Preventing and Recognising Burnout
Burnout: Symptoms and Measures
Burnout is a serious psychological condition whose symptoms should be recognised early. Academic staff are not immune to its effects. Facts and tips!
Updated: 2025-12-08
Burnout: Definition and Prevalence
Whilst burnout has not yet been classified as an independent clinical diagnosis, according to the German health insurance provider KKH, the World Health Organisation's new diagnostic catalogue now defines it for the first time as a "consequence of chronic occupational stress". Until recently, physicians diagnosed burnout as "problems related to difficulties in life management".
According to Dr Nils Benit from the Psychology Institute at the University of Hildesheim, burnout is predominantly understood as a work-related syndrome characterised by the dimensions of emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation, and diminished performance capacity. It should be viewed as a precursor to depression.
Whilst psychological conditions do not constitute the largest group causing workplace incapacity鈥攁ccounting for 12.5 per cent of all sickness cases according to the 鈥攖he duration of illness is disproportionately long, averaging 28.5 days per case. Moreover, the long-term trend is alarming: over the past decade, days lost to psychological conditions have risen by 43 per cent.
Burnout and Academic Career: How Vulnerable Are University Staff?
Analysis by demonstrates that healthcare sector employees are particularly affected by burnout, especially supervisory and managerial staff in health and nursing care, emergency services personnel, and midwives. Compared with other professional groups, they accounted for the highest number of sick days due to burnout in 2023.
However, academic staff are also affected. The university workplace is characterised by several peculiarities that can promote burnout onset. These include:
- frequently high intrinsic motivation to advance research;
- often difficult work-life balance reconciliation;
- fixed-term contracts under the Academic Fixed-Term Contract Act (Wissenschaftszeitvertragsgesetz), which place time pressure on academic staff, as well as partially unpaid teaching duties, for instance amongst lecturers;
- ever-increasing teaching loads due to rising student numbers.
A university in Lower Saxony conducted an evaluation on workload amongst its own staff in 2021. The result: whilst job satisfaction amongst professors and academic staff is indeed high, they suffer from equally high stress levels. Assessments of their own psychological and physical health left much to be desired鈥攑articularly amongst participants managing numerous different tasks.
The burnout values鈥攂ased on the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI), which records general exhaustion symptoms and workplace exhaustion鈥攁lso suggest, according to the university survey, an above-average workload amongst higher education staff. (As the survey was conducted during the coronavirus pandemic, the particular circumstances affecting teaching operations may have influenced the results.)
A further study from the United Kingdom examined the mental health of approximately 2,000 higher education staff in spring 2021. Almost two-thirds of respondents reported feeling emotionally drained at least once weekly, whilst more than a quarter experienced this daily. According to the authors, anxiety and stress result from increased pressure, particularly intensified by online teaching.
Early Warning Signs and Symptoms of Burnout
Recognising the first warning signs and symptoms early, and taking timely action, is crucial. As previously mentioned, those affected primarily experience profound emotional exhaustion, which in many cases develops following high professional commitment and as a consequence of elevated stress levels. This exhaustion may manifest through the following symptoms:
- constant fatigue;
- sleep disturbances;
- depersonalisation (not recognising oneself);
- declining stress tolerance and performance capacity;
- listlessness;
- strong sense of injustice;
- lack of motivation;
- dampened mood verging on despair;
- heightened irritability; and
- inability to relax.
Typically, a lengthy process precedes a "burnout" diagnosis. Years often elapse between highly engaged employee and the above-mentioned consequences of work overload. Sufficient time therefore remains to recognise initial warning signs and prevent chronic exhaustion states.
Burnout Prevention: Pre-empting the Condition
Those who have identified early burnout symptoms should discuss their problems openly within their circle of friends and/or family. Isolation is usually counterproductive. Within academia, it is advisable to speak with colleagues to determine whether they face similar difficulties. If not, comparing workloads can prove helpful: perhaps one's own stress levels, compared with a colleague managing similar responsibilities, stem from suboptimal time management.
However, if several colleagues are similarly affected by burnout symptoms, a conversation with one's line manager should be sought. The aim here is to identify collaborative solutions for permanently reducing stress triggers and avoiding over-commitment going forward.
Regular exercise, yoga, or other counterbalances to working life can likewise help prevent burnout. Relaxation techniques such as meditation are also recommended for counteracting burnout. The goal should be an balanced work-life equilibrium.
Some employers additionally offer their staff targeted preventative programmes. Through seminars or personal coaching, employees learn how to organise and implement their work in a healthy manner.
Burnout鈥擶hat to Do? Essential Measures
If chronic exhaustion accompanied by signs of mild depression already exists, those affected should seek professional psychological support. Anyone perceiving this step as a hurdle can approach their trusted GP. There is no standard therapy; treatment must suit the individual and their life circumstances. Nevertheless, for many burnout sufferers, the situation can improve considerably through reorganisation and adapted time management.
One example: a postdoctoral researcher on a fixed-term university contract with only one year remaining should sit down with their line manager or a trusted person鈥攕uch as their former doctoral supervisor鈥攖o assess which goals can realistically still be achieved despite current performance deficits, and which projects can be completed. It is preferable to abandon unrealistic expectations and settle for smaller successes. Depending on the case, transitioning to a new area of responsibility, a different employer, or retraining may also be conceivable.
This translation was produced with AI assistance.
