"I'm just stressed" is one of the most common ways people dismiss early burnout. Understanding the difference between stress and burnout matters — not just semantically, but because each requires a meaningfully different response. Treating burnout as ordinary stress, and pushing through it, typically makes it worse.
Stress is a response to external pressure. It is characterised by over-engagement — too much to do, too little time. The key feature: rest can relieve it.
Burnout is a state of chronic depletion. It is characterised by disengagement — emptiness, detachment, and loss of meaning. Rest alone does not resolve it; the underlying causes must be addressed.
If a weekend or holiday relieves your exhaustion, it is likely stress. If you return from rest still feeling empty and dreading work, burnout is the more likely explanation.