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Compassion fatigue and burnout are two different conditions often experienced by people in high-stress helping professions that negatively affect mental health. The main difference is that compassion fatigue results from caring too much, and burnout describes a state where you just can't care anymore.
Put simply, compassion fatigue is empathy-driven exhaustion resulting from caring for others in distress, whereas burnout is performance-related exhaustion stemming from chronic workplace stress.
While similar in some ways, each condition requires different self-care techniques for recovery.
As a licensed counselor and professor with decades of experience, I've seen firsthand how identifying the right condition can dramatically improve a person's ability to heal. I'm Suzanne Degges-White, PhD, LCPC, LPC, LMHC, NCC, and Professor and Chair of the Department of Counseling and Higher Education at Northern Illinois University. I’ve created this guide to help you understand the key differences between compassion fatigue and burnout, and guide you toward recovery using evidence-based strategies and curated book recommendations.
Quick summary: Compassion fatigue vs burnout
Compassion Fatigue = Emotional exhaustion from caring too much for others in distress.
Burnout = Emotional and physical depletion from prolonged workplace stress and lack of control.
Compassion fatigue is empathy-based; burnout is productivity-based.
What is compassion fatigue?
Compassion fatigue is a term initially coined to describe the overwhelming emotional fatigue experienced by emergency room nurses. It affects a person physically, emotionally, and psychologically. It is experienced by people who feel a high level of empathy towards others in situations where there is a large amount of suffering.
Five warning signs of compassion fatigue
The symptoms of compassion fatigue include:
Overwhelm and emotional exhaustion can leave a person feeling unable to be fully present on the job.
Apathy, including decreased levels of empathy and compassion for others.
Feelings of being unable, but also unwilling, to continue caring.
Physical ailments that include aches and pains, sleep issues, and a compromised immune system.
Psychological symptoms include memory problems, difficulty concentrating, and compromised decision-making ability.
Medical and mental health care workers are highly prone to compassion fatigue. People who provide unpaid caregiving to family members or others are also at risk. All of these individuals bear a high level of responsibility for the well-being of others. When coupled with high-stress situations, patient care may suffer when the burden of caring reaches a tipping point.
The tipping point, where a person's compassion and empathy tap out, can be reached as a result of prolonged exposure to others' trauma. Vicarious trauma or secondary traumatic stress, which is hearing another's stories of trauma or working with those who have experienced past trauma, is a risk factor.
As Bessel van der Kolk explores in ‘The Body Keeps the Score,’ the psychological toll of vicarious trauma can manifest physically and emotionally. Providers who internalize the pain of others may not realize how deeply these stories affect their bodies and minds until symptoms of compassion fatigue emerge.
Long-term caregiving, even for loved ones, can lead to compassion fatigue over time. This is especially true if their loved one needs a great deal of care or if the caregiver lacks an adequate social support network and their personal life suffers.
There are also individual traits, such as weak boundaries, that can increase the likelihood of compassion fatigue. Compassion fatigue, if left untreated, can transform into burnout, which becomes even harder to manage.
What is burnout?
Burnout has been described as a combination of detachment, exhaustion, and diminished effectiveness and productivity on the job. Burnout occurs in workplace or life situations where a person faces excessive expectations regarding performance, but has too little control. An unhealthy work environment and unhealthy coping strategies are key markers of a person's potential for burnout.
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The symptoms of burnout include:
Apathy, difficulty concentrating, inability to make decisions, and lack of commitment to job-related tasks.
Loss of enjoyment and engagement in life, and feelings that your contributions have no value to others.
Irritability, anger, and social withdrawal can lead to the use of unhealthy coping strategies.
Physical ailments, including aches and pains, sleep issues, and a compromised immune system.
Behavioral changes, including procrastination, showing up late, or missing work.
Burnout can affect anyone who feels they are being asked to do more than is possible given the resources available, such as time, skills, and space. Burnout is typically a result of chronic workplace stress and the feeling that too much is expected from others or oneself.
That's why entrepreneurs, company founders, executive-level employees, and professionals in high-demand fields can experience burnout. Educators, medical and mental health care workers, students, remote workers, and caregivers are also prone to burnout.
Burnout happens when mismatches occur between what is expected of a person on the job and what they are able to give to the job.
Common causes of burnout:
Lack of control at work
Excessive workload
Unclear or conflicting expectations from leadership
Feeling unappreciated or unsupported
Value conflict between personal ethics and job demands
Difference between burnout and compassion fatigue
There are key differences between compassion fatigue and burnout. These differences include the root cause of the condition, the timeline of onset, and the focus of the respective maladaptive responses.
| Compassion fatigue | Burnout |
|---|---|
Relationship-related and arises from continuous expose to the suffering of those you are there to care for | Workplace-related and arises from unhealthy work life conditions including chronic stress or overload |
The more a person cares for the well-being of others, the higher the likelihood they will experience compassion fatigue | The greater the demands of the workplace, and the less control over the job given to workers, the greater the likelihood burnout will happen |
Emotional engagement with others feeds the fatigue | In burnout, there is little capacity to engage with others at work or in social settings |
Caring too much and trying too hard raise the risk of onset | In burnout, a person is no longer able to care about the job |
Empathy and compassion-related exhaustion are involved | Work-related stress and performance inefficacy are involved |
Sudden or acute onset – it lands with a wallop! | Develops gradually over time as workplace demands and expectations become increasingly overwhelming |
How can you tell the difference between burnout and compassion fatigue?
There are several overlapping traits between these two conditions that can be confusing to some. The shared traits include emotional exhaustion and feelings of numbness and indifference towards life. They also share symptoms related to physical well-being and mental sharpness. Both of these areas are compromised in both conditions.
Understanding your emotional responses is essential when distinguishing between these two conditions. As explained in ‘Emotional Intelligence’ by Daniel Goleman, recognizing and managing your emotional state helps prevent empathy overload and decision fatigue—both of which are common in compassion fatigue and burnout.
If any of these symptoms sound familiar, here's a Self-Check quiz to help you determine whether you may be suffering from one of these conditions:
| Yes | No | ||
|---|---|---|---|
1. | At the end of your workday, do you feel exhausted or drained emotionally? | ||
2. | Do you find yourself avoiding interactions with people who are dealing with distress or need support? | ||
3. | Have you become more cynical about your job, or do you feel increasing detachment from your work? | ||
4. | Do you still feel positive about your career choice while feeling exhausted and overwhelmed by the emotional demands of the job? | ||
5. | Did you start experiencing a change in your feelings gradually over time after ongoing exposure to stress? | ||
If you answered "yes" to items 1, 3, and 5, you may be suffering from burnout. If you answered "yes" to items 2 and 4, you may be suffering from compassion fatigue.
Why the difference matters for your personal growth and wellness
While symptoms may be similar, knowing which struggle you are facing is essential. Compassion fatigue arises from carrying a heavy load of empathy and caring a great deal for others; burnout typically arises from external and untenable working conditions.
This key distinction is crucial to understand, as each condition is best treated in a different way. The better you understand the cause of your physical and psychological symptoms, the quicker you can begin the healing process.
While self-care is important for addressing both conditions, it is important to distinguish which recovery method is most appropriate. In compassion fatigue, the cause is rooted in overexposure, both in time and intensity, to other people's suffering. The longer you delay in addressing the problem, the greater the likelihood that it will push you towards burnout.
Burnout often strips away the internal motivation that once made work meaningful. In ‘Drive,’ Daniel H. Pink highlights how purpose, autonomy, and mastery are key drivers of fulfillment — elements that are frequently missing when burnout takes hold.
Once a person reaches burnout, it is difficult for them to find their groove and engage in their current job or have the energy to seek out a new position.
How to recover from burnout vs compassion fatigue
Most people choose careers based on their interests and their life goals, which can set the stage for career satisfaction. There are some pitfalls, though, that people might not realize until they find themselves feeling exhausted or losing motivation for their jobs. For people who spend their time caring for the needs of others, compassion fatigue is a strong sign that they need to care for themselves.
How to recover from compassion fatigue
Here are some self-care steps for compassion fatigue:
Seek more information on compassion fatigue to be better positioned to determine which self-care techniques are appropriate. Websites such as Headway provide a great deal of useful information.
Put on your own oxygen mask first. Focus on your own needs and prioritize your physical and mental health.
Ask for support from others. Seek supervision, debrief with colleagues in similar roles, find a therapist, or join a support group.
Set clear boundaries. By prioritizing your well-being, you engage in one of the best self-care methods available. Say "no" when asked for more than you can give.
Limit your exposure to traumatic content and situations where you are unable to offer the empathy that would be expected.
Cut yourself a break and give yourself space and time to recover. This can be decompression time between the end of the workday and arriving home or it can be a true vacation where you allow yourself to leave the laptop and work phone behind.
How to recover from burnout
Everyone in high-stress occupations, including teachers, lawyers, customer service representatives, entrepreneurs, and C-suite executives, runs the risk of burnout. Here are some self-care steps for burnout:
Learn more about burnout, from sites like Headway, so that you can focus on effective self-help techniques.
Assess your stressors. Create a plan for reducing stress in these areas by recognizing where you experience the greatest tension. This can be a revised work schedule, different working conditions, or a shift in your position.
Prioritize work-life balance ASAP. Exposure to constant pressure can lead to an explosion, so find ways to decompress, let off steam, and find homeostasis.
Seek support from others. Reach out to your supervisor to explore opportunities for changes in workplace demands, talk to your human resources contact, or find a therapist. Consider attending Workaholics Anonymous meetings, if appropriate.
Look into learning and practicing mindfulness and relaxation practices. Yoga, tai chi, breathing practices, and meditation all provide a mental break from the daily grind and reawaken you to the present moment and joy.
As psychologist Kelly McGonigal explains in ‘The Upside of Stress,’ reframing stress as a signal of engagement rather than harm can shift how we respond to pressure. This mindset is especially valuable for healthcare professionals and social workers seeking to recover from burnout without exiting the profession entirely.Burnout is accompanied by a loss of meaning and disengagement from the job. Engage in new creative outlets and allow yourself to get back in touch with what drew you to your career path.
For both compassion fatigue and burnout, online resources such as Headway can support recovery, healing, and prevention of these conditions in the future. This site offers articles, self-help resources, and summaries of books that can help transform your approach to work and life.
Best books to understand burnout and compassion fatigue
There is a wide range of resources available online that provide easy-to-access and easy-to-digest information. For example, you can find book summaries on the Headway app that can deepen your knowledge. For instance, 'Burnout' by Emily & Amelia Nagoski provides valuable information on shutting down the stress cycle, which can enhance overall well-being.
It breaks down the biology of stress, how the cultural environment amps up pressure, and offers advice and practical exercises to recover from burnout.
Other book summaries include:
'Emotional Intelligence' by Daniel Goleman. This book helps you better understand the ways in which emotional intelligence can best be used to find personal and professional success.
'The Body Keeps the Score' by Bessel van der Kolk. This is the classic book for understanding how trauma, including being a victim of abusive relationships, affects the body and provides helpful suggestions for personal growth.
'The Upside of Stress' by Kelly McGonigal. In this book, McGonical shares a new way of looking at stress that can enhance your ability to handle it and to refocus your energy.
'Drive' by Daniel H. Pink. This book addresses the importance of intrinsic motivation, which is essential to satisfaction on the job.
Read or listen to the full summaries in the Headway app and take the first step toward emotional clarity.
Explore expert insights on compassion fatigue and burnout in the Headway app
Understanding the difference between compassion fatigue and burnout is the first step toward meaningful recovery. While both conditions share symptoms like exhaustion and detachment, they stem from very different causes, and knowing which one you're dealing with is essential to choosing the right path forward.
The Headway app can help you make that distinction clearer. In just 15 minutes a day, you can explore bite-sized summaries of the best books on mental health, stress, resilience, emotional intelligence, and burnout recovery — all tailored for busy people who want real insights fast. Whether you're experiencing empathy overload or workplace stress, Headway gives you the tools to understand what's happening and what to do next.
Don't wait for burnout to take hold. Start with small, daily learning steps that can restore your clarity, motivation, and emotional well-being — right from your phone.
FAQs about compassion fatigue and burnout
What are the five stages of compassion fatigue?
The five stages of compassion fatigue include zealot phase, irritability, withdrawal, depersonalization, and compassion fatigue proper. These stages reflect the slow erosion of empathy and joy that many providers, like social workers and clinicians, experience when continuously exposed to traumatic events — a process sometimes called the cost of caring.
How to fix empathy burnout?
Providers should prioritize self-care, peer support, and boundaries to address empathy burnout. Rebuilding compassion satisfaction — the joy from helping others — can counter emotional numbness. Mental health professionals also recommend addressing secondary trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms through supervision or therapy, especially for those in high-impact roles like healthcare professionals and first responders.
Is it burnout, or am I just tired?
Burnout involves persistent physical exhaustion, emotional numbness, and reduced job satisfaction, often accompanied by depersonalization and cynicism. Unlike regular fatigue, burnout doesn't improve with rest and is common among social workers, clinicians, and mental health professionals. Warning signs include decreased performance, feelings of hopelessness, and disengagement from once-meaningful work.
What are the 12 stages of burnout?
The 12 stages of burnout begin with a need to prove oneself and escalate through neglecting needs, depersonalization, physical symptoms, and emotional collapse. Long hours, substance use, and isolation often fuel this downward spiral. Providers may feel they're failing at their duty of care, especially during high-stress times like the pandemic.
Is it burnout, or do I just hate my job?
Disliking a job may cause stress, but burnout manifests deeper, through emotional numbness, feelings of hopelessness, and ongoing physical exhaustion. Healthcare professionals, social workers, and other providers often report these signs when their values conflict with organizational demands. Loss of compassion satisfaction is another key difference.
How do you fix compassion fatigue?
To heal from compassion fatigue, providers should reduce exposure to trauma, seek peer support, and restore compassion satisfaction. Addressing secondary trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder through rest, therapy, or reflective practices can help. Social workers and first responders typically benefit from structured recovery plans that reestablish boundaries and emotional resilience.
How to reverse burnout?
Burnout can be reversed through rest, boundary-setting, and redefining your role's meaning. Mental health professionals suggest evaluating the DOI (degree of involvement), reconnecting with purpose, and seeking professional support. Restoring job satisfaction and minimizing long hours are essential, especially for providers dealing with intense care demands and systemic pressures.
