Is Australia really the ‘burnout’ capital of the world? Headlines this year would certainly make it seem so:
“Aussie workers suffering record rates of burnout”
“Australia leads global burnout crisis”
“The State of Workplace Burnout 2024: 38% of Australians experiencing burnout”
“Australian employees suffer mass burnout”
“From one disaster to the next’: Inside the Great Australian Burnout”
These headlines paint a stark picture: burnout is being widely reported as a critical issue affecting not just our work but also our wellbeing and daily lives.
As someone who works in this space, burnout is hard to escape. It’s blamed for a multitude of issues and frequently comes up in conversations, surveys, and articles. Yet, when I ask participants in my workshops to anonymously check-in on a scale from Thriving to Burning Out, only 4% of over 1,200 respondents say they feel burnt out. This then raises the questions: Are we misunderstanding burnout? Are people hesitant to identify with it? Or is the term being overused?
What is Burnout?
Burnout is officially recognised as an ‘occupational phenomenon’ by the World Health Organization (WHO). Its definition focuses on workplace experiences, which has drawn criticism for being too narrow. We know that burnout can happen outside of formal employment too – think about those caring for children or elderly parents – or both at the same time (hello sandwich generation!). And with the holidays approaching, stress levels can spike, making it easy to conflate exhaustion with burnout.
Burnout is often descried as a stress-response model: high demands with low resources. However, this is a simplistic view that often overlooks other factors that contribute to burnout…
According to the WHO, the key aspects of burnout include:
- Exhaustion: Physical and emotional depletion.
- Cynicism: Negative or detached attitudes toward work.
- Reduced efficacy: A decline in personal accomplishment or productivity.
By knowing these elements, what can become apparent to some people is that even though they may be experiencing some symptoms of burnout, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they are burnt out. For example, The Wellbeing Lab’s 2023 Workplace Wellbeing Report found that while 63.6% of Australian workers reported feeling burned out, only 21.2% met the WHO’s clinical criteria.
Who’s most at risk?
Burnout can affect anyone, but it’s especially prevalent in roles that involve frequent interactions with others, such as teachers, retail staff, healthcare workers, veterinarians, carers and emergency services personnel. Certain industries, like law, are prone to burnout due to high-pressure environments and relentless demands. It’s also increasingly affecting leaders, whose roles are evolving as they face mounting pressure from both their teams’ needs and organisational expectations.
Interestingly, some of the ‘great’ workers – those who are highly reliable, conscientious and perfectionistic – are often at the greatest risk. They set unrelenting standards for themselves and their performance, which are nearly impossible to maintain. This can lead to self-criticism and judgment, making them prime candidates for burnout. For these individuals, practising self-compassion can be transformative.
So if it’s not burnout, what else could it be?
While burnout is a common term used to describe work-related stress and exhaustion, your symptoms might be pointing to something else entirely. Consider these possibilities:
- Languishing – Feeling stagnant, aimless, or ‘blah.’ It’s like being stuck in neutral, lacking direction or motivation.
- Compassion fatigue – Often experienced by those in caregiving roles, it’s the emotional toll of supporting others, leading to exhaustion and decreased empathy.
- Vicarious trauma – Indirect exposure to others’ trauma, common in roles like social work or emergency services, can result in symptoms similar to PTSD.
- Bore-out – Feeling under-challenged or unutilised can be detrimental to wellbeing and performance.
- FOMO – When people are driven to overcommit and overschedule at the expense of their wellbeing, leaving them overwhelmed and emotionally drained.
Each of these can impact us just as significantly as burnout. Understanding what you’re truly experiencing is the first step to finding the right support and strategies.
Burnout is rarely resolved by a holiday or a few weeks off or some self-care strategies. Systemic issues like toxic workplaces, unrealistic workloads, or insufficient resources need to be addressed. Organisations have a critical role to play in preventing burnout too, and creating environments where people feel supported and valued.
So if you’re feeling drained or exhausted right now – get curious – is it burnout or could it be something else?