Burnout is triggered by internal and external factors, whereby on the one hand there are external circumstances such as time pressure, conflicts at work, difficult customers, overtime. In addition, there is the personality of the person affected by burnout, as these are often performance-oriented, ambitious and perfectionistic people who tend to be harmonic and have difficulty recognising boundaries. This becomes noticeable through a series of physical, emotional and mental symptoms, whereby the immune system is weakened, one is prone to illness and feels irritable. Many are familiar with this from the stressful phases during their studies, when one immediately becomes ill after handing in a term paper.
It becomes problematic when someone goes through a longer period without rest and when rest alone no longer helps. If it gets to that point, a holiday may help in the short term as an acute measure, but not in the long term, so that one should get professional help by taking a critical look at one’s own limits and current working conditions. In order to make lasting changes, it makes sense for those affected to deal with their own critical personality traits under psychological guidance. The brain must first learn to allow for a different way of thinking and that setting limits can be something positive. It is important to develop a good gut feeling about the new behaviour and not to take breaks alone under stress.