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Lots of people feel burned out. But what is burnout exactly?

Researchers disagree on how to define burnout. Helping people cope at work still matters

A photo of a woman sitting in front of a computer with her head in her hand, obscuring her face.

The pandemic has changed how people work, such as working late from home. That shift has prompted a global conversation on burnout, but researchers disagree on how to define and measure the syndrome. That makes evidence-based solutions hard to come by.

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By Sujata Gupta

When New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, who garnered international praise for how she handled the pandemic in her country, recently announced her intention to resign, here’s how she summed up her surprise decision: “I know what the job takes, and I know that I no longer have enough in the tank to do it justice.