North America's Great Exhaustion Crisis Explained
Millions of North Americans face The Great Exhaustion—a workplace burnout epidemic beyond typical fatigue. Expert Emily Ballesteros explains this crisis.
Great Exhaustion
By Elke Porter | WBN News Vancouver | July 18, 2025
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Across Canada and the USA, workers are experiencing what burnout management coach Emily Ballesteros describes as "The Great Exhaustion"—a pervasive sense of drain that extends far beyond typical workplace fatigue. This phenomenon represents more than just being tired; it's a fundamental shift in how people relate to work and life balance.
The evidence is everywhere. From Quiet Quitting to Coffee Badging, from Bare Minimum Mondays to the unprecedented wave of resignations during The Great Resignation—when over 47 million Americans voluntarily left their jobs—workers are sending a clear message. They're not just burned out; they're fundamentally questioning the relationship between work and personal well-being.
Ballesteros, who holds a master's degree in industrial-organizational psychology and authored "The Cure for Burnout: How to Find Balance and Reclaim Your Life," argues that this exhaustion runs deeper than traditional workplace stress. After working in corporate training and development before launching her burnout management coaching business, she's witnessed firsthand how modern work culture has created unsustainable demands on people's spirits.
Writer and computer science professor Cal Newport has termed this period "The Great Exhaustion," recognizing it as a time when people are actively seeking to reestablish their relationship with work. This isn't simply about wanting fewer hours or better pay—though those matter—it's about addressing the fundamental drain that many feel has become their default state.
The symptoms extend beyond the workplace. People report feeling emotionally depleted, struggling to find energy for relationships, hobbies, and personal growth. The traditional boundaries between work and life have blurred to the point where exhaustion has become a constant companion rather than a temporary state.
The COVID-19 pandemic years also significantly amplified many of the psychological effects, creating what mental health experts describe as a collective trauma response. Remote work eliminated natural transitions between professional and personal spaces, while constant uncertainty about health, job security, and social isolation intensified stress levels. Many workers found themselves managing unprecedented challenges—from homeschooling children during video calls to grieving losses without traditional support systems.
This prolonged state of hypervigilance and adaptation left lasting impacts on cognitive function, emotional regulation, and overall mental resilience, contributing substantially to the current exhaustion epidemic. The pandemic forced many to confront profound sorrow and fear as they said goodbye to loved ones through video screens instead of hospital rooms, attended virtual funerals rather than gathering for comfort, and faced milestone celebrations in isolation.
The absence of traditional family gatherings, friend reunions, and social rituals that normally provide emotional restoration and community support left people without their usual coping mechanisms. This combination of grief, fear, and social deprivation created a perfect storm of psychological stress that continues to manifest as deep-seated exhaustion long after restrictions lifted.
This collective fatigue has sparked important conversations about workplace culture, mental health, and what constitutes meaningful work. As organizations grapple with retention challenges and employees seek more sustainable approaches to their careers, understanding and addressing The Great Exhaustion has become crucial for both individual well-being and broader economic health.
The path forward requires acknowledging that this exhaustion isn't a personal failing but a systemic issue requiring thoughtful, comprehensive solutions.
TAGS: #Great Exhaustion #Workplace Burnout #Employee Burnout #Work Life Balance #Mental Health At Work #Burnout Recovery #WBN News Vancouver #Elke Porter
Connect with Elke at Westcoast German Media or on LinkedIn: Elke Porter or contact her on WhatsApp: +1 604 828 8788. Public Relations. Communications. Education.
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