Emotional exhaustion is the first dimension of burnout. It feels like: "I have nothing left to give," "I wake up already tired," "everything weighs on me." It is not just being tired: it is the feeling that the emotional resource has been depleted, and replenishing it (vacations, weekends) is no longer enough.
Concept origin
Maslach C, Leiter MP. (2016). Understanding the burnout experience: recent research and its implications for psychiatry. World Psychiatry, 15(2), 103-111. doi:10.1002/wps.20311
How it manifests
- ▸ Feeling of having nothing left to give emotionally
- ▸ Waking up already tired despite having slept
- ▸ Everything weighs, daily tasks require disproportionate effort
Therapeutic approach
Review workload, boundaries, and ask for help. Rest alone is not the solution; the source must also change. CBT works on self-observation of exhaustion triggers and restructuring of performance expectations.
Related concepts
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