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Burnout was rife in 2024, and it’s an issue that most Aussie workers want to side-step in 2025.
A report undertaken by the Centre for Future Work at the Australia Institute sought out some strategies on how Aussie workers can skip the burnout trend in 2025.
As previously reported on HR Leader, around 82 per cent of Australian knowledge workers felt burnt out in 2024, with more than a third (36 per cent) of workers feeling very or extremely burnt out.
To avoid these statistics from carrying over into 2025, Fleur Heazlewood, author, leadership expert, and founder of the Blueberry Institute, believes that wellbeing needs to be put first.
“When your phone runs out of battery, you charge it, but typically, you would begin to charge it before it completely runs out, which is effectively what Aussies are doing daily to themselves,” Heazlewood said.
“People need to start looking at their wellbeing for performance as opposed to currently where ‘it’s a reward for results’ mindset.”
Heazlewood pointed out three ways that workers can actively avoid burnout and instead thrive in the upcoming year:
Resilience: “People believe you either are or you aren’t resilient. But the reality is it is a skill set that can be developed. By strengthening this skill, individuals can better manage stress, pressure and the demands of everyday life.”
Wellbeing: “Wellbeing is like a muscle; you need to be using it. People let go of their wellbeing New Year’s resolutions because it becomes too hard, when you don’t see results.”
Growth Mindset: “Approach each day with optimism, a ‘what can I learn and gain from this’ mentality, rather than spiralling down a negative funnel.”
“Changes you can make to create a healthy mindset 2025 include strengthening coping and perspective-taking skills, which can include mediation and breathing techniques, helping people manage stress and pressure effectively,” Heazlewood said.
Heazlewood added that mental health and wellbeing education has to be moved beyond just HR teams and offered organisation-wide.
“Mental health and wellbeing literacy needs to move beyond HR through educating leadership teams. Teaching leaders to recognise the signs of stress, burnout and mental health issues, businesses can better support their teams and create a healthier work environment,” she said.
“Moving into 2025, a priority on wellbeing, building resilience and adopting a growth mindset are key steps to ensure a happy and healthy, new year, new me, personally and professionally.”
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Employees experience burnout when their physical or emotional reserves are depleted. Usually, persistent tension or dissatisfaction causes this to happen. The workplace atmosphere might occasionally be the reason. Workplace stress, a lack of resources and support, and aggressive deadlines can all cause burnout.
Kace O'Neill
Kace O'Neill is a Graduate Journalist for HR Leader. Kace studied Media Communications and Maori studies at the University of Otago, he has a passion for sports and storytelling.
