, positive stress can help a person be more productive and increase motivation. Burnout, on the other hand, is a gradual process whereby chronic stress leads to feelings of negativity and malaise and, ultimately, results in the loss of motivation and interest in work. A person suffering from burnout is likely to be chronically tired, feel physically and mentally run-down, have general aches and pains, have a profound dread of going to work, be mentally absent when at work, and appear to simply not care. And, if that doesn't sound serious enough, the overwhelming feelings of despair and failure a burnout sufferer feels may lead to drug or alcohol abuse, a mental or physical breakdown, or even premature death.

Although burnout can be exacerbated by occurrences in your personal life, it is usually related to stresses at work, such as:

Everyone is susceptible to burnout, but, in general, those who are the most at risk are those who, interestingly, make the best employees. These individuals don't hesitate to take on additional responsibilities, have high standards and perfectionist tendencies, consistently give more than 100%, and are intensely driven. Not surprisingly, burnout is common among "helping" professionals and professions that involve life or death decisions (e.g., nurses, doctors, and counselors).