The term ‘burnout’ was coined in the 1970s by the American psychologist Herbert Freudenberger. Originally defined as the consequence of severe stress in a professional capacity (generally in relation to caring work such as teaching or nursing), today we understand it as something that can affect anyone, regardless of their job situation.

Burnout is notoriously difficult to define, and as such it’s hard to diagnose, but according to GP and burnout expert Dr Claire Ashley, there are three things to look out for.

“Burnout has three essential components,” she explains. “Emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation (that’s apathy and detachment) and reduced performance at work. Without having all three components, you don’t have burnout – but you may be suffering from one or more of the components.”

How to tell the difference between burnout and simply feeling tired (and when to seek help)