However, since voluntarily isolating herself in a West Jakarta boarding house when the coronavirus outbreak was first announced in Indonesia in March 2020, things have begun to change for Lina. Her colleagues have started complaining that she constantly misses her deadlines, with her overall productivity declining.

“I have tended to become more emotional; I can be easily offended by my colleagues’ feedback… I’ve begun losing interest in the political issues that previously intrigued me,” she said.

She told The Jakarta Post that in early June 2020, her editor’s harsh criticism had caused her to sob loudly alone in her boarding room; something that had never happened before.

Lina’s situation shows some of the hallmarks of work burnout, according to clinical psychologist Rahajeng Ika.

Burnout is different from distress: “You start losing interest in things that previously gave you joy, both at work and in your own personal life; you start to take things too personally. For instance, previously you were okay when your supervisor reprimanded you, but this time, even slight criticism can cause you to cry,” Rahajeng explained.

Alexander Sriewijono from people development consultancy Daily Meaning said that a steep decline in productivity, decreased ability to focus and concentrate on one’s tasks and continuously making mistakes at work were major symptoms of burnout.

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