What is within the employee’s control, and what is the organisation’s responsibility? The causes of burnout

Sources burnout mainly lie in working conditions: excessive duties, a lack of development opportunities and insufficient pay. There are several ways to manage its symptoms. Crucially, while people experiencing burnout can rebuild their resources and protect their boundaries, this alone cannot change excessive demands. The techniques described therefore work best alongside changes in the working environment, discussed in our guide to burnout.

Techniques that may help you manage burnout

We start with the foundations of recovery in personal life and finish with ways of working in professional life.

Return to the basics of recovery — address chronic fatigue

Getting enough sleep (7–9 hours), eating balanced meals and taking regular physical activity can help restore balance to the nervous system. Start with just one area, such as a consistent bedtime or a daily walk. Movement should provide a break rather than another target to meet, because in extreme cases too much exercise can lead to physical exhaustion.

Limit alcohol, nicotine and caffeine

Reducing alcohol, nicotine and caffeine can ease psychological symptoms such as low mood, anxiety and helplessness. Using them to regulate mood is described in the stages-of-burnout model as a sign of the chronic stress phase. If avoiding them is difficult, this is something to discuss with a specialist.

Use relaxation techniques to reduce emotional exhaustion

Breathing exercises, mindfulness meditation and muscle relaxation training may help reduce stress associated with burnout. Regular practice works better than a one-off intervention.

Set boundaries and look after your digital hygiene

Separating personal and professional life is a key factor in preventing burnout. It matters because an imbalance between everyday responsibilities and opportunities to recover can have serious health consequences. Protecting working hours and having the courage to say ‘no’ can help — for example, not answering emails outside work or negotiating a deadline. You can begin by taking regular breaks, setting a finishing time and switching off work notifications afterwards.

Replace high expectations with ‘good enough’

Burnout often affects people with strong intrinsic motivation and perfectionist traits. It helps to define what completing a task ‘well enough’ would look like. What should you watch for? Perfectionism encourages you to compensate for declining effectiveness by working longer.

‘We try to put out the fire by adding the fuel of even harder work,’ – says Andrzej Silczuk, MD, PhD, DSc, psychiatrist and Head of Mental Care at Benefit Systems.

Talk about workload and seek support from your manager

Social connections soften the body’s stress response and provide space to discuss difficulties before they build up. Talking to other people may help release negative emotions. Discussing an excessive workload or a lack of support at work with your manager can also help.

‘If an employee is afraid to say they are struggling, that means the system is failing at that point,’ emphasises Associate Professor Andrzej Silczuk, Head of Mental Care at Benefit Systems.

Common mistakes when recovering from burnout

First, a holiday alone is not enough: with burnout, the lack of energy often continues or returns on the first day back at work. A second mistake is using relaxation as a substitute for change — breathing workshops may not be enough if nothing changes at work. A third is delaying a consultation because ‘it’s only burnout’, even though its consequences can be serious.

Recovering from burnout does not have to be a solo effort: 71.1% of respondents in Poland want their employer to actively support their mental health. It is worth checking what your company offers. The Multi.Life platform provides, among other things, a stress reduction course and consultations with psychologists. The employer’s role in prevention is described in our expert article on burnout.