The overlap that makes this confusing
Both involve fatigue, trouble concentrating, irritability, and a loss of motivation that can feel permanent. Neither responds well to 'just push through it' or a single good night's sleep.
The question that actually separates them
Burnout is tied to a specific context — a job, a role, a situation — and tends to ease, even partially, when that context changes: a vacation, a new role, reduced hours. Depression tends to follow you; it shows up on the vacation too, in relationships that have nothing to do with work, in things that used to reliably bring relief.
Why this distinction matters practically
If it's burnout, the fix usually involves changing the external conditions — workload, boundaries, sometimes the job itself. If it's depression, changing the external conditions helps less than expected, because the problem isn't primarily situational — which is often the clue that it's time to involve a professional rather than another vacation.
They can also happen at the same time
Long-term burnout is a known risk factor for developing depression — the chronic stress response doesn't stay neatly contained to 'work stuff' forever. If low mood, numbness, or hopelessness have started showing up outside the burnout context too, that overlap is worth taking seriously rather than filing under 'I just need a break.'
Neither label is a self-diagnosis to settle alone — the practical point isn't which word is technically correct, it's whether changing your situation actually helps, which is information worth bringing to a professional either way.
If you're not sure which one you're dealing with, OLENRI can help you look at what's actually driving it, instead of guessing. See how it works