What is Burnout? 

I want to make a video now about the fuel! Some fuel is so bad! Some vehicles are so bad! This is so interesting. Great video, Hank. -John

I experience burnout as a primarily emotional experience - when I attach anxiety to a task, especially a task that involves social or monetary capital, that decreases the ability to process "fuel". With regard to the Buzzfeed article, I do think that there is an increased societal focus on all tasks being reframed as "optimizing efficiency", where even things like yoga and bath bombs become ticking off "self care", and become tasks in and of themselves. The more one things of the activity in their life as a "task" that needs to be completed, the more likely everything in your life will make you feel burned out. At least, in my experience. On a related note, I can't remember the last time I haven't felt utterly exhausted.

In a RU-vid environment that continues to encourage longer and longer videos, I am always thankful for the 4 minute vlogbrothers experience.

The hardest part of burnout for me is realizing self care sometimes means eating vegetables and not always ice cream

My name is Jon so Hank's videos always feel pretty direct...

“Burnout is when the treadmill keeps going, but the dopamine runs out.” That... is actually a really useful way to explain it. I have definitely experienced that.

1:32 It's a whole paradigm shift to hear Hank put "health" into the "opportunity" category. But honestly it feels more accurate. The frustrating part of my depression is that I _WANT_ to write, I _want_ to build a business, I _want_ to connect with dozens of different people each month. I have the motivation, I have the desire, I have a plan, and when I do manage to do it, it's dope as heck. But depression leaves me so tired, it's a 50/50 shot whether I'll be able to shower, much less build a RU-vid channel for teaching algebra and statistics. I have _so much fuel_, and all I have to put it into is, like, a Segway.

Hi, teacher here, for me, burnout is losing the fuel, but I think it's also secondary. I love my kids, but I feel like I continue to need more and more fuel to feel the accomplishment with my students. It's so hard, because they've all been through serious traumas, too, and school isn't what fuels their brains anymore, either. When my 13 year old students are wondering where their next meal is coming from, or if mom will come home from work today, or if there will be heat or light or cell phone access today, it's really not surprising to see that why they get burnt out. And when they burn out, so do I .

Burnout is a racing car game that features takedowns as a part of the game, takedowns are a mechanic where you can put a racer temporarily out of the race to advance yourself. The game was originally released on the playstation 2

As soon as Hank said yoga I thought 'I could use a stretch' so that's the story of why my sister looked at me really weird when she saw me doing the Warrior pose in my kitchen

Annnnd since we are at it,, can we also plz define success vs seeking validation, ambition vs painfully seeking unrealistic goals, hustle to achieve something vs patience to appreciate what you have.. because frankly I am super confused right now and can not figure which way to go!

A lot of people talk about burn out when it comes to something positive like a cool project that's just gone on too long. But you can feel burnt out with negative things as well, like having to slog through a difficult class or a job that you do just for the money. Burn out in a situation that I'm fighting with feeling like being nauseous, but there's nothing in your stomach. You just want it to be over but you can't really do anything about it but wait it out.

Healthcare professionals, particularly physicians, are inundated with "work-life balance" and "reduce burnout" talks, as if it is a fuel allocation problem, not a vehicle efficiency problem. One of the major predictors of employee satisfaction is a feeling of purpose, a feeling of being valued by your employer, and opportunities to grow and improve oneself. This is immensely related to burnout. From my experience and that of others, these fuel and vehicles are sorely lacking in current medical systems. Physicians have the highest burnout and suicide rate of any profession, despite receiving relatively high wages (insert argument about 6-digit student debt and delayed earning potential until mid 30s here). The "fuel" of having a purpose and helping people is useless in a system without the vehicle of opportunity to grow or feel valued.

I'm a junior doctor in Australia, and for me burnout is not so much about the workload itself, but very much about the work environment and the satisfaction to be had from the work done. Burnout and suicide rates are stupidly high in my profession despite the financial security, and its largely due to system pressures as well as the culture among physicians to dismiss the struggles because they themselves also had to sink and swim to make it. The work itself actually is rewarding and enjoyable, but when the system is encouraging you to churn and burn rather than do your best in the way you see it, and when the patients don't value the hard work you're putting in, it can make it hard to remember why you're doing it to begin with. Burnout doesn't necessarily mean you crash and burn and stop working. For us, a lot of the time it means becoming emotionally drained and disassociated. Mostly we keep working through it and the only time it really gets noticed is when we do crash and burn spectacularly - usually this is when there's a doctor suicide or a suicide attempt.

I’m experiencing burnout because I don’t feel valued, and I don’t feel my work is valuable. I’m a first year middle school teacher, and I feel invisible and unimportant to everyone around me (except for some of my fellow teachers). But the administrators demand so much of me, while simultaneously removing or denying the resources or support that I need. They think I should be able to handle everything on my own. The parents never seem to believe that I’m doing enough to help their kids, and harass me and expect me to be available to meet with them all the time, which is time I desperately need to perform the functions of my job. I work twelve hour days and have poured hundreds of dollars of my own (barely surviving on it) paycheck into just buying basic necessities that the school won’t give me. The kids disrespect me and defy me, and I try so hard to suppress my anger at being continuously disrespected, but sometimes I can’t, it’s too hard to tolerate, but also the administrators don’t really care if the kids disrespect me. I put so much energy and effort (and even love) into my lessons. But by now it feels pointless. The purpose I had is gone. I feel like a failure.

"It helps us assign economic value to taking care of ourselves." That sentence really hits home.

Great video! Been in the burnout zone several times. I agree that diversifying is key to not burning out! I've found that not obsessing over a single body of work and having several bodies of work occupying your mind helps you take the mini breaks needed, as well as keeping you grounded when baby projects are making mini "wins" amidst the "big wins" of the more established projects, because then there is no evergrowing scale or pinnacle to the burning fuels. Happiness/fulfillment of the burning fuel can be little things or the big things, and everything in between!

Heyy Hank Love you both a lot Burnout is when you have 100% battery but no internet connection.

I think this video has made me realise just how burnt out I am. I don’t know what type of burnout it is but I’m tired of everything and struggling more than I ever thought I would with the uni course I initially loved. It does feel a lot like I have no choice but to keep going though. I feel guilty for taking breaks but then don’t have enough fuel to do my work so I end up sat staring at the list of work I have to do and being utterly unproductive.

i feel this all the time as a college student though, when the semester is half way done i’m still going and going but I am not happy about it and I feel like the treadmill keeps going whether or not I am pressing the buttons

But also bath bombs are dope

There are days where it’s hard for me to understand why taking care of myself is worth it... and there are days where work or making videos seems like the literal last thing I want to do. But I always find a way to push through because I’ll have moments that remind me why I make videos, and more importantly moments that remind me why I’m here on earth. It could be a playing video games with friends, talking to my grandmother or a walk in the woods. I think Chance said it best: everybody is somebody’s everything. Don’t be afraid to reach out to those who love you about burnout, or depression or anything else. Thanks for making this hank.

The whole opportunity but lack of fuel is such an accurate way to describe my depression/burnout. I WANT to do things and be successful and I have a ton of opportunities but I just have a lack of motivation. I also don’t feel as happy when I am successful bc I know I should be doing better and more

Good video, Hank... SERIOUSLY! Why not start at the exactly Simplest definition, though? In just so many words, "burnout" is a jargon-term for mental/emotional exhaustion. There are many types of emotional or mental exhaustion, and just as many reasons or contributing factors to them. However, it comes down to about the same end-result... mental or emotional exhaustion or some combination that feels even exponentially worse. I've worried about dopamine, myself... BUT I've come to some terms with it, that you don't just run out of dopamine... or any particular signal substance. It waxes and wanes, and you can easily get "used to" higher levels when you spend a lot of time and energy levels "up" so when it starts to flag a little bit, it's a lot like "the lights are on, but nobody's home"... You're just going through motions. This is similar to having been a coffee drinking FOOL for years, and then limiting yourself to two-cups a day, always in the morning, and never EVER anymore after sun-down... You feel stoned most of the time without a reason... and even after both cups in the morning, you're barely awake, while the next guy over is palpitating on one. It's not a lack of caffeine, so much as the tolerance for it... and for many, that's where burnout seems to "kick in"... where the novelty wears thin, and the fun and excitement of this interesting career settles down to the gravity of a job. It's certainly NOT the only kind of burnout, and just because someone's suffering this kind, which is usually self-limiting... Finding one's OWN directions and self-identity in this world is among the very VERY few real liberties and powers we really have... AND waking up to the nightmare of living out someone else's dreams instead of your own, can be a source for depression, which is literally mentally exhausting... Indeed, as you've pointed out in the video, and as John apparently suggests in his comment up there, this is a subject for a great discussion, and probably worthy a whole series of videos, regarding sources and contributing factors (like sleep deprivation, catastrophic life changes, ethical dysfunctions, and crises in general) as well as plausible solutions and mitigating factors (like preparing for crises through study and practice, and patience for YOURSELF to learn to grow, etc...) I, for one, look forward to more. ;o)

Your value is not measured in economic output. Your value is not measured in economic output. Your value is not measured in economic output. ONE MORE TIME FOR THE PEOPLE IN THE BACK CUZ THIS IS IMPORTANT. YOUR VALUE IS NOT MEASURED IN ECONOMIC OUTPUT.

You struck a chord with me today Hank. “If we don’t diversify what fuels us, we need more and more of that input to fuel the same amount of work.” Thx. 2:54

I wrote a poem a few months ago when I was in the lowest part of the burnout I had this year. I'd like to share it with you lovely people, if that's alright. I'm so tired that I can't decide If I want to cry or I want to die it's not that I hate this life of mine just that everything in it wastes my precious time. I am nothing but a combination of talents-- I'm told that I'm valid and that there's uniqueness in me but what does it matter if no one is asking?

I expect that people's various mental illnesses also have a huge impact on the type of "burnout" we experience at various different times. Sometimes, my depression steals all my fuel and the car just won't start. Other times, I fuel up my car and start driving, only to find that the car is stuck constantly turning left in a circle (my OCD)... or the engine just explodes (my anxiety). Or I have the fuel and the car but for some reason I can't find the gas tank?! (My ADHD?) Sometimes it's all of the above.

The picture of having the fuel and not a car to use that fuel or having the car that's driving but running out of fuel is a new way of seeing burnout that really helps me understand it. I don't think I can truly understand it unless I experience it but this video does help a lot! Thanks a ton!

Personally, I am a SAHM trying to break into the writing game. Burnout is so hard, especially when you get so down that you have no energy to dedicate to yourself OR your loved ones.

This is really interesting. As someone with chronic depression I feel like I'm in a constant state of the burnout you described. There isn't that feeling of something being worth it, the reward is tiny compared to the fuel you need to do it. I feel like every day I have half a gallon in the tank of my car and I try to get as far as I can on that half gallon, but the fuel runs out inevitably. I feel like in a cost-benefit analysis, I'm operating at a loss. I need more fuel!

Can you post more of your thoughts about this on Hankschannel? I've experienced burnout before, and it was the lowest point in my life. I'd be interested to hear more of what you researched!

not sure why but hank, sometimes you are the only person that can help me make sense of things. thank you for starting conversations, your mind and the way you word things is pretty neat sometimes, and also just what i need

I really appreciate the way you put it, with the different kind of fuel to drive you, and the opportunities to burn it. I read that Buzzfeed essay earlier this week, and you just put a completely new spin on it that, sincerely, helps me deal with my current situation. I have been feeling burned out for a good long while, and I changed jobs as a way to address it. Unknowingly, I was looking for a new opportunity to use my fuel. Now that you put a label on it, I will be able to even better sort out my situation and (try to) keep the burnout at bay. THANK YOU so much for that :D

I love this channel a lot, it always surprises me on how much I can relate to the topics. And how I find life advice from others in the comment section, this community is indeed awesome.

As a senior in a university, this video hits me reaaaaallly hard

I normally don't leave comments on your videos, but this is one of the best, and perhaps most important, videos you've made in a long time. This conversation IS important. Thanks for putting difficult things into simple, easy to understand terms.

I’m in the middle of a burn out the last month and I needed this video

Thank you for this video. Overcoming burnout has been my life's work for the last 8 months. I had to leave my job in May and learned that I had entered an acute episode of a multitude of underyling, previously undiagnosed chronic health conditions that completely changed what I was able to do in my day to day life. I am still having to push myself each day to accept myself as I am, even as this voice in my head screams at me that I am lazy and entitled and not worthy of the chance to be healthy. So much of what was said in that first article you linked applied to me when I worked myself into burnout, that triggered this episode, and, like your friend Rosiana, it has been an enormous battle to force myself to take the time I need to be healthy instead of just continuing to work despite anything / everything. It helps to know that I'm not alone, and it helps to be reminded of how systemic and widespread all of this is. I am hopeful we can move to a different era some day, as we seem to be building awareness of the issues and I'd like to dream that that is the first step toward potential action.

"You need fuel, and the opportunity to burn it." I love that. I think that perfectly encapsulates success, and the pursuit thereof.

Thank you for making this, Hank. Ive had one of the most stressful weeks of my life. Ive been crying for five days straight but trying to work throught it, and ive just today realized ive burnt out. I needed this

I haven't commented in probably a decade because I'm embarrassed by the username I created in middle school but I just wanted to say thank you so much for this video and the related links in the description. It came at a very good time and has really helped me through a few thoughts I've been stewing on for a bit. I've followed you and John for close to a majority of my life now but I'm very glad that I have. And i wanted to thank you and acknowledge you in some small way. This isn't enough but hopefully it imparts something of how much of a positive influence you have been on my life and my world at large.

Because of this video I recognized that my fuel is my friends. I realised this because there was a time in my life where I experienced burnout due to lack of friends (moving away from them) it took a toll on me, mentally and physically. And as I recover I am finding new friends to help fuel me, and rediscovering old friends to keep fueling me, and I am helping fuel them. We are keeping each other from experiencing burn out and are recognizing when we need help.

For my entrance exam into a health care profession school, I had to write about burnout (this was in Summer 2017). I think discussions about this are so important- thank you both!

This 4 minute video was more insightful and helpful than my entire high school “life-skills” classes.

So how do we increase the fuel again?

This whole video was AWESOME love y'all

It’s ridiculous how i spent the evening sobbing (for the first time in months) about how i feel too physically and mentally exhausted to do anything in life and how i don’t seem to have the energy follow my dreams and how i genuinely feel like i haven’t accomplished anything and 2 weeks of the new year has gone by and boom, 2 minutes later this video is posted. It honestly feels like the universe is trying to tell me something lol

The biggest burnout of my life was recently, I had lost all drive and passion for my field because I simply didn't enjoy it anymore, and with this I was wandering. It was one of the worst times of my life: I wasn't going to class and I had no motivation or discipline to do anything- except write. I realized I had found my passion again, in a completely different field than organic chemistry. I was lucky enough to be in the situation to make a change and now I feel so much better- this video perfectly explained what I was feeling, thank you Hank!!

Gosh I am so thankful for the two of you and the ideas you perpetuate. ❤️

Somehow Hank's videos always hit very directly at the perfect time. Thanks for making me feel less alone in the burnout confusion!

Super important discussion. I’ve had issues in the past but have seemed to have sorted things out by reviewing and correcting my value system. Being in a healthy, loving and supportive relationship, getting older and going on ridiculously long hikes have, however, helped the most. Thanks for this video. I hope you continue to explore this subject.

THis is one of the best volt brothers videos I've ever seen. Thanks for making this and putting "burnout" into a more usable metaphor for us. :)

Oh, man. This video hit me right in the soul. Thanks for articulating this in this way, Hank.

The internet can be a terrifying place but I love that it allows people to share their experiences and perspectives on life's complex problems. Videos like this make me hopeful for the future of the internet. I'm so thankful to be a part of this online community x

This is a great breakdown of burnout! I've definitely heard people talking about it before, but I never thought that hard about what that meant, probably because I'm young and still very passionate and motivated in my career. The treadmill analogy was PERFECT though!

Thanks for this Hank. I read that Slate article as well, and I identified a lot of myself in that article. I'm also not quite sure where to go with this new found information, but it is cathartic to know that I'm not alone.

I have been looking for this video for so long. During my exams last year everyone told me ‘not to burn out’ but no one told me just what that was. I was a mess. This helped. Thank you.

Thanks Hank. I really needed this after my crushing 1st semester in Master's program at University in the Fall. At the end of my semester, I just felt like I learnt nothing, except how to do assignments, not trust that my professors will teach anything, TAs expect me to learn everything on my own and will offer nothing more than the most trite and unhelpful advice they can give and that largely I will not be getting more than bare minimal help from my peers, if at all. One way I found to deal with my particular burnout is to communicate with family more about how I feel. Another thing I did was to just leave my apartment more and go to places that relax me, and do things that relax me.

Burnout is the ultimate effect of the *attention economy* as it is applied to individual creators. That concept is often used as a critique of social media platforms and their relationship with their users, but that's only two pieces of the puzzle: distribution and consumption. Content creation itself is the third, and that includes everyone from the largest news, entertainment, and advertising conglomerates down to the individual RU-vidrs, podcasters, authors, artists, musicians, etc. (including, it should be stated, Hank and John). Given how intense the competition is for such a tiny piece of the pie, and how few resources that latter group tends to have, it's no wonder that burnout is so common.

holy crap, I'm studying creative process in context of burnout, because there's much to be done, so artists can just do work and do it in a sustainable way, and this material is one of the greatest chunks I have met so far. Sooo good work

Thank you Hank. This is very useful...and definately something that I have experienced in my life...the interesting thing is that each time it feels different and every time I didn't realize what was going on until I was starting to feel better. Thank you for another excellent video :)

Huh, that metaphor was really good! I also really liked the exciting stock images! Also, super weird to see that burnout can change from person to person. I never even really thought of it that way! So, thanks for this hank!

I relate to working through the burnout, I used to explain it to people close to me whom I trust and they would say I must persevere. I didn't want to seem weak, I would persevere, remain resilient. But in that way you're still working through the burnout, the treadmill's still going with no fuel. I eventually figured out by myself to do exactly what you said, find new fuel. It worked really well, it no longer felt like I was 'pushing through'. But eventually that fuel runs out, and you're back in that burnout. It's a constant cycle, I feel stuck in it now again. But its nice to watch a video where someone puts it in words

WOW Hank way to hit it home with this one. Recently, I had been working towards a goal that had been my life long dream. That dream/goal is what fueled my fire to keep working and I worked very hard for quite a long time. But in the end I didn’t achieve my goal and I was told it was impossible, and with that all my will to work left. Dreams/goals are extremely necessary to have as a source of constant motivation, however, I learned you can’t place your identity in achieving them or else the minute they leave you will feel basically like what I could equate to an empty bottomless pit(burrrrnnnnouuttt). I placed so much of who I was and how I spent my life into achieving this one thing, that when I couldn’t, I just gave up. Working so hard for something and then having someone tell you it’s never going to happen basically tells you your hard work is worth nothing. After this, all I thought was, “Well if hard work is worth nothing and gets me no where, then why do it?” and it’s true: using all your fuel to get to one unreachable destination is a good way to run out gas and get stuck in the middle of nowhere, with no way to get more. Instead, I realized it is always best to place your motivations in something internal and personal. So instead of: “I’m going to do this so I can win this or achieve this” it would be be “I’m going to work my best at this so that I can enjoy this more or so I can be the best version of myself”.

Oh my gosh Hank and John, I needed this so desperately. I like Hank am chronically ill. All last week, I’ve had migraines, and then I slept all weekend and i was mad at myself for not getting up and doing homework or reading. I feel like I’m wasting time anytime i have to sleep all day. I have migraines, Cerebral Palsy, Lymphedema and Complex PTSD. Most often, I will experience this physically. I will want to accomplish things, but my body simply doesn’t let me. I know I shouldn’t blame myself because it’s not my fault. As it is, being disabled isn’t even a bad thing. But I don’t know how to fix it.

This is so scarily relevant to my current life situation. It's really hard to admit to being burnt out because you do expect to collapse but that's not really the case. People like myself take pride in saying yes to everything, because hypothetically yes we CAN do everything put on us, but burnout happens when we don't question whether we SHOULD do them. The payoff at my current job continued to get lower as time went on last year, and it reached the point where my brain would periodically turn off, regardless of if I was working or trying on wedding dresses which was really my wakeup call. "Self Care" isn't always taking a bath, it's taking the time and effort to realize your internal value to the people around you and not just to your job and the money you make

You just put into words what I've been feeling lately. This video made me realize just how burnt out I am and I hadn't even taken the time to think about it.

This was very helpful today. Thank you sir.

Whewf, that was a lot. I feel like I need to watch this 3 more times. I want a 20 minute video on this. Thank you! This is so helpful of a way to think about burnout.

This input is very significant to what I'm going through right now. It's actually uncanny how much I needed this exact video tonight. It doesn't necessarily solve the problem, but it makes me understand it from a new perspective.

Literally getting ready right now to film my video about avoiding parental burnout 💕 super valuable and timely. Thanks Hank! 🧖

I was legit talking to my co-teacher today about feeling completely burnt out and you post this! This might be the sign to take a break from work tbh, I don't even remember the last time I slept well 🙈 Basically what I mean to say is, thank you.

i have depression and pretty severe anxiety. burn out for me is my "natural" state. thank you VERY VERY much for this video!! using the fuel analogy and reading the discussions here really helped me to look differently at solutions for my self, and actually gave me some fuel to keep going in this fight :)

My dad is struggling and this video means a lot.

I'm applying for grad school right now, and this helps me understand my version of burn out. I've invested a lot of time into a profession/study (paleontology) that hasn't given me much in return. My fuel sources arent very diverse (drive for success and financial need) and so when my hard work delivers neither, I burn out. Thanks for helping me understand this, Hank.

I’ve been burnt out for a couple weeks now. I have a few different mental health issues, so my burnouts are very frequent and long lasting. My most recent burn out ended last night, so imma get back to doing things, but thank you for making this video, Hank!

I love this! I've felt this so many times in my life! It's a different way of looking at the same feeling and explaining why I feel the way I do. Liked, favourited, and shared.

Thanks this actually really helped me, I’m struggling a lot with school. I’m doing two extra subjects which take up a lot of my time, one of them is incredibly hard and I’m genuinely not used to finding things very hard. It’s been a good reality check for me and this video has helped me figure out how to keep going

well said young jedi- one of your best videos- liked and shared

I am a new music therapist and have found quickly that burnout is a huge problem in our field. Many jobs do not offer financial support and benefits for their workers. For example, some jobs have you plan sessions, drive to several houses, and then take notes. With this in home approach, it is so easy to burnout because the amount of work to actually be full time is very overwhelming. Trying to fight burnout myself but will work on shifting my perspective to remain positive.

I really needed this video right now because I am currently experiencing burnout. Thank you for sharing this!!

Hank I know you probably won't see this but I wish you would see it because I for some reason feel the need to tell you how much I effing loved your book. But not that I feel like I need to tell you, but more so that I just really want you to know that your art and your work is greatly appreciated. It feels good when people to tell you things like "your book is the best thing i have ever read and it changed my life!" And I know people probably tell you your book is amazing all the time, but Hank... your book. Is. Amazing. I can't even begin to tell you how much it made me feel and how connected I felt to the characters. And even though I am nothing like April and have not experienced anything she has, how much I understood her and what she was going through. I am very conflicted since finishing it because it may be my new favourite book and I feel really bad for my current favourite book. I just. I cant. I wish I had better words to describe how much I loved An Absolutley Remarkable Thing, but alas, the book has taken them from me. It has made me temporarily lose my ability to think properly and have complete control over my emotions. Thank you so much for writing this book. I am so glad that I had a chance to read it. PS John's books are good too 💕

People need to support each other more and stop assuming that basic self care and burnout recovery is always quick and easy. It's not just a matter of taking a holiday or having time away from work, etc. Although (for those who can afford it) these things can help...it's more a matter of resetting your brain and the functions within it. Doing so takes time and we should be supportive of, and compassionate towards every single person who needs that time because they are worthy and their total wellbeing is important; their recovery cannot be constrained to a one size fits all mold; and noone should need to buy or spend money on "things" simply to justify their recovery.

Hey Hank. Just finished reading your book "An Absolutely Remarkable Thing" and I think it was amazing. I really questioned myself if I should finish it, because its usually not the type of book I read, but I'm so glad I did. The ending was beautiful and thank you for writing this book, it's an amazing adventure and I think I'm very lucky that I managed to stumble upon it. Becoming a fan. Don't want to make any treats but I will come after you if you do not write a second part. Just kidding. But seriously - thank you for creating such a gift for this world.

Hey Hank. I needed this right now. Sincerely, thank you

This makes so much sense. I definitely need to find fuel.

Please do a rambly Hanks chanel video on more of this, suffering major burnout atm. This video was what I needed either way so thanks Hank!

This was exactly the thing that I needed today. Thank you. I like what I do for a living, and I like most of the people I do it with. But when my coworkers struggle to accomplish expectations set by management, they are given "accommodations" or sent to do "additional training" . When I, or a co-worker excels, or even consistently meets the set standards, we are given more work and our hours are cut, meaning the stress is higher and we're getting paid less. If we try to back down so we are no longer penalized for over-performing, we are scolded or even fired for "lacking a sense of urgency". Once you prove you can do it, they want you to do it all the time, with more restrictions. Your fuel burns up REALLY FREAKING FAST when your environment is inadvertently poisoning it.

I'm always looking for something to help me burnout bright.

Just watched this, and thank you. I've had many conversations with a good friend/fellow nerdfighter and we've both expressed feelings of burnout as we try to explore the avenues of our artistic careers... this put words to that and damn if it wasn't cathartic.

You are SO right there are many different burnouts. Thanks for another great vid and another great discussion.

SO GOOD. I love this analogy and metaphor. Burnout is an imbalance in that fuel and opportunity dynamic. Gosh, those values and the narrative we tell ourselves are immensely crucial. I'm writing that down. Diversify what fuels you. And I feel one of the best ways to diversify that is to care deeply with fundamentally important values. To really care deeply and go from there to see what happens.

Thanks for the video. I’m definitely going to be thinking about it this week. P. S. Thank you so much for the amazing book Hank. I finished it at 2am this morning and it was absolutely remarkable. I’ll definitely be writing an excited review about it soon!

I don't always watch VlogBrothers, but whenever I do recently, I fucking love the content. You guys are amazing. Keep doing you!

Genius. I, too, have been feeling burnout lately. My husband and I have needed a lot of medical help trying to start a family. It was my all consuming drive, the reason I got up and went to work in the morning (insurance covers no fertility treatments), the food I ate, everything was geared toward having a baby. We recently had our third, and last, failed IUI. We can't afford any more. And I had a sort of existential crisis. I had never been so low in my life until that point. I am generally a happy person, but I had no inner strength left to pull myself out of this. I didn't see the use of going to work, eating, etc. I still did all the things I was supposed to, but it was the treadmill going, with no one on it. Time was all it took to get back to normal. I had to let myself have time to grieve and heal and slowly I started to be the one on the treadmill again. Because the drive is still there. I gave up hope for a while, because I knew it was going to take so much longer, but the goal is still there. I just have to run harder to get it.

"Diversify what fuels us..." That is an important message. Thank you so much for that one statement!

I’m a young composer, and in order to build my career, I’m trying to take on as many opportunities as possible. At first, the more I accomplished, the better I felt. But lately, I’ve had a stack of projects so tall that I’ve felt little to no reward when finishing a project. I just think “okay, on to the next one.” And even when I try to take a break, such as over the holidays, I feel this obsessive need to continue to make something. I took a 48 hour weekend trip with a friend a few weeks ago, and I felt slightly anxious the entire time because I was not working. I’ve never really been anxious before! I need to find rewarding activities not only in my work life, but also in my personal life.

I was suprised the first time that I was burnt out by the work of my dreams, being a pet sitter, but I've learnt it's ok to need a bit of down time to restore my fuel level. I think alot of the burn out issue is guarding against outside pressures on you, finding new perspectives and reframing, being patient and aware enough to grab opportunity/fuel and knowing yourself well. I have a million projects I'd love to do but I also have long term cycles of depression and productivity which has forced me to learn patience and timing. Like John said regarding SMART goals, Realistic and Time bound are very important points to be accurate about! DFTBA

I'm in my sixth year of college. This video puts into words the exhaustion that I've been feeling, that there's nothing left for me to give after trying and failing over and over and over, or just barely succeeding and it never feeling like an actual victory anymore. What makes it the hardest though is that almost all of my friends are gone. The people who made school feel like home, the people who reminded me to take care of myself, the people who hugged me, and talked to me, the people who made me feel like I belonged, they're all gone now. I feel like an alien astronaut because I see other people connecting with one another and not with me, and that hurts more than anything in the world because I don't even feel human anymore. I feel alien, disconnected, lost.