I'll start with my own definition.
"Almost complete self-annihilation, teasing at the edges of hyper-specifity of one's own profession. Using everything as a means to an end to serve the work. A complete capsize of life-work balance."
Now, My story.
All starting with following industrialization, More.
I've suffered from burnout for several years within my mid-twenties, it was due to the dysmorphia of my work never being enough. Up to eleven as it were. The hedonic treadmill starting to get fast.
Hurt, I packed on more volume and intensity of my work till I alienated everybody, everything. It was an "at all costs" mindset just to squeeze in another hour of workload. Comparing myself online to hard-work braggers.
But like with a fitness model showing their ideal lives on social media, you never see the stuff backstage, the liquify filter, the honesty. No tracking is done, just 8, no 12 hours of work a day! More! More! Pile it on!
I was learning of the term of overtraining meant for endurance marathon trainers intuitively.
I was at the end of the matchstick, so only through the rekindling and getting some life-balance I've returned. Even imperfect, it's better than having no balance. With Cut off-time, gym time, and slack helping. Things got better. The physical cogs was the reginition.
What I also did:
Like what is said in this Episode of Iron Culture regarding burnout I clustered/brainstormed the functionality using self-determination theory. Examining my autonomy, competence and relatedness and it's components.
I also got other stuff now, like nature walking and gyming. That personally helped. This is all Personally though, you have to find your own fatigue points within your own life, and adjust accordingly.
Regardless of everything, if you're teetering on the edge. Or in the midst of burnout.
You're not broken, despite what social media says. Not a cheap tool.
Sources
Seth has a nice definition, His podcast on the hedonic treadmill and the second question within his Q&A on The new york times bestseller touches on this too.
Iron Culture podcast. I've been using physical training disciplines and applying it to my craft.
Writing the Natural way by Gabriele Rico is a nice book than helps with clustering/brainstorming that I used. You don't have to follow the brain science.
I got that Recommendation from Marshall Vandruff, Here's his own book recommendation list.
Noodle touches on burnout culture within this video on crunch.