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Burnout: How to Avoid It, How to Know When You’re Burned Out, and What to Do About It

The term “burnout” was first used in the 1970s by psychologist Herbert Freudenberger to characterize the effects of severe stress and high ideals in helping professions (such as healthcare).

Christina Maslach, PhD, a leading researcher on the topic and professor (emerita) of psychology at the University of California in Berkeley, defined burnout in the 1980s as work-related stress that applies specifically to individuals who do “people work” — such as teachers, nurses, or social workers.

But it wasn’t until 2019 that it became officially recognized as an “occupational phenomenon” by the World Health Organization (WHO).

It’s not a health condition, according to the WHO. The term describes a set of symptoms that result from chronic workplace stress that is unmanaged or mismanaged.

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