You drag yourself out of bed feeling exhausted before the day even begins. Work feels overwhelming, your motivation has vanished, and you can’t remember the last time you felt truly happy. Sound familiar? While these experiences could point to either burnout or depression, understanding which one you’re dealing with makes all the difference in your recovery. Though burnout and depression share overlapping symptoms like fatigue and loss of interest, they have distinct origins, patterns, and solutions – burnout typically stems from chronic workplace stress and improves with rest and boundaries, while depression is a clinical mental health condition that pervades all areas of life and often requires professional treatment to resolve.
