If you’re exhausted at work and lying awake worrying about bills, you’re not imagining how hard that is. Work stress and money stress feed each other. When you’re running on empty, it’s hard to make good money decisions, and money worries make it harder to recover.

What burnout actually means

The World Health Organization describes burnout as a syndrome that results from chronic workplace stress that hasn’t been successfully managed. It has three parts: feeling drained or exhausted, feeling distant or cynical about your job, and feeling less effective at work.¹ The WHO is clear that the term applies to work, not other areas of life, and that it isn’t classified as a medical condition.¹

So “money burnout” isn’t an official term. But money stress is real, and it can pile on top of burnout from work.

Ways to cope that actually help

The American Psychological Association suggests several practical steps for handling financial stress:²

• Pause, but don’t panic. Stay informed without soaking in bad news all day.
• Name your stressors and make a plan. Write down specific ways to cut costs or manage money, then check in on the plan regularly.
• Call your bank, card company or utility if you’re struggling with bills or debt. Ask what options they have.
• Watch for unhealthy coping, like drinking, gambling or emotional eating.
• Use low-cost ways to recharge, like a walk or dinner at home.
• Ask for professional support. A credit counselor can help with the money side, and a psychologist can help with the emotions behind it.

Money moves that lower the mental load

• Automate what you can. Autopay for bills and an automatic transfer to savings mean fewer decisions on days you have nothing left.
• Set a short weekly money check-in. Fifteen minutes, same day each week. A small, regular look beats avoiding it until it’s a crisis.
• Shrink the to-do list. Pick one money task this week, not ten.
• Don’t make big borrowing decisions while you’re depleted. If you’re considering a loan, run the numbers on a calmer day, or with someone you trust.

When to get help now

If stress has turned into thoughts of hurting yourself, or you feel like you can’t go on, you don’t have to handle it alone. In the U.S., you can call or text 988 or chat at chat.988lifeline.org to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It’s free.³

For the money side, a nonprofit credit counselor can review your budget and debts with you.⁴

How to reach a nonprofit credit counselor: call the National Foundation for Credit Counseling at (800) 388-2227 (nfcc.org), or the Financial Counseling Association of America at (800) 450-1794 (find a counselor). Ask for any fees in writing before you sign up.

Sources

1. Burn-out an “occupational phenomenon”: International Classification of Diseases, World Health Organization, May 28, 2019.
2. Managing your stress in tough economic times, American Psychological Association, updated November 3, 2023.
3. Get Help, 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
4. What is credit counseling?, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

This article is for general information and isn’t medical, mental health or financial advice.