Workplace burnout will persist without meaningful organisational change

I feel cracked. My foundation feels shaken, and there is so much in motion that I sometimes feel like I am losing my grip. It is what I call being undone – a state where you continue functioning, showing up and producing, while quietly falling apart inside.

Perhaps that feeling is more common than we admit.

Many people live with the constant worry of being replaced or not delivering at their full potential. In South Africa, where unemployment remains painfully high, that fear is amplified. We hold tightly to our jobs because they provide security, even when the work itself becomes the source of stress, sleepless nights, anxiety and emotional exhaustion.

It is difficult to let go when finding another opportunity is uncertain.

But this raises an uncomfortable question: What does job security really look like if keeping your job costs you your peace of mind?

We often speak about productivity, resilience and performance, but rarely do we ask what a mentally healthy workplace actually feels like. Is it a workplace where people are free to admit they are struggling without fear of being judged? Is it one where rest is encouraged rather than seen as weakness? Is it one where employees are valued for their humanity, not only for their output?

Pressure to constantly excel

For many professionals, mental health becomes an afterthought. Every day is spent trying to outperform yesterday, proving your worth, responding to emails, meeting deadlines and convincing yourself that you are still enough. The pressure to constantly excel leaves little room to simply exist.

I have felt undone before. I have tried to convince myself that everything was in order, even when joy was nowhere to be found. Outwardly, I was productive. Inwardly, I was surviving.

That experience made me question what mental stability actually looks like. Is it the absence of stress? Probably not. Life will always bring uncertainty. Perhaps mental stability is the ability to navigate life’s demands without losing yourself in the process. It is knowing when to pause, when to ask for help, and when to recognise that your value is not determined solely by your productivity.

My experience is personal, but it is far from unique.

SA is facing not only a labour crisis but also a workplace mental health crisis. With unemployment remaining above 32%, millions of employed South Africans live with the unspoken fear that losing a job could mean financial catastrophe. That fear often drives people to accept excessive workloads, remain silent about burnout, and prioritise performance over wellbeing.

The consequences are significant.

Research shows that more than one in three South African employees experiences excessive daily stress, while over 70% of workers report being disengaged or actively disengaged at work. Beyond the personal toll, poor mental health is estimated to cost the South African economy approximately R161-billion each year through reduced productivity, absenteeism, presenteeism, and staff turnover.

Overwhelming workloads

The burden is not shared equally. Healthcare professionals working in under-resourced public facilities report some of the highest levels of burnout, fuelled by overwhelming workloads, emotional strain, and limited organisational support. Public servants, educators, social workers, and many blue-collar workers face similar pressures.

Women experience an additional layer of responsibility, with many carrying what researchers describe as the “mental load”, the invisible planning, caregiving and emotional labour that continues long after the workday ends. About 40% of South African women report feeling burnt out, while more than half say their stress levels have increased over the past year.

These statistics tell us something important: burnout is not simply an individual failure to cope. It is often the predictable outcome of workplaces and economic systems that demand more than people can sustainably give.

This is why workplace mental health deserves more than annual wellness campaigns or motivational talks. It requires serious research, courageous leadership and meaningful organisational change.

We need to better understand how job insecurity, organisational culture, unrealistic workloads, financial stress, digital overload and broader economic pressures shape employees’ wellbeing. We also need policies that protect people as intentionally as they protect productivity.

Education

Education has an equally important role to play. Mental health literacy should become part of workplace culture, helping employees and managers to recognise the early signs of burnout, understand healthy boundaries, reduce stigma and create environments where seeking support is viewed as strength rather than weakness. Without education, many people will continue to normalise chronic stress until it manifests as anxiety, depression, physical illness or complete emotional exhaustion.

Research consistently recommends practical ways to protect mental wellbeing, even when circumstances remain challenging:

• Establish clear boundaries between work and personal life.
• Take regular breaks throughout the working day.
• Prioritise quality sleep, exercise, and healthy routines.
• Stay connected to supportive family members, friends and colleagues.
• Seek professional support before stress becomes overwhelming.
• Use annual leave to genuinely recover rather than catch up on unfinished work.
• Remember that sustainable excellence depends on sustainable wellbeing.

These recommendations may sound straightforward, but they become difficult when survival is the priority. That is why responsibility cannot rest on individuals alone. Employers, policymakers, unions, health professionals and society all have a role to play in creating workplaces where people can thrive, not merely endure.

Being undone is not failure. Sometimes it is your mind telling you that something needs to change.

The future of work should not be measured only by productivity, profitability or performance. It should also be measured by whether people can leave work with enough energy to live meaningful lives beyond it.

Perhaps the real question is not how much more we can endure, but how we can build workplaces where success and mental wellbeing are no longer in competition. Because no one should have to sacrifice their mental health simply to earn a living. DM