The True Nature of Fatigue That Doesn't Disappear Even After Resting - Work Theory in the Era Where "2/3 Burn Out"

The True Nature of Fatigue That Doesn't Disappear Even with Rest—How Should Work Change in an Era Where "2/3 Burn Out"?

"I've been feeling tired all the time lately."
Such words are no longer a special lament. A recent topic introduced on Phys.org reveals that about two-thirds of working people feel burnout as a major issue. The World Health Organization (WHO) also positions burnout as an "occupational phenomenon" arising from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. This is not merely a lack of sleep or a temporary mood dip. It is a state where exhaustion, detachment from work, and a sense of "I'm no longer functioning adequately" accumulate.

The troublesome part is that burnout is often dismissed as "temporary fatigue from working too hard." A little rest will bring you back, a vacation will help you recover, and increasing exercise or sleep will somehow work. Such measures are not meaningless. However, the original article emphasizes that superficial self-care alone cannot cut the root. If the workplace structure remains unchanged—staff shortages, endless workloads, discrimination and unfairness, ambiguous responsibility sharing—people will return to the same place after a vacation.

In fact, this feeling is strongly shared on public social media. On Reddit, posts expressing sentiments like "Even after a three-week break, if the workplace environment is the same, the brain quickly returns to the same state" garnered empathy, and other posts highlighted reactions such as "A vacation is not a solution but merely a postponement" and "This is a structural issue." It's not that people can't rest, but that the "foundation for recovery" is absent in the workplace—this is likely the realization for many.

Why has it become so deeply entangled?
The original article explains burnout not as a mere mood issue but as a state where chronic stress skews the functioning of the brain and mind. Stress research has shown that chronic load can disrupt the balance between the amygdala, which is involved in emotional responses, and the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for judgment and self-control. As a result, even when handling tasks at hand, people find it difficult to escape the "always on alert mode" internally. They become pessimistic about the future, ruminate on the past, can't focus on the present, and lose meaning and satisfaction. The feeling of being tired but not rested, and not recovering even after resting, connects to this.

The original article introduces an approach combining ACT (Acceptance & Commitment Therapy) and CFT (Compassion-Focused Therapy). The point is not to "immediately eliminate" the distress. Rather, the more one tries to forcibly dispel discomfort and anxiety, the more rigid they become. ACT emphasizes "psychological flexibility," which involves choosing actions aligned with values even in the presence of suffering. Meanwhile, CFT supports the idea of calming the nervous system through self-compassion, easing self-criticism. It's not about rebuilding with sheer willpower but about slightly softening the critical voice and reclaiming what one values.

What is refreshing about this perspective is that it views burnout not as a "lack of ability" but as a state where "flexibility, safety, and meaning have been eroded." The original article's book outlines stages such as clarifying values, dealing with unpleasant emotions without suppressing them, changing self-talk, and reassessing one's strengths. In other words, recovery is not about forcibly returning a fallen mind to its original productivity, but also about reclaiming the autonomy lost in a broken way of working.

However, it is important not to misunderstand that ACT and CFT are merely "convenient techniques for individuals to adapt well." The original article itself states that true prevention requires redesigning the work itself. Fair workloads, flexible working styles, psychological safety, trained management, and accessible mental health support. In a 2025 survey, 66% in the U.S. experienced some form of burnout, and another corporate survey found that about 3 out of 4 people had moderate or higher workplace stress, with Gen Z particularly burdened. It's no longer a stage where "individuals should just manage it themselves" suffices.

This point is clear on social media as well. On LinkedIn, the assertion that "burnout is not an issue for individuals to manage, but a problem for organizations to solve" is supported, and in Reddit's management community, proposals such as "simplifying processes," "narrowing down priorities," "adjusting deadlines," and "realistic explanations to upper management" focused on structural rather than field changes were lined up. Conversely, many people no longer believe the explanation of "lack of individual ingenuity." As the causes of burnout are widely shared, the responsibility is also shifting from individuals to organizations.

On the other hand, there is another reality on social media. Many people are beginning to draw boundaries to survive today while waiting for system reforms. Not working on weekends, not checking work devices during vacations, pushing back against unreasonable deadlines, and not normalizing working over 40 hours. Posts by female tech workers also shared specific strategies such as not personalizing work, separating work from personal devices, and saying "can't do" to impossible deadlines. This is not a "decline in motivation." It is a renegotiation to protect oneself and a quiet resistance against broken workplace rules.

Discussions around burnout often converge on individual choices like "should I rest more?" or "should I change jobs?" But in reality, there are questions to be asked before that. Why are there more jobs that can't function without such exhaustion? Why is there a growing sense of unrewarded effort and meaningless busyness? Why does just returning to the workplace make the body tense again? Burnout is not evidence that workers have become weaker. It may be a sign that the work system has started to assume exhaustion rather than recovery.

Therefore, what is needed is not to command "rest" or encourage "have an unbreakable spirit." What is needed is a perspective that does not push fatigue back to individual character but reexamines the way burdens are placed. And on the individual's side, instead of ignoring pain and trying to return to normal, it is about reorganizing work based on one's values, limits, and safety. Vacations are important. Exercise and sleep are helpful. But that's not enough. In the era of burnout, the question is not about recovery methods, but whether to continue working in a way that burns people out in the first place—that very choice is being questioned.

Source URL

1. Phys.org. The foundation of the argument that burnout has spread to "about two-thirds of workers," the concept of recovery using ACT/CFT, and the need to review workplace structures.
   https://phys.org/news/2026-03-thirds-workers-science-tackle.html
2. EurekAlert! Original release. The press release from Taylor & Francis that the original article is based on, used to confirm the main points.
   https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1119784
3. WHO's definition of burnout. Used to confirm that burnout is an "occupational phenomenon" explained by the three elements of exhaustion, detachment from work, and reduced efficacy.
   https://www.who.int/standards/classifications/frequently-asked-questions/burn-out-an-occupational-phenomenon
4. Introduction of Moodle's official report. The source of the reference that 66% of U.S. employees experienced some form of burnout in 2025.
   https://moodle.com/us/news/ai-for-workplace-training-in-america/
5. Routledge's book page. Overview of Shaina Siber's "Using ACT and CFT for Burnout Recovery," its six-step structure, and author information.
   https://www.routledge.com/Using-ACT-and-CFT-for-Burnout-Recovery-The-Beyond-Burnout-Blueprint/Siber/p/book/9781041074304
6. Randomized controlled trial of ACT intervention. A study showing that ACT had a significant effect on reducing psychological distress and improved some indicators of burnout.
   https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9020690/
7. Systematic review and meta-analysis of burnout and cardiovascular disease risk. Material suggesting that burnout may be associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
   https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1326745/full
8. Study on chronic stress and prefrontal cortex-amygdala circuits. Supporting material on how chronic stress can affect brain circuits involved in judgment and emotional regulation.
   https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-15920-7
9. Public post on Reddit. Source of reactions stating that vacations alone do not lead to recovery and that returning to the same workplace structure reignites the issue.
   https://www.reddit.com/r/careerguidance/comments/1rl7n5m/i_took_3_weeks_of_pto_and_still_feel_completely/
10. Public post on Reddit. Source of reactions regarding burnout in the tech industry, anxiety about returning to work, and redrawing boundaries.
    https://www.reddit.com/r/womenintech/comments/1q28ina/anyone_else_dreading_and_anxious_as_hell_about/
    https://www.reddit.com/r/womenintech/comments/1rc5jlb/what_is_going_on_with_burnout/
11. Public post on Reddit. Source of reactions in the context of management and technical roles emphasizing "discretion, resources, and work design over vacations."
    https://www.reddit.com/r/sysadmin/comments/1pkwpur/handling_burnout_as_a_sysadmin/
    https://www.reddit.com/r/managers/comments/1maoegp/66_of_employees_are_struggling_in_2025_as_a/
12. Public post on LinkedIn. Source of discussions framing burnout as an organizational challenge rather than an individual responsibility.
    https://www.linkedin.com/posts/adammgrant_burnout-is-rarely-a-personal-problem-to-manage-activity-7329132312141459458-omkB