Why “Keep Calm and Carry On” Fuels Burnout

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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.

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Burnout-Free Working: Your Expert Guide to Thriving in a Stressful Workplace

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More episodes of You Are Not a Frog:

The 5 Different Types of Burnout – And How to Prevent Them – Episode 270, with Dr Paula Redmond
The Personal Cost of Working in Burnout – Episode 279
Why Doctors Don’t Ask for Help – And How to Do it Right – Episode 286

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About the guests

Richard earned the title “the doctors’ doctor” as doctors turn to him when they’re struggling. He is a specialist NHS consultant psychiatrist and consultant psychotherapist supporting people with their mental health and wellbeing at work.

He is also the author of the book Burnout-Free Working: Your Expert Guide to Thriving in a Stressful Workplace.

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Reasons to listen

To recognise when your support systems and energy drainers are out of balance
For practical strategies to recover from burnout before it progresses to anxiety or depression
To understand the warning signs you may be sacrificing your home life to protect work performance

Episode highlights

00:02:05

Resilience victim blaming

00:06:15

Drains and radiators

00:13:37

Who can you go to for support?

00:19:38

Available services

00:22:56

The “Keep Calm and Carry On” culture

00:25:58

What burnout looks like from the outside

00:31:17

The four curveballs to watch out for

00:34:13

When to come forward if you’re feeling burnoutr

00:39:47

Early-stage strategies for tackling burnout

00:41:47

Wringing out the stress sponge

00:45:57

When’s the right time to get therapy?

00:50:26

Can anyone be predisposed to burnout?

00:51:01

Is your burnout tipping into anxiety?

00:55:53

Super-achiever syndrome

00:58:05

Burnout and attachment patterns

01:02:37

Richard’s top 3 next actions

Episode transcript

[00:00:00] Rachel: Why is it that in healthcare we so often blame ourselves if we are burning out or we minimize our feelings, telling ourselves we just need to keep calm and carry on? More often than not, it’s a system that causes burnout and blaming ourselves is just gonna drive us further into feeling anxious or depressed. [00:00:18] Rachel: This week I’m joined by Dr. Richard Duggins,, who’s just written a book specifically to help healthcare professionals avoid burnout. This episode is jam packed with insights to help you figure out whether you are in danger of burnout or…