BURN THE CANDLE AT BOTH ENDS, BURN THE MIDNIGHT OIL,BURNED OUT: American English Idioms #30

BURN THE CANDLE AT BOTH ENDS

Burning the candle at both ends is a colloquial phrase that means to do two things in quick succession at both ends of the spectrum with no break in between. It is generally used when someone is working too hard or partying too much, which can cause burnout or collapse.

It’s important to take breaks when you are burning the candle at both ends because it will allow you time to recharge and refresh yourself before diving into the next project.

This phrase indicates that someone is working long hours, usually on their own time, to push their limits of endurance. This can lead to early burnout if not taken care of properly. It is important to remember that work-life balance is essential for all people.

It is said that one should not “burn the candle at both ends” when it comes to work. This phrase is used when someone’s lifestyle does not allow them to have much rest or relaxation, leading them to feel tired and stressed out.

Burning the candle at both ends is a metaphor for pushing oneself to the limit of pushing one’s physical or mental stamina beyond its norm. It’s possible to get so worn down by this act that one can succumb to illness or death.

BURN THE MIDNIGHT OIL

This idiom signifies the act of staying up late and working, usually studying. The phrase originates from the early days of industrialization when people would work after dark because their factories ran 24 hours a day. Today, the phrase is typically used to describe someone who stays up late studying or working on a project.

Some people may be familiar with this phrase as meaning “to work late into the night”. This phrase comes from the time of the Industrial Revolution when people would set their clocks back at sundown to fool their bodies into thinking it was an earlier hour. When people had a deadline, they would have to stay up late to work on a project and then were called “midnight oil burners.

Studying late into the night is called “burning the midnight oil.” It often refers to someone who studies or works for a long time, and does not stop until the end of the night. This phrase is also used as a metaphor to describe someone who refuses to give up and takes on a task with great determination.

Literal translation of “burn the midnight oil” is to spend one’s energy on something or someone. The essence of this phrase is that it is often done in the evening, towards the end of the day, when one has lost all hope for sleep. One burns, literally, through their energy to finish something they are working on.

BURNED OUT

A burnout happens when a person is overworked and no longer derives any pleasure from the work they do. A burnout can happen in any profession, but many people who experience this phenomenon are in the creative industry like writers, artists, and actors. This phenomenon can result in serious mental health problems such as depression and anxiety, which may lead to suicide. For some people, when they lose their creativity, they lose themselves.

A person who is burned out will show signs of physical, emotional, and mental fatigue. This individual may also experience decreasing enthusiasm for life, which will lead to an increased risk for divorce, substance abuse, or suicide. Burnout can result from excessive demands on workers or caregivers that exceeds their current abilities to meet the needs of their job or caregiving responsibilities. Life pressures like divorce and loss of a loved one can also lead to burnout.

Burnout is a phenomenon where an individual reaches his or her physical and mental limit of stress. The person will appear to be tired and exhausted, forgoing social interaction with friends and family.

In the 1990s, the American Psychiatric Association named burnout as a mental health condition. The symptoms of burnout can include extreme exhaustion from excessive work, changes in sleeping patterns caused by work-related anxiety, and a loss of interest in activities outside work. Burnout is often brought on by constant stress and a lack of balance between work and other aspects of life.