Who Really Pays the Price for Burnout?
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Burnout is everywhere. You can feel it in the exhausted colleague who can't switch off, the manager running on empty, the worker who dreads Monday before Sunday is even over. But here's a question we rarely ask out loud: who should actually foot the bill?
I recently spoke with Brigid Delaney from ABC News for an article titled "Workers pay the price for burnout. Should employers cover the cost?" — and the conversation struck a nerve. Because for too long, we've treated burnout as a personal problem. Something to fix with a holiday, a meditation app, or a long weekend. But burnout isn't a personal failing. It's a systemic one.
Workers don't burn out in a vacuum. They burn out inside organisations — under unmanageable workloads, poor leadership, and cultures that quietly reward exhaustion. Yet when the cost comes due — in lost income, medical bills, therapy, and time — it's the individual who pays.
That's a conversation worth having. And it's one I've been having for a while.
On my podcast Deep Thinking with Dr Steven Stolz, I've dedicated two full episodes to unpacking burnout:
Episode #1 — My own deep dive into what burnout really is and why we keep misunderstanding it
Episode #6 — A fascinating conversation with leading psychiatrist Prof. Gordon Parker on the science behind burnout
Whether you're someone who's experienced burnout firsthand, or a leader wanting to do better by your people, I think you'll find both episodes genuinely eye-opening.
👉 Read the ABC News article by Brigid Delaney for ABC’s Long Read:
“Workers pay the price of burnout. Should employers cover the cost?”
The conversation around burnout is changing. It's time workplaces caught up.
Perfectionism Across the Lifespan: From Childhood Development to Retirement
Perfectionism isn't a static trait—it changes in form and intensity throughout different life stages. In our recent podcast episode, "The Perfectionism Trap: Breaking Free from Impossible Standards," we explored how perfectionist tendencies manifest and impact us at different points in our lives.
This developmental perspective is crucial for understanding both how perfectionism takes root and how it can be addressed most effectively at each life stage. Whether you're a parent concerned about perfectionist tendencies in your child, a professional experiencing mid-career burnout, or someone approaching retirement with anxiety about your legacy, understanding the age-specific manifestations of perfectionism can provide valuable insights.
The Multidimensional Nature of Perfectionism: Understanding Your Type
When someone describes themselves or others as "a perfectionist," they're often using this term as a one-dimensional label. However, as we explored in our recent Deep Thinking podcast episode, "The Perfectionism Trap: Breaking Free from Impossible Standards," perfectionism is far more nuanced.
Leading researchers Drs. Gordon Flett and Paul Hewitt revolutionized our understanding of this trait by demonstrating that perfectionism isn't a single characteristic but a multidimensional concept with distinct types, each with unique origins, behaviors, and treatment approaches.
This multidimensional understanding explains why some people's perfectionism manifests as workaholism, while others experience it as social anxiety or creative blocks. It also explains why one-size-fits-all advice about overcoming perfectionism often fails.
The Perfectionism-Procrastination Paradox: Why High Standards Can Lead to Inaction
Have you ever found yourself putting off an important task because you weren't sure you could do it perfectly? You're not alone. One of the most counterintuitive aspects of perfectionism is how frequently it leads not to flawless execution but to complete paralysis.
This phenomenon, which psychologists call the perfectionism-procrastination cycle, affects millions of people daily—from students delaying assignments to professionals postponing major projects, and even artists unable to begin creating.