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What is Burnout, and How Can You Manage It?

Image of papers and blue sticky notes with a planner on top. The section of the planner reads "TO DO LIST." In red marker is written "SO MANY THINGS" December 1, 2021

Nikita Thadani

 

You may have heard the phrase “I’m so burnt out” before. You may have said this phrase yourself – before grad school or during. This phrase certainly pops up more frequently around this time of year, with final papers, exams, and deadlines approaching. But what is burnout? There are several definitions of burnout – let’s take a look at a few of them. 

Mirriam-Webster Dictionary defines burnout as “exhaustion of physical or emotional strength or motivation usually as a result of prolonged stress or frustration.”1 The World Health Organization uses the ICD-11 (International Classification of Diseases, 11th edition) definition of burnout, which is “a syndrome conceptualized as …