As a manager, you carry the weight of not only your own responsibilities but also the well-being and performance of your team. This can lead to burnout, a scientifically recognized condition caused by chronic workplace stress that hasn’t been successfully managed. Left unchecked, burnout doesn’t just affect your personal health—it can negatively impact your leadership effectiveness, team morale, and overall workplace culture.
In this article, we’ll explore the science behind burnout, how to recognize it in yourself and your team, and practical strategies for prevention and recovery.
What is Burnout?
Burnout is a prolonged response to excessive workplace stress and is characterized by three main symptoms:
- Emotional exhaustion – Feeling drained, depleted, and unable to cope with workplace demands.
- Depersonalization – Becoming detached or cynical toward your work and your team.
- Reduced personal accomplishment – A persistent feeling of ineffectiveness or failure, despite your efforts.
The Mayo Clinic defines burnout as a special type of work-related stress—a state of physical or emotional exhaustion that also involves a sense of reduced accomplishment and loss of personal identity. (Mayo Clinic)
As a manager, recognizing burnout in yourself is crucial, but it’s equally important to recognize these signs in your employees. Burned-out teams are disengaged, experience higher turnover, and are less productive.
The Science Behind Burnout
Burnout stems from the body’s prolonged exposure to stress. When stress persists, your body continually releases cortisol, the primary stress hormone. Over time, this leads to:
- Cognitive decline, including difficulty concentrating and memory impairment.
- Disrupted sleep cycles, leading to chronic fatigue.
- Increased risk of anxiety, depression, and cardiovascular disease.
Neuroscience research has shown that burnout shrinks the prefrontal cortex, which governs decision-making and problem-solving, and over-activates the amygdala, the brain’s fear and stress center. This explains why burned-out managers struggle with strategic thinking, emotional regulation, and motivation (Maslach & Leiter, 2016).
How to Spot Burnout in Yourself and Your Team
Signs You May Be Experiencing Burnout:
- Physical symptoms: Chronic fatigue, headaches, muscle tension, and frequent illness.
- Emotional symptoms: Increased irritability, anxiety, or emotional detachment.
- Behavioral symptoms: Procrastination, declining work performance, or withdrawing from team interactions.
Signs of Burnout in Your Team:
- Increased absenteeism – Employees taking frequent sick days or arriving late.
- Decreased engagement – Once-motivated team members becoming disengaged or unresponsive.
- Lower productivity – Projects taking longer than usual or missing deadlines.
- More workplace conflict – Frustration among colleagues increasing due to stress and fatigue.
If you recognize these warning signs, it’s time to take action.
Key Factors Contributing to Burnout
Managers and organizations often unknowingly create environments where burnout thrives. Some key contributors include:
- Excessive workload – Unmanageable demands with little recovery time.
- Lack of control – Feeling powerless over decisions, deadlines, or workloads.
- Unclear expectations – Not having a clear understanding of goals or priorities.
- Toxic workplace culture – Poor communication, lack of leadership support, or unrealistic performance expectations.
- Poor work-life boundaries – Being expected to always be available and sacrificing personal time.
By addressing these factors, you can create a healthier, more sustainable work environment.
Preventing and Managing Burnout as a Manager
1. Prioritize Self-Care to Lead Effectively
- Commit to sleep hygiene – Studies show that people who wear an eye mask to sleep regularly experience better sleep quality (Gao et al., 2020).
- Exercise regularly – A single bout of exercise enhances feelings of energy, and regular moderate-intensity exercise significantly reduces fatigue and improves workplace performance (Loy et al., 2013).
- Incorporate mindfulness practices – Just five minutes of focused breathing can reduce cortisol production (Matousek et al., 2010).
2. Set Boundaries to Protect Yourself and Your Team
- Model work-life balance – Let your team in on personal activities like attending a child’s baseball practice or an art class. Avoid texting, calling, or emailing after hours; instead, use scheduling tools mindfully.
- Encourage breaks – The Pomodoro Method is a great way to incorporate structured breaks. Work in 25-minute intervals followed by 5-minute breaks to maintain focus and prevent fatigue. You can use Cheryl’s preferred Pomodoro timer to implement this practice effectively.
- Manage workload strategically – Encourage employees to regularly share their priorities with you. Work with them to unload or realign anything that seems excessive or could be broken down differently.
3. Create a Culture That Prevents Burnout
- Regular check-ins with employees – Weekly one-on-one meetings are a great way to check in. You can even incorporate a brief breathing exercise to start the meeting.
- Provide mental health resources – Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) improve workplace well-being by reducing absenteeism and presenteeism, making them valuable tools for organizations (Richmond et al., 2017).
- Encourage professional development – Growth opportunities, including professional coaching, increase engagement and job satisfaction (Bakker & Demerouti, 2007).
Final Thought
Burnout is a real challenge for leaders—but it’s also a powerful opportunity to grow in resilience, awareness, and intentional leadership. Every small action you take toward your own well-being sets a meaningful example for those you lead.
If you’re unsure where to begin or how to take your next step in self-care, you’re not alone. Cheryl Salazar, co-founder of High Road Management Training, brings nearly two decades of operational leadership experience and a background in kinesiology to her coaching. She’s committed to learning the latest science behind self-care and wellness so she can support managers at every stage of their journey—whether you’re just starting out or looking to deepen your habits.
Let Cheryl help you turn intention into action. Reach out, explore our resources, and take one small step today to prioritize the leader behind the leadership.
References
- Cal Newport’s Shutdown Ritual
- Mayo Clinic: Job Burnout
- Gao et al. (2020). Sleep Masks and Light Exposure.
- Loy et al. (2013). The Effect of a Single Bout of Exercise on Energy and Fatigue.
- Matousek et al. (2010). Cortisol as a Marker for Improvement in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction.
- Maslach & Leiter (2016). Conceptualizing Burnout.
- Richmond et al. (2017). The Impact of Employee Assistance Services on Workplace Outcomes.
- Bakker & Demerouti (2007). The Job Demands-Resources Model.
