Feeling 'burnt out'? Research suggests your surroundings might be to blame

More than one in three Australian workers are experiencing burnout, a new survey has found. Researchers say the problem is not caused by personal weakness. Instead, the environment people work in — messy systems, too much pressure, and little control — is often to blame. The report was published by a group called Infinite Potential, working with Beyond Blue and the University of Technology Sydney.

Amlan Sharma, a 38-year-old occupational therapist, says he slowly lost the joy he once felt at his job after the COVID-19 pandemic. He felt tired, less confident, and less purposeful over time. He even began to notice the same warning signs in some of his patients. "That's where I started to realise: 'Hang on, I might be burnt out,'" he says.

The World Health Organization defines burnout as something caused by work — not a medical illness. It has three key signs: feeling exhausted, feeling negative or distant from your job, and getting less done than usual. Study author John Chan says you must have all three signs at once to truly be experiencing burnout. He also warns that people often misuse the word — being tired alone does not equal burnout.

Professor Paula Brough from Griffith University says stress and burnout are not the same thing. Stress is the start of a problem, while burnout is the extreme end. Warning signs of burnout include trouble sleeping, feeling anxious about returning to work on Monday, and dropping hobbies you once loved. She says these changes are important signals that something is seriously wrong.

Amlan says a rigid work schedule, too many demands, and constant interruptions wore him down over time. He felt powerless over things happening around him at work. He eventually moved to self-employment and worked fewer hours, which helped him recover. "Over time I started to realise that actually I'm not the problem," he says.

Researchers found that workers in high-friction environments — places where systems and processes make work harder than it needs to be — have 84 per cent higher odds of burning out. Researcher Anna Stephens lists examples like confusing computer systems, long bureaucratic steps, unclear expectations, and pointless meetings. Professor Brough adds that small, daily annoyances — called workplace hassles or red tape — are just as damaging as big problems. "It's often the workplace hassles which just eat away at you because they're daily," she says.

Heavy workloads are another well-known risk factor for burnout. This includes working long hours for many weeks, lacking resources or support, and having little say over your schedule. However, Professor Brough says a heavy workload does not always lead to burnout. If workers have enough support and some control, the risk of burnout drops significantly.

Job security also matters a great deal. The survey found that 68 per cent of workers who feel insecure in their jobs are burned out, compared to only 20 per cent of those who feel very secure. Dr Chan also highlights fragmentation — constantly jumping between meetings, tasks, and software — as a daily energy drain. Dr Stephens describes it as being pulled in many directions at once without much control.

Both employers and workers have a role to play in fixing the problem. Dr Chan says leaders must build fairer, clearer work environments, while workers should speak up when something is not working. Dr Stephens advises people to watch their workload, communicate regularly with their manager, and stop treating daily frustrations as normal. Professor Brough says both a worker and an employer "have a joint responsibility to look after your mental health."