Does burnout stem from the wrong job or environment?

By Jean Baptiste Ndabananiye

In today’s fast-paced world, burnout has become a pervasive issue affecting employees across industries, regardless of their backgrounds or talents. While it is easy to assume that burnout emanates from working in fields misaligned with one’s natural gifts or in demotivating environments, the reality is far more complex. Life In Humanity argues that burnout doesn’t simply constitute a result of being in the wrong job or under unfulfilling conditions. Instead, it’s often driven by overwork, excessive stress, and the struggle to balance professional and personal lives.

Through narratives from Rwandan employees and an American former burnout patient as well as insights from some credible sources, this article delves into the heart of burnout, unraveling its true causes and exploring how overwhelming workloads, unrelenting pressure, and modern work culture contribute to this growing crisis. The stories shared here are not just reflections of a local phenomenon, but echoes of a global challenge—one that influences workers everywhere and demands urgent attention from individuals and organizations alike. This edition addresses these subjects:

1. Causes of burnout
2. Stories helping to understand the issue of burnout
3. How to reconcile the two opposing realities (glorification of workaholism and rising burnout?)

Causes of burnout

While misalignment with one’s talents or an uninspiring environment can intensify feelings of frustration or exhaustion, they aren’t considered the root causes. Burnout isn’t solely caused by working in a sphere incompatible with one’s natural gifts or demotivating working environments. Burnout is a result of multifarious factors including work overload; excessive stress; lack of balance between work and personal life; little or lack of control over decisions, schedules and resources; and lack of support, among others.

Collins Dictionary states “If you overwork or if someone overworks you, you work too hard, and are likely to become very tired or ill. If someone suffers burnout, they exhaust themselves at an early stage in their life or career because they have achieved too much too quickly.”

Cambridge Dictionary defines overwork as to (cause someone to) work too much, too hard or too long.  It defines   burnout as  extreme tiredness or mental or physical illness caused by working too hard or trying to do too much. It also says that burnout means the state of having no energy or enthusiasm because of working too hard.

These dictionaries explicitly indicate that the source of burnout is overwork.  Yet as already mentioned, there exist other factors which Harvard Business Review echoes in its July 05, 2019 article titled “6 Causes of Burnout, and How to Avoid Them”. “Burnout can make you perpetually exhausted, annoyed, and feeling unaccomplished and unappreciated. And at extreme levels, it may mean you aren’t in the right job. How do you know when burnout is telling you to quit your job? There are six key areas where you could experience imbalances that lead to burnout.

First, your workload. Do you feel chronically feel overloaded, and do you have opportunities to rest and recover? Second, a perceived lack of control. Do you lack autonomy, access to resources, and a say in decisions? Third, rewards. Do the extrinsic and intrinsic rewards for your job match the amount of effort and time you put in to them? Fourth, community. How supportive and trusting are the relationships around you? Fifth, fairness. Do you believe that you receive fair and equitable treatment? Finally, values. Do your values match those of your leaders and the company?”

Harvard Business Review suggests that first understanding the causes of burnout and examining actions which you can accomplish to conduct changes are vital. This enables you to reach a more objective conclusion about whether to adjust your work situation or leave it. “Burnout isn’t simply about being tired. It’s a multifaceted issue that requires a multifaceted solution. Before you quit, really think through what exactly is contributing to your burnout and attempt to make changes. If you find that despite your best efforts, little has changed, then see if it makes sense to stay or if it’s time to leave.”

Stories helping to understand the issue of burnout

Narratives from Rwanda

These narratives are from some of Rwandan employees but whose identities we have decided not to reveal for security reasons. These stories describe circumstances— that these workers are facing—which are likely to result in burnout, while another story is about an American who has experienced burnout. One of the Rwandan workforce members has told us “I’m flooded with work to the extent that I even find no time to work on my own affairs at week-ends.

I even rarely secure time to read things like articles or stories. In the recent past I dreamt of performing tasks and I was surprised to find that in the morning when I started working on the tasks in the real world, I perfectly applied techniques of which I dreamt. Today my mind is almost occupied with work-related issues.”

He argued that this is certainly harming his health and when I seemed to challenge him that the dream inspired him certain techniques which proved successful in real-world situations, he counter-challenged me “Yes, the dream inspired me the techniques, but this forms an unquestionable sign that I stand in a critical situation. If I’m dreaming of work, it is not constructive but devastating for me.” Moreover, we know that  he once developed exhaustion to the extent of developing an illness and then going to a healthcare facility for treatment.

Another one has written to me on WhatsApp “I have always run short of time because of such overwhelming work that I rarely find time to talk to people.”

Another professional has said “While you are performing, alone, an overburdening job which should be handled by two employees, it is understandable that you cannot get time to rest and accomplish other things like reading. For example, I am inundated with work so that I never obtain the time to read things.”

A key reason for burnout, as highlighted by the last source, is the overwhelming amount of work, since various workers point out excessive workloads. They underline that they each deal with work which should be handled by 3 staff members or at least two ones.

Paula Davis’s burnout story “I Fought The Law And The Law Won: My Burnout Story”

Life In Humanity has chosen to publish her story in its entirety, exactly as she has presented it on her website. We want to inform our audience that we have not performed any edits to her narrative, as we believe it stands well as it is.

What does it feel like to burn out at work? How do I know if I’m burning out? Do I have to leave my job if I’m burning out? These are just some of the questions I’m frequently asked after I talk about my own experience with burnout toward the end of my law practice. I wanted to share my story in a bit more detail to hopefully help others recognize what burnout looks like, prompt organizations to start to take this issue seriously, and most importantly, send the message that if this feels like what you’re experiencing, you are not alone.

My burnout story starts back in 2008. If you had met me then, you would have seen a successful lawyer, on top of her game, closing several multi-million-dollar commercial real estate deals each month. You may have even thought, “She has it all.” But here’s what you would have missed.

First, I was exhausted, and it was a different kind of tired than I had ever experienced. Getting out of bed to go to work had become exceedingly difficult, if not emotionally painful. My pop out of bed, ready to start the week, had become a slow drop and thud. Weekends weren’t long enough to fully recover (even when I didn’t work), and vacations, when I actually took them, provided only temporary relief. Every work or life curveball, no matter how minor, became a major deal. I remember my mom calling and asking me to pick up some groceries on my way out to her house, and I had a level 10 reaction to her very basic request. That was not my personality, and it was a red flag.

Second, I had become cynical, even by lawyer standards. People generally just started to bug me and rub me the wrong way. I remember working with clients, and when they came to me with a legal issue, outwardly I was very professional, but inwardly I would roll my eyes and think, “Really? You can’t handle this on your own?”  Or “Didn’t we already talk about this?”  Disconnecting from people was unusual for me, and I just wanted to be left alone in my office.

Third, I started to feel ineffective. I never lost confidence in my ability to be a good lawyer, but I stopped seeing a clear path for myself through the legal profession. I had worked at a small, boutique firm, then at a large law firm, and then in-house. All of those progression boxes had been checked. Now what?

As I discovered more than a year later, those three big warning signs – chronic exhaustion, cynicism and feeling ineffective – are the three big dimensions of burnout.  Other warning signs include forgetfulness or impaired concentration and attention, getting sick more frequently, anger, anxiety, depression, pessimism, isolation, increased irritability and lack of productivity and poor performance.

I think of burnout as a gateway process because it can invite in other physical, mental, and emotional issues, and for me, it was chronic anxiety. Burnout resurrected the panic attacks that I thought I had successfully eradicated years earlier. I experienced my first panic attack as a teenager. It woke me up in the middle of the night, and I was convinced that I was having a heart attack. Scared and confused, my parents got me into the doctor the next morning, but it would be months before I had an official diagnosis. My panic attacks came and went during periods of very high stress in my life – during finals, during law school, and then when I burned out.

Panic attacks are a bit of a misnomer because most people don’t outwardly look like they are panicking when they have one. I have had them sitting in a movie theater, driving a car, riding in a car, and sitting on a park bench, both alone and with other people around me. Panic attacks feel like a rush of sudden dread that leads you to believe death is imminent.

In addition, the high levels of stress caused such severe stomach aches that I ended up in the emergency room twice. I saw more than half a dozen doctors during this time, and none of them mentioned burnout, work, or even asked how I was doing generally in life. If you’re a healthcare professional reading this, please ask. I was at a point where if someone had asked me how I was doing, I literally would have burst into tears, revealing the truth I had been keeping a secret because I didn’t want to seem like the odd lawyer at work who couldn’t hack it.  As a result, I ended up diagnosing my own burnout, which I could only do after I left my job and reflected back on what happened.

My burnout was severe, but it didn’t start that way. Burnout is very easily measured, and it’s a first step I always recommend to the organizations I work with on these topics. Burnout costs the workplace hundreds of millions of dollars each year; in fact, one-third of the cost of physician turnover in healthcare has now been attributed to burnout.  While there are fewer studies on burnout in other professions, lawyers, for example, experience exceedingly high rates of depression, anxiety, and stress, all of which can co-exist with or drive burnout. Other research studies and articles generally indicate a prevalence of burnout among teachers, health care professionals generally, executives generally, and IT professionals.

So, you’re not alone. There are lots of research-based tools that have been shown to be effective at reducing or preventing burnout, but organizations need to do their part too. Critical ingredients to making progress include leadership prioritization, assessment, structured interventions, and open communication. I invite you to share your story.

Davis is Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Stress and Resilience Institute where we have found her story. The institute constitutes a training and consulting firm partnering with leaders and organizations to help them reduce burnout and build resilience at the team, leader, and organizational levels.

Paula left her law practice after seven years and earned a master’s degree in applied positive psychology from the University of Pennsylvania. As part of her post-graduate training, Paula was selected to be part of the University of Pennsylvania faculty teaching and training resilience skills to soldiers as part of the Army’s Comprehensive Soldier and Family Fitness program. Also a contributor to Forbes, Fast Company and Psychology Today, Davis’  expertise has been featured in various major publications such as The New York Times, O, The Oprah Magazine,  and The Washington Post.

How to reconcile the two opposing realities?

To reconcile the two realities—the growing burnout crisis and the glorification of workaholism, we need to balance the recognition that both realities stem from different motivations and work environments. On one hand, employees are burning out due to excessive demands, unsupportive work environments, and poor alignment with personal values or talents. This is exacerbated by the modern “always-on” culture, where constant availability is demanded, eroding the work-life balance and leading to exhaustion and stress.

On the other hand, workaholics, especially those who excel in their fields, often find joy and fulfillment in their work. For them, work is not merely a duty but a passion, an extension of their identity. Their dedication, drive, and long hours are rooted in intrinsic motivation and a sense of purpose, not external pressures. The issue arises when these conditions of passion and talent are missing, turning work into an exhausting burden.

To reconcile these two realities, the solution lies in fostering environments where employees have a choice. Organizations need to encourage flexibility and promote mental and physical well-being, allowing workers to thrive without sacrificing their health. At the same time, people driven by ambition and passion can continue pushing their limits, provided they do so in a way that aligns with their well-being and life goals.

In essence, companies need to create a culture that allows for individual choice, encouraging work-life balance while recognizing that those who are deeply passionate about their work will often push themselves further without feeling the negative consequences of burnout.

Life In Humanity also emphasizes that addressing the reconciliation between the glorification of workaholism and the increasing rates of burnout requires a multifaceted approach. Central to this reconciliation is the need for organizations to assign manageable workloads to their employees. This entails not only evaluating and adjusting expectations but also fostering an open dialogue between management and staff about workload concerns. Regular interactions on this issue can help to ensure that workloads remain realistic and sustainable, allowing employees to maintain a healthy work-life balance. By prioritizing communication and collaboration, organizations can create a supportive environment that recognizes the value of both productivity and employee well-being, ultimately leading to a more engaged, healthy and resilient workforce.

A workforce that is not healthy will struggle to be resilient and productive, particularly in the long term. When employees face physical or mental health challenges, their ability to cope with stress, adapt to changes, and maintain high levels of performance diminishes significantly. Chronic stress, burnout, and health-related issues can lead to decreased motivation and engagement, resulting in a lack of productivity and creativity. Over time, the absence of a healthy workforce can create a toxic work environment, where low morale and high absenteeism become prevalent. Ultimately, organizations that neglect the health of their employees may find themselves facing increased turnover rates and diminished overall performance, making it imperative to prioritize employee well-being for sustained success.

Burnout is increasingly causing employees to quit their jobs, leading to significant turnover within organizations. When individuals feel overwhelmed, exhausted, and disengaged due to chronic stress and unrealistic workloads, their job satisfaction plummets. This dissatisfaction often results in employees seeking other opportunities where they can find a healthier work-life balance and a more supportive environment. The consequences of high turnover can be detrimental to organizations, resulting in lost talent, increased recruitment and training costs, and disruptions in team dynamics. To retain their workforce and maintain productivity, companies must address the root causes of burnout and foster a culture that prioritizes employee well-being and engagement. According to the LinkedIn Workforce Confidence Index and Microsoft, 46% of employees want to quit their jobs in 2024, up from 40% during the Great Resignation in 2021. Among those looking to leave, 51% cite burnout as their primary reason.