Burnout or Executive Stress is one of the most common conditions we see and it can affect anyone.

When someone is functioning with a high level of background stress over a period of time there is a gradual erosion of psychological resilience leading to a lower threshold before becoming overwhelmed and exhausted often  with an increase in irritability which may be manifest in all aspects of the persons life both at work and at home.  Eventually the lowered resilience leads to a vulnerability to an emerging depression which can then become severe. At this stage there is mental and physical exhaustion, a depressed mood and a sense of numbness and an increasing struggle to manage what would previously have been manageable.

 

Burnout Is commonly seen in people working in roles where there is a large quantity of work taking much of a persons day leaving little time to relax and decompress at the end of the day before bedtime.

 

Whilst burnout is commonly associated to certain professions such financial sector or legal professionals or healthcare, it is not restricted to employed people. Mothers of infants or with a number of young children may find themselves approaching burnout due to the demands of caring for their children throughout the day and night without adequate rest themselves.

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There is growing concern that burnout is on the rise, particularly in the wake of global stressors, workplace changes, and a cultural emphasis on productivity. However, the underlying vulnerabilities—chronic stress, emotional suppression, and difficulty setting boundaries—have always been present. What’s changing is our awareness of how burnout manifests and the importance of addressing it with care and compassion.
 

Many people who once pushed through exhaustion or were labelled as “not coping” are now recognised as experiencing genuine mental ill health.

 

With the right treatment, and preferably adjustments to the workplace if possible, burnout can be effectively treated.