Job burnout happens when the stress or prolonged frustration of a job or career contributes to emotional and physical exhaustion. The ability to cope with general life stressors outside of work is strained. This combination results in a lack of motivation, fatigue, irritability, and sometimes depression. Job burnout presents a significant challenge for everyone supporting the burned out individual.

The challenge of burnout can be especially taxing for creative, goal-oriented people. When these people blame themselves for their situation, the feeling of exhaustion only gets worse and they feel helpless. Their efforts seem to get them nowhere. The cycle of working harder, seeing little or no results and getting increasingly stressed out is extremely disparaging.

As a career coach specializing in helping people through this exhausting cycle, I