Meet person A, a recent graduate who has always been ambitious and career-driven. Whether it be scoring well in exams, improving their skills, bringing innovative ideas to the table, or even working overtime at their job, they constantly aim high. But recently, they have been zoning out between conversations. They are often tired, anxious and forgetful. Suddenly, even the thought of going to work eats at them, and their mind are not in it. What went wrong? What they are facing isn’t laziness, it’s burnout. And they are not alone. In today’s fast-paced world, burnout has become accepted, normalised even. Once associated with long-term professionals, it has now become disturbingly common among people in their early and mid-twenties, even for those in their preferred professions.
Read More: Burnout: Symptoms, Causes & Tips to Overcome
What is Burnout?
The term was coined in the 1970s by American Psychologist Herbert Freudenberger. The World Health Organisation defines burnout as “A syndrome conceptualised as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.” Although originally the WHO, in the 11th Revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11), explained it as an “occupational phenomenon” occurring at, and mostly limited to, workplaces, it has gradually invaded all domains and aspects of an individual’s life.
Read More: The Classic Symptoms of Burnout
Burnout in the Early Stages of a Career
Early career burnout is a particularly new phenomenon, seen among young adults or new graduates burning out before their careers even fully begin. It is a concerning issue, with younger employees experiencing higher rates of burnout compared to older generations. Somewhere between dealing with entrance tests, expectations of others, graduating, starting one’s career and applying for jobs, early adulthood can be a trying time. This period of increased stress between college and early career can be overwhelming, leaving individuals susceptible to burnout. A study done by Rudman et al. showed the prevalence of early career burnout one, two, and three years after graduation was 127 (5.2%), 131 (5.4%), and 114 (4.7%), respectively, showing its continuous and long-term impact.
Read More: Corporate Workplace Burnout in India and What to do about it?
What Are the Causes of Early Career Burnout?
1. Workplace Factors Behind Early Burnout
- Workload and High expectations: Heavy workload, unrealistic job demands and expectations that young adults face early in their career can be overwhelming and cause exhaustion, leading to burnout.
- Lack of recognition: Unfair treatment, favouritism and lack of proper recognition or reward for their work make individuals feel underappreciated. This mentally affects individuals as they feel unaccomplished.
- Uncertainty: Lack of clear career paths, job insecurity and frequent career-related changes can lead to stress and burnout.
- Negative work environment: Toxicity, negativity, unsupportiveness and poor relationships among colleagues in workplaces often negatively impact individuals, making them unwilling to continue.
2. Personal and Lifestyle Habits That Fuel Burnout
- Poor diet and sleep: Modern culture is a mix of unhealthy dietary habits and poor sleep. Adults consume ready-made junk food and stay up late. Added to this, a lack of exercise, meditation, etc, not only affects one’s physical health but also their mental and emotional well-being.
- Social support: Society, over the years, has become individualistic. A lack of a strong, supportive relationship can make it difficult to cope with the stresses of life.
- Hustle culture and work-life imbalance: The pressure to constantly one-up and be productive can be draining. With no clear line between professional and personal life, one is bound to be constantly exhausted.
- Coping mechanisms: People often turn to unhealthy practices to cope with the stressors of life. This may include overworking or even substance abuse that may seem helpful, but in the long term, they contribute further to burnout.
Read More: How Much Can Your Heart Take Before Burnout Takes Its Toll?
3. Life Transitions and Their Role in Early Burnout
- Academic pressure: Later teen years and early adulthood are times of constant pressure to do well in academics, getting into good colleges, attaining degrees, making career choices and finding jobs, which can be a source of extreme exhaustion.
- Financial pressure: Finding a stable job, a source of income and establishing financial independence can be a challenging developmental task that takes up a lot of time and energy.
- Lack of guidance: Navigating through the transitional period and challenges of adult life without proper support and guidance can be difficult.
4. How Personal and Social Dynamics Influence Mental Well-being
- Social media comparison: Exposure to perfectly curated and often unreal portrayals of other people’s lives leads to unhealthy comparisons that can result in feelings of inadequacy and worthlessness.
- Perfectionism: Setting and striving for unrealistically high expectations can result in disappointment and constant criticism of oneself.
- Pessimism: A negative outlook on life and oneself makes it challenging to cope with setbacks.
- Lack of control: Early adults are often faced with no control over their tasks and decisions, which may lead to feelings of powerlessness.
Recognising the First Signs of Emotional Burnout
1. Physical Signs of Burnout
- Feeling of persistent fatigue and drained energy despite rest.
- Headaches, muscle pains and other unexplained aches.
- Experiencing remarkable changes in sleep and diet patterns
- Lowered immunity and frequently falling ill.
- Certain stomach issues involve gastrointestinal and digestive problems.
Read More: Tired of Chasing Perfection? Combat Betterment Burnout with these 5 tips
2. Emotional Signs of Burnout
- Negative and cynical attitude towards one’s work.
- Loss of interest and enthusiasm in hobbies and daily activities.
- Loss of confidence and motivation often results in feelings of helplessness and extreme self-doubt.
- Loneliness and a feeling of detachment from others.
- Constant anxiety about task performance, even when away from said task.
Read More: Caregiver Burnout and Fragile X: The Hidden Strain on Families
3. Behavioural Signs of Burnout
- Difficulty concentrating
- Performance decline in day-to-day tasks.
- Constant feeling of irritability and agitation often resulting in bursting out at others.
- Delaying tasks, procrastinating and avoiding taking responsibilities.
- Avoidance of social settings and preference for alone time.
- In some scenarios, people often start using substances to cope, leading to increased smoking, alcohol consumption and drug use.
Read More: Why We Procrastinate: The Psychology Behind Delayed Decisions and How to Fix It
How to Cope with Burnout?
- Examining Options and Taking Control: One can’t just “do it all”. Prioritising oneself and one’s tasks is important. It is better to examine one’s options and set realistic goals. This helps in taking better control of their life.
- Setting Boundaries: While it’s good to be driven and aim high, commitments shouldn’t have to come at the cost of one’s health. Setting boundaries and saying “no” to things that feel draining or take up more resources than one’s willing to give doesn’t make them lazy, unkind or selfish. One should learn to be selective about their actions.
- Self-care: Practising self-care is essential for preventing burnout. Although self-care can be different for different people, opting for healthier habits, including diet, sleep, and some meditation and exercise, can make a whole lot of change. Making time for oneself to sit back and relax and try some recreational activities can be quite beneficial in creating a work-life balance.
- Seeking support: Reaching out doesn’t make one a burden. It is okay to seek support from dear ones, including friends, colleagues and family, and cut off the negative influences from one’s life. If symptoms seem to get too severe, one shouldn’t hesitate to get professional help.
Read More: How to Prioritize Things Without Messing Your Work-life Balance, According to Psychologists
Conclusion
Burnout is a serious and growing concern, especially for modern-day youth. Although often disregarded as normal stress and associated with overworking, it is caused by various workplace, lifestyle, personal and social factors. Coping with burnout isn’t easy. However, using self-care practices, setting boundaries and prioritising oneself and one’s actions can help people to prevent it and protect their physical, mental and emotional well-being.
FAQs
1. What is early adult burnout?
Early adult burnout is a syndrome consisting of extreme physical, mental and emotional exhaustion experienced by people in the early adulthood phase, typically in their twenties, often due to an increase in responsibilities and societal expectations.
2. Why does early adult burnout occur?
Early adults deal with a myriad of changes involving an increase in workload, job insecurity, the kind of lifestyle, including one’s sleep and diet, transitional factors like academic and financial pressure, along with social expectations, comparison and personal motives. All these factors often lead to extreme exhaustion, agitation, and nervousness, causing burnout.
3. How can we reduce burnout?
Burnout can be controlled and often reduced through self-care practices, reevaluating one’s life goals, establishing a work-life balance, setting boundaries and most importantly, seeking support from loved ones and professionals, if required.
References +
Admah. (2025, May 28). The Quarterlife Crisis: Navigating early Burnout. Acenda. https://acendahealth.org/quarterlife-crisis/
Smith, M., MA, & Reid, S. (2025, March 13). Burnout: symptoms, treatment, and coping strategy tips. HelpGuide.org. https://www.helpguide.org/mental-health/stress/burnout-prevention-and-recovery
Rudman, A., Arborelius, L., Dahlgren, A., Finnes, A., & Gustavsson, P. (2020). Consequences of early career nurse burnout: A prospective long-term follow-up on cognitive functions, depressive symptoms, and insomnia. EClinicalMedicine, 27, 100565. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eclinm.2020.100565
Explore top treatments, procedures, and expert healthcare tips. (n.d.). @Medanta. https://www.medanta.org/patient-education-blog/how-to-recognise-the-signs-of-b%20urnout
