Tired, stressed and unenthusiastic? Here’s how to bounce back from burnout

Feeling tired and can’t shake it? Having trouble maintaining motivation and remaining efficient? You may be burnt out.

Research suggests nearly 30 per cent of Australian workers experience burnout at some point in their lives. So what makes some people more susceptible to burnout and what steps can you take to recover?

What is burnout?

Burnout is defined by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as causing three key symptoms — exhaustion, loss of empathy and reduced performance or efficiency at work.

Burnout is a kind of “bone-deep exhaustion” that can leave you overwhelmed and lacking motivation at work.Credit: iStock

While burnout can look and feel differently for each person, The Black Dog Institute said burnout usually includes a feeling of isolation, procrastination, irritability and disrupted sleep as well as physical responses like headaches and body pain.

Dr Anastasia Hronis, a clinical psychologist and author of The Dopamine Brain, said burnout often resulted from chronic workplace stress that has not been managed correctly.

“Common causes and contributing factors include excessive workload, challenging work or emotionally taxing work, unhealthy workplace dynamics, and traumatic work environments,” she said.

“Other factors include lack of work-life balance, lack of support at work and personal traits such as perfectionism or being a high achiever.”

Is burnout more common in professionals?

While burnout is typically associated with workplace stress, research from The Black Dog Institute and the UNSW School of Psychiatry found it can also impact people undertaking unpaid home or care duties.

A 2023 State of the Future of Work Report revealed Australian workers were in poorer physical and mental health since the COVID-19 pandemic began; people between 25 and 55 years of age were significantly impacted and one third of those had considered quitting.

Queensland University associate professor and organisational psychologist Stacey Parker said the aftermath of the pandemic continued to influence workers’ stress levels.

“Since we’re still recovering from the pandemic from a sort of job stress and workload perspective, a lot of sectors are still feeling the financial pressures and crunch there, and people are still being asked to do more with less,” she said.

“That contributes to those bigger job stresses which really do wear people down and actually make your daily recovery more challenging.”

How does burnout affect your relationships?

High levels of stress and burnout are linked to poor physical health. However, they can also have an impact on interpersonal relationships.

“If someone comes home from work feeling stressed and drained, they’re less likely to be able to self-regulate and there’s more chance for conflict,” Parker said.

“There’s probably less energy to really meaningfully connect and engage in activities with those loved ones at home.”

However, Parker stressed connecting with your loved ones at home was a really useful way of dealing with stress and burnout.

“Your partner or family can help support your recovery and provide opportunities to help you relax after work,” she said.

Are there myths around burnout?

Hronis is well versed on the myths and misconceptions about burnout, which can downplay the experience of people dealing with the condition.

She said people often perceived burnout as “lacking in effort” or “not trying hard enough”.

“They might also perceive burnout as just not having the right work ethic or complaining too much,” she added.

“This downplays the very real and difficult experiences of others, and shames others into feeling they haven’t tried hard enough, when in fact, the opposite is actually true.”

Can you recover from burnout?

Both experts agree that recovery can vary from person to person and is dependent on how severe the burnout is.

Hronis said recovery depended on how much support a person had in their professional and personal life and their ability to make “sustained changes”.

“Time off work is, more often than not, necessary,” she said. “This might be a few days, a few weeks, or sometimes even longer.

“Professional supports like seeing a psychologist are recommended so that a person can work through an individual tailored treatment plan.”

Parker recommended people implement routines to help minimise daily work stress and prevent burnout from happening – a strategy known as physiological detachment.

Creating a “mental distance” from work could include taking a walk, engaging with your family, yoga or other leisure time that helps you unwind.

“Some general advice I say to people is that there’s always more work to do,” Parker laughed.

“That’s why you should be kind to yourself in that downtime and just sort of make peace with what was unfinished that day and know that it will be there tomorrow.

“That downtime is your time, for your family, for yourself, for your recovery.”

If you or anyone you know needs support, call Lifeline on 131 114 or Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636.

Make the most of your health, relationships, fitness and nutrition with our Live Well newsletter. Get it in your inbox every Monday.