Beyond Fatigue: Recognising and Responding to Burnout in the Workplace

By Diante Fuchs and Matthew Zheng.

Burnout is more than just being tired. It’s the slow erosion of energy, motivation, and confidence. It creeps in quietly, often disguised as everyday stress, until one day the body and mind can no longer keep up.

At its core, burnout happens when demands on us outweigh our resources. The demands may be deadlines, emotional labour, job insecurity, or the pressure to perform. The resources, like support, rest, time and fair expectations, are too thin to balance them out.

This imbalance is particularly stark for those in people-focused roles, such as leaders, HR, safety, or wellbeing professionals, as well as educators, healthcare workers, and legal practitioners. When your mahi (work) is about supporting others, it's harder to notice when you are running on empty yourself.

What Is Burnout?

One of the clearest ways to understand burnout is through the Job Demands–Resources (JD–R) model [i], which has been used internationally to study workplace wellbeing. The model is straightforward:

• Job demands are the aspects of work that require effort, energy, and emotional investment. These can be physical (like long hours or fast-paced shifts), cognitive (like constant multitasking or unclear instructions), or emotional (like managing conflict, supporting distressed clients, or masking your true feelings).

  
  

• Job resources are the supports that help us meet those demands. These include practical resources (such as our time, training, and clear role descriptions), social resources (like supportive colleagues or fair treatment), and personal resources (like rest, a sense of autonomy, and opportunities to recover).

When demands are balanced by adequate resources, people can usually stay engaged and productive. But when demands keep rising and resources don’t keep pace, the strain becomes unsustainable for our hauora (wellbeing). Over time, stress accumulates until our resilience gives way. That's when burnout develops.

The Four Signs of Burnout

Research by Schaufeli and De Witte [ii] identifies four hallmark features that show up consistently across people experiencing burnout:

1. Exhaustion

This isn’t just feeling tired after a long day. It’s a deep, persistent fatigue that doesn’t improve even after rest. People may wake up already feeling drained, struggle to get through basic tasks, and experience their energy as constantly depleted.

2. Emotional Overwhelm

Emotions can feel heightened and harder to regulate. Small setbacks trigger outsized reactions like irritability, sadness, or anger. Some people feel emotionally “numb,” unable to connect with their usual sense of joy or calm. Overwhelm makes coping with both personal and work-related challenges far more difficult.

3. Cognitive Difficulties (Brain Fog)

Burnout often clouds our thinking. It becomes harder to concentrate, follow through on tasks, or remember details. Problem-solving slows, and people may notice themselves making mistakes they wouldn’t normally make. This “fog” undermines confidence and adds to feelings of frustration.

4. Mental Distancing

A hallmark sign of burnout is emotional withdrawal. People feel disconnected from their mahi (work), colleagues, or clients, often becoming cynical or indifferent. Tasks that once felt purposeful may now feel meaningless, creating a sense of alienation.

Beyond these four core features, burnout often has physical and emotional ripple effects:

• Physical symptoms: such as headaches, muscle tension, body aches, frequent colds or illness, changes in appetite or sleep.

• Emotional symptoms: can include self-doubt, hopelessness, frustration, and a sense of being “trapped.”

Together, these signs create a cycle: Exhaustion makes it harder to cope, emotional strain deepens, thinking becomes foggy, and withdrawal grows. Without intervention, this cycle can lead to serious health impacts and disengagement from work and life.

How Common is Burnout in New Zealand?

The short answer: It’s common. The exact percentage you see depends on how burnout is measured (screening for “risk” vs meeting a validated diagnostic threshold).

What robust NZ studies show

• Managers across industries. In a study by Professor Jarrod Haar investigating a national sample of 840 New Zealand managers, the Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT), a modern psychometrically robust instrument, found that 11.3% met the threshold for severe burnout [iii]. Because the BAT sets a clear clinical cut-off, this figure reflects people who meet criteria, not just those “at risk.” What this means: Around 1 in 10 managers meet severe burnout thresholds in general NZ samples.

  
  

• Workers post-lockdown. Using the same BAT shortly after the first COVID-19 lockdown, Haar also investigated a representative sample of 955 employees and reported an overall high burnout risk of around 11%, with essential workers having a higher risk (~14%) than non-essential workers (~9%) [iv]. This study is useful for understanding risk distribution across the wider workforce, even when not all individuals meet the “severe” cut-off.

  
  

• Emergency Departments [v]. Health sector studies show much higher rates of burnout, reflecting intense job demands. A nationwide survey of 1,372 ED staff across 22 EDs using the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI) reported that 55% experienced work-related burnout. The CBI captures burnout symptoms and strain, so these figures indicate a very high burden of exhaustion in this setting.

  Earlier work from a large urban ED similarly found elevated symptom levels (35% experiencing work-related burnout), reinforcing the pattern in acute care [vi]. What this means: Sector hot-spots (e.g., EDs) show far higher symptom burden (CBI), consistent with their extreme job demands.

Burnout in the Workplace: A Systemic Problem

Burnout is prevalent. But it is not only a personal or individual problem. Burnout is a workplace health and safety issue. Left unaddressed, burnout leads to:

• Health costs – increased risk of depression, anxiety, cardiovascular disease, and long-term sick leave [vii]

• Workplace costs – reduced productivity, increased absenteeism, presenteeism, and high turnover [viii]

• Human costs – erosion of confidence, relationships, and connection to meaning in work.

For organisations, untreated burnout undermines psychological safety and directly impacts performance and retention.

It’s tempting to treat burnout as something the individual has to fix. Quick solutions like resilience workshops, meditation apps, or yoga breaks can offer temporary relief, but on their own, they don’t address the root causes.

Burnout is primarily driven by workplace conditions, so it’s not just about personal coping. Health and safety experts call these conditions 'psychosocial risks' that have the potential to harm mental health if not properly managed [ix].

Common psychosocial risks include:

• Excessive workload and time pressure – constant 'fire-fighting' with no recovery time.

• Unclear roles and expectations – confusion about responsibilities or shifting priorities.

• Lack of support – poor access to supervision, mentoring, or peer connection.

• Job insecurity – fear of restructuring, redundancy, or unstable contracts.

• Bullying, discrimination, or harassment – hostile environments that undermine safety and trust.

• Workplace loneliness – social isolation or exclusion, especially for remote workers or minority groups.

Left unchecked, these factors overwhelm people’s internal resources and push them into the cycle of burnout.

Building Healthier Systems

Since burnout is shaped by the environment people work in, the responsibility for prevention lies not just with individuals but also with organisations. Workplaces that actively create healthier systems are consistently shown to have lower rates of burnout, better staff engagement, and stronger retention [x].

A supportive team environment and leadership modelling can be key to burnout prevention

Some of the most effective strategies include:

• Workload and demand management. Burnout thrives in environments where the workload is constantly outstripping resources. Organisations need to monitor staffing levels carefully, redesign jobs where necessary, and use flexible scheduling to prevent chronic overload. Creating realistic timelines and pushing back against a culture of “always urgent”  helps protect people’s energy.

  
  

• Clarity and communication. Uncertainty breeds stress. Providing clear role descriptions, setting transparent expectations, and involving staff in decision-making can significantly reduce ambiguity. When employees know where they stand and feel that their voices matter, they’re more engaged and less likely to experience burnout.

  
  

• Supportive environments. Managers play a critical role. Training leaders to check in with empathy, not only on performance, makes it easier for employees to seek support early. Building regular professional supervision or peer reflective practice into the culture provides space to debrief and recharge. Normalising the use of Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) counselling services ensure people know help is there when they need it.

  
  

• Respectful, inclusive culture. A culture of respect is non-negotiable. Organisations must enforce zero tolerance for bullying and discrimination. Policies should value diversity and be responsive to the needs of tangata whenua, neurodivergent staff, and other groups. Embedding bicultural practice and emphasising whanaungatanga (connection and belonging) fosters stronger, safer teams.

  
  

• Healthy leadership modelling. Ever heard a leader say "do as I say, not as I do" when it comes to work boundaries? That's problematic. Leaders set the tone more than they often realise. When managers demonstrate healthy boundaries, such as taking breaks, finishing on time, and speaking openly about managing their own wellbeing, it permits kaimahi (staff) to do the same. A culture of rest and openness must start at the top.

Individual Strategies: Protecting Your Energy

While workplaces carry responsibility, individuals also need tools to protect themselves and recover when burnout looms. Prevention means working smarter, not harder, with deliberate recovery built into everyday life.

• Check in with your GP. Burnout can mimic or overlap with other health issues. It’s important to rule out physical conditions, and a GP can also connect you with support if symptoms are severe.

  
  

• Build recovery into your week. Recovery isn’t a luxury; it’s essential maintenance. Prioritise quality sleep, regular exercise, time in nature, and meaningful social connections. Even small daily rituals, like a short walk at lunchtime, can help restore balance.

  
  

• Set boundaries. Learning to protect non-work time is crucial. This might mean turning off notifications after hours, saying “no” to extra commitments, or communicating limits clearly with colleagues. Boundaries are necessary for long-term sustainability.

  
  

• Use evidence-based tools. Strategies such as mindfulness, cognitive-behavioural techniques, and values-based goal setting help to reduce stress and prevent burnout. Experiment to find what works best, and practice consistently.

  
  

• Seek professional support. Clinical psychologists and EAP providers, such as EAP counsellors, can help unpack patterns, develop coping strategies, and create a personalised recovery plan. Sometimes the most effective step is asking for help.

Burnout is not a personal failing. It’s a systemic issue that arises when the demands placed on people outweigh the resources they have to meet them. Addressing it requires action on two fronts: Organisations must create healthier systems, and individuals need strategies to protect and restore their energy.

In Aotearoa, with research showing that around one in ten workers experience severe burnout, this is not something we can afford to ignore. Tackling burnout is essential, not just for the wellbeing of our people, but for the sustainability and success of the workplaces that depend on them.

Responding with clarity, empathy, and equity protects individuals while strengthening the fabric of our workplaces. Together, we can create workplaces where wellbeing is planted, nurtured, and sustained.

Hei whakatō i te ora - planting wellbeing, together.

MindMatters Clinic are a team of New Zealand leading clinical experts supporting organisations in the areas of workplace wellbeing, mental health, and neurodiversity. MindMatters offer training workshops, speaking events, resources, consulting services, and individual clinical support services.

References

[i] Schaufeli, W. B., & De Witte, H. (2017). Work engagement: Aligning research and practice. Journal of Organizational Effectiveness: People and Performance, 4(2), 138–144. https://www.wilmarschaufeli.nl/publications/Schaufeli/476.pdf

[ii] Schaufeli, W. B., & De Witte, H. (2017). Burnout: Definition, recognition and treatment. Stichting Burnout. https://www.wilmarschaufeli.nl/publications/Schaufeli/591.pdf

[iii] Haar, J. M. (2021). Determinants of being burnt out: A New Zealand study. New Zealand Journal of Employment Relations, 46(3), 35–49. https://burnoutassessmenttool.be/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/119.-Haar-2021.-NZJER.-Determinants-of-being-burnt-out..pdf

[iv] Haar, J., & O’Kane, C. (2022). A post-lockdown study of burnout risk amongst New Zealand essential workers. Social Science & Medicine, 306, 115157. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2022.115157

[v] Jones, P., Wellsted, D., Parsons, M., Wadsworth, W., Williams, M., & Cotter, V. (2021). Workplace wellbeing in emergency departments in Aotearoa New Zealand, 2020. New Zealand Medical Journal, 134(1541), 12–27. https://nzmj.org.nz/media/pages/journal/vol-134-no-1541/workplace-wellbeing-in-emergency-departments-in-aotearoa-new-zealand-2020/6be96ceae5-1696475605/workplace-wellbeing-in-emergency-departments-in-aotearoa-new-zealand-2020-open-access.pdf

[vi] Kumar, R., Pio, F., Brewer, J., Frampton, C., & Nicholls, M. (2019). Workplace wellbeing in an urban emergency department in Aotearoa New Zealand. Emergency medicine Australasia: EMA, 31(4), 619–625. https://doi.org/10.1111/1742-6723.13262

[vii] Salvagioni, D. A. J., Melanda, F. N., Mesas, A. E., González, A. D., Gabani, F. L., & Andrade, S. M. (2017). Physical, psychological and occupational consequences of job burnout: A systematic review of prospective studies. PLOS ONE, 12(10), e0185781. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0185781

[viii] Aronsson, G., Theorell, T., Grape, T., Hammarström, A., Hogstedt, C., Marteinsdottir, I., Skoog, I., Träskman-Bendz, L., & Hall, C. (2017). A systematic review including meta-analysis of work environment and burnout symptoms. BMC Public Health, 17, 264. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-017-4153-7

[ix] WorkSafe New Zealand. (n.d.). Managing psychosocial risks at work. https://www.worksafe.govt.nz/topic-and-industry/work-related-health/mental-health/managing-psychosocial-risks-at-work/

[x] Demerouti, E. (2024). Burnout: A comprehensive review. Zeitschrift für Arbeitswissenschaft, 78, 492–504. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41449-024-00452-3