Work Burnout: Signs, Causes, and How to Reclaim Your Energy

The laptop closes a little harder than necessary at the end of the workday. The transition into “personal time” doesn’t quite happen—not from lack of intention, but from lack of energy. The gym bag stays in the trunk. Social plans get canceled again. You sink onto the couch “just for a minute,” hoping to recharge, and resurface 45 minutes later having mindlessly scrolled through social media, full of noise but no relief.

These can be signs of burnout. And for many of us, it feels like we are stuck in a trap we helped build.

And to be clear—this isn’t just a rough day or a busy week. It’s the kind of fatigue that has a way of becoming the new normal, creeping from work into the rest of life. Slowly, it erodes your “off time,” untill life stops feeling like living and becomes nothing more than recovery.

Why Work Is Such a Powerful Source of Burnout

Work is one of the most common and complex sources of burnout. Most of us need a job to survive, and many jobs come with benefits that can feel shiny and reassuring: a stable paycheck, health insurance, status, flexibility, or prestige. Sometimes those benefits function like golden handcuffs—appealing from one angle, constraining from another.

On top of that, work culture itself can be exhausting. There is often an overt or covert pressure to "do more with less"—to hit higher targets with fewer resources and less time. These pressures are the perfect recipe for burnout.

But if we know we are miserable, why do we stay?

The Mental Tug-of-War: Burnout and Cognitive Dissonance

Prolonged work stress can also create something we call cognitive dissonance—the discomfort that arises when our thoughts, values, or beliefs don’t align with our actions.

For example, one part of you may be thinking, “There has to be more to life than work.” Yet your behavior—overworking, staying late, constantly thinking about your job—tells a different story.

The brain dislikes this tension. We usually resolve this dissonance in one of two ways: changing our behavior, or justifying it. When we are burned out, we often lack the energy to change the behavior, so we fall into justification.

• “It’s not always this bad.”

• “Once I get promoted, it will be better.”

• “Things will calm down after this busy season.”

These thoughts aren’t lies—they’re understandable survival strategies. And sometimes they help us get through a difficult chapter. But when burnout is chronic, justification can keep us stuck longer than we realize.

Over time, this can morph into thoughts like:

• “This is still better than any other job.”

• “I don’t even know what I’d do otherwise.”

• “I’ll stay until I figure it out.”

These thoughts feel real—and they are emotionally real—but they aren’t always objectively true.

Small Shifts That Can Create Real Relief

When we feel stuck, we tend to think in extremes: either I stay and suffer, or I quit and face uncertainty. But that is a false dichotomy. Meaningful change often starts small, in ways that shift life from merely “surviving” to gradually “aligning.”

1. Identify the "Golden Handcuffs" Acknowledge what is keeping you in your current situation—is it money, status, security, or fear of the unknown? Simply naming it takes away some of its power. You aren’t “stuck”; you are choosing to stay for a reason. That recognition can restore a sense of agency.

2. Challenge the thought that there is “no other choice.” Even if you don’t act differently yet, recognizing options helps loosen the feeling of being trapped.

3. Create boundaries where possible. This might mean limiting after-hours emails, taking real lunch breaks, or protecting days off.

4. Act in alignment with your values—on purpose. Make deliberate time for things that remind you who you are outside of work: cooking nourishing meals, volunteering, reading for pleasure, spending time with loved ones, being in nature, or engaging in creativity.

Burnout is a signal that your external life has drifted too far from your internal values. You don't always need a new job to fix that; sometimes, you just need new boundaries. Start small. Reclaim an hour an evening a week. Reclaim your lunch break. Slowly, you can loosen the handcuffs and find your joy again. Base Camp Psychological Services is here to support you in setting boundaries, reconnecting with what matters, and finding more balance in life.

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The information in this blog is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional psychological advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you are experiencing distress or mental health difficulties, please seek support from a qualified mental health professional in your area. No guarantees of specific results are made or implied.

© 2025 Dr. Kristin Conlon. All rights reserved. Please do not copy or reproduce content without permission.