Finding A New Job Is Possible — Even When You’re Burned Out

Looking for a new job doesn’t have to be just another exhausting to-do list item.

It’s an ironic Catch-22: Your job is sapping your energy to the point where you can’t muster the strength to look for a new one. So what are you supposed to do?

One of the most considerable issues with modern work is pervasive burnout. According to Michael Leiter, co-author of the upcoming book The Burnout Challenge: Managing People’s Relationships With Their Jobs, the core aspects of burnout are feeling exhausted, cynical, and discouraged. Last year, 71 percent of workers reported experiencing work-related stress, according to the American Psychological Association’s 2021 Work and Well-being Survey. Three in five employees said they experienced negative impacts at work from stress; the top impacts reported were lack of interest, motivation, or energy; difficulty focusing; and lack of effort at work — all symptoms of burnout.

Workplace burnout isn’t a byproduct of the pandemic; this specific breed of exhaustion predates it. The term first became popularized in the 1970s to describe the exhaustion human services workers experienced. Over the ensuing decades, burnout has been shown to exist in nearly every profession, was classified as an occupational phenomenon by the World Health Organization, and was famously named a hallmark of the millennial generation.

If your job is contributing — or is the sole contributor — to your burnout, you may feel pulled to search for greener pastures. But when you’re burned out, completing even the smallest of tasks, let alone a massive undertaking like a job search, can be daunting. “Looking for jobs is one of the hardest jobs there is,” Leiter says. “You’ve got to figure out how you’re going to put your energy together for that.” There are steps you can take to preserve your energy and look for your next role regardless of industry.