Are You “Falling Out of Love” … or is it Burnout?

Three Stages of burnout

Here’s a quick primer on how burnout works: It happens when someone faces relentless stress for too long. We call this chronic stress. Unlike stressors that come and go, chronic stress sticks around. Chronic stress doesn’t resolve; it revolves, showing up again tomorrow just like it did today. And marital issues are a prime example. Until a couple seeks help, a significant marital problem is a persistent battle that never goes away.

When burnout happens, three stages typically unfold (this model is based on the work of Dr. Christina Maslach, a leading burnout researcher).