Physical vs. Psychological Fatigue
Physical fatigue can be solved with sleep. Burnout is a deeper 'soul fatigue' that persists even after rest. Key red flags include increased cynicism, a sense of reduced personal accomplishment, and emotional detachment from work or people you once cared about.
The Early Warning System
Pay attention to 'micro-withdrawals'—avoiding emails, feeling irritated by small requests, or a loss of creativity. These are your system's signals that your demands have exceeded your resources for too long. Early intervention is 10x more effective than late-stage recovery.