Burnout has become a buzzword people use when they’re feeling tired—but it’s far more serious than simply experiencing everyday stress. Burnout is a serious condition that can significantly impact your mental and physical health and is costing businesses millions in absenteeism and presenteeism. According to Katie Maycock, burnout costs businesses £445,970 per year! That’s why recognising the various stages of burnout is vital for the success of your business. Let’s take a look at the 5 stages of burnout, particularly in the workplace, and help you identify how to recognise the signs early, manage the condition effectively or better yet: prevent it from happening altogether.Stage 1: Honeymoon PhaseThe first stage of burnout is the ‘Honeymoon Phase’—often characterised by high job satisfaction, commitment, energy, and output. It's when you start a new job or a new role and you’re filled with enthusiasm and motivation. You’re working hard, putting in your all, and while you’re feeling a strong sense of job fulfilment and optimism—this is also the stage where the seeds of burnout are often sown. In this phase, it’s easy to overlook the early warning signs of burnout because you’re experiencing high energy and productivity levels. You’re so infatuated with the feeling of accomplishment, that you’re not necessarily listening to your bodily cues and signs telling you to rest. In this phase, it’s vital to take moments of mindfulness and stillness to assess how quickly you’re going and see if you’re ignoring the important need for downtime.Be sure that, even if you feel like you can keep pushing forward, you take conscious breaks to establish a healthy balance of work and life.Some of these strategies can include: Practising mindfulnessSetting realistic goals Taking regular breaks Maintaining social connections to help you stay grounded and avoid the onset of burnoutStage 2: Onset of StressThe ‘Onset of Stress’ stage is where the initial excitement of being busy and productive starts to wane. You may begin to notice some days at work start getting more stressful than others, things at home start piling up because you’re too tired from work—and, oftentimes, this stage is marked by a gradual shift in your work-life integration, with increasing workloads, tighter deadlines, and higher expectations. Things start to slowly feel like they’re falling out of balance. You might start to experience physical and mental symptoms such as anxiety, fatigue, irritability, and difficulty focusing. This is your body’s way of signalling that something needs to shift. At this point, it’s essential to notice the symptoms you’re experiencing, and take proactive steps to manage workplace stress so it doesn’t become chronic over weeks or even months—that’s when you hit the next stage of burnout. Consider:Implementing stress-reducing techniques like mindfulness, exercise, and proper time management when you start to notice this happening. It’s also worth consulting with your manager or adjusting workloads to proactively move away from a routine that’s eventually going to lead to burnout. Stage 3: Chronic StressWhen stress becomes persistent and unmanaged, it progresses to the ‘Chronic Stress’ stage. This is when more intense symptoms start to kick in, including chronic fatigue, social withdrawal, and an increase in irritability and frustration. Work tasks may seem overwhelming, and you might struggle to maintain your usual level of performance. You might be getting into more disagreements or arguments about things that normally wouldn’t cause a disruption.In this stage, you may also experience physical symptoms such as headaches, digestive issues, and increased susceptibility to illnesses from a weakened immune system. At this point, it’s vital to get support—whether it’s counselling, or reaching out to a trusted manager or friend/family member. This way, you can catch the root cause of your chronic stress before you hit full-blown burnout and hopefully implement some coping strategies and changes that prevent the progression of your symptoms.Stage 4: Burnout‘Burnout’ is the stage where stress reaches its peak and you feel a sense of complete exhaustion—both mentally and physically. This stage is marked by a significant decline in job performance, motivation, and overall satisfaction. Feelings of cynicism, detachment, and hopelessness become more pronounced, and you might struggle to find meaning or purpose in your work.At this stage, burnout can severely impact your personal life and relationships, leading to isolation—making it even worse. Recovering from burnout when you’re in it feels like an impossible task. After all, it feels like you can barely handle your daily tasks. That’s why it’s okay to take a leave of absence from work and personal commitments—either that or make drastic changes to your environment and schedule. This is where:Therapy, counselling and self-care become vital to healingYou drop everything possible that brings stress to your dayYou distance yourself from hectic situations to give your nervous system a breakIf you don’t take it seriously at this point, there can be drastic consequences to your health, and you can reach stage 5 where burnout becomes chronic. Stage 5: Habitual Burnout‘Habitual Burnout’ is the final stage, where burnout becomes a part of your everyday life. This stage is characterised by chronic mental and physical fatigue, which can lead to severe long-term health issues such as depression, anxiety disorders, and cardiovascular problems—and, for some, it can arguably become a baseline for autoimmune conditions or autoimmune flare-ups for those already susceptible.In this stage, individuals often feel a pervasive sense of helplessness and detachment from their work and personal lives. The steps to recovery are the same as burnout, but leaves of absence are strongly recommended in order to give your body and mind enough time to truly recover. Jumping back in too soon or not taking drastic measures early enough can lead to more serious health implications.If you’re stuck in this stage, it’s vital to take extra steps to build a stress-free lifestyle, get ongoing support from therapists or counsellors, and reconsider your lifestyle to address the underlying issue that’s causing your burnout on a macro level—and this way, hopefully, prevent yourself from relapsing. Freudenberger’s 12 stages of burnoutIn addition to the 5 stages of burnout, it’s helpful to understand Freudenberger’s 12 stages of burnout, which provide a more granular look at how burnout develops, especially in a work context. These stages are:Excessive ambitionWorking harderNeglecting needs (hygiene etc)Conflict avoidanceRevision of valuesDenial of emerging problemsWithdrawalNoticeable behavioural changesDepersonalisationInner emptinessDepressionBurnout syndromeThese stages highlight how burnout can progress from a drive to succeed to a complete breakdown in physical and emotional health. Each stage serves as a warning sign, indicating the need for intervention and self-care.How do you know if you have burnout?Recognising burnout is the first step towards recovery. Common signs of burnout include behavioural, mental, and physical symptoms such as: Emotional exhaustion: Feeling drained and unable to cope with daily tasks or small inconveniences. Depersonalisation: Developing a negative, detached, or cynical attitude towards work or other responsibilities.Reduced performance: Decreased productivity, inability to meet deadlines, and feeling of incompetence.Learn more about how to spot the signs of burnout at work and how to recover from burnout. And if you’re ready to build a burnout-proof workplace, check out our latest launch: the Anti-Burnout ebook.About YuLifeYuLife is working to reimagine the insurance industry by protecting lives, rewarding living and inspiring life. We’re on a mission to transform traditional insurance into a life-enhancing experience each employee will value and use daily. How does it work? Our award-winning app uses behavioural science and game mechanics to reward your people for living well while offering protection in case of crisis. And with our top-rated employee assistance programme, your team gets access to mental, financial and social support, virtual GPs, nutritionists, life coaches and more to help them live their best lives.Because we believe that your employees should benefit from their insurance from day one — and that wellbeing should be accessible every day, for everyone.Request a demo for your team today.