Burnout has become a leading workplace issue today, with 77% of employees claiming to have experienced at least one burnout symptom in the past year (YuLife x YouGov 2024).It’s time to open up the discussion around this workplace challenge — so we brought in three women in leadership across different industries to talk about it, Bernise Games, YuLife SA Head of Marketing, Relebogile Mabotja, Executive Producer & Radio Host and Marjorie Daniel, Certified Executive Coach & Mental Fitness Expert. We dove deep into the big question many leaders and individuals have on their minds: How do you beat burnout in the workplace? Exhaustion vs. burnout what’s the difference?It’s easy to confuse exhaustion with burnout, but the two have varying symptoms, treatments and recovery time—so it’s important to know the difference. Exhaustion is more temporary, often caused by a long week or even multiple weeks that can be alleviated by a couple of days of rest. Burnout, however, is a more prolonged issue that is complete exhaustion spiritually, emotionally and physically—and recovery isn’t so straightforward. “[Author] Judie Lippen, shared with me in one of our sessions that when she discovered she was burnt out she thought she was just going to take a little two-week break,” says Relebogile, “She ended up being on a break for about 8 months. She did not have a choice. She was non-functional. She could not get up.”When burnout hits a certain severity, some people need medical attention, hospitalisation and many could be in recovery for months—sometimes even years.While exhaustion can lead to burnout, simply experiencing exhaustion might only require some minor lifestyle changes—but not as much as burnout. Burnout can require a complete overhaul of a work structure, environment and overall lifestyle to allow for recovery. Not to mention, professional help is often required to make the most of recovery time and ensure relapse doesn’t occur.5 ways to beat burnout at work 1. Prioritise prevention with employee wellbeing programmesIt’s important to focus on preventative measures and overall employee wellbeing to stop burnout from happening in the workplace. And that includes the workplace culture, setting boundaries and building self-awareness around our bodies — limits, capabilities and weaknesses.The only way we can truly beat burnout is if we understand our cues and triggers and know the warning signs early on.“Burnout often happens in cycles. So if you’re going through it now, you’ve probably gone through it a few times already unless this is your first time,” expresses Marjorie. “It tends to be something that comes back. It’s related to our behaviours more than anything else, and really understanding ourselves and being able to untangle those behaviours.” Crafting a robust wellbeing programme that takes a holistic approach to wellness and helping your employees get in tune with their bodies, minds and emotions is a key element in preventing burnout long–term.2. Empower employees to switch off when on leaveAnother hot topic of discussion that came up in the webinar—and one that many can relate to—is learning to switch off when you’re on leave. And that means actually disconnecting from all work communications and tasks. When this isn’t the norm, people start to become afraid that they won’t be considered for promotions or they won’t be seen as a “hard worker” who cares about the company’s success, especially if it’s not practised by leadership in the business.Managers must set the example with their actions and behaviours as a precedence for everyone beneath them. If they’re not practicing burnout-resistant behaviours in the workplace, employees won’t either and an epidemic of stress leave and resignations will eventually hit.“A week ago, my producer had a death in the family,” begins Relebogile, “and she said ‘I’m going to come before to make sure everything is running and then I’ll leave for the funeral’, and I was like ‘no, go be with your family.’ I had to say ‘You need to empower yourself to be so good at handing over, that you’re not going to worry’.” And leaders are a huge part of that process to help support in handing over, and being part of that take-over process should someone be unable to pull their weight from extenuating circumstances, or simply from taking their deserved annual leave. The pressure shouldn’t rest on the individual even when they’re not in the office, or they will burn out from constantly feeling like they have to be switched on and tuned into the business’s needs over their own. 3. Normalising self-careEspecially for women, mothers, and parents, it’s even more difficult to take time out for yourself. As women are starting to finally be seen in more leadership positions, it’s difficult to prioritise yourself when you feel you have to fight for your right to be at the top.But it shouldn’t have to be this way. The good news is, today, people now respect others more for being able to manage up and set boundaries that prioritise themselves over work.A simple exercise that coach Marjorie asks her clients is: “Would you do the same for your child?” A close friend? A beloved family member? If they needed a day to rest or were feeling overwhelmed but wouldn’t allow themselves to, would you tell them to push on, or take the time they needed to truly recover?Treat yourself with the same care and respect. 4. Take responsibility for your burnout One of the hardest moments is realising that burnout is ultimately largely under your control. While workplaces are of course responsible for creating safe environments that don’t promote burnout-causing behaviours or expectations, as individuals, we have to know ourselves well enough and care for ourselves enough to truly step up and say we’re unwell—regardless of what we think others might think.With that said, workplaces have to set the tone for this type of behaviour so people aren’t afraid of speaking up for fear of their livelihoods being compromised. Building vulnerability in the workplace, educating on holistic wellbeing practices and showing you genuinely care for your employees’ wellbeing is vital in empowering your people to take responsibility for their own burnout experience.“Sleeping doesn’t work, once-off exercise doesn’t work,” says Marjorie. “You need to change your lifestyle and your mindset. It’s a holistic and integrative approach that you need to take to this.”5. Stop measuring on hours and start measuring on outputEveryone has different thresholds of success and takes different lengths of time to achieve the same results. But when we reward long hours someone is going to potentially be taking on more work volume for longer periods of time and ultimately hit burnout. And the reverse is also applicable—we might think someone can achieve results quickly in fewer hours so we pile work on top of them for efficiency’s sake.Measuring what people contribute overall is far more sustainable long-term as a business than the time they put in, and is an excellent tool to build habits and norms in the workplace that aren’t promoting burnout-causing behaviours.“Please start looking at output and not at hours,” expresses Bernise. “We can see this wave of restriction and pushback against the 5-day work week because people need the flexibility. We live crazy busy lives. And I have to say, I’m extremely proud to work for YuLife. Build a ‘YuLife’—let people be the best version of themselves.” 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.