How does genuine burnout manifest differently from general stress regarding the ability to find relief?

Stress feels urgent with too much to do, and relief comes when pressure lessens; burnout is emptiness persisting even when pressure subsides.

Differentiating between general stress and burnout requires evaluating the persistence of negative feelings even in the absence of immediate pressure. Stress is often characterized by a feeling of urgency—that there are too many immediate tasks demanding action—and relief is typically experienced when those specific demands are met or the external pressure temporarily eases. In contrast, burnout presents as a profound emptiness or a loss of caring, a core depletion of energy and engagement. This emptiness, rooted in chronic overuse, tends to persist even if the immediate external pressures temporarily subside, indicating that the underlying system overload has not been corrected by mere temporary reduction in workload.