How to Detect Burnout At Work

In Yourself and In Others

Burnout:
A psychological bonfire where your passion, patience, and sense of purpose all roast marshmallows together until nothing’s left but crispy sarcasm

Introduction

“I just need a break.”

Often, when people write to me to make enquiries about my stress management retreats, either online or onsite here in the south of France, this sentence features prominently in their email, most often in the last paragraph. I have learned to sit up and take notice when I come across this sentence, as it is often said by people who are either burnt out already or on the verge of burning out.

Have you said that to yourself or to others recently? Did someone else say this to you?

Take notice, especially if you are an employer and you heard one of your employees say this.

People who are suffering from burnout at work, sometimes without realising it, often make statements that give away their state of mind. Depending on their individual experience and circumstances, they may say:

“I just can’t keep going anymore.” – Burnout can leave people feeling physically and emotionally exhausted, making it difficult to cope with their personal and professional responsibilities.

“I feel like I’m just going through the motions.” – Burnout can make people feel disconnected from their work, and from the people around them, causing them to feel as if what they do has no purpose or meaning.

“I don’t care anymore.” – Burnout can lead to a sense of apathy or detachment, causing people to lose interest in things that used to be important to them.

“I feel completely overwhelmed.” – Burnout can cause people to feel incapable of completing even small tasks, making it difficult to do what they are getting paid to do.

“I can’t handle this anymore.” – Burnout can make people feel like they’ve reached their breaking point, causing them to feel like they can’t deal with stress or any additional pressure.

“I don’t feel like myself anymore.” – Burnout can cause people to lose their sense of identity and which can result in a significant loss of self-esteem.

“I’m so frustrated.” – Burnout can lead to an intense sense of frustration, especially if people feel like they’re not making progress or reaching their targets.

“I feel like I’m stuck in a rut.” – Burnout can cause people to feel trapped, making it difficult to move forward or make changes in their personal or professional lives.

“I’m uber-stressed, all the time.” – Burnout can cause chronic stress, which can cause serious physical and psychological diseases.

“I can’t sleep. I either lay awake for hours before I fall asleep or I wake up early. Or I wake up twenty times during the night.” – Burnout can cause insomnia, which increases exhaustion and decreases performance.

Statements that allow us to detect burnout at work early are not always made using these exact words, everyone expresses themselves differently and everyone’s experience of burnout is unique. People may also make any of the above statements without having burnout.

If you have been reading my posts for a while, you are probably thinking: Where’s the story?

Well, here it is:

The Great Burnout Bake-Off

By the time Clara’s smartwatch told her to “stand up and breathe,” she’d already done both — twice, aggressively. It was 10:07 a.m., and she’d hit her burnout peak for the third time that week.

Her company, Zenyth Synergy Solutions, had recently launched a “Wellness Initiative” to “combat burnout with mindful productivity.” This translated to more meetings about burnout, which burned everyone out faster.

Last Tuesday’s meeting had been a PowerPoint titled “The Power of Powering Down.” The irony was so thick you could spread it on toast.

But Clara wasn’t alone. Across the country, employees everywhere were losing it. The world had become a giant pressure cooker powered by caffeine and “urgent” Slack notifications.

So when HR announced the Great Burnout Bake-Off, the internet collectively sighed, “Oh no.”

According to the company email — which began with “Hey Team!” and ended with “Stay grateful!” — everyone was encouraged to “channel your stress into baking!”

Clara hadn’t baked since the banana bread era of 2020, but she was desperate. Maybe, just maybe, flour therapy would save her sanity.

The day of the competition arrived. Clara, surrounded by chaos in her kitchen, decided to make a “Burnout Cake” — three layers: exhaustion, existential dread, and frosting made of tears. She even wrote “I’m Fine :)” on top in icing that determinedly kept melting off.

Meanwhile, her coworker Brad went all out. He made a gluten-free, sugar-free, joy-free “Corporate Carrot Cake” decorated with an inspirational quote like “Hustle Harder!”

When everyone logged onto Zoom for the judging, HR’s Becky appeared in a sunlit room holding a kale smoothie. “Welcome, team!” she chirped. “Remember, this is about fun and community!”

Clara, who hadn’t slept since Wednesday, smiled like a malfunctioning robot.

Each person presented their cake. Karen from accounting revealed a tiramisu shaped like a resignation letter. Dave from IT’s cheesecake simply read: “404: Motivation Not Found.”

Then came Clara’s turn.

“This,” she said, gesturing to the half-collapsed tower of frosting, “is my burnout cake. It represents the modern worker’s spiritual decay under late-stage capitalism.”

There was silence. Then Becky clapped. “Oh my gosh, that’s so relatable! You’re so authentic, Clara.”

Clara won first place. Her prize? A mindfulness journal and an unpaid afternoon off “to rest and recharge.”

She used it to take a nap. It lasted 11 hours.

When she woke up, her inbox had 247 new emails. One was from Becky.

Subject: “Following up on your rest day — hope you’re feeling reenergised!”
Body: “Quick reminder that we have a meeting tomorrow to discuss burnout prevention. Mandatory attendance. 😊”

Clara stared at the screen for a long moment, closed her laptop, and went back to bed.

Unpacking Burnout

Burnout (n.):
A modern affliction where enthusiasm goes to die quietly behind a glowing screen.

It starts innocently enough. You’re motivated. You’re driven. You say things like “I’ll just finish this one last thing.” Then “one last thing” multiplies like rabbits hopped up on espresso, and before you know it, you’ve forgotten what weekends are for and why your shoulders feel like they’re made of bricks.

Burnout isn’t just tiredness — tiredness can be cured with a nap and a burrito. Burnout is existential fatigue. It’s when your brain says, “I literally cannot,” and your body says, “Same.” It’s the point where you start fantasising about quitting society to raise goats somewhere with poor Wi-Fi.

Corporate America loves to talk about “preventing burnout,” usually by adding more meetings about burnout. You’ll hear phrases like self-care, work-life balance, and resilience — all wonderful words that mean nothing when your boss emails you at 10:43 p.m. asking for “just a quick update.”

The burned-out person becomes a paradox: hyperproductive yet barely functional, overconnected yet emotionally unplugged. They sip iced coffee like medicine and say things like “living the dream” with the dead eyes of someone who hasn’t seen daylight since Q2.

Burnout is not laziness; it’s the bill your body sends after years of overdrafting your energy account.

The cure? Maybe it’s boundaries. Maybe it’s therapy. Maybe it’s throwing your laptop into the sea and walking away in slow motion. Whatever it is, burnout is your body-mind’s polite way of saying: “You can’t keep doing this, champ.”

And deep down, you know it’s right.

Seriously though, how do you detect bunrout at work?

FAQ: Detecting Burnout at Work

1. What’s the difference between regular tiredness and actual burnout?

Regular tiredness improves with rest—a good night’s sleep or a weekend off helps you recharge. Burnout, however, is a state of chronic exhaustion that doesn’t improve with typical rest periods. You’ll notice it persists even after vacations, affects multiple areas of your life, and comes with emotional detachment or cynicism about your work. If you find yourself dreading work constantly, feeling emotionally numb, or thinking “what’s the point?” even about tasks you once enjoyed, that’s a red flag for burnout rather than simple fatigue.

2. What are the early warning signs I might miss while they’re developing?

The earliest signs are often subtle shifts in behavior: needing an extra coffee to get through the morning, procrastinating on tasks that used to be routine, or feeling irritable with colleagues over minor issues. You might notice yourself working longer hours but accomplishing less, or withdrawing from workplace social interactions you previously enjoyed. Physical symptoms like tension headaches, digestive issues, or disrupted sleep patterns can appear before you consciously recognize burnout. Many people also experience a creeping sense of detachment—going through the motions without feeling connected to their work’s purpose or impact.

3. How can I tell if it’s burnout or just a bad project/period at work?

A bad project creates temporary stress with a clear endpoint—once it’s done, you feel relief and can bounce back. Burnout feels pervasive and doesn’t lift when specific stressors end. Ask yourself: Does this feeling extend beyond one project to color how I view my entire job? Am I still finding satisfaction in any aspect of my work? Have I lost my sense of accomplishment even when completing tasks successfully? If negative feelings persist across multiple projects, affect your attitude toward work in general, and don’t improve during easier periods, you’re likely experiencing burnout rather than situational stress.

4. Can burnout affect my physical health, and what symptoms should I watch for?

Yes, burnout significantly impacts physical health because chronic stress keeps your body in a prolonged state of alert. Watch for persistent fatigue that doesn’t improve with sleep, frequent headaches or muscle tension (especially in the neck and shoulders), weakened immune function (catching every cold that goes around), digestive problems, changes in appetite, and disrupted sleep patterns including insomnia or sleeping too much. Some people experience heart palpitations, chest tightness, or increased blood pressure. These physical symptoms often appear alongside emotional exhaustion and shouldn’t be ignored—they’re your body’s way of signaling that stress levels have become unsustainable.

5. What’s the “Sunday Scaries” test, and why is it useful for detecting burnout?

The “Sunday Scaries” test refers to examining your emotional response as the weekend ends and the workweek approaches. Occasional mild anxiety about Monday is normal, but if you experience intense dread, physical symptoms like nausea or insomnia every Sunday night, or find your entire weekend overshadowed by thoughts about returning to work, this suggests burnout. The test is useful because it reveals whether your work stress has become chronic rather than episodic. When work anxiety colonizes your personal time and you can’t mentally disconnect even during days off, it indicates your relationship with work has become unsustainable—a hallmark of burnout that requires intervention.

Possible Burnout at Work Solutions

It is my life’s mission, first as a medical doctor and now as a retreat host, to help people manage stress, so they can avoid the permanent damage stress can cause.

Journaling Prompt to help you determine if you suffer from burnout: The “Past You” Conversation

Set aside 15 minutes in a comfortable spot. Imagine you could have a conversation with yourself from one year ago—before things felt this heavy.

Write a letter to the person you were a year ago, starting with:
“Hey, it’s me from the future. Here’s what I need you to know about where we are now…”
Tell them honestly: What’s different about how you feel at work? What have you lost along the way—maybe it’s enthusiasm, creativity, patience, or the ability to leave work at work? What would surprise them about who you’ve become in your job?
Now, flip the perspective. Let that past version of you respond:
What would they ask you? What would concern them? What advice would they give you, knowing what mattered to you back then?
The powerful question:
If your past self could see you now, would they recognize you? Or have you compromised so much of what made work meaningful that you’ve become someone you didn’t set out to be?
Here’s your permission slip:
The person you were a year ago had wisdom. They had boundaries, dreams, and standards for how they deserved to be treated. You don’t have to abandon who you’ve become, but you can reclaim what you’ve lost. Write one thing you want to bring back from who you used to be.

This isn’t about regret—it’s about remembering who you are beneath the exhaustion.

The Burnout to Breakthrough – a Roadmap to Resilience Protocol

The burnout epidemic has motivated me to create a 2-day online course called the Burnout to Breakthrough – a Roadmap to Resilience course. It is designed so that you can burnout-proof yourself during a weekend, by devoting four hours a day to the course two in the morning and two in the afternoon. It has gotten excellent reviews so far, so I am hoping that it will serve as my contribution to reducing burnout worldwide.

Worldwide.

Isn’t that awe-inspiring? That I can now reach hundreds or even thousands of people online, instead of just the few that come to my Camino de Santiago Walking retreats. Reaching people is so much easier since the pandemic.

The Camino de Santiago Crossroeds Retreats

My retreats focus on helping people who are going through life transitions, or who have to make important decisions, by walking the Camino de Santiago de Compostela.

More often than not, my onsite retreat guests arrive burnt out by the stress they had to endure trying to cope with the life transition they are stuck in, whether it is an empty nest, retirement, redundancy, losing a loved one, changing careers, starting a business etc.

The Camino de Santiago Crossroads Retreat

Conclusion

We can detect burnout at work early, merely by paying attention to what others are saying, and to what we are saying to ourselves.

The warning signs whisper before they shout—in the colleague who suddenly goes quiet in meetings, in our own internal dialogue that shifts from “I can handle this” to “I can’t do this anymore.” When we notice the cynicism creeping into conversations, the exhaustion that no longer lifts with rest, or the growing disconnection from work that once mattered to us, we’re receiving vital information. This awareness isn’t weakness; it’s wisdom. By listening closely to these signals—both in ourselves and in those around us—we give ourselves the chance to course-correct before burnout takes root. Early detection means early intervention, and early intervention means we can reclaim our energy, our boundaries, and our sense of purpose before they’re completely depleted. The power to prevent burnout begins with the simple, courageous act of paying attention.

“Just because you take breaks doesn’t mean you’re broken.”
― Curtis T. Jones