Work burn-out: Fighting this phantom menace

I guess all of us experienced, at times, an emptiness which threatens to destroy our neat concept of ourselves and the world. This emptiness is not defined simply by the absence of purpose or the lack of interest in anything (or the apparent interest in everything), although this appears to be a manifestation of such mind-numbing state. We stop caring about anything and focus on that ever-increasing lump of inexplicable emotions weighing down our chests. What is frustrating about it is not just the huge amount of energy needed to get out of this vicious cycle, but the inability to put a finger on what exactly it is. (Post transferred here. All posts under life and fatherhood will be transferred to PinoyDad.com.)