In 2021, I faced one of the toughest experiences of my life – burnout. Severe anxiety and depression had me signed off work, and I felt like I had hit a wall. The experience was equally challenging and enlightening. That experience has shaped the way I now approach my work, my boundaries, and my wellbeing.
Here are 10 lessons I learned from burning out. Lessons I hope will help anyone feeling the same, as well as HR and Wellbeing managers who are focused on improving workplace health.
1. Develop self-awareness
Know how you feel to figure out why.
Self-awareness is the foundation of stress management. I’ve learned to start and end each day with a simple check-in: How am I feeling? What’s causing this emotion? This practice helps to identify stress triggers early before they escalate.
2. Take action on your awareness
Self-awareness without action doesn’t create change.
I knew what was wrong, but I wasn’t taking action. It’s not enough to recognise stress – you need a plan, and you might also need support. Now, when I sense stress building, I create a proactive plan to address it. The elements of the plan include habits/behaviours in my control, better communicating my boundaries to others and finding the right support from the right people.
3. Prioritise self-care
Back in 2021 I had a wellbeing toolbox, but I often told myself, “I’m too busy.” Nothing is more important than self-care if we want to sustain high performance at work.
It’s not selfish, it’s essential. I’ve now embedded self-care into my daily habits and ways of working. And the best part about self-care is that we are all different, so you have the power to experiment and decide what works best for you.
4. Make good sleep non-negotiable
Burnout made me realise that sacrificing sleep only makes things worse.
I used to think I’d discovered a productivity hack by sleeping less to create more valuable working time. I found the opposite to be true. Now, a good night’s sleep is non-negotiable, and this has been the single biggest unlocker to sustaining my wellbeing, energy levels and performance.
5. Set boundaries
Setting boundaries is crucial.
A lack of boundaries was one of the biggest drivers to me burning out. I wasn’t intentional with my boundaries which led to damaging interactions and a silently building tidal wave of stress. I’ve learned to establish clear boundaries for when I work, the type of work I do at different points of the day/week, when I’m available, and when I need to say no.
6. Communicate and sustain those boundaries
Setting boundaries isn’t enough—you have to maintain them.
At first, I wasn’t confident in communicating my boundaries. Over time I’ve learned to set them early and to re-communicate them often, both to myself and others. Consistent communication reinforces these boundaries and makes it easier for you and therefore others to respect them.
7. Forget work-life Balance; target life harmony
As I burned out, work became all-consuming. I lost sight of what really mattered.
True balance means finding harmony across all parts of life, not just fitting personal priorities in around a never-ending sea of work. I’ve made an effort to integrate my hobbies, relationships, health, and wellbeing into my routine so that work is just one complementary part of the whole picture.
8. Take action on patterns of difficult emotions
I experienced the “Sunday scaries” – that creeping anxiety before Monday, for months.
Ignoring these feelings only made them worse. Now, I’m doing work which I love in a way that fits my life, so those feelings have disappeared. If those feelings ever came back, I carefully monitor my emotions so I can take proactive, preventative action.
9. Champion the wellbeing imperative
During my burnout, I felt insurmountable pressure and a lack of support from my workplace.
Employers need to do more to support wellbeing. It’s great for people, productivity and profit. And whilst HR and Wellbeing Leaders might drive the strategy, we all have a role to play in championing the importance of wellbeing at work, and challenging behaviours which negate individual or team health
10. Real change starts with leaders
Wellbeing isn’t a tick-box exercise.
When I was unwell, I had access to reactive support like an Employee Assistance Program (EAP), but it was clear that the underlying causes weren’t being addressed. True change requires a systemic approach—leadership, ways of working, processes, and culture all need to promote wellbeing. That’s why I’ve launched The Human Leader because I believe we need to help managers help themselves. Humanity is the most essential and the most underrated leadership skill.
What next…
Burning out showed me we still have a long way to go as individuals and leaders in recognising and acting when conditions at work are negatively affecting our health.
If you’re struggling with burnout or if you’re trying to figure out how to support the health of your team, change is possible. It starts with awareness and continues with action
If you’re looking for an impactful mental health and wellbeing speaker you’re in the right place! Or if you’re a middle manager keen to learn but unsure where to start, check out The Human Leader
How do you manage work stress? And what do you think needs to change for organisations to prioritise wellbeing?
