Burnout is a broad term related to extreme exhaustion or stress, explains Nikki Beatrice, OT, OTD, OTR, manager of Behavioral Health OT & Mental Health Specialists at Tufts Medical Centerin Boston. Burnout“usually stems from high levels of stress, fear, consistent anxiety,” Dr. Beatrice says, “or it could be from multiple traumas, from not having proper support [systems].” One study even pointed to “emotional contagion”the idea that if someone in your circle feels burnt out, chances are that you are, too.
Whatever’s run you down, data show that most Americans can relate. According to 2022 research published in theInternational Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health(IJERPH), up to 91.4% of people said they felt burnt out.
Many are turning to search engines to investigate whether what they’re feeling aligns with the symptoms of burnout. Dr. Beatrice also points out that there’s a growing awareness around burnout in general. “It’s become one of those ‘token terms’ like the termself-carethis umbrella term that encompasses many different things.” So it’s understandable that more people are looking for answers. “There’s been a lot of discussion around the term burnout since the Covid-19 pandemic,” she says. “People hear or read about it and think: I’m starting to experience some of these things, let me look up what burnout symptoms are.”
A new study analyzed search volume data for phrases, terms, and queries related to burnout over the last year. Based on nationwide search behavior, the states that are home to the most emotionally exhausted residents appear clear.
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The biggest symptoms of burnout
Researchers on burnout say people often experience common signs of stress, such as sleep issues, depressed mood, stomach problems, fatigue, and frequent sickness. But search data suggests there’s one major burnout symptom that indicates extreme stress: Depersonalization.
Dr. Beatrice defines depersonalization “as this idea that you are so detached and disconnected, both physically and emotionally,” she says. Depersonalization is “as if you’re almost sitting on the couch watching a TV show or a movie, clicking through the remotebut you’re watching your life, not grounded in it.”
She says people report that depersonalization can feel worse than symptoms of anxiety or depression. “At least you’re often physically feeling symptoms from anxiety and depression, where depersonalization is more of a numbing feeling.”
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