Job burnout is a special type of job stress — a state of physical, emotional or mental exhaustion combined with doubts about your competence and the value of your work. if you think you might be experiencing job burnout, take a closer look at the phenomenon.. These descriptions are all valid when describing burnout, and regardless of the preferred definition, burnout affects the individual emotionally, impacting on both the quality and satisfaction of their work. burnout prevention professional development mental health academy.. U.s. national library of medicine (0.00 / 0 votes) rate this definition:. burnout, professional. an excessive stress reaction to one's occupational or professional environment. it is manifested by feelings of emotional and physical exhaustion coupled with a sense of frustration and failure..