The solution to burnout is not to “keep calm and carry on”. It’s not to minimise our feelings or succumb to the idea we’re built to cope with anything life throws at us. And it is absolutely not to keep protecting our work performance while our home life, relationships, and hobbies suffer.
Burnout is caused by systemic issues, not personal weakness. In this episode, Dr Richard Duggins explains that burnout happens when work stress and home pressures overrun our support structures. By understanding this balance, we can take steps to address burnout before the final straw.
Ignoring burnout can have severe consequences. While we might maintain our work performance for a while, our relationships and quality of life deteriorate. Eventually, something triggers a collapse, which can lead to anxiety, depression, physical health problems, and prolonged absence from work.
The good news is that seeking help early leads to far better outcomes, and most professionals do incredibly well when they take action while their symptoms are mild, instead of waiting for them to be “bad enough” to get help.
This episode offers valuable and practical steps you can take today to notice burnout when it rears its head, and make a plan to beat it.
