We all experience short-term burnout at some point when stress is high or when physical and mental resources are near depletion: “I need a vacation!” Some R&R can indeed be the cure for short-term burnout. But long-term burnout, the kind that seems epidemic now, follows the loss of meaning and purpose in work or relationships.
Many articles on job burnout are readily available on the Internet. Some work burnout results from structural issues in management and poor HR support. It’s likely to occur to workers, managers, and professionals when driven without purpose, relying on adrenaline and cortisol to accomplish their daily tasks. They can function at a high level for a while, without giving meaning to what they do. But eventually, the metabolically expensive bill of adrenaline comes due; they flame out.
Relationship burnout is more complicated.
Relationship burnout is likely to occur when partners are motivated by feelings alone for an extended period. That’s due, in part, to the salience of negative........