When I went through burnout in 2018, I thought I knew what caused it: I was doing too much, working too hard, and never resting.
And that was part of it – but it wasn’t the full story.
Burnout is more complex than people think. And the stories we tell ourselves about it, often make things worse, not better.
Let’s set the record straight.
If that were true, everyone with a demanding job would burn out. But they don’t. Why?
Because burnout isn’t just about the amount of work – it’s about the balance.
When the demands, deadlines, working hours, and stressors outweigh the rewards, recognition, and relaxation, that’s when burnout strikes.
At the time, I was working in anaesthetics, intensive care, and emergency medicine, clocking in long hours – including nights and weekends. On top of that, I was organising training events for the Royal Society of Medicine, producing their first clinical training video, and hosting a monthly pop-up restaurant for 40 plus people.
No one made me do all that. I chose it. But the pressure of too many plates spinning – and not enough recovery – was a perfect recipe for burnout.
Not true.
I didn’t hate my job. In fact, I loved so much of it. And now, as a coach, I work with countless high achievers who feel the same – passionate, ambitious, motivated – but still burning out.
Burnout doesn’t come from a lack of passion.
It steals it.
It drains your spark first, and then convinces you you’ve lost your way. But it’s not a failure of passion – it’s a failure of capacity, balance, and boundaries.
This one makes my blood boil.
When I burned out, I told myself I must be weak. Incompetent. Not resilient enough.
But the truth is that burnout disproportionately affects the most driven people – the high achievers, perfectionists, the over-deliverers, the ones who care deeply and show up fully.
A UK study found that 20% of the top-performing leaders of British businesses were affected by burnout. These weren’t people who were mentally weak or poor performers, they were some of the most elite business owners who had worked hard, passionately and diligently to get where they were.
So if you’re burning out, it’s not because you’re weak. It’s because you’ve been strong for too long without enough recovery or support.
If only.
Burnout isn’t just stress. It’s the long-term result of chronic, unmanaged stress – and recovery can take weeks or months, not days.
You don’t bounce back from burnout with a long weekend off.
You need an extended period of rest and the right tools to rebuild. That includes mindset work to shift the thoughts, beliefs, and behaviours that led you there in the first place.
Without that, you’ll be back at square one within weeks of returning to work.
It might – but not always. And rarely right away.
Burnout is never caused by one thing alone. Just like weight gain isn’t only about diet or exercise, burnout isn’t just about your job. It’s also about your mindset, habits, and support system.
If you change jobs but bring the same patterns with you – perfectionism, people-pleasing, workaholism – you’ll likely find yourself in the same place again.
Quitting might bring temporary relief, but it can also add stress. New job. New team. New expectations. It’s not always the golden ticket it seems.
Recovery should start before any drastic changes. In many cases, with the right support and a reset, people recover and thrive in the job they already have.
Looking back, I wish I had the tools I now share with my clients.
I wish someone had helped me see that I didn’t need to choose between success and sanity. That it’s not weak to need help – it’s smart to take back control.
Now, I help high achievers recover from burnout and reignite their spark – so they can perform at a high level without sacrificing their health, happiness, or relationships – click here to find out about how I can help you to get UNSTUCK and find your A game again.
Next in this series is ‘Burnout Prevention Part 1: 3 Common Mistakes That Are Draining Your Energy’ which you can read here.