These burnout quotes are your perfect signs of taking a break, relaxing, and enjoying life a little more!
Life is full of stress and problems. Every day, we face different obstacles we need to conquer to get closer to our goals.
Because of this constant attack, we sometimes feel drained and emotionally exhausted—both at work and in our personal lives.
This state of constant exhaustion can be referred to as burnout. Tiredness is nothing new; it’s becoming more common in our lives.
But, it doesn’t mean we should succumb to it, mainly when it affects our decision-making skills and happiness.
So, to help you recognize and combat the signs of burnout, read the quotes we’ve compiled below!
Our favorite words and sayings from various people all over the globe will clear your mind, recharge you, and help you keep going!
Check out the complete list below.
And don’t forget to check out these relaxing quotes.
Best Burnout Quotes
1. “Burnout is a byproduct of a dysfunctional work environment.” – Joy Energy Time
2. “Burnout is a bone-tired, soul-tired, heart-tired kind of exhaustion.” – J. W. Pennebaker
3. “You will burn and you will burn out; you will be healed and come back again.” – Fyodor Dostoevsky
4. “Burnout is grist to the mill. I write every day, for most of the day, so it’s just about turning into metaphor whatever’s going on in my life, in the world, and in my head. Every nightmare, every moment of grief or joy or failure, is a moment I can convert into cash via words.” – Grant Morrison
5. “Burnout is what happens when you try to avoid being human for too long.” – Michael Gungor
6. “Burnout is often driven by the demands that are placed upon an individual.” – Asa Don Brown
7. “Don’t burn out. Take care of yourself by getting eight hours of sleep, eat healthy, and exercise. If you don’t take care of yourself, there’s no way you can take care of your company in the long-term.” – Jared Kim
8. “Burnout: nature’s way of telling you that you’ve been going through the motions, but your soul has departed; you’re a zombie, a member of the walking dead, a sleepwalker.” – Sam Keen
9. “Burnout, like any difficult experience, is a great teacher. My question is: what is it trying to tell you?” – Dr. Rebecca Ray
Burnout Quotes That Zoom in on What It Entails
10. “Burnout is a slow, insidious experience. Burnout is not afraid of playing the long game. To prevent burnout, we need to play a long game, too.” – Sally Clarke
11. “Burnout is not the result of doing too much; it is the result of not getting enough rest.” – John Patrick Hickey
12. “Burnout is the result of too much energy output and not enough energy self-invested. In other words, it’s burning too much fuel than you’ve put in your tank.” – Melissa Steginus
13. “Burnout exists because we’ve made rest a reward rather than a right.” – Juliet C. Obodo
14. “As long as you can see the light at the end of the tunnel, the burnout isn’t fatal.” – Rex Baker
15. “It’s important that you don’t lie to yourself. If you lie to yourself, you end up with burnout.” – Patrick Pichette
Also read: Inner Peace Quotes
Short Burnout Quotes to Remember
16. “Self-care is essential to combating burnout.” – Asa Don Brown
17. “Burnout is a state of mind.” – Ram Dass
18. “Burnout often has as much boredom in it as exhaustion.” – Ingrid Fetell Lee
19. “It’s better to burn out than it is to rust.” – Neil Young
20. “If you think you can outsmart burnout, burnout will prove you wrong.” – Sally Clarke
21. “Burnout is a war that must be won on two fronts.” – Jeanine Joy
22. “I feel burnout comes as a result of consistent over-stimulation.” – Dinesh Paliwal
23. “It’s better to burn out than to fade away.” – Neil Young
24. “The land of burnout is not a place I ever want to go back to.” – Arianna Huffington
25. “It’s not the load that breaks you down, it’s the way you carry it.” – Lou Holtz
Also read: Short Quotes, Famous Quotes
Burnout Quotes for Those Who Overwork Themselves
26. “I have a theory that burnout is about resentment. And you beat it by knowing what it is you’re giving up that makes you resentful.” – Marissa Mayer
27. “You are not required to set yourself on fire to keep other people warm.” – Anonymous
28. “The number one cause of burnout is doing the same thing over and over again and not seeing results.” – Steve Kaczmarski
29. “Friendly reminder that ‘doing your best’ does not mean working yourself to the point of a mental breakdown.” – Anonymous
30. “You’re feeling burnt out and discouraged, but you’ve made it this far and I think that’s really brave.” – Anonymous
31. “You’re burned out because this culture has messed up our priorities, not because there’s something wrong with you.” – Juliana Finch
32. “Feeling chronically exhausted and totally over it? It’s important to know the signs of burnout.” – Carley Schweet
Also read: Quotes for Work, Success Quotes
Burnout Quotes That’ll Push You to Take a Break
33. “Remember to take care of yourself. You can’t pour from an empty cup.” – Anonymous
34. “That’s the thing, you don’t understand burnout unless you’ve been burned out. And it’s something you can’t even explain. It’s just doing something you have absolutely no passion for.” – Elena Delle Donne
35. “Burnout can be prevented with proper self-care and a supportive environment.” – Asa Don Brown
36. “Take a break from the stresses of life and use that time to rediscover the important things that matter to you most. We all deserve an anti-stress day to recharge our batteries.” – Dee Waldeck
37. “Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes—including you.” – Anne Lamott
38. “When you go through things like burnout you learn what to do and what not to do in the future.” – Melissa Leong
39. “A reckoning with burnout is so often the reckoning with the fact that the things you fill your day with—the things you fill your life with—feel unrecognizable from the sort of life you want to live, and the sort of meaning you want to make of it. That’s why the burnout condition is more than just an addiction to work. It’s an alienation from the self, and from desire. If you subtract your ability to work, who are you? Is there a self left to excavate? Do you know what you like and don’t like when there’s no one there to watch, and no exhaustion to force you to choose the path of least resistance? Do you know how to move without always moving forward?” – Anne Helen Petersen
Burnout Quotes for Everyone Struggling With Work
40. “The reality is: there will always be more work. From our jobs and owning businesses, to being a manager of our families and our homes—there will always be more work. It never goes away. We never escape from the responsibilities that life presents us. But one of our main responsibilities should be ourselves, after all, there’s only one of us anyway.” – Vanessa Autrey
41. “There is a fine line between challenging yourself and overwhelming yourself.” – Brittany Burgunder
42. “Burnout occurs when your body and mind can no longer keep up with the tasks you demand of them. Don’t try to force yourself to do the impossible. Delegate time for important tasks, but always be sure to leave time for relaxation and reflection.” – Del Suggs
43. “In dealing with those who are undergoing great suffering, if you feel ‘burnout’ setting in, if you feel demoralized and exhausted, it is best, for the sake of everyone, to withdraw and restore yourself. The point is to have a long-term perspective.” – Dalai Lama
44. “Burnout is so hard to get out of because when you’re in it, you ask yourself, ‘What can I do to bring me relief from all this pressure and stress of all this work I need to do?’ And the only answer you can think of is, ‘The only thing that will bring me relief is if I finish this work.’” – Jonny Sun
45. “Overworking is the black plague of the 21st century.” – Richie Norton
46. “Creating the culture of burnout is opposite to creating a culture of sustainable creativity. This is something that needs to be taught in business schools. This mentality needs to be introduced as a leadership and performance-enhancing tool.” – Arianna Huffington
47. “Changing jobs is not always the right answer to burnout. But if you’re going to leave your job, make sure you’ve got another opportunity in the wings. Leave on your terms, and don’t burn bridges.” – Rex Baker
Relatable Burnout Quotes to Think About
48. “Rigorous teaching schedules combined with mounds of paperwork can lead to burnout.” – Lourdes Garcia-Navarro
49. “We’re totally guilty of doing too much at once, all while trying to manage the noise in our heads that says we’re not doing enough.” – Vanessa Autrey
50. “I actually think burnout is the wrong description of it. I think it’s burning up. Physiologically, that is what you are doing because of the chronic stress being placed on your body.” – Richard Boyatzis
51. “It’s also our collective delusion that overwork and burnout are the prices we must pay in order to succeed.” – Arianna Huffington
52. “I just love what I do. I’m not worried about any burnout.” – Canelo Alvarez
53. “Initially when I stopped playing, I had accumulated some burnout.” – Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
More Burnout Quotes That’ll Help You Recharge
54. “A restless mind makes a problem of a resting body.” – Mokokoma Mokhonoana
55. “You need to remember to give yourself enough slack to work with, but too much and you’ll soon find yourself entangled and bleeding.” – Andrew Ervin
56. “Too much work will create too much motivation for the strong, and a big collapse for the weak! Strength gets great strength from the challenges!” – Mehmet Murat İldan
57. “You can’t destress by stressing some more.” – Tiisetso Maloma
58. “Release the stress you are holding. Feel the tension leave your body. Now, look at the root of your stress. Find your solution in a moment of calm, not anxiety.” – Avina Celeste
59. “Being overwhelmed means that your life or work is overpowering you. Regain control by clarifying your intentions, setting realistic expectations, and focusing on your next step.” – Daphne Michaels
60. “The most important reason for your ‘no’ is that you need your downtime so you won’t behave like a jerk because you’re depleted. And you don’t want to battle an appetite spiked by the stress of overcommitment.” – Holly Mosier
Did These Burnout Quotes Make You Feel Less Overwhelmed With Work?
People have the wrong mindset when it comes to reaching success. Many people think that it’s only by working yourself to the bone that they can get promoted, get a raise, or land the job they want. But, when you continuously tire yourself out without giving yourself the chance to recharge, you’ll eventually feel burnout setting in.
When this happens, you’ll feel like no matter how hard you work, no concrete result is happening. In worst-case scenarios, you might also lose your drive and passion.
So, never let your work burn out your fire within. Keep yourself inspired and recharged by taking a break every once in a while. After all, you can only give your all if you are fully charged and ready to take on whatever challenge.
With that, we hope you were motivated by the meaningful words of wisdom we’ve included in this list. Let this collection be your guide to combat all signs of burnout ahead.
You might sometimes feel exhausted, but just remember, never stop. Take a break, keep your head high, and achieve your dreams!