The term burnout exemplifies a chronic syndrome of being completely overwhelmed with a great deal of stress and anxiety while maintaining a career. Sound familiar?

When optimism turns into denial—a situation experts such as Gobyn call “toxic positivity”—it can wreak havoc on workplace relationships. So, understanding the difference between the two is important.

As the son of an attorney, I grew up surrounded by lawyers, paralegals and legal administrators along with the stench of cigar smoke, scotch and stress. Perhaps these early experiences drew me to my current career in industrial/ organizational psychology as a consultant and researcher focused on burnout and meaningful work.