Burnt Out at Work? What to Do Next

Workplace burnout

If you’ve found yourself searching “burnt out at work” in the small hours of the morning then please stop scrolling and read this article. It explains what burnout is and what you can do next, no matter what stage of burnout you are in.

What Does It Mean to Be Burnt Out at Work?

The official World Health Organisation defines burnout is that it is a syndrome of these three things:

1) Physical and emotional exhaustion

2) Increased mental distancing from work - feeling cynical or like you don't care, also compassion fatigue.

3) Reduced professional efficacy.

Contrary to popular belief, it doesn't just develop from long hours or a busy period. Burnout develops when there is chronic, unmanaged stress in your work environment. This causes your nervous system to be placed under sustained pressure, without enough resources to help balance and recover. Research shows that there are six specific work-factors that put us under higher risk, these include when:

• There's little to no emotional support or 'psychological safety' - no sense of team

• There's little or no appreciation or gratitude for your efforts

• The work is not aligned with your values (you're being asked to behave in a way that doesn't feel good to you)

• There's inequality - you or those around you are being treated badly

• When you don't have much control over your work, often rest or making your own decisions feels unsafe

• You’re expected to keep going, regardless of cost - and perhaps made to feel 'less than' if you try to ask for help

Many high-functioning professionals don’t recognise burnout early because they’re used to operating under pressure. They adapt until their system can’t do so anymore and this shows up as physical or emotional ailments.

Common Signs You’re Burnt Out at Work

Burnout looks different for different people, but common physical and emotional signs include:

• Feeling dread or heaviness about work, even after time off

• Difficulty switching off in the evenings or at weekends

• Increased irritability, withdrawal, or emotional numbness

• Reduced confidence or decision-making ability

• Cognitive difficulties such as brain fog, poor concentration, or memory issues

• Physical symptoms of chronic stress such as headaches, gut problems, palpitations, or fatigue

• A sense of being trapped - financially, professionally, or psychologically

From my experience of working clinically with burnt out individuals I want you to know that it's very common for people to minimise how much they're going through or struggling. So if you're wondering if you're burnt out - that's a sign you should listen to.

I’m Burnt Out at Work - Should I See My GP?

For many people, yes you should consider speaking to your GP if you're showing any of the signs listed above and they're affecting your quality of life, but particularly if:

• Sleep problems are persistent or worsening

• Anxiety or low mood feels constant rather than situational

• You’re experiencing unexplained physical symptoms

• Your functioning is deteriorating and you're not able to keep up with duties/responsibilities

• You’re considering time off or struggling to keep going

• You're struggling to get out of bed or talk to anyone about what's happening
  

A GP can help by:

• Ruling out medical contributors (e.g. thyroid issues, anaemia, vitamin deficiencies)

• Discussing whether medication might be helpful as part of recovery

• Signing you off sick or providing documentation for work

• Referring to NHS or community mental health support where appropriate

Seeing your GP isn’t a failure - it’s a proactive step that prevents burnout from becoming more severe.

Please note - some GPs may not use the term burnout because it is not a formal psychiatric diagnosis - if your GP doesn't understand the term you can point them towards the World Health Organisation (WHO) page here, or show them this blog article! In the meantime you can use phrases like work-related stress and anxiety in your appointment with them to get your point across.

Who Should I Talk to at Work If I’m Burnt Out?

Burnout rarely resolves without some change in the environment that contributed to it.

Depending on your workplace, useful people to speak to may include:

• Your line manager

• HR or Occupational Health

• A wellbeing lead, wellbeing champion or mental health first aider

• A trusted senior colleague or supervisor
  

The goal of these conversations is about learning what support and adjustments are possible to alleviate the work-related stress, such as:

• Changes to your pattern of work or distribution of duties

• Adjusted hours or phased returns

• Clearer priorities and expectations

• Changing projects to ones that align with your values or strengths

• Reduced exposure to particularly draining or traumatic tasks

• Protected breaks or boundaries around availability

• Extra time allocated for peer support to reduce isolation

• Conversations with managers about targets or top-down priorities that need to be reconsidered,

If psychological safety at work feels low, it’s often helpful to seek professional support before having these conversations - for example, in therapy I often help people to plan what to say, how to say it, and what’s reasonable to ask for. I also provide letters to support requests if you've made them before and they've not led to consistent change. A common obstacle in reaching out to those people at work is not knowing what they can do to help - please remember that when you're burnt out 1) your capacity for solving problems is reduced, and 2) wellbeing champions and first aid trainers have had extra training that will give them options of solutions you may not be aware of.

Work-Burnout Therapy - What To Try

Not all burnout looks the same and recovery isn’t one-size-fits-all.

At Plum Psychology, we understand burnout as a spectrum and will offer therapy according to your symptoms and severity.

Early (or Functional) Burnout: High Strain but Still Functioning

You’re pushing through but feeling stressed. Common experiences:

• Constant tension or low-level anxiety

• Difficulty resting without guilt

• Reliance on quick-fixes to boost your mood: caffeine, buying things you don't need, alcohol to switch off your busy brain in the evening

• Dropping hobbies and social activity - no energy for anything much beyond doom-scrolling

Helpful support and therapy approaches at this stage:

• Understanding how stress is affecting your nervous system (my burnout book will help)

• Therapy such Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), Compassion Focused Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) that can focus on boundaries, workload patterns, and stress management techniques

• Recommendations (written by your therapist) for protective work-place measures

• Deeper therapy work to stop burnout deepening - such as Schema Therapy or EMDR which can help you overcome older wounds that are contributing to internal pressures that maintain burnout patterns, such as people-pleasing, perfectionism and overworking.
  

Moderate Burnout: Your Capacity and Tolerance is Reduced

Things are starting to really slip. Common experiences will include all of the items in the section above, plus:

• Reduced motivation or confidence

• Emotional overwhelm or shutdown

• Avoidance, procrastination, or increased self-doubt

  
  

Helpful support at this stage:

• Evidence-based therapies such as Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), Compassion Focused Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to help with all the same issues as I outlined in early burnout - but you may need more work on your self-worth first and more scaffolding with the tools if the burnout has got more severe

• Support with workplace conversations and adjustments

• Addressing the psychological patterns keeping you stuck, though EMDR, or Schema Therapy.

  
  

Severe Burnout: Collapse or Near-Collapse

Your system has reached its limit. Common experiences:

• Exhaustion that doesn’t improve with rest

• Significant cognitive issues around forgetfulness, indecisions, concentration - which make work impossible

• Significant anxiety (could also be panic attacks), low mood, or emotional numbness

• Feeling disconnected or isolated from others (even if they are physically close)

• Feeling unable to work or function as before - struggling to get out of bed, struggling with basic functioning like looking after yourself or talking.

• Escapism thoughts - could even include suicidal thoughts.
  

Helpful support at this stage:

• All of the therapies listed above like CBT, CFT and ACT - but early on these will need to help you to get the basic building-blocks for wellness back in place, like a routine, eating well, sleeping patterns, exercise, reducing any unhelpful habits like drinking more heavily.

• Time off work if not already signed off sick

• Coordinated care alongside your GP or employer

• A structured, compassionate recovery plan is required - not pressure to “bounce back”

  
  

How Plum Psychology Supports People Burnt Out at Work

We specialise in working with burnout in professionals who are accustomed to coping on their own. We offer the evidence based therapies I've listed above, and our role may include:

• Helping you work out what stage of burnout this is

• Understand what your nervous system is doing and why

• Providing therapy that goes beyond surface-level stress management

• Offering focused or intensive interventions where weekly therapy isn’t enough

• Supporting return-to-work decisions that prioritise long-term health

• Liaising with work for adaptations and recommendations

• Assessing for extra factors that may be playing a role like ADHD, autism (causes masking) or undiagnosed mental health problems

• Working with burnout early, or supporting recovery after collapse

Some people come to us wanting to prevent burnout from worsening. Others arrive when work has become associated with panic or dread.

Burnt Out at Work and Not Sure What to Do Next?

Burnout often clouds our sense of clarity and our ability to consider the next steps. Please know that don’t need to have the answers before reaching out, and we are experts in knowing what the next steps are and will take them alongside you. Recovery begins with choosing support that fits the reality of your nervous system now. If any of my writing in this article resonates, that’s usually enough to start a conversation.

FAQs: Burnout at Work

Is burnout a mental illness?

Burnout isn’t classified as a mental illness, but it can contribute to anxiety, depression, and physical health problems if left unaddressed. It’s best understood as a nervous-system response to prolonged stress.

Can I be signed off work with burnout?

Yes. A GP can provide a fit note if burnout is affecting your ability to work, and may recommend time off or adjustments to support recovery.

Will therapy help if the problem is my job?

Yes. Therapy isn’t about helping you tolerate the intolerable. It can help you recover capacity, understand what’s happening in your nervous system, and make clearer decisions about boundaries, adjustments, or change. It can also help you to process any work-related traumas or moral injuries which have impacted a sense of safety at work. Explore our 1-1 therapies here.

How do I know if I need an EMDR intensive programme?

If you struggle to make a regular space for therapy once a week but can manage to take a week off work to focus on yourself then an EMDR intensive could be a good fit.

Is This Stress or Burnout?

Stress is about over-engagement - your system is switched on, pushing, striving, and trying to cope. Burnout is about disengagement - your system is depleted, shut down, or emotionally withdrawn after prolonged stress. In short: stress thoughts are “I can’t stop”, burnout thoughts are “I can’t keep going.” Both stress and burnout can be supported with therapeutic help.

What next?

Get in touch to start therapy with a member of our Plum Psycholopgy team, or get in touch for a discovery call about our workplace workshops here.