Mental Health Awareness Week: Nottingham-based psychotherapist reveals the real signs of employee burnout

While stress is often discussed openly in the workplace, burnout remains a more elusive and misunderstood issue which can have serious and long-lasting effects on both individuals and organisations.

Nathan Shearman, director of therapy and training at mental health training provider Red Umbrella, explains that burnout is not just about feeling overworked; it's about reaching a point of emotional, physical, and mental depletion.

Crucially, employers who understand the early warning signs are in a far stronger position to support their teams and prevent long-term damage, something that should be openly discussed during Mental Health Awareness Week.

What are the top five signs of employee burnout?

Exhaustion

Exhaustion is typically the first and most noticeable symptom of burnout, but it goes far beyond simply feeling tired.

“Burnout often manifests as exhaustion, but not simply in the sense of being tired or worn out,” says Shearman.

“One of the key characteristics of burnout is that it doesn’t tend to matter how much sleep you get, you still feel exhausted when you wake up in the morning. Normal tiredness can be eased with rest, but burnout persists.”

Difficulty in concentrating

“When your normal, straightforward day-to-day tasks, like responding to an email or just holding a conversation, require all your focus and energy, this can be a sign of burnout,” Shearman explains.

“This is especially true if the tasks you’re struggling with are things you would normally consider simple or easy.

“At work, this difficulty in concentrating can lead to more mistakes, leaving staff feeling frustrated and guilty or like they are at fault for not being able to focus more.”

Cynicism and negative thinking

Burnout can also dramatically change the way people think and feel, often leading to increased negativity and withdrawal.

“When we’re feeling burned out it can be hard to pay attention to the positive things around us,” says Shearman.

“It’s like when you have a physical illness that leaves you under the weather, and it’s blue sky and sunshine outside. While you can recognise that it’s a lovely day, it doesn’t feel lovely because of how you feel inside.”

This mental state can make it difficult to enjoy things that would normally bring joy. Shearman adds: “We can’t enjoy the positive things around us as well as we might normally, and this can leave us with negative thoughts, such as ‘What’s the point’ or ‘Everything’s rubbish’.

“We can also be highly doubtful or cynical of any support offered, thinking that it won’t help or that it’s not being offered from a genuine place.”

Physical symptoms

But burnout doesn't only affect mental and emotional health – its effects often show up in the body too.

“Physical symptoms of burnout are common, and for the most part, overlooked,” says Shearman.

“Headaches, muscle aches and pains, digestion problems and loss of appetite can all occur with burnout. We can often ignore or diminish these symptoms, or take short-term treatments like paracetamol to mask them.

"Additionally, burnout lowers our immune systems dramatically, meaning we’re more likely to pick up other viruses and illnesses, and find them harder to shake off.”

Withdrawal and isolation

Due to the exhaustion and possible physical symptoms, it becomes that much harder to be around others when we feel burned out. As a result, withdrawing from colleagues is common, although it may not be something that the person is aware they’re doing.

“Often it starts off subtle, but can grow until we’re almost completely isolating ourselves,” says Shearman.

“When we feel burned out we’re also feeling disconnected from others, as our focus turns to our own internal experience. And, when we feel disconnected from others we often fail to realise the importance of reconnecting.”

What can businesses do to minimise the risks?

According to Shearman, building a culture of openness is essential for preventing burnout before it becomes unmanageable. Employees need to feel that it's okay to speak up when they’re struggling without fear of judgement or being seen as weak.

“In many organisations there is a fear of speaking up about burnout, as it’s often seen as a weakness. People may feel like the rest of the team seem to be okay, and they’re the only ones falling short,” he says.

“The truth is that we don’t always know when someone is struggling, so it’s rarely us alone. But even if it was, burnout isn’t weakness or a character flaw.

“If someone can speak up early, then they’re more likely to get the right kind of support, and be able to get better quicker.”

He also points to the importance of having trained mental health first aiders in place who are able to spot the signs early and direct employees to appropriate support.

“Having professional services available to employees who need support, and regularly reminding them that it’s there, is also essential,” Shearman continues.

“Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs) are good resources for someone struggling, but can also be utilised as a proactive measure when someone isn’t feeling themselves. They are often seen as a service you use when you’re at crisis point, but using counselling and therapy as a proactive measure is often a better use of the services.”

Shearman adds: “If we treat mental health support as something preventative, not just something reactive, we give people the tools to stay healthy and resilient in the long run.

“It’s not just good for people, it’s good for business, too.”