Burnout: Myths, Misunderstandings, and a Better Way Forward
As an executive coach, I speak with many people who feel stressed, emotionally exhausted, and unmotivated at work. This year, 2025, has been particularly intense given significant government policy shifts and an uncertain job market.
Unfortunately, both employees and organizations often misunderstand burnout—and as a result, the solutions they turn to can be ineffective or even make things worse. In this blog, I aim to dispel common myths and offer a more meaningful path forward.
Defining Burnout Properly
The term burnout is often used casually to describe high workplace stress, but true burnout has a specific definition and requires a specific response.
While not a medical diagnosis, the World Health Organization describes burnout as chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed, resulting in exhaustion or lack of energy. The leading researcher on burnout, Christina Maslach, defines it as “a prolonged response to chronic emotional and interpersonal stressors on the job.”
Burnout and stress are not the same thing—but stress in the workplace is a serious and growing problem. Surveys show burnout among U.S. professionals has reached record highs. The American Psychological Association reports that 55% of workers feel tense or stressed during the workday. Another study by Moodle found that 66% of employees feel burned out.
I often point to Gallup’s research, which reveals that roughly 70% of the workforce is not engaged at work—a trend that has persisted for over a decade. While not all disengaged employees are burned out, disengagement signals lower motivation and enthusiasm.
With this context in mind, let’s dive into myths around burnout.
Myth #1: Burnout Is Just Feeling Stressed at Work
The word burnout is often used loosely, but research shows it has three distinct dimensions:
Exhaustion – Energy depletion and emotional fatigue.
Mental distance or cynicism – Increased detachment, negativity, or resentment toward work.
Reduced personal accomplishment – A sense of decreased competence, productivity, and meaning.
When someone consistently experiences high levels in all three areas, that’s true burnout—not just stress, fatigue, or boredom.
Burnout also has measurable impacts. Individuals may experience depression, insomnia, or emotional distress, while organizations see higher absenteeism, lower work quality, and job dissatisfaction.
Myth #2: Burnout Is a Personal Problem
We often think burnout is a personal issue—but in reality, it’s largely organizational. It stems from chronic job stressors that haven’t been successfully managed at work.
As Jennifer Moss, author of The Burnout Epidemic: The Rise of Chronic Stress and How We Can Fix It, notes,
“Burnout is a complex constellation of poor workplace practices and policies, antiquated institutional legacies, and systemic issues that have plagued us for too long.”
Similarly, the leading burnout researcher Christina Maslach reminds us:
“We need to reframe the basic question from who is burning out to why they are burning out. It’s not enough to focus on the worker—we must also address the job conditions that cause the problem.”
Myth #3: Burnout Is Caused Only by Overwork
Overwork is a major contributor to burnout, but it’s far from the only cause. Research identifies six main drivers of burnout:
Workload – Insufficient resources, time, or support to do the job well.
Lack of control – Too little autonomy or decision-making power.
Insufficient reward or recognition – Effort goes unnoticed or unappreciated.
Lack of community – Weak or negative social connections at work.
Lack of fairness – Bias, favoritism, or inequitable policies.
Value mismatch – A gap between personal and organizational values.
So when signs of burnout are there one or more underlying causes could be at play.
Myth #4: You Can Fix Burnout with Time Off
When people reach a point of burnout, common advice includes taking a vacation, exercising, or meditating. These can help prevent burnout, but they don’t cure it.
While rest and recovery are important, research shows organizations must address underlying causes—not just symptoms. For example:
A toxic co-worker or manager dynamic.
Perfectionistic tendencies leading to overwork.
A micromanaging boss.
A role with little autonomy or unclear expectations.
A lack of recognition or appreciation.
Isolation from the team or lack of meaningful connection.
Perceived unfairness or inconsistency in leadership.
Without addressing these underlying issues, employees return from time off to the same environment that caused the burnout in the first place.
Myth #5: Organizations Can’t Do Much About Burnout
In truth, burnout is a management and organizational issue, not an individual failure or health problem. As leading burnout researcher Christina Maslach put it:
“Think of burned-out employees as canaries in the coal mine. When the canary keels over, we don’t tell it to take a long weekend—we recognize the environment is hazardous.”
Maslach also emphasized the importance of the job-person match:
“Is there a good fit between the worker and the workplace environment—one that enables them to thrive?”
In other words, when burnout shows up, it signals deeper organizational problems that need to be addressed at their roots.
How Organizations Can Respond
The key is to improve the match between people and their work. The six drivers of burnout also reveal the six levers for change:
Workload: Clarify top priorities, remove low-value tasks, and align roles with employee strengths.
Control: Offer autonomy and trust, while providing coaching and direction.
Reward: Recognize effort and create meaningful opportunities for growth.
Community: Foster civility, connection, and psychological safety.
Fairness: Address inequities quickly and create systems for feedback and responsiveness.
Values: Communicate and uphold organizational values consistently.
Ultimately, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. Addressing burnout requires creativity, empathy, and commitment from both leaders and employees—and it starts by reframing burnout not as a personal flaw, but as an organizational call to action.