Work, rest, repeat: How to break the burnout cycle

Spotting the signs of overwork

Whether you’re at a desk or doing physically demanding tasks, you’re just as susceptible to overworking. While we all know what ‘tired’ feels like, pushing yourself without breaks can trigger warning signs that your body is moving from a ‘busy’ to a ‘burnout’ zone.

Dr Opel Baker, a General Practitioner at Mayfield Clinic in Brighton and Hove, UK, says that feeling tired after a busy day is normal. But persistent exhaustion that doesn’t improve with rest is a red flag.

He also highlights other red flags of overworking, which include:

• Disrupted sleep.

• Frequent headaches.

• Irritability.

• Brain fog.

• Lowered immune response - such as recurring colds.

“When stress becomes chronic, your body remains in a heightened state of alert, increasing cortisol levels, and placing strain on the cardiovascular and nervous systems,” he explains.

“If you begin to feel emotionally detached, overwhelmed by minor tasks, or unable to switch off, it may indicate burnout rather than simple fatigue - and this is where intervention becomes essential.”

We’re often taught that responding to workplace pressure and tackling heavy workloads with a ‘can-do’ attitude is something to be celebrated. If you handle mounting tasks and tight deadlines well, you get praised, but it also sets the bar too high for what's expected next. Over time, this expectation becomes normalised - and everyone assumes you should always keep up that pace.

Baker explains that though the concept of resilience has value, it is often misapplied.

“In many workplaces, it becomes a way of placing responsibility on people to cope with unsustainable demands, rather than addressing systemic issues such as excessive workloads or poor management,” he says.

“True resilience should include boundaries, recovery, and support, not simple endurance. When organisations focus solely on resilience training without structural change, it risks normalising long-term stress.”

Baker notes that a healthier approach to work is one that balances personal coping strategies with meaningful organisational reform, ensuring that employees are supported - not simply expected to tolerate pressure indefinitely.

Sometimes we feel guilty when a workday hasn’t been particularly productive - whether that’s through our own fault or due to factors beyond our control. We might beat ourselves up and start thinking of ourselves as failures, measuring our personal worth by how many emails we managed to send.

Baker says that many of us have an internalised culture where productivity is equated with worth.

“This belief is reinforced by workplace metrics, social expectations, and constant digital visibility,” he explains. “However, human value is not linear or output-based. To shift this mindset, it is important to separate identity from performance. This might involve redefining success to include rest, relationships, and wellbeing.

“Practising self-awareness - recognising when guilt arises without justification - can also help challenge these patterns. Over time, building a more balanced narrative around self-worth allows for healthier, more sustainable engagement with work.”

Even with the best intentions to focus on personal time after clocking off, it can be difficult to stop thinking about work. We might find ourselves replaying the day that’s passed or worrying about the tasks still ahead.

Baker explains that this happens because our brains crave completion and clarity - two things modern work rarely offers.

“Open-ended tasks and constant digital communication create a sense of unfinished business,” he says. “This keeps your mind engaged long after the workday ends.”

Baker recommends the following ‘shut-down’ ritual to signal closure and help your brain transition out of work mode:

1. Write a clear to-do list for the next day.

2. Physically close your laptop.

3. Change your environment - such as by going for a short walk.

He adds: “Over time, consistent rituals can effectively train your mind to recognise when the day is truly over."

Powering through work only to crash on the weekend isn’t a sustainable way to balance a busy work life with your health.

Taking short, regular breaks is far better for both your physical and mental wellbeing than pushing so hard that you eventually collapse.

“Your body is not designed to sustain continuous stress without recovery,” says Baker. “Brief pauses during the day help regulate your cortisol levels, improve your focus, and reduce cumulative fatigue. In contrast, relying on weekend recovery often leads to a cycle of burnout and partial restoration, which is ultimately unsustainable.”

He emphasises that consistency is key. Integrating small moments of rest into your daily routine supports your long-term work performance far more effectively than reactive recovery.

Of course, the responsibility isn’t entirely on employees to figure out ways of working that don’t compromise their health. Making healthy changes to work routines - balancing productivity with rest - also falls on employers.

Baker urges workplace leaders to make a meaningful shift in how they recognise and define productivity, prioritising sustainability over short-term output.

He emphasises that one of the most important elements in any organisation is a culture of psychological safety, where employees feel supported rather than pressured.

“Preventing burnout requires both individual awareness and systemic change,” Baker concludes. “Without both, the cycle is likely to continue.”