Understanding and Managing Burnout

Burnout is more than feeling tired. It is a gradual wearing down that can affect how you think, feel, and relate to work and life. In this article, I explore what burnout is, how it shows up, why it is so common, and what can genuinely help.

Why Burnout Matters

Are you feeling mentally or physically exhausted from work, not just from paid employment but maybe from home? Is your mind feeling foggy, with less mental clarity and not firing on all cylinders? Maybe you used to love your work but now feel disillusioned or drained, and perhaps you now find yourself not only losing interest in work but also in the people around you.

If this sounds like you, then you may be experiencing burnout. The word burnout only started to become popular in the 1970s, yet the feeling is not new at all. Some psychologists began to notice how people can be gradually worn out by constant demands and work overload until they feel exhausted, disconnected, and less fulfilled by work or life in general. Researcher Christina Maslach later stated that these are key signs of burnout.

However, it is helpful to know that burnout is not a personal failing but a human response to being under pressure for too long. As Jennifer Moss explains in The Burnout Epidemic (2021), modern workplaces can often make this worse. For this reason, self-care isn’t always enough, as organisations and businesses also need to play their part.

How Burnout Shows Up

Burnout can feel very personal and different for everyone. Even so, there are shared experiences that can help us recognise when something is not quite right, so we can begin to understand what is happening.

It can show up as exhaustion, where our thoughts feel slower or blurred, often called brain fog, and everyday tasks start to feel harder than they used to. This can be very frustrating, especially when there is much pressure to keep going.

Burnout can also spill over into the rest of life, not always stopping at the end of the working day, but easily carrying into evenings and weekends. This can leave people feeling rather distant and not fully present or engaged as they normally would with partners, friends, and family.

For some people, perfectionism plays a part. Research suggests that those who set very high standards for themselves may be more vulnerable to burnout. In a counselling approach called Transactional Analysis, often referred to as TA, this is sometimes understood as the Be Perfect driver.

How Common Is Burnout?

Burnout is often considered to be a modern problem, the result of fast-paced work and busy lives. Although there is some truth to this, research generally shows that burnout is experienced across all cultures.

UK research shows burnout is widespread. The Burnout Report 2025 from Mental Health UK, based on a YouGov survey, found that about nine in ten adults had felt high or extreme stress in the past year, and roughly one in five needed time off work because of stress-related mental health issues.

A Counsellor/Therapist’s View

As a counsellor at Sheffield Wellness Centre, I don’t see burnout as something that needs to be “fixed”; rather, I see it as a signal from your body and mind that life has been too demanding for a prolonged period.

Burnout isn’t just an individual problem. As Jennifer Moss points out in The Burnout Epidemic (2021), self-care alone won’t solve it.

For those working in caring or helping roles, protecting your own time for rest, recovery, and resetting is very important. This is also highlighted in The Resilient Practitioner (Skovholt and Trotter-Mathison, 2016).

How Therapy Can Help

• Person-Centred Therapy – having a safe, non-judgmental space to be heard.
• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy – understanding how thoughts, feelings, and behaviours are linked.
• Transactional Analysis – spotting unhelpful patterns such as perfectionism.
• Solution-Focused Therapy – taking small, achievable steps forward.
• Compassion-Focused Therapy – learning to be kinder to yourself.
• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy – accepting what is present and acting in line with your values.

Practical Ways to Restore Energy

• Mindfulness and grounding – brief meditation, mindful walking, or gentle breathing.
• Movement – light activities such as yoga, Tai Chi, or short walks.
• Setting boundaries – protecting personal time and rest.
• Self-compassion – responding kindly to self-criticism.
• Reflecting on what matters – taking small steps towards what is important to you.

Even small actions like these can help you reconnect with energy, clarity, and a sense of purpose. Burnout is a signal from your mind and body, not a personal failure. If you feel ready to take the next step, you can get in touch with me via my profile, Jan-Marc (Yan) Horvath, here.