Burnout at work: what it is, why it happens, and how to fight back

Vox explains burnout through the Maslach framework—three chronic dimensions: exhaustion, cynicism/ depersonalization, and ineffectiveness—and offers practical steps to address it: evaluate job fit during interviews, use a working-styles worksheet to articulate needs, conduct an energy-management audit with micro-breaks and environmental tweaks, set boundaries to avoid taking on everything alone, and recognize when systemic changes or leaving a job may be necessary. It also discusses generational differences in how burnout looks and emphasizes that personal effort isn’t enough to fix workplace systems.