The Physics of Burnout: Applying Newton’s Laws of Motion to Social Work Wellness

Burnout isn’t a freak occurrence. It doesn’t just “happen.” It follows patterns, momentum, inertia, friction, and force just as physical objects in motion do.

What would happen if we viewed stress, habits, and emotional exhaustion, not failures or personal flaws, but predictable outcomes of movement, energy, and resistance?

When we use the lens and language of physics, burnout stops feeling personal and we can better understand it. Once we understandable it, we can manipulate it.

Newton’s Three Laws of Motion offer a surprising, powerful lens for us as Social Work Professionals, giving us a new way to think about habits, pressure, and recovery.

Newton’s First Law: The Law of Inertia

Objects at rest stay at rest, and objects in motion stay in motion… unless acted upon by an outside force.

Burnout often begins here.

• A social worker continues taking on responsibility because “that’s how it’s always been.”

• A team remains understaffed because no one applies pressure to fix the problem.

• A person ignores fatigue because momentum and adrenaline keeps them moving.

Inertia is not laziness or lack of willpower, it’s energy trapped in a pattern.

In social work, inertia may look like:

• Staying late again because it’s the path of least resistance. Saying “no” is hard.

• Accepting more cases because saying yes feels good. Saying “no” is hard.

• Remaining silent in meetings because speaking up disrupts the herd.

Breaking burnout requires a counter force.

Not a massive one, just enough to break the stuck pattern.

Micro counter forces:

• A 5-minute breathing reset before tackling paperwork

• Putting a boundary in writing instead of saying it verbally

• Asking, “What is the smallest meaningful change I can make today?”

Small forces lead to big shifts in momentum over time. Compounding as the eighth wonder of the worlds isn’t just for financial investment.

Newton’s Second Law: Force = Mass × Acceleration

The greater the mass, the more force required to move it.

Some instances in social work which may carry excessive mass:

• A heavy caseload

• A crisis-heavy environment

• A toxic workplace

• A personal life challenge on top of professional demands

When the “mass” of our life increases, it’s natural we feel slower, heavier, or unable to accelerate quickly. We’re not unmotivated, the system just requires more force.

This law invites two questions:

1. What is currently adding mass to my life right now?

2. Where can I apply force more efficiently?

Examples of efficient force:

• Asking for supervision that includes wellness, not just casework

• Delegating tasks that don’t require exclusive credentials

• Cutting some non-essential commitments

• Adding habits that multiplies / compounds our strengths (morning movement, journaling, meditation, etc...)

This is also where team and organizational support becomes crucial. You shouldn’t be expected to move a boulder alone.

Newton’s Third Law: For Every Action, There Is an Equal and Opposite Reaction

Pressure pushes back.

This is the law social workers feel most viscerally.

Every time we:

• set a boundary

• advocate for ourself

• cut back our hours

• say no

• ask for help

• push for systemic change

…something pushes back.

Sometimes the reaction is a feeling of anxiousness or discomfort in the body. Sometimes resistance comes from colleagues. Sometimes it’s feelings of guilt.

This reaction isn’t a sign we’re in the wrong, it’s a sign we’re creating movement.

Healthy reactions:

• Relief

• Clarity

• Space

• Improved focus

• Emotional regulation

Uncomfortable reactions:

• Guilt

• Fear

• Self-doubt

• “Who am I to ask for this?”

• “What if someone gets upset?”

These emotional reactions aren’t warnings to stop, they’re indicators that you’re overcoming resistance. Or, The Resistance, as Pressfield might put it.

Any time you change direction, you generate friction. That friction is normal.

Friction — The Invisible Tax on Social Workers

Friction is anything that slows movement:

• Bureaucracy

• Compassion fatigue

• Conflict

• Chaotic environments

We can’t eliminate friction, but we can reduce unnecessary friction by.

• Creating scripts for common boundary-setting situations

• Streamlining documentation routines

• Setting communication hours (And holding them. Seinfeld reference)

• Designing your workspace to support

• Reducing friction increases momentum without increasing force.

Why This Works

Viewing burnout through the lens of physics gives Social Work Professionals:

• Permission to acknowledge forces outside their control

• Language that removes shame and self-blame

• A road map for adjusting for momentum, mass, and friction

• Clarity about the difference between personal responsibility and systemic dysfunction

Physics isn’t personal. It doesn’t judge you. By understanding these forces we can change the equation.

Burnout is not a moral failing — it’s physics. Energy, force, motion, pressure, friction, acceleration — these laws shape our work and our wellness more than we realize.

The call to action is simple: Notice the motion. Observe the forces. Apply a small counter force where you can. Reduce friction where possible. Honor the fact that you are a human being, not a machine.

The physics of burnout can be changed and you are allowed, more accurately it’s your duty, to change the rules and motion of your life.