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If burnout had a publicist, this would be its breakout season. Business is booming. Anxiety is expanding into new markets. Loneliness has become so widespread that it could qualify as a public utility. Even grocery shopping now doubles as an exposure therapy exercise. Perhaps we need a new term for these times: gas-fogging.
Not gaslighting, where someone makes you question your own reality. Gas-fogging is defined as what happens when reality itself starts to feel dimmed. It’s the cumulative effect of rising prices, relentless bad news, social fragmentation, and low-grade uncertainty that settles over daily life like a psychological fog. Nothing dramatic may happen on any given day, yet somehow everything feels heavier.
You go to fill up the car and wonder whether gasoline now requires financing. You buy groceries and consider taking out a second mortgage for avocados. You read the news and need a nap. That’s gas-fogging. It’s the strange condition in which people are not exactly losing touch with reality. They’re watching reality become increasingly absurd while being told to keep smiling, stay productive, practice self-care, and perhaps download one more meditation app.
Meanwhile, burnout is having a banner year. We practice mindfulness while doomscrolling. We text friends “let’s get together soon” as if social connection can be maintained by placeholder language. We purchase wellness products to cope with the conditions making us unwell. Burnout may be the only thing currently enjoying sustained growth.
Solutions for Burnout
Research suggests that although the solutions for burnout are complex and can be impacted by an individual’s social identity (racial, gender, economic, etc.), seeking a customized combination of therapeutic interventions from licensed clinicians and developing social support is recommended.
Cultivating a culture of wellness within a community that provides social support with regular meetings and strong group connections can also help alleviate burnout.
Behind the humorous tone of this post lies something serious: When economic strain collides with isolation and a fraying sense of community, distress may not reflect personal weakness so much as a reasonable response to unreasonable conditions. Which raises a question: What’s gotta go? Maybe gas-fogging starts to lift when we stop treating collective problems as private failures.
If you’re feeling burnt out and the stress of gas-fogging is too much to handle, reaching out to a professional and knowing that there are solutions out there can be really important. It can give you the support and tools you need to get through these tough times.
To find a therapist, please visit the Psychology Today Therapy Directory.
