United States of Burnout  

If one word could sum up 2020, burnout would be it. Between the COVID-19 pandemic and the stress that has come along with it, Americans are tired, exhausted, and they’re ready for some serious stress relief.

Burnout can be defined as “a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress.” While these signs and symptoms aren’t new to anyone, the term itself has become popularized within the last year after the World Health Organization categorized burnout as a “syndrome,” which can be linked to chronic workplace stress.

In order to get a better understanding of how Americans are affected by burnout, we determined the most common terms related to burnout in every state based on Google search volume. We also surveyed 2,000 Americans to ask them about their experiences with burnout, symptoms, and how they cope with stress and exhaustion. 

It’s interesting to see that burnout terms related to the workplace dominate the map. A total of 20 states searched the most for occupational burnout terms or phrases. Terms related to burnout within the healthcare industry were particularly common, including “healthcare worker burnout,” “nurses and burnout,” “nursing burnout,” and “nurse burnout prevention.” It might not come as a surprise that many in the healthcare industry are experiencing burnout considering the current pandemic.

Along with workplace burnout, many Americans are searching for both signs of burnout and remedies. California, Oregon, Kentucky, Virginia, and Indiana were among the top states seeking remedies for burnout. Popular terms for those states include “Dr. Sheryl Ziegler,” author of Mommy Burnout, and “Cristina Maslach,” a social psychologist and co-author of the Maslach Burnout Inventory.

Overall, 92% of those surveyed say burnout affects their everyday life, and many experience signs and symptoms of both mental and physical exhaustion. According to respondents, a majority experience these symptoms at least once per week or more.

To read the entire report, click here.