What Is Burnout Caused By? A Depth Psychology Perspective
Burnout, in contemporary parlance, is often understood as a product of relentless stress, long hours, and external overload. But for Carl Jung and the major exponents of Depth Psychology, such an explanation barely grazes the surface. Burnout, they suggest, is a symptom—a signal from the psyche that something essential is being neglected, suppressed, or denied.
Carl Jung famously wrote, “Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes” (C.G. Jung, Letters, Vol. 1: 1906-1950). This sentiment brings into sharp focus the psychic split at the core of burnout: a culture that chases outward achievement while dismissing the inner voice that seeks authenticity and meaning. Jung cautioned that “…people become neurotic when they content themselves with inadequate or wrong answers to the questions of life … confined within too narrow a spiritual horizon” (C.G. Jung, Memories, Dreams, Reflections). Burnout, then, is not simply weariness from labor but a profound fatigue of the soul.
James Hollis expands this, arguing that “the ego wishes comfort, security, satiety; the soul demands meaning, struggle, becoming. The contention of these two voices sometimes tears us apart”. The relentless pursuit of ego goals—success, approval, security—leaves the soul malnourished. Burnout arises when we ignore the “summons from the depth of one’s being … risk giving the soul what it wants—a larger journey”. Anxiety and depression, Hollis notes, often reveal our refusal to heed the inner call for growth.
Marion Woodman adds that “…healing depends on listening with the inner ear—stopping the incessant blather, and listening. Fear keeps us chattering … It is our very fear of the future that distorts the now that could lead to a different future if we dared to be whole in the present”. For Woodman, burnout signals the soul’s lost dialogue with the body and intuition—the exhaustion of trying to maintain false images, or “addictions” to external success, at the expense of real transformation.
Marie-Louise von Franz, in an observation that can certainly be applied to our desire to understand what causes burnout, says “Unused creative power … turns to sheer poison. … Not-lived higher possibilities” manifest as neuroses and psychic maladies. Burnout, in this light, is the toxic consequence of soul potential suppressed to accommodate the utilitarian aims of the ego.
James Hillman similarly insists: “Problems sustain us—maybe that's why they don't go away. … There is a secret love hiding in each problem”(Hillman, Kinds of Power: A Guide to Its Intelligent Uses (1995). Rather than banishing symptoms, Hillman suggests honouring the soul’s cry, allowing it to guide self-discovery and transformation.
Burnout, from a Depth Psychology perspective, is thus caused not just by overwork, but by the neglect of the inner journey, the silencing of creative potential, and the spiritual poverty that comes from living only for external demands. It is a call to restore meaning, allow psychic growth, and honour the voice of the soul.
While depth psychology may not be the prevailing approach to burnout in today’s clinical landscape, its insights offer a profound and practical lens for understanding—and transforming—exhaustion. If you sense that conventional solutions have not addressed the deeper roots of your distress, consider exploring the wisdom of Jungian and other Depth psychological traditions. Sometimes, lasting change begins by listening to the voice within, daring to nourish the soul as well as the mind. Take the first step toward renewed meaning: reach out for a consultation that honours both depth and pragmatism in your healing journey.
