Burnout is a state of emotional, mental, and often physical exhaustion brought on by chronic stress. It's not just limited to the workplace, but can appear in other areas of life such as parenting, caretaking, and romantic relationships. Burnout can negatively impact memory, creativity, and attention span, contributing to high blood pressure, heart conditions, and altering brain structure, making it easier to develop anxiety, depression, and substance use disorders. There are common signs of burnout, including fatigue, insomnia, unhealthy coping mechanisms, mood swings, cynicism, cognitive dysfunction, illness, anxiety, reduced work performance, and apathy. Identifying the source of burnout can help address it, with steps including getting to stability, troubleshooting the problem, and taking preventive action for long-term care. Burnout is not a medical condition, but rather a warning sign that something in one's life isn't serving them well, and proactive measures can be taken to prevent it from happening again.