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In the UK alone, 65% of workers reported suffering from burnout in 2024, with 35% saying they ended up having to take time off to cope. But what is work burnout? What causes it, and what are the warning signs? Is burnout the same thing as stress, and can it be cured? Let’s take a look.
What is the Definition of Burnout?
Burnout is not the same thing as stress. In fact, the World Health Organization (WHO) defines it as a syndrome caused by ‘chronic workplace stress’ and defined by three main characteristics:
- Exhaustion that doesn’t improve with rest.
- Detachment, negativity, or cynicism about one’s job.
- Reduced performance.
While stress is normally short-term and related to a specific event, burnout is caused by stress that’s prolonged over time. The period in which stress becomes burnout can depend on the individual, the level of stress, their support systems, and their working environment.
Burnout vs Depression
Is burnout the same as depression? No, although there can be some overlap between the two.
Burnout is very specifically caused by stressful work conditions, whereas depression is a separate mental health condition. Burnout can sometimes lead to depression, but depression can occur on its own without burnout.
What Are the Signs of Work Burnout?
If you’re worried about an employee or a colleague, here are some warning signs to look out for:
- Negative attitudes — If someone is being unusually cynical about their job, or seems suddenly detached in meetings or in the office, they could be experiencing burnout.
- Decreased sense of accomplishment — Reduced professional efficacy is listed as one of the WHO’s main symptoms of burnout, but this can sometimes also be reflected in a person’s view of their achievements.
- Mood swings — New or unusual aggression or irritability can be a sign that someone is undergoing chronic stress.
How to Overcome Work Burnout
There’s no cure-all solution; recovery can take a long time and require significant periods of rest. Here are some tips for avoiding and recovering from work burnout.
- Take time off — This is the first and most important step you should take if you’re experiencing burnout or feel as though you’re on the cusp. Rest is the most efficient solution, and simply reducing hours in the office (or even working from home) might not provide enough distance for your recovery.
- Get help — As we mentioned earlier, untreated burnout can lead to depression. Ask your company for mental health support, talk to loved ones, or seek help from mental health charities like Mind.
- Create meaningful change — Try to identify what led to your burnout in the first place. Was it your working environment or job responsibilities? Did a particular colleague’s relationship play a part? Do you need to set stronger work/life boundaries? Whatever the cause, now is the time to make a change, whether that’s finding a new job or focusing on the things you love outside of work.
How Employers Can Help
Avoiding work burnout shouldn’t be the sole responsibility of your employees. There are plenty of steps businesses can take to ensure their workers don’t get there in the first place.
- Know the signs and provide support — Improve awareness of professional burnout and its symptoms, so that your employees and managerial teams know what to look out for. If you’re worried about an employee, make sure they’re aware of the company’s mental health support schemes or external resources.
- Provide anonymised surveys — Talking about mental health is hard, and many employees either don’t feel comfortable opening up or don’t want to appear as though they can’t cope with their job. Anonymous surveys can help you gauge your team’s workload and whether it’s manageable.
- Promote a healthy work/life balance — Flexible working opportunities, great benefits packages, awaydays, and strong discouragement of toxic work ideals can all help your team avoid chronic stress.
Prioritising employee well-being and a healthy workplace not only avoids a loss of performance due to burnout, but it ensures your business will always attract the very best talent. Want to find out more about how that process begins with recruitment? Let’s talk.
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