 Are you completely overwhelmed and exhausted, but nothing seems to help? Do you feel stressed and nervous, but also wonder if something more serious like burnout is at play? More often than not, stress and burnout can be confused with one another. Elizabeth Scott, PhD, writer at Very Well Mind, defines stress as the physical, emotional, or psychological strain caused by change. Burnout, as defined by the helpguide.org medical team, is that same strain, but instead caused by excessive stress. Melinda Smith says that stress can feel like you're drowning, but burnout can feel like you're dried up and have nothing left to give. Because the symptoms of stress and burnout are very similar and overlap, it can be a challenge to tell the two apart. Mistaking one for the other could lead to harm, especially when trying to treat it. For this reason, it's important to know how to tell if you have stress or burnout and what you can do about it. Fatigue Psychotherapist Dr. Brian E. Robinson says while stress can be awful, depleting and negatively impact your health, people who are stressed are still able to cope with the demands and pressures of life. Dr. Robinson goes on to say that when someone has burnout, they're unable to cope anymore and are completely overcome with exhaustion. Experiencing burnout can feel like something has completely sucked the life out of you. Are you feeling totally depleted? Like you have nothing more to give? If you answered yes, you may be experiencing more than just stress, and it could be burnout. Number 2. Burnout Coach Montenez says that burnout can be hard to identify because it comes on quietly and slowly over a long period of time. In fact, psychologists Herbert Friedenberger and Gail North have outlined 12 phases to burnout. Excessive drive, ambition, pushing yourself to work harder, neglecting your own needs, displacement of conflict, no time for non-work-related needs, denial, withdrawal, behavior changes, depersonalization, inner emptiness or anxiety, depression, mental or physical collapse. The first phase is excessive drive and ambition. You can then find yourself neglecting your own needs after pushing yourself to work harder. Later on, burnout starts to manifest as inner emptiness and anxiety and depression. And finally, you can experience mental or physical collapse. Number 3. Daily Struggling The relationship between mental toughness, stress, and burnout among adolescents, a longitudinal study with Swiss vocational students says burnout is primarily a work-related syndrome. There is research to support that it can be seen in other environments as well, such as in school or academia. The European Journal of Investigation and Health Psychology and Education states that school burnout arises when students feel overwhelmed and unable to cope with stressful events. Do you notice that you're unable to cope with the stress that sets in while working away on a variety of tasks and responsibilities during your day? Whether you're in school or college, work or volunteering, it can be understandable why you might be completely exhausted. You're carrying a lot, and there are tons of expectations on your shoulders. If you feel like you aren't able to show up in the way you used to and are absent, unreliable and generally just not yourself, it may be more than just stress. And it could be burnout. Number 4. Psychological Changes Does your mind not feel like it used to? Do you notice that your mind feels foggy and spacey? Are you having trouble concentrating or just thinking in general? Dr. Brian Robinson says burnout can impact someone's mental well-being in a big way. It can impact your emotions and make you feel moody or like you're on edge, about to snap. Or maybe you've already snapped and are feeling short-tempered. These can all be signs that you may be experiencing burnout. It can feel helpless to have new and unfamiliar emotions and mental blocks. BMC Public Health states that, just like prolonged stress, people who are experiencing burnout can have an increased risk of depression or anxiety. Number 5. Physically Unhealthy Have you been noticing that you've been getting sick a lot more than usual lately? Has it felt impossible to get a good night's sleep or fall asleep even though you're super tired? The Mayo Clinic shares that ignored or unaddressed job burnout can have significant consequences, including fatigue, insomnia, heart disease and high blood pressure, as well as type 2 diabetes and vulnerability to illness. It's important to not brush off feelings of stress and to reflect on how your body and mind are feeling. It can be confusing to know if your physical symptoms are due to stress or burnout as both can cause physical health problems. If you find yourself experiencing physical symptoms, you should probably skip the Google searches and WebMD articles and speak to your doctor. Number 6. No Impact While burnout mostly results from ongoing and prolonged stress at work or school, according to Ayala Pinesa and Jira Kenab, stress isn't always the cause. You know how when you're doing something you love and then even though it's really hard and stressful it feels worth it? Well, there could be a reason why that stress feels different. Research from the Journal of Personality and Individual Differences noticed that burnout seems to result from an appraisal that one's contribution is insignificant. Their research also shows that when people are doing something meaningful to them, that can impact their community. They are more likely to experience stress rather than burnout. This means not all stress results in burnout. It can be overwhelming to be stressed or to be facing burnout, and it's not always clear if it's stress or something else. But if you relate to any of these signs, please know there are many coping strategies and resources that can help. But you don't have to do it alone. If you or your loved ones may be experiencing high stress or burnout, please don't hesitate to reach out to a mental health care professional today and talk to them about it. Comment below if you've experienced burnout and how you caught it early. Until next time.