Eva Selhub

The term burnout was first coined by the psychologist Herbert Freudenberger in the 1970s. It is defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as an “occupational phenomenon” that is “… a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed." ©Thodonal / Adobe StockIn that definition, the WHO says burnout is characterized by three dimensions: Feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion Increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one’s job Reduced professional efficacy The WHO definition goes on to state that “burnout refers specifically to phenomena in the occupational context and should not be applied to describe experiences in other areas of life.

If you've arrived at burnout, it’s not because you've been lazy; rather, you've been quite busy. And even though you may be exhausted and depleted, the busyness still doesn’t stop. Your sense of depletion and fatigue may permeate every aspect of your life so that the tasks, chores, and routines you used to be able to handle with ease are now overwhelming.

So, what determines your resilience? At some point, most people incur some form of suffering, whether it’s the death of a loved one, illness, injury, divorce, job loss, or another difficult life event.Not everyone copes with adversity in the same way, though, because it’s influenced by multiple factors. Some of these factors you have no control over, like your genes, the culture you grew up in, or critical life events that may have occurred in your past.

Developing resilience and ultimately fitness, or the ability to bounce back from hardship even stronger and wiser than before, involves cultivating these six major pillars of resilience: Physical hardiness Emotional equilibrium Mental clarity and toughness Spiritual connection Loving relationships and strong social connections Influential leadership within your community © Syda Productions / Shutterstock.