How do you tell the difference between burnout and depression?

They overlap and can coexist, so this is a distinction to explore with a professional rather than settle alone. Broadly, burnout is context-bound: it is tied to a specific domain, usually work, and people often find that a genuine break, a role change or reduced load produces real improvement. Depression tends to be pervasive — it follows you into holidays, weekends and relationships, affects enjoyment of things unrelated to work, and commonly brings guilt, worthlessness and changes in appetite or sleep that do not lift with rest. Persistent low mood beyond two weeks warrants assessment either way.