Google, the world’s most popular search engine, processes over a billion requests every single day. Recently in its Year in Search data, the reigning themes of 2021 emerged, and not too surprisingly, they were all about mental health, healing, and pulling together. The world seemed optimistic and it collectively googled terms like ‘how to heal’, ‘how to stay strong’, ‘how to remain hopeful’, and ‘how to make a comeback.’ Part of the reason for these searches had to be the collective burnout humankind is experiencing now.
The American Psychological Association (APA) defines burnout as the ‘physical, emotional, or mental exhaustion accompanied by decreased motivation, lowered performance, and negative attitudes toward oneself and others.’ In other words, burnout is what you feel when you’re overwhelmed with your professional responsibilities and feel unable to keep up.