Banishing burnout

Burnout Report 2025

Stress is part of life. It’s caused by many situations, both in and out of work, that put us under emotional, physical or mental pressure. Our bodies are designed to cope with it, releasing hormones, like cortisol, which increase heart rate, blood pressure and energy levels. We’ve all felt that rush when we are completing something right up to the deadline or when we hear a loud bang in the night (it was just the dog!).

Short-term stress can actually be beneficial, because it triggers our fundamental survival mechanism, enhancing various physiological and psychological functions. It can boost the immune system, improve cognitive and physical performance, and help the body prepare for, cope with and recover from challenging situations.

Prolonged and excessive stress, however, can be highly damaging both mentally and physically. This can happen at work when we push ourselves too hard or are put under constant pressure. If not addressed quickly enough, it results in ‘burnout’, a state of emotional, physical and mental exhaustion.

The consequences

BCG survey

The impact of burnout goes beyond damaging our personal health and wellbeing. It can also negatively affect our relationships and the quality of our work. So, we might think that we need to work more to reach that deadline and achieve that target, but rather than improving our performance and benefitting the company we work for, pushing ourselves over the edge actually reduces our productivity and wellbeing. That’s why, both on a personal and professional level, it’s vital to prevent it happening wherever possible.

The problem is that burnout is often invisible, and rarely down solely to an individual, but rather due to systemic issues, which can be difficult to resolve. And it’s common. Nine in 10 (91%) UK adults felt high pressure or stress during 2024, according to the Burnout Report 2025, with one in three (34%) experiencing high or extreme pressure or stress “always” or “often”. Meanwhile, a recent BCG survey showed that almost half (48%) of people across eight countries are currently grappling with burnout, revealing the global scale of the phenomenon.

Solving this problem will not only have significant physical and mental health benefits for employees, but also improve their personal and professional relationships, along with their performance in the workplace. So, where do we start?

The symptoms and the cure

To help prevent burnout and reduce its impact, first we must recognise its symptoms. This starts with the sufferer, because often the effects are not initially obvious to those around us. Feeling drained of energy is one of the more apparent telltale signs, which unchecked will lead to exhaustion and a range of further complications as our immune systems become impaired. However, it’s important to pick up on potential earlier symptoms to identify burnout sooner rather than later.

These early signals include having trouble sleeping. Is this fuelled by worrying about work situations, a sense of feeling overwhelmed with the workload, or fears personal performance levels are falling? Tiredness through lack of sleep or feeling under pressure can result in irritability with family, friends and colleagues.

Another early symptom of burnout to look out for is increasing anxiety, which can cause headaches and stomach pain. It can also result in a drop in motivation and enjoyment at work and a growing sense of dread.

On spotting one or more of these effects, and recognising they could be the beginning of burnout, it’s important to do the following:

• Immediately pause and slow down
• Ask for help and advice – canvas the views of friends, colleagues and experts
• Focus on making the minimum viable effort

• Put the situation in perspective – burnout isn’t good for anyone

Six steps to prevention

There’s no reason for any employee or business to suffer the effects of burnout. With the right systems in place, it can be prevented. Here are six steps we can take personally to protect ourselves, our colleagues and lead the agenda for our companies:

1. Set (and respect) boundaries

Overworking is bad for all parties involved, so set the right balance by avoiding working regularly out of hours and answering emails late at night. Plus, learn to say “no” to excessive work demands without feeling guilty. This can be made easier by communicating limits clearly, especially with respect to workloads or social obligations.

2. Take REAL breaks

Use annual leave days properly to escape work and recharge. Meanwhile, when working, leave the workplace for lunch or quick walks, and try the Pomodoro technique of doing 25 minute’s work, then taking a five-minute break to stay fresh and alert.

3. Self-regulate

Self-awareness is a key early warning system. So, check frequently for feelings of tiredness and exhaustion. Journalling can be a great way to keep track of routine and physical wellbeing.

4. Build support systems

A strong personal network can act like an emotion buffer and help identify early signs of burnout. So, talk to friends, coworkers or therapists about stress. Don’t bottle it up. Peer check-ins at work (or even informal venting sessions) can help a lot.

5. Protect energy levels

This starts with prioritising sleep and ends with developing a personal regime of regular exercise and planning a healthy diet. And stop saying “yes” to everyone. Make sure to decline things when already low on energy, and avoid “toxic productivity” traps through an unhealthy obsession with work and achievement.

6. Push for healthier systems (when possible)

Help create a working environment that is geared towards preventing burnout by encouraging mental health days, flexible schedules and manageable workloads.

Stay vigilant

Once burnout hits, there’s no quick fix – recovery is a process of gradual reconnection. This makes prevention far better than the cure, while also underlines the importance of staying vigilant for any signs of straying down the path towards overwork and exhaustion. Ways of working can have a major impact. At Mindera, for example, our autonomous approach empowers people to manage their own workload, while our caring culture means we actively look out for each other and encourage people to protect their wellbeing. Burnout is avoidable, so let’s take the necessary steps to prevent it, together.

Key takeaways

• Prolonged and excessive stress can be highly damaging both mentally and physically. This can happen at work when we push ourselves too hard or are put under constant pressure. If not addressed quickly enough, it results in ‘burnout’, a state of emotional, physical and mental exhaustion.
• The impact of burnout goes beyond damaging our personal health and wellbeing. It can also negatively affect our relationships and the quality of our work. And it’s common. Nine in 10 (91%) UK adults felt high pressure or stress during 2024.
• To help prevent burnout and reduce its impact, first we must recognise its symptoms. This starts with the sufferer, because often the effects are not initially obvious to those around us.
• There’s no reason for any employee or business to suffer the effects of burnout. With the right systems in place, it can be prevented. There are six steps we can take personally to protect ourselves, our colleagues and lead the agenda for our companies.

About the author

Gemma Forrest is People and Culture Lead at Mindera.