In a country where “come on, we can do it” feels like a national motto, we start to wonder: can we really still do it? Romania ranks at the top in Europe when it comes to burnout, with more than 66% of employees having gone through it or being close to it (Reveal Market Resources, study no. 187). And it’s no surprise. Between nonstop work, everyday worries, and trying to handle everything, we end up living on autopilot. What we used to call “just a rough patch” seems to have turned into a way of life.
Burnout isn’t just about being tired. It’s a state of complete physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion that happens when stress becomes constant and too heavy to carry. You feel like you have no energy left, nothing brings you joy, even the simplest tasks feel hard to do. You might have sleep problems, get irritated more easily, struggle to concentrate, or get headaches more often. And on top of all that, comes the feeling that you’re no longer yourself, that you lost who you were along the way.
If you’ve thought to yourself “that’s how I feel too,” you might be going through burnout. But the good news is you don’t have to face it alone. Group therapy can be a starting point. It’s a place where you can talk without fear, where you are listened to and understood. Where you realize you’re not alone, and that what you feel is not “too much” or “wrong.” Hearing a “I went through that too” from someone else in the group can bring unexpected relief.
With the support of a therapist and the group, you learn to set boundaries, to breathe again, and to regain your energy. And science backs this up: group therapy really does work for treating burnout. It is led by a psychologist who uses clear, structured methods. The goal is to help you understand what you feel, why you react the way you do, and how you can change things. According to a study (Bagheri et al., 2019), after just one month, nurses suffering from burnout showed significant improvement thanks to group cognitive-behavioral therapy. CBT is a talk therapy that helps people feel better by changing how they think and act, and it is highly effective in treating stress and professional exhaustion. It helps reduce emotional exhaustion in these groups (Lloyd, Bond, & Flaxman, 2013).
You may also have heard about “support groups” and wonder: what’s the difference? A support group is more informal. It focuses on mutual help and sharing. People who go through similar things gather together, share their stories, listen, and encourage each other. It may be moderated by a professional, but more as a guide. The choice depends on what you need: deep healing or connection and support. One study (Regehr et al., 2008) even confirmed the effectiveness of support groups: participants described seven key benefits — connecting with others in similar situations, gaining knowledge, a sense of belonging, increased self-confidence, structure, symptom relief, and positive behavior change.
Burnout can make you feel like you have no resources left, no direction, no voice. But you don’t have to manage it alone. There are places where you can breathe again, where no one judges you and everyone understands you. Group therapy is one of those places. Not because you are “weak,” but because you deserve to feel better. You deserve to live with meaning, not just survive. And maybe, even if it feels hard today, healing can start there: in others’ eyes, in a “I went through that too,” in the warmth of a small, sincere community. Because together is sometimes exactly what we need.
