Working with AI Causes Burnout: Are There Ways To Prevent It?

Burnout    Credit: batonrougeclinic.com

Introduction

According to studies made by neuroscientist Julie Hook, published by Medium in January 2026, burnout is no longer an issue of hours spent while solving a problem. For decades, burnout has been framed as a problem of time. Too many hours. Too few breaks. Not enough vacation. This framing made intuitive sense when work was primarily physical or linear. If exhaustion followed long shifts or sustained effort, the solution was straightforward: reduce hours, add rest. However, this model no longer explains what many people are experiencing now. Burnout has continued to rise, even among professionals whose schedules appear manageable on paper. People cut meetings, take time off, and log fewer hours, yet still report persistent mental fatigue, irritability, and reduced cognitive capacity. The reason is simple but often missed: burnout today is less about time spent working and more about the cognitive load required to work at all.

Cognitive Load Theory

In cognitive science, ‘cognitive load’ refers to the total amount of information the brain must hold, process, update and regulate at any given moment. The concept comes from the cognitive load theory, originally developed to explain learning and problem-solving limits. According to John Sweller, Professor at the School of Education at the University of New South Wales in Sydney,  cognitive load theory (CLT) originated in the 1980s by researchers from around the globe. It is a major theory providing a framework for investigations into cognitive processes and instructional design. By analysing the structure of information and the cognitive architecture that allows learners to process information, cognitive load theories have been able to generate unique and sometimes counterintuitive methods for instructional designs and procedures. Although information that learners must process varies on many dimensions, the extent to which relevant elements of information interact is a critical feature. Information varies on a critical continuum from low to high in interactivity. Each information of low interactivity can be understood and learned individually  without consideration of any other information. Learning what the usual 12 function keys are used for in a photo-editing program provides one example of information interactivity as interactivity is low because each item can be understood and learned without reference to any other items.  In contrast, learning how to edit a photo on a computer provides an example of high-level interactivity. Changing the colour tones, darkness and contrast of the picture cannot be considered independently because they are interrelated. High-level interactivity can be learned individually, but it cannot be understood until all of the elements and their interactions are processed simultaneously. As a consequence, high-level information interactivity is difficult to understand.

Neuroscience Issues

Today’s knowledge work often requires the brain to: track multiple ongoing tasks, switch contexts rapidly, monitor communication channels, suppress distractions, anticipate future demands and remain socially and professionally responsive. Much of this effort is invisible. It does not register as “work time,” but it consumes executive resources continuously.

Why fewer hours do not reliably reduce burnout

Many people are surprised to find that working fewer hours doesn’t bring the relief they expect. This isn’t a failure of discipline or resilience; it reflects how mental fatigue actually accumulates. Sustained cognitive work relies heavily on executive control systems in the prefrontal cortex, which govern attention, inhibition, working memory, and task switching. These systems are metabolically costly and particularly sensitive to overload. When work involves constant interruption, partial attention, rapid re-orientation, or unresolved decision-making, the brain remains in a state of heightened control demand. Even breaks may fail to restore energy if the cognitive conditions resume unchanged. This is why shorter workdays can still feel draining as the density of cognitive load per hour remains high.

Context switching and the hidden cost of fragmentation

One of the most robust findings in cognitive psychology is that task switching carries a measurable performance and energy cost. Even brief interruptions require the brain to disengage, reconfigure, and reload task-relevant information, a process known as ‘switch cost’. Everyday life requires frequent shifts between cognitive tasks. Research studies the control processes that reconfigure mental resources for a change of task by requiring subjects to switch frequently among a small set of simple tasks. Subjects’ responses are substantially slower and, usually, more error-prone immediately after a task switch. This ‘switch cost’ is reduced but not eliminated. Neuroimaging studies of task switching have revealed extra activation in numerous brain regions when individuals prepare to change tasks and when they perform a changed task.

One of the fundamental mysteries of neuroscience is how coordinated, purposeful behaviour arises from the distributed activity of billions of neurons in the brain. Simple behaviours can rely on relatively straightforward interactions between the brain’s input and output systems. Animals with fewer than a hundred thousand neurons (in the human brain there are 100 billion or more neurons) can approach food and avoid predators. For animals with larger brains, behaviour is more flexible. But flexibility carries a cost: Although our elaborate sensory and motor systems provide detailed information about the external world and make available a large repertoire of actions, this introduces greater potential for interference and confusion. The richer information we have about the world and the greater number of options for behaviour require appropriate attentional, decision-making, and coordinative functions, lest uncertainty prevail. To deal with this multitude of possibilities and to curtail confusion, we have evolved mechanisms that coordinate lower-level sensory and motor processes along a common theme, an internal goal. To control cognitive ability no doubt involves neural circuitry that extends over much of the brain, but it is commonly held that the prefrontal cortex (PFC) is particularly important. The PFC is the neocortical region that is most elaborated in primates, animals known for their diverse and flexible behavioural repertoire. It is well positioned to coordinate a wide range of neural processes: The PFC is a collection of interconnected neocortical areas that sends and receives projections from virtually all cortical sensory systems, motor systems, and many subcortical structures.

How to Deal with Job Burnout

According to an article published by the staff of the Mayo Clinic in November 2023 job burnout includes being worn out physically or emotionally. Job burnout also may involve feeling useless, powerless and empty. Burnout is not  a medical diagnosis. Some experts think that other conditions, such as depression, are behind burnout. Burnout can raise the risk of depression. But depression and burnout are different, and they need different treatments. Certain personality traits may affect the risk of burnout. Other factors, such as past work experiences, also can affect burnout risk. That helps explain why if two people are dealing with the same job issues, one might have job burnout while the other does not. Whatever the cause, job burnout can affect your physical and mental health.

Here are some tips on what you can do about it.

Burnout often involves things in the workplace that you cannot control. But there are ways to control how you cope with stress. To get started look at your options. Talk to your boss about your concerns. Maybe you can work together to make changes or solve problems. Set realistic goals for what must get done. Find out what can wait. If things at work are not likely to change, you might look for a job that would be a better fit for you. Seek support. Ask co-workers, friends or loved ones for support. Talking to others might help you cope. Feeling like you belong protects against burnout. If your job offers an employee assistance program, look at the services offered.

Conclusion

There are several ways of dealing with job burnout. Try a relaxing activity that can help with the reduction of stress. Examples are yoga, meditation or tai chi. Something as simple as taking some deep breaths a few times a day can help relieve tension. Get some exercise. Regular physical activity can help you cope with stress. It also can take your mind off work. Get some sleep. Sleep restores well-being and helps protect your health. Practice mindfulness. Mindfulness is being aware of what’s going on inside you and around you without judging or reacting. This practice can help you deal with what’s happening on the job. Keep an open mind as you think about the options. There are several ways and methods to overcome burnout and protect your health.