🎙 Episode 3: The Science of Burnout

Welcome back to the Fireproof Podcast—a show for anyone navigating the uncertain middle of healing, growth, and rediscovering joy.

In this deep-dive episode, we unravel the science behind burnout. What is it really? How is it different from just being stressed, depressed, or tired? And why does it matter how we define it?

We explore the evolution of burnout as a concept—from its first clinical naming in the 1970s to the frameworks that shape how it's measured today. You’ll learn how tools like the Maslach Burnout Inventory, the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory, and the more recent Burnout Assessment Tool each define this complex, multifaceted phenomenon—and why some of those definitions might be missing the mark.

Together, we push past surface-level wellness advice to uncover what the research actually says, why burnout is not just about individual weakness, and how systemic pressures shape our mental and physical well-being.

✨ In this episode:

• What burnout really means (and how it differs from stress or depression)
• The historical evolution of burnout definitions and tools
• Why it matters that the WHO calls burnout an “occupational phenomenon”—and what that leaves out
• How neurodivergent folks (like those with ADHD or autism) experience burnout differently
• Why you're not alone if you're feeling completely depleted—and what medieval peasants have to do with it

If you've ever felt like no amount of rest touches your exhaustion, or you’ve wondered why simple stress relief tricks don’t seem to work—you’re not imagining it. Burnout is deeper, messier, and far more common than we’ve been led to believe.

✨ Stay connected:

Make sure to follow, subscribe, and share so you don’t miss next week’s episode, where we dig into the real-life causes of burnout and introduce a small reconnection ritual that starts with just one powerful word: no.

📚 Works Referenced

• Armon, G., Melamed, S., Toker, S., Berliner, S., & Shapira, I. (2014). Joint effect of chronic medical illness and burnout on depressive symptoms among employed adults. Health Psychology, 33(3), 264–272. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0033712
• De Beer, L. T., Schaufeli, W. B., & Bakker, A. B. (2022). Investigating the Validity of the Short Form Burnout Assessment Tool: A Job Demands-Resources Approach. African Journal of Psychological Assessment, 4. https://doi.org/10.4102/ajopa.v4i0.95
• Edú-Valsania, S., Laguía, A., & Moriano, J. A. (2022). Burnout: A Review of Theory and Measurement. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(3), 1780. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19031780
• Freudenberger, H. J. (1975). The Staff Burn-Out Syndrome in Alternative Institutions. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research & Practice, 12(1), 73–82.
• Hultell, D., Melin, B., & Gustavsson, P. (2013). Getting personal with teacher burnout: A longitudinal study on the development of burnout using a person-based approach. Teaching and Teacher Education, 32, 75–86. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2013.01.007
• Kristensen, T. S., Borritz, M., Villadsen, E., & Christensen, K. B. (2005). The Copenhagen Burnout Inventory: A new tool for the assessment of burnout. Work & Stress, 19(3), 192–207.
• Koutsimani, P., Montgomery, A., & Georganta, K. (2019). The relationship between burnout, depression, and anxiety: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Psychology. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00284
• Maslach, C., Jackson, S. E., & Leiter, M. P. (1981). Maslach Burnout Inventory [various editions and updates].
• Peters, S. E., Dennerlein, J. T., Wagner, G. R., & Sorensen, G. (2022). Work and worker health in the post-pandemic world: A public health perspective. The Lancet Public Health, 7(2), e188–e194. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2468-2667(21)00259-0
• Raymaker, D. M., Teo, A. R., Steckler, N. A., Lentz, B., Scharer, M., & Nicolaidis, C. (2020). “Having All of Your Internal Resources Exhausted Beyond Measure and Being Left with No Clean-Up Crew”: Defining Autistic Burnout. Autism in Adulthood, 2(2), 132–143. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32851204/
• Schaufeli, W. B., Leiter, M. P., & Maslach, C. (2009). Burnout: 35 years of research and practice. Career Development International, 14(3), 204–220.
• Schaufeli, W. B., De Witte, H., & Desart, S. (2020). Manual Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT). KU Leuven & Utrecht University. https://burnoutassessmenttool.be/
• Turjeman-Levi, Y., Itzchakov, G., & Engel-Yeger, B. (2024). Executive function deficits mediate the relationship between employees’ ADHD and job burnout. AIMS Public Health, 11(1), 294–314. https://doi.org/10.3934/publichealth.2024015
• Watts, J., & Robertson, N. (2011). Burnout in university teaching staff: A systematic literature review. Educational Research, 53(1), 33–50. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131881.2011.552235
• WHO. (2019). International Classification of Diseases, 11th Revision (ICD-11). World Health Organization. https://icd.who.int/