A Personal Story
Society tells us work exhaustion is a badge of honour. So, after university graduation, when I was often working late, skipping lunch breaks, and pushing through headaches, it all seemed like proof that I was committed to supporting the clients. But somewhere along the line, “dedicated” turned into “drained.” What I didn’t realise at the time was that I was living out a textbook case of burnout.
Burnout isn’t just being tired; it’s a kind of emotional depletion. The World Health Organisation defines it as a “syndrome resulting from chronic workplace stress that hasn’t been successfully managed” (2019). It’s characterised by exhaustion, cynicism, and reduced professional efficacy. I felt all three, though I couldn’t name them back then. My mornings began with dread instead of motivation, and even the smallest tasks felt unachievable.
According to Maslach and Leiter (2016), burnout is not simply about working too hard, it’s about the mismatch between a person and their job in areas such as workload, control, reward, community, fairness, and values. When I reflect on my own experience, every one of those areas was off balance. I was overextended, undervalued, and disconnected.
The consequences aren’t just emotional. Research shows that burnout can have physiological impacts too. Salvagioni et al. (2017) found links between burnout and cardiovascular diseases, musculoskeletal pain, sleep disturbances, and even depression. I remember my body mirroring my mental state: constant headaches, insomnia, and a creeping sense that I was falling apart from the inside out.
One of the hardest truths I had to face was that recovery wasn’t about a week off or a quick fix. West et al. (2018) emphasise that effective burnout interventions must target both individual coping and systemic change, it’s not just about mindfulness or self-care, but also about workplace culture and leadership. That insight helped me shift from blaming myself to recognising broader issues in my environment.
Still, personal agency mattered too. Montgomery and Rupp (2005) found that emotional regulation and social support are crucial buffers against burnout. I learned that letting people in talking about my struggles rather than hiding them wasn’t showing weakness. It was about survival.
Today, I try to notice the early signs. When I feel my energy draining or my patience thinning, I take it as a cue to pause. I’ve realised that sustaining passion requires protecting it, not depleting it. Maslach and Jackson (1981), pioneers in burnout research, wrote that the goal isn’t to eliminate stress entirely but to cultivate engagement instead.
Burnout taught me that caring too much without caring for yourself leads to emptiness. It’s a paradox: the more you try to give, the less you have left. But understanding that balance between purpose and preservation has become the most important lesson of my professional life.
Sarah is a proud member of the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) and continues to uphold the ethical standards and principles of the profession in her day-to-day practice.
To make an appointment with Sarah try Online Booking. Alternatively, you can call Vision Psychology Brisbane on (07) 3088 5422.
References
- Maslach, C., & Jackson, S. E. (1981). The measurement of experienced burnout. Journal of Occupational Behaviour, 2(2), 99–113.
- Maslach, C., & Leiter, M. P. (2016). Understanding the burnout experience: Recent research and its implications for psychiatry. World Psychiatry, 15(2), 103–111.
- Montgomery, A. J., & Rupp, A. A. (2005). A meta-analysis for exploring the diverse causes and effects of stress in teachers. Educational Psychology Review, 17(4), 317–344.
- Salvagioni, D. A. J., Melanda, F. N., Mesas, A. E., González, A. D., Gabani, F. L., & Andrade, S. M. (2017). Physical, psychological and occupational consequences of job burnout: A systematic review of prospective studies. PLoS ONE, 12(10), e0185781.
- West, C. P., Dyrbye, L. N., & Shanafelt, T. D. (2018). Physician burnout: Contributors, consequences and solutions. Journal of Internal Medicine, 283(6), 516–529.
- World Health Organisation. (2019). Burn-out an “occupational phenomenon”: International Classification of Diseases. https://www.who.int/news/item/28-05-2019-burn-out-an-occupational-phenomenon-international-classification-of-diseases