Burnout in Short
Burnout is defined by the World Health Organization as an “occupational phenomenon” resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. It leaves individuals emotionally exhausted, mentally disengaged, and questioning their sense of accomplishment. Left unaddressed, burnout significantly impacts productivity, wellbeing, and team morale – and it doesn’t stay at work. It follows people home, influencing relationships and long-term health outcomes.
Burnout manifests through a number of tell-tale symptoms:
Persistent fatigue or inability to recover quickly
Headaches, racing thoughts, and poor sleep
Irritability or emotional outbursts
A growing sense of apathy or negativity toward tasks
These symptoms often creep in gradually, which is why taking proactive steps to audit and adjust your stress management and wellbeing practices is critical.
Finding a Healthy Balance
It’s important to remember: stress isn’t always bad. In fact, when managed well, it sharpens focus, primes cognitive performance, and enhances motivation. This state is called the high-performance zone.
The issue arises when we tip into overdrive. Without daily regulation, chronic stress leads to overwhelm and disengagement. On the flip side, too little stimulation can lead to boredom and apathy.
So how do we walk this line effectively? By developing awareness of what helps us – and what doesn’t – and by intentionally designing our days to include strategies that buffer stress.
Your Burnout Prevention Toolkit: A 3-Step Audit
Step 1: Complete a Wellbeing Audit
Start by reflecting on your current behaviours and routines. Write down your answers to these three essential questions:
What do I need to STOP doing? (e.g. taking work home, saying yes to everything, skipping breaks)
What do I need to START doing? (e.g. delegating more, setting clear boundaries, creating a wind-down ritual)
What do I need to CONTINUE doing? (e.g. walking at lunch, celebrating wins, using a productivity tool that helps you focus)
This audit provides a clear, realistic view of where your energy is going—and how to better protect it.
Step 2: Examine and Adjust Your Expectations
Burnout often arises from a mismatch between effort and reward – whether real or perceived. Neuroscience shows that the anticipation of reward (not the reward itself) triggers dopamine, a key driver of motivation.
When expectations go unmet, dopamine drops, leading to emotional crashes. But when reality exceeds expectations, dopamine spikes – creating feelings of success and satisfaction.
That’s why managing your expectations is vital:
Set realistic, attainable goals aligned with your values
Acknowledge what is within your control
Regularly review what success looks like to you
Being mindful about what you expect from yourself and others can reduce stress and increase satisfaction.
Step 3: Build Accountability and Support
Burnout prevention isn’t a solo act. Once you’ve identified your wellbeing strategies and clarified your expectations, share them.
Talk to your manager, trusted colleagues, and family members
Invite their support in holding you accountable to your wellbeing practices
Set regular check-ins to revisit your plan and assess your energy levels
Finally, ask yourself: what resources or skills do I need to better meet these expectations? This could include time management training, mindfulness apps, coaching, or simply more rest.
Time for Your Burnout Audit
Burnout isn’t a sign of weakness – it’s a signal that something in your working life needs to change. Regularly revisiting the 3-step burnout audit gives you a practical framework for identifying risk, creating balance, and staying in control of your health and performance. Grab a pen and away you go!
Step 1: Audit your wellbeing (mental fitness) strategies
Step 2: Manage your expectations mindfully
Step 3: Invite accountability and support
Final Thought
Leaders and professionals who invest in their mental fitness are not only more resilient but more fulfilled, effective, and likely to progress professionally. Making small, consistent improvements in how you manage stress and expectations can drastically reduce your risk of burnout – and protect the relationships and goals that matter most.
Need some professional support?
Preventing burnout is not about doing more – it’s about doing better by being smarter. Our team of experienced workplace psychologists at Get Mentally Fit can help you or your organisation design sustainable mental fitness strategies that align with real-world demands, protecting everyone against burnout.
✅ Ready to get started?
📞 Get in Touch to arrange a burnout audit for yourself or your team.
📥 Or explore our Leader Support service and our Menu of team Mental Fitness Training options
Together, let’s build a healthier way to work.
