Work stress and burnout
In capitalist societies, we’re often taught, implicitly or explicitly, that our work is closely tied to our sense of worth and identity. While the type of work people do varies, pressure, responsibility, and high expectations are common experiences.
Burnout is marked by ongoing exhaustion, reduced motivation, cynicism, or a sense that nothing you do is ever enough. It can arise through paid work, caregiving, activism, parenting, or other roles where responsibility is high and support or rest is limited. Many people experience burnout not because they don’t care, but because they care deeply while carrying too much for too long.
Individual and organisational responsibility
Burnout is often spoken about as an individual problem, something to be managed through better boundaries or self‑care. While these can be important, they are only part of the picture. Workplaces, organisations, and systems play a significant role in shaping conditions that lead to burnout, including workloads, expectations, resourcing, power dynamics, and cultures that normalise overwork or silence distress. In this sense, self‑care is not just an individual responsibility, but an organisational one as well.
A key reality in this area is constrant
Many people cannot easily change their circumstances. Work, financial pressure, and caring responsibilities are often not optional, particularly in the current social and economic climate.
This work focuses on navigating burnout within these limits. Rather than pushing responsibility back onto the individual or encouraging change that isn’t possible, the emphasis is on understanding how pressure is affecting you, identifying what is within your control, and finding ways to relate differently to work, care, and responsibility. Even when circumstances remain difficult, strengthening a sense of agency can help life feel more breathable and less overwhelming.
