Build resilience to avoid burnout

Although the pandemic is long behind us, the landscape of work was significantly reshaped and the issue of burnout was brought to light. According to the 2023 State of the Future of Work study conducted by the Work Futures Hallmark Research Initiative, Australian workers are grappling with increased levels of burnout since the pandemic. The study reveals that 50% of workers feel exhausted at work, 40% are less motivated, and 33% are contemplating quitting.

Before we continue though, let’s get clear on what burnout is. According to the World Health Organisation, burnout is characterised by three dimensions:

1. Energy depletion or exhaustion. 

A direct response to prolonged and ongoing stress, the first dimension is feeling physically and emotionally drained and chronically fatigued, with no amount of rest filling your energy reserves.

2. Cynicism related to one’s job. 

A defence mechanism to protect you when feeling overwhelmed, the second dimension is a detachment from your actions, feelings and thoughts. This can lead to reduced empathy and an impersonal attitude towards others as you dissociate in order to preserve energy.

3. A sense of a lack of accomplishment and ineffectiveness. 

Persistent negative experiences lead you to start doubting your ability and the value you deliver. You perceive a decline in your competence and productivity and this distorted perception can then lead to decreased motivation and further disengagement.

Each of these three dimensions feed into one another. Sustained emotional exhaustion leads to depersonalisation and dissociation as coping mechanisms, which then lead to a sense of reduced personal accomplishment, productivity and capability. These factors culminate in burnout, but it is possible to wrest back control and combat burnout, without necessarily quitting your job. A long weekend or an overseas holiday won’t fix it.

The key protective factor against burnout is resilience and the good news is that it can be nurtured and developed. Recognised by the World Economic Forum as one of the top ten skills for 2025, resilience helps us bounce back from adversity, adapt to change, and thrive in the midst of uncertainty or challenges.

Resilience demands a mindset grounded in key four elements: motivation, thoughts, action, and attention. These form the foundation to help you navigate challenges, maintain well-being, and thrive in the face of adversity.

1. Motivation – use your values to keep moving forward

This is the driving force that keeps you going, even when the going gets tough. Understanding your personal values and intrinsic motivators provides you with stability and direction in challenging times. By staying connected to your values, you develop a deep sense of purpose, giving you the reason to persevere in the face of obstacles.

2. Thoughts – rethink a situation to get unstuck

Your thoughts shape your emotional response and your perception of reality. How you think about events will strongly influence how you feel about them, which will then influence the actions you take. Understanding that your thoughts create your feelings allows you to manage your response more effectively. Being able to distinguish between helpful and unhelpful thoughts enables you to challenge negative thinking patterns and reframe situations in a more constructive light. When you have a mindset that is characterised by optimism and self-compassion, you can navigate challenges with greater emotional agility.

3. Action – proactively take steps to overcome challenges

Resilience is not just about enduring hardships passively, but about taking proactive steps to overcome obstacles and adapt to change. Understanding what aspects of a situation you can control—and, just as importantly, those you cannot—allows you to focus your efforts where they matter most. Helpful coping is doing the things that allow you to keep moving forward and to bounce back, rather than taking actions which keep you stuck or worsen a situation. Whether it's taking decisive action to address a problem, seeking support from others, or practicing acceptance and surrendering control when necessary, taking a proactive approach to action fosters a sense of agency.

4. Attention – choose what you give your attention and energy to

In a world filled with distractions and demands, where you choose to direct your attention profoundly influences your well-being and resilience. Unfortunately, humans are wired to pay attention to the negative, but this isn’t always helpful. When you focus on the negative, you will find more negativity. By consciously directing your attention to positive aspects of your life, expressing gratitude, and engaging in mindfulness practices, you can cultivate a mindset that enables you to stay grounded. When caught in a negativity loop or feeling overwhelmed, paying attention to neutral phenomena, such as breath, sounds or body sensations can break the negativity spiral.

Burnout is not just an individual problem. It is an organisational problem as it can impact productivity, quality, behaviours, reputation, and turnover. Given the role resilience plays in protecting against burnout, it makes sense that cultivating resilience is not just a personal endeavour, but of strategic importance for organisations. But resilience is one small part of the solution. Larger systemic changes are required and workplace well-being programs need to go beyond a fruit bowl or a subsidised gym membership to deliver real value and results.

Are you ready to take control of your well-being and combat burnout? 

Start by identifying your core values and taking proactive steps to align your actions with what truly matters to you.