The BURNOUT BOOMERANG
IThe first question I ask when I give a version of my signature burnout talk is: “Who here has ever felt burnt out?” Every single hand goes up. I kid you not.
Burnout is real — and more prevalent than ever in this overstimulated, high-pressure world. The World Health Organisation recognises job burnout as an occupational phenomenon, and studies show up to 66% of workers experience it. In the UK, 91% of adults reported feeling high pressure last year, contributing to absenteeism and stress-related challenges.
Burnout isn’t just a personal issue — it’s systemic. I rarely go a week without someone telling me they feel exhausted or burnt out. The pressures are real. And here’s the kicker: burnout is often a boomerang. You may recover for a while, only to find it returning when the same patterns, pressures, or environments creep back in. But we can (and must) choose to reject the burnout culture the world has imposed.
Memory Lane
Back when I was a trader in the financial markets, life ran on oat milk lattes, desk lunches, and client entertainment into the early hours. One morning, I fainted at my desk. At the time, it felt like a breakdown, but in hindsight, it was a breakthrough. Reclaiming my health became my priority.
I later retrained as an organisational and business psychologist, and unsurprisingly, burnout became one of my main research interests. Studying it in depth showed me why it’s so prevalent, why it hits high performers hard, and how both individuals and organisations can respond effectively.
Understanding Burnout
Research shows there are three main dimensions:
Emotional and Physical Exhaustion – Feeling drained, depleted, and unable to recover even after rest.
Depersonalisation – Feeling detached from work, colleagues, or even yourself.
Reduced Personal Accomplishment – Feeling ineffective, unmotivated, or that your efforts don’t make a difference.
Burnout can manifest as fatigue, brain fog, irritability, loss of motivation, a sense of disconnection, and the list goes on. Outwardly, it might look like withdrawing from others, running on autopilot, or struggling to concentrate.
And I want to highlight: burnout isn’t a personal failing — it’s your body’s way of signalling that something needs to change.
Causes and Costs
Burnout often arises from a mix of job culture, life pressures, and personal factors. It comes at a cost:
For people: reduced energy, creativity, and wellbeing
For teams: lower morale, collaboration issues, and higher turnover
For businesses: lost innovation, lower quality, and impact on profit
Recognising these causes and costs is the first step toward recovery (and prevention), and a reminder that sustainable performance requires intention, energy management, and awareness.
The Four Main Recovery Experiences
Recovery isn’t just about taking time off — it’s how you use that time that matters. Research highlights four key recovery experiences, which can also help prevent burnout before it takes hold (which is the ideal of course:
Psychological Detachment – Giving your mind a real break from work and stress. Let go of tasks, emails, and to-do lists so your brain can rest and recharge.
Relaxation – Activities that calm your nervous system and reduce tension. Simple things like meditation, quiet walks, a warm bath, or just sitting in stillness can reset your energy.
Mastery Experiences – Hobbies or learning that challenge and engage you positively. Learning a skill, practicing a craft, or taking on a creative project boosts confidence and counters feelings of ineffectiveness.
Control – This one is huge, and arguably the most important. Having a real say in how your workday (and personal life) unfolds. This means when you take breaks, how tasks are assigned, or which projects you focus on. It strengthens motivation, reduces stress, and makes it easier to manage energy before burnout sets in. Psychologically, it’s feeling like we have some autonomy over our time and responsibilities - I mean it makes sense right?
By weaving these experiences into your daily life, you can start breaking the burnout cycle and reclaim your energy and focus.
Energy and Burnout
Another area of my expertise is energy. Reclaiming my own took time, and it sparked my curiosity about the life force that runs through us (I mean we literally ARE energy, check your physics textbook), and this web of energy also runs through the world around us. Training as a Reiki Master and following intuitive nudges towards energy healing, I now see burnout as not just mental or physical exhaustion, but energetic depletion.
Organisations and Personal Responsibility
While burnout is an individual experience, organisations play a huge role in either supporting staff or enabling burnout culture. Workplaces that prioritise unrealistic demands make it hard for anyone to stay well.
At the same time, we each have a role to play: choosing to set boundaries, prioritise our health, and resist cultures that equate worth with productivity. If it feels impossible to step back, it’s worth reflecting on why your identity is so tied to achievement, and how you might begin reclaiming your energy and agency, at your own pace.
Getting off that boomerang may not be easy, but my goodness, it is worth it.