--- title: 3 Surprising Reasons You’re Burned Out at Work description: You’re so over your job: the endless stream of emails, catty coworkers, unpaid overtime—the reasons go on and on. But a new study published in... canonical: https://time.com/3403896/3-reasons-job-burnout/ author: TIME article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2014-09-19T17:00:40.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-21T10:18:19.446Z article:section: Health og:title: 3 Surprising Reasons You’re Burned Out at Work og:description: Why you can't stand your job anymore--and what to do about it og:url: https://time.com/3403896/3-reasons-job-burnout/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2dcad51e920e45eb/6986a45b13c79fac13193f78/woman-head-on-desk.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3744 og:image:height: 2106 og:image:alt: Woman head on desk og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: 3 Surprising Reasons You’re Burned Out at Work twitter:description: Why you can't stand your job anymore--and what to do about it twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2dcad51e920e45eb/6986a45b13c79fac13193f78/woman-head-on-desk.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # 3 Surprising Reasons You’re Burned Out at Work > Sponsored content. 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Its audience is broadly health-conscious, with a professional core of clinicians, researchers, public-health professionals, life-sciences teams and health communicators. by [Health.com](https://time.com/author/health-com/) ## Health.com Contributor Sep 19, 2014 5:00 PM UTC  Woman sitting with head in hands at boardroom table Woman sitting with head in hands at boardroom table Getty Images by [Health.com](https://time.com/author/health-com/) ## Health.com Contributor Sep 19, 2014 5:00 PM UTC You’re so over your job: the endless stream of emails, catty coworkers, unpaid overtime—the reasons go on and on. But a new study published in the journal _Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology_ found it’s not only office problems that wear you down (though on-the-job factors can definitely affect you, too). Here, three other things that may be causing your work burnout: **You’re not getting enough support at home** Feel like you can’t vent to your partner about your day? Turns out having an understanding significant other is just as important as having a supportive boss in preventing work burnout, the Canadian researchers found. If you feel like your partner doesn’t get where you’re coming from, be it at work or at home, have a sit-down with them and talk about how a little listening can go a long way. **You’re not social enough** And we’re not talking about Facebook. People who had the support of a social network outside the office hadfewer mental health issues associated with job burnout, the study also found. So take the time to meet with your friends for coffee or a drink after work, even if you’re not in the mood after long day. And if most of your friends are your officemates, consider joining a social group that syncs with a hobby or pastime (think hiking or reading) that’s well-removed from your work social circle. **You’re not taking a lunch break** Well, at least not away from your desk. A separate study from the University of Toronto found that skipping your lunch break can make you less motivated and less productive. Researchers say this habit can drain your psychological energy by lunchtime and doesn’t give you time to recharge. So while you may think you’re being an office star by eating your salad at your desk, you may actually feel more sluggish and get less done (potentially leading to later nights on the job). A survey by tech company the Draugiem Group takes it one step further: They found the most productive people got up once every 52 minutes (for 17-minute breaks, but that seems like a bit much). Try starting with an actual lunch break, and go from there. [This article originally appeared on Health.com.](http://news.health.com/2014/09/17/3-surprising-reasons-youre-burned-out-at-work/) **More from Health.com:** [**12 Ways We Sabotage Our Mental Health**](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20694928,00.html?xid=Time-burnout-091914) [**25 Surprising Ways Stress Affects Your Health**](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20642595,00.html?xid=Time-burnout-091914) [**14 Reasons You’re Always Tired**](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20818045,00.html?xid=Time-burnout-091914) [**14 Foods That Make You Look Older**](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20837371,00.html?xid=Time-burnout-091914) ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3403896/3-reasons-job-burnout/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3403896/3-reasons-job-burnout/"},"headline":"3 Surprising Reasons You’re Burned Out at Work","datePublished":"2014-09-19T17:00:40.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-21T10:18:19.446Z","description":"You’re so over your job: the endless stream of emails, catty coworkers, unpaid overtime—the reasons go on and on. 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