Working a lot, extending the days, shortening the lunch break and answering emails even at night: for many it has become normal. In our modern culture, stress is often experienced as a necessary, almost obligatory step to keep up and demonstrate one’s worth. But when the intense period stops being the exception and becomes the rule, the risk of slipping from a condition of temporary stress to a burnout It’s actually very high. The numbers are a wake-up call in Italy one in three workers reaches burnout (almost 50% among those under 35), while on a global level depression and work anxiety are burning 12 billion working days every year, costing Italian companies alone over 88 billion euros.
Origins and numbers of the phenomenon
The term “burnout” is not a recent word or a passing fad. It was coined in the 1970s by psychologist Herbert Freudenberger to describe the feeling of physical, emotional and mental exhaustion observed in some healthcare workers. Today the phenomenon has expanded enormously, so much so that it is recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a real employment statusresulting from poorly managed chronic stress in the workplace.
It is not a sudden collapse, but a progressive attrition that affects energy, motivation and sense of effectiveness. The data outlines a global emergency. The International Labor Organization estimates that work-related depression and anxiety cause loss of 12 billion working days every year around the world.
According to the 8th Censis-Eudaimon Report, in Italy, the 73% of workers experience situations of stress or anxiety related to their profession. About one in three reaches actual burnout, and among young people under 35 this share rises almost to 50%. According to INAIL, in the first quarter of 2024 alone, reports of occupational diseases due to mental and behavioral disorders increased by 17.9% compared to the previous year. The cost of burnout is not only human, but also economic. It is estimated that it costs Italian companies approximately 88.5 billion euros per year between absenteeism and loss of productivity.
The most affected categories include healthcare, education, digital professions, as well as freelancers and startuppers. Women and young people are the most vulnerable groups. Among those under 25, the main sources of stress are long working hours (38%), followed by excessive loads (34%) and inadequate salaries (32%). Furthermore, 39% of Italian workers mention the lack of recognition as the primary cause of discomfort.
In the United States, where the issue has been monitored for the longest time, 22% of workers said they left a job (even without having another ready) solely to protect their mental health.
Who certifies burnout in Italy and how it manifests itself
Distinguishing chronic stress from a moment of tiredness is essential. In Italy, burnout is not automatically recognized as an occupational disease in its own right, but is one of the forms of work-related stress.
The diagnosis must be made by psychotherapists or psychiatrists. The treating doctor can issue a certificate and the disorder can be reported to INAIL, but the protection process requires demonstrating the causal link between the work environment and the developed pathology. It is a complex process, but taking time off to protect your health is a fundamental right, especially when the working environment becomes a stressful factor.
Burnout creeps in silently. Physical signs of an overloaded nervous system include chronic fatigue, insomnia, irritability, difficulty concentrating, rapid heartbeat, and gastrointestinal distress.
Many therapists compare burnout to a battery that discharges faster and faster and recharges with extreme difficulty. Normal rest (sleep, days off) is no longer sufficient to regenerate.
On an emotional level, a profound one takes over loss of meaning. Those who experience burnout often stop feeling interest or satisfaction in work activities that they previously considered central. The days become mechanical, the once manageable tasks turn into insurmountable rocks, and an attitude of detachment takes over: it is not a question of cynicism or indifference, but of a real emotional saturation.
The paradox of commitment
A very dangerous misconception is to believe that burnout is a personal flaw or a lack of resilience. On the contrary, it more often affects those who show a very high level of involvement and a strong sense of responsibility. It’s a distortion of commitment that begins with the thought “I can do more” and quickly turns into the obligation “I must do more.” At that point it is no longer a question of will: it is a mechanism triggered by external pressures (constant urgencies, precariousness, obligation of continuous availability, competitiveness) and maintained by the toxic cultural idea that resisting to the bitter end is a value.
There is no universal recipe, but there are crucial steps to reverse course and escape the spiral:
- Reestablishing boundaries: draw clear lines between work time and personal time. Turning off company notifications after 7pm doesn’t solve everything, but it is a first and necessary boundary.
- Scaling your goals: ask for a review of workloads and learn to share responsibilities.
- Ask for support: rely on a clinical professional or psychological support to process stress and rebuild a healthy relationship with your energy.
Burnout is the sign of a profound personal, organizational and cultural imbalance. We are not designed to stay constantly connected and productive. The solution is not to grit your teeth and “keep going”, but to learn to stop and recharge before the battery reaches zero.
