Where Does Burnout Come From?

As the year draws to a close, mental well-being is very much on my mind. Before the rush of the holidays adds another layer of stress, I’ve been reflecting on what it really takes to function at our fullest potential every day. The truth is, we all carry a multi-dimensional weight of responsibility—showing up for our families, friends, colleagues, and ourselves. Over time, this relentless balancing act begins to chip away at our mental health. In the workplace, that erosion often shows up as burnout.

Burnout isn’t just “feeling stressed.” According to the World Health Organization, it is a clinically recognized syndrome caused by chronic, unmanaged workplace stress. Its symptoms—exhaustion, cynicism, and reduced effectiveness—can turn even the most engaged employees into people who withdraw, disengage, or simply shut down. Burnout isn’t just a personal struggle; it’s an organizational issue that reflects the margin companies leave for their people’s health and well-being.

Recent data underscores the scope of the problem. Nearly 75% of American workers report feeling burned out (Aflac). Gen Z and Millennials—who now make up more than half of the U.S. workforce—are reporting the highest stress levels, with Gen X not far behind. In fact, collectively these three generations account for 85% of today’s workforce, meaning the vast majority of working Americans are carrying significant levels of stress into their jobs.

The sources of that stress are layered and complex. The AFLAC report highlights that heavy workloads are the single biggest driver. Anyone who has faced unmanageable deadlines or mounting to-do lists knows that chronic overload quickly tips from motivating challenge into overwhelming strain. But workload alone doesn’t tell the full story.

Gender plays a role, too. Seventy-five percent of women report being stressed at work, compared to 58% of men. The gap is partly explained by what happens outside the workplace. The American Time Use Survey shows that women continue to shoulder a disproportionate share of household and caregiving responsibilities. This “double load” means that even when women leave the office, they often step straight into a second shift of unpaid labor at home. Over time, this unequal burden compounds stress and makes workplace burnout harder to avoid.

Financial insecurity adds another dimension. Nearly 46% of employees say they could not last one month without a paycheck (Aflac). That dependence creates a trap: many feel stuck in jobs that harm their mental health but cannot afford to step away or take a pause. When more than half of employees believe their company doesn’t genuinely care about their well-being, the outlook for long-term career sustainability looks bleak. While surveys provide useful data, the heart of the matter lies in workplace culture. Burnout is not random—it’s shaped by how organizations structure work, support people, and align values.

One of the most consistent drivers is unmanageable workloads. Year after year, many employees are asked to do more with less. This isn’t efficient or cost-effective management. In fact, it leads to attrition, expensive turnover, and stagnation. Organizations that fail to staff adequately ultimately lose ground, because innovation and progress only happen when people have the capacity to deliver at their best.

A second driver is lack of control. When subject-matter experts are denied influence over decisions, priorities, or workflows, motivation quickly erodes. Imagine leading a project and designing processes rooted in best practices, only to have key decisions handed down by someone less connected to the work. It’s easy to see how disengagement follows—and burnout soon after.

Burnout also flourishes in toxic or performative cultures. An authentically supportive culture amplifies growth at every level: leaders mentor, managers develop their teams, and communication is clear and constructive. Mistakes are treated as opportunities to learn. In contrast, performative cultures rely on slogans and corporate catchphrases. Recognition flows only upward, transparency is absent, and employees are left to fend for themselves. The result is predictable: rising burnout and declining trust.

Value conflicts add another layer. Work becomes unsustainable when employees are asked to act in ways that conflict with their principles. Ethics, at its core, is about shared standards of conduct and respect. When alignment is missing, people feel out of step—outsiders in their own organizations. History reminds us, however, that those “outsiders” are often the ones who ultimately stand on the right side of ethics and progress.

Finally, personality dynamics can be the tipping point. As the saying goes, people don’t leave jobs—they leave managers. Unrealistic demands, faux-urgent deadlines, performative feedback, and endless rounds of edits that add no value all chip away at well-being. Even when workloads are manageable, poor leadership or difficult colleagues can create the chronic stress that fuels burnout.

When you step back, a clear pattern emerges: burnout isn’t simply an individual failing or a matter of “toughing it out.” It’s systemic. It reflects the way organizations design jobs, manage people, and support (or fail to support) human needs. As Harvard Business Review notes, burnout is about the workplace—not the worker.

That’s where the conversation must begin. Because if we continue to treat burnout only as an individual problem, we’ll never solve the organizational conditions that cause it. Instead, we need to center the conversation on systems, leadership and culture. 

👉  Stay tuned for Part 2 on ways to recover from burnout