EMOTIONAL BURNOUT AND ITS CONNECTION TO IDENTITY LOSS
- Dayita Ghosh
- Jun 9
- 4 min read

The Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) includes three key components of burnout: emotional exhaustion; depersonalization; and, reduced personal accomplishment. Emotional exhaustion is the result of working at a very demanding level which leads to being fatigued and getting emotionally depleted. Depersonalization is the experience of getting colder and more distant when interacting with family, acquaintances or colleagues. Decreased personal accomplishment is the reduced sense of competence and efficiency resulting in a negative view of one’s abilities. Some common causes of Emotional burnout include:
Living with a chronic illness or injury
High-pressure job
Long-term caregiving
Lack of support
Unresolved conflict with a loved one
Experiencing emotional neglect from others
Having unrealistically high standards
High expectations on yourself
Experiencing the loss of a loved one
Burnout affects both physical and mental well-being. It impacts performance in work, relationships and overall quality of life. This is why it is important to identify the symptoms, which will then help you acknowledge the fact that you are burnt out and need to take the appropriate steps to cure it. Some common symptoms of emotional burnout include:
Having trouble sleeping
Headaches
Irrational anger
Increased pessimism or cynicism
Prolonged anxiety
Depression
Changes in appetite
Diminished cognitive functioning
Identity loss is a period of confusion and uncertainty about one’s sense of self. When a person is experiencing an identity loss or an identity crisis, their sense of self becomes unstable. For example, when you get a bad grade on a test and start to question your abilities, or when you have to write your college applications but are confused on how to describe yourself in the essay. Both of them are because you do not have a ‘concrete’ sense of self; in other words, you are uncertain of who you truly are.
How are emotional burnout and identity loss related?
When burnout sets in, individuals may feel detached from their work and lose their sense of accomplishment. This leads to feelings of self-doubt and questioning their core values, impacting their sense of self. The constant anxiety of be9ing inadequate can erode your self-esteem and contribute to a sense of being lost.
That being said, a loss of identity can also trigger emotional burnout. The internal conflict and uncertainty can drain emotional energy. Additionally, when people face an identity crisis, they often try new methods to find their sense of self again, but this may be emotionally depleting and lead to burnout.
The relationship between burnout and identity loss can become a cycle. Burnout can exacerbate feelings of identity loss. Furthermore, the struggle to redefine oneself is not exactly the easiest for our mental state. This cycle can make it difficult for individuals to find a path for recovery. For example, those who feel that their identities are tied to specific roles of achievements may experience identity loss and burnout when these roles or achievements are no longer available.
How to get out of this cycle of burnout and identity loss? There is a 42% rule for burnout. Researchers have found that the adequate amount of rest needed by a person in a day is 42% of the day. That is the exact percentage of time your body and brain need to spend resting. This means that approximately 10 hours out of 24 hours is required for rest. This will help you not get burnt out and also ensure maximum productivity.
How to control unrealistic expectations and internal pressure? There is a concept called ‘self of the therapist’, which is a concept that who we are as a person determines how we care for others. It holds that therapists need to be emotionally healthy themselves to best help others. It also says that therapists should use therapy to heal themselves as well. This means that before you care for someone else, it is important to ensure that you have achieved that goal yourself.
Recovery from Burnout- Some ways to recover from burnout are as follows:
Choose one activity or interests that sparks your curiosity and explore it for at least 15 minutes everyday
Stop tying your self-worth to your achievements
Rethink your screen time
Practice a self-care routine every day. It does not have to be complex; it could be as simple as just meditating and journaling.
Talk with a mental health professional
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs lists a series of needs critical for our evolution. Our basic physiological needs are food and water, and after that are security and safety. After these basic needs are fulfilled, we need to feel a sense of belonging, which is achieved through friendships and relationships. Having a sense of belonging is a crucial part of the human experience. It ensures that you have support when you are having an emotional breakdown or when some of your needs are not being met. Sometimes, just socializing and forming important connections with your friends helps cure burnout.
Sources:
Leger, Henry St. "5 Signs You're Headed Toward Burnout — And How to Stop It." healthline, 2 May 2023, www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/signs-burnout-and-how-to-stop-it. Accessed 28 May 2025.
Moawad, Heidi. "Emotional Exhaustion: Symptoms, Causes & How to Recharge." ChoosingTherapy.com, 6 Mar. 2024, www.choosingtherapy.com/emotional-exhaustion/. Accessed 28 May 2025.
Utendahl, Madison. "Burnout: A Symptom of an Identity Crisis." Medium, 26 Feb. 2024, madison-utendahl.medium.com/burnout-a-symptom-of-an-identity-crisis-c61c8a89503d. Accessed 28 May 2025.
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