Many people struggle with stress that affects their daily life, but it can be hard to know if you’re dealing with burnout or depression. These conditions can look similar, but they’re actually quite different, and understanding the difference can help you get the right support.
What Makes Them Different?
“Burnout is usually specifically tied to work-related stress, and it usually will improve with some rest and support,” explains Mary McKinney, a Sky Lakes qualified mental health associate. “Maybe you need to just take an R&R [rest and relaxation] day off of work, and then you may feel quite a bit better, whereas depression is a lot deeper — it can affect every aspect of your life, even outside of work.”
Burnout is defined by the World Health Organization as “a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed” and is not classified as a medical condition. Depression, on the other hand, is a mood disorder that causes persistent feelings of sadness and loss of interest that can interfere with your daily functioning.
Watch for These Warning Signs
The physical symptoms can give you clues about what you’re experiencing. McKinney notes that “with burnout, it might be more like fatigue, headaches, trouble sleeping, whereas with depression it could be changes in sleep, appetite, or just really, really low energy.”
When Burnout Becomes Something More
Sometimes burnout can turn into depression if it’s not addressed. “Burnout can lead into depression if you don’t deal with it,” McKinney warns. This is especially true for people who stay in stressful situations for long periods.
McKinney shares her own experience: After finishing college while working full-time and raising three teenagers, she thought she’d feel immediate relief. Instead, “that’s when I actually felt the burnout. While I was doing all of it, I was so hyper-focused that I don’t even think I realized how burnt out I actually was.”
Recovery from prolonged burnout often requires more than just time off. “You really might have to come up with a restorative plan to take care of yourself before it goes away,” she explains.
Who’s Most at Risk?
Healthcare workers face particularly high rates of burnout and mental health challenges. McKinney sees this firsthand: “Hospital employees, especially anyone that does shift work — emergency department, ICU, some of those really intense areas — they’re definitely more prone to burnout.”
Getting Help
If you can’t tell whether you’re experiencing burnout or depression, don’t try to figure it out alone. “If you’re really struggling and you’re not sure, you should reach out to some type of mental health professional to help sort that out,” McKinney advises. “What you’re going to need to do is going to be completely different depending on which one it is.”
Remember, both burnout and depression are treatable. The first step is recognizing that what you’re feeling isn’t just “part of the job;” it’s a signal that you need support.
