Dia Mundial da Saúde Mental - Burnout
Health

World Mental Health Day: How to recognize burnout

10 de October, 2024

World Mental Health Day is celebrated annually on October 10th. This date was established by the World Federation for Mental Health (FMSM) in 1992 with the aim of promoting knowledge about mental health and, at the same time, combating the prejudice and stigma that persist around this issue.

The official motto of the 2024 World Mental Health Day global campaign is “It’s time to prioritize mental health in the workplace”. This initiative aims to highlight the impact that the workplace and working environment can have on the well-being of professionals, as well as reinforcing the role of organizations in protecting and promoting the mental health of their employees.

Burnout syndrome is considered the workplace epidemic of the 21st century and, in Portugal, the data is alarming. According to a study by the Portuguese Laboratory for Healthy Working Environments (LABPATS), three out of every four workers surveyed had at least one symptom of burnout and almost half had three symptoms.

On this World Mental Health Day, learn about some of the signs that can help you recognize burnout.

Read also: How to manage stress at work?

What is burnout?

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), burnout is a syndrome that occurs when people are unable to manage the chronic or prolonged stress associated with their work. It is characterized by:

  • Feelings of exhaustion;
  • Greater mental distance from work or feelings of negativity or cynicism towards work;
  • Reduced professional effectiveness.

There can be numerous causes of burnout and each person may have different coping mechanisms and skills. Here are some of the signs to look out for.

Signs to recognize burnout

1 – Emotional symptoms

On an emotional level, there may be symptoms such as sadness, apathy, demotivation, discouragement, frustration, anger, a sense of injustice, anxiety, low self-esteem, among others.

2 – Cognitive symptoms

Some common signs are difficulty concentrating, memory lapses, difficulty or slower performance of tasks, decreased creativity, reduced decision-making ability, persistent thoughts about work (ruminations) or the need for control.

3 – Physical symptoms

Since burnout results from chronic stress, it is important to recognize that there may also be associated physical symptoms. Some of these signs could be migraines, dizziness, shortness of breath, tachycardia, gastrointestinal problems, changes in sleep patterns and appetite, cardiovascular problems, profound tiredness, chronic fatigue or muscle tension.

4 – Social changes

Burnout can also affect relationships with family, friends and work colleagues. There can be greater isolation, a lack of empathy or changes in communication patterns (the way people communicate can become more impersonal, more critical, more sarcastic, more confrontational or even more aggressive).

5 – Behavioral changes

Behavioral changes can be varied, such as adopting a constantly critical or harsher attitude, greater impulsiveness, irritability or a propensity to consume substances (alcohol, tobacco, drugs or medication).

6 – Attitude at work

Burnout tends to bring with it more negative behavior towards work, greater demotivation and dissatisfaction, feelings of low professional achievement, decreased commitment and productivity. At the same time, it can lead to more delays, greater absenteeism from work and more frequent sick leave.

Burnout and depression

Burnout has overlapping symptoms with some mental health conditions, such as depression. It should be noted that the difference between burnout and depression is based on the context in which the symptoms appear, i.e. where and when the symptoms tend to occur.

While burnout originates specifically in a work context – and if the person removes themselves from that context and the professional challenges they are going through, they can improve and recover – depression tends to be more generalized and affect the other areas of the person’s life.

Nevertheless, burnout can be accompanied by depression. This happens when the person, even if they have already moved on from the professional experiences that led to burnout, continues to feel depressed (sad mood, low self-esteem, apathy, lack of interest in activities that used to be enjoyable, lack of energy, appetite, tiredness).


If you are experiencing burnout syndrome, some tips for coping better and alleviating the symptoms could be:

  • Speak to your line manager if you think you’re overwhelmed at work (don’t hide it or ignore it);
  • Set yourself reasonable and realistic workload limits;
  • Talk and share your feelings with other people (family, friends, other work colleagues);
  • Socialize and interact with co-workers, this can help make the routine lighter and more enjoyable;
  • Try to have a positive outlook on your work and find value and purpose in what you do;
  • If it’s difficult to find ways around the situation, enlisting the help of a health professional can be an important step. Alternatively, you can call the SNS 24 hotline on 808 24 24 24 and select option 4 for psychological counseling.
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