The Truth Regarding Burnout & You
There are many stages of burnout, and I have experienced some. As an entrepreneur, my professional speaking business is good. But, behind the scenes are moments of despair, burnout and exhaustion. From feeling like an imposter to questioning if I have the grit to hang in there. In the beginning, I almost quit. I’m happy I didn’t.
I am saddened at the stories people tell me about their workplace burnout. I fully expected to hear many folks who had twenty plus years lamenting about their challenges. What surprised me the most is that I heard this from people in their 20s & 30s.
The highest level of burnout can be described as passing out, collapsing from exhaustion. This is critical and must be dealt with simply for one’s survival.
After presenting at a national conference, Sheryl confided in me that she chooses to do 2-3 jobs at the company that employees her, “works way too many hours” and can not stop. This is a huge problem that a therapist would need to help with. I simply listened, offered up some layman’s advice when asked and felt terrible for her self-inflicted wounds.
The lowest level is often described as having a strong need to prove yourself. This, in of itself is fine, but not kept in check, can lead to degrees of burnout.
If you are reading this and nodding your head with regards to burnout hang in there because I’ll leave you with some sweet banish burnout tips!
Conference attendees confide in me by sharing their burnout challenges. From taking work home too often to feeling angry, depressed and even substance abuse. I didn’t ask the substance types, but the word “abuse” certainly concerned me.
Reasons for Burnout
Today’s workplace leaders must take a hands-on approach to employee well-being, stress reduction and lowering burnout. Some reasons include:
1-Days off of work
2-Retention struggles
3-Extra work for staff
4-Sick leave
5- Cost of replacing staff in time and money
Strategies to Help Burnout
Strategies to help include:
Leadership being openly supportive
Listening well to employee concerns
Paid day off as needed
Actively working with individuals facing burnout and coming up with a tailor-made plan is essential. I’m here to tell you that the workforce is acutely aware of burnout and will take matters into their own hands. This lowers productivity, creates more sick days, increases mental/emotional issues and more.
Challenges for those Under 40
But I made it through, I survived so why can’t they?
We’re all different. And, if you’re under 40 years old you are working from a different playbook. One that places a huge emphasis on employee well-being. This is a good thing, and you will not be successful at diminishing it because Gen Z (passing up Boomers) and Millennials are, by far, the largest generations in the workplace.
They demand we pay attention to this and it’s good for business! Yep, the bottom line gets a boost when leaders at the top hold individual cases of burnout, well-being and mental/emotional issues as a priority.
Employee burnout directly impacts an organization’s financial health in several ways. The World Health Organization (WHO) officially recognized burnout as an occupational phenomenon in 2019, highlighting its global relevance.
We care more about employees today than ever. The pandemic showed us many things with regards to the workplace. We learned that we could be productive and work remote or hybrid. We stressed less and were less burned out because we had control of our time. This established a harmony between work/life.
How about you? Are you feeling burnt out? Do you need to step back, recharge and take time for yourself? It’s a conscious decision because it requires strength to back off and replenish.
Have you dealt with burnout as an employee or leaders? I’d love to hear what you did to work through it or help others.
Feel free to reach out at scott@scottlesnick.com
Continue the Leadership Conversation
The ideas in this article are part of a broader conversation about leadership, employee retention, workplace AI, and organizational change. Scott helps organizations across healthcare, government, manufacturing, financial services, technology, human resources, safety, early childhood education, and professional associations develop stronger leaders and build more engaged workplaces.
Explore Scott’s keynote programs:
- Leadership Speaker – Build stronger leaders, improve communication, and create high-performing teams.
- Employee Retention Keynote Speaker – Strengthen engagement, reduce turnover, and build workplaces where employees want to stay.
- Workplace AI Speaker – Help leaders and employees prepare for the future of work while keeping people at the center of organizational success.
- Change Management Speaker – Equip leaders with practical strategies for navigating disruption and leading organizational change with confidence.
