Burnout alters your brain on a physiological level, and the change is substantial.
Burnout is commonly thought of as an emotional or mental condition, but it can have physical effects on the brain. Research shows that people with burnout have enlarged amygdalae, the brain fear center, which is also the structure that regulates emotions. Burnout brains have weakened connections to areas linked to emotional distress and executive function. These brain changes result in poor emotional control, negativity, and impairments to attention and memory. While cognitive behavioral therapy can help reduce these changes, it's important to address the underlying causes of burnout, such as overwork, personal distress, and so on, rather than just power through it.
Source: How Burnout Physically Changes Your Brain (It's Not Pretty), Jessica Stillman, inc.com, Aug 9, 2022. https://www.inc.com/jessica-stillman/burnout-brain-chemistry-mental-health.html
Photo by Nataliya Vaitkevich from Pexels
