Navigating stress and burnout: Identifying triggers and reclaiming performance

Written by Dr Meetu Singh, founder and CEO of Oaktree Connect Mental Health Services

In the traditional and modern corporate landscape, high pressure is often treated as a badge of honour, but current data suggests this culture is driving a significant public health crisis.

There is a fine line between a consistently challenging workload and a decline in mental well-being. In the UK, work-related stress, depression, and anxiety which have reached record levels, with approximately 964,000 workers suffering from these conditions in 2024/25 [HSE 2024/25].

This is not just an individual struggle; it is a structural epidemic that now accounts for 52 per cent of all work-related ill health cases across Great Britain.

For business leaders, the economic implications are staggering, as these conditions resulted in 22.1 million lost working days last year alone—an unprecedented increase that places immense pressure on organisational continuity year [Health and Safety Executive].

The financial toll of this crisis is equally significant, with mental ill health estimated to cost UK employers approximately £51 billion annually [Deloitte Mental Health Report].

Research indicates that work-related stress and burnout specifically drain £28 billion from the UK economy each year, driven by a combination of absenteeism, staff turnover, and "presenteeism," where employees are physically present but mentally disengaged.

For the individual, the impact is profound; the average person suffering from work-related stress is absent for 22.9 days per case, a recovery period significantly longer than most other illness categories.

While stress permeates every sector, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) identifies human health and social work, public administration and defence, and education as the most impacted industries in the UK.

Healthcare workers, particularly midwives and nurses, face staggering exhaustion levels, while the education sector has seen the highest percentage increase in hours worked, leading to an average of 5.6 sick days per year.

Beyond the public sector, professional services, finance, and transportation also report higher-than-average rates, with occupational surveys ranking police officers and social workers at the absolute peak of the stress hierarchy.

Even in technical fields, up to 83 per cent of software developers report burnout symptoms due to aggressive release schedules and constant technological shifts [Haystack Research].

The hidden costs for UK SMEs are substantial, with 79 per cent of small business owners themselves reporting symptoms of poor mental health due to the unique pressures of managing cash flow and staff in a volatile market.

This has an added negative impact because every role typically carries more operational weight in smaller businesses, with one person wearing several hats sometimes.

This lack of strategic capacity often results in a reactive rather than preventative approach; research from Mental Health UK indicates that while 91 per cent of adults faced extreme stress last year, SMEs are significantly less likely than larger firms to have formal wellbeing plans, despite the fact that 80 per cent of owners admit these demands leave them feeling isolated.

Despite these challenges, SMEs possess a unique advantage in their ability to foster close-knit, informal cultures where psychological safety can be established more rapidly than in large bureaucracies.

Investing in proactive measures is increasingly seen as a business necessity rather than a "nice to have," as organisations that prioritise mental health report a 30 per cent improvement in employee retention and a 20 per cent increase in engagement.

For the 99 per cent of UK businesses that fall into the SME category, addressing the root causes of stress is a critical lever for boosting long-term resilience and profitability, particularly given that every £1 invested in mental health support can yield a return of approximately £4.70 in increased productivity. 

Importance of managing stress at organisational level

Managing this strain requires a shift from viewing wellness as a perk to seeing it as a strategic necessity. With 79 per cent of UK workers reporting regular workplace stress, the human and commercial cost of inaction is too high to ignore.

Beyond implementing digital boundaries and time management strategies, professionals must recognise that high performance is unsustainable without active recovery.

For organisations, the return on investment is clear: evidence suggests that for every £1 spent on mental health support, employers see an average return of £4.70 in increased productivity [Deloitte Analysis].

Addressing the root causes of stress is no longer just a moral duty; it is a prerequisite for a resilient and profitable British workforce.

How to recognise and prevent stress and burnout

To achieve long-term career sustainability, the answer is prevention rather than a series of reactive fixes.

The red flags

You aren't just "busy" when your work life begins to bleed into your personal time. If you find yourself ruminating on projects at 2 AM, dreading your morning commute, or experiencing uncharacteristic irritability with your team, you are likely facing burnout.

Most of you would know the feeling when your ability feel excited about projects diminishes and is instead replaced by a daunting feeling of a heart sink.

Prevention

Audit your capacity

This begins with a rigorous audit of your personal capacity; by mastering the strategic "no," you prevent the dilution of your professional impact and ensure your energy is reserved for high-stakes deliverables.

Enforce digital boundaries

Stop bringing the office home. Physical and mental disconnection is a prerequisite for recovery. This boundary-setting must be adhered to with a good work life balance even if it seems challenging. Refusing to bring the office home is a prerequisite for cognitive recovery, allowing the mental disconnection necessary to maintain a high level of performance the following day.

Leverage time management

True efficiency rather than just "staying busy" is often found by working on leveraging time management. You may find sophisticated frameworks, such as the Eisenhower Matrix helpful to filter out urgent noise in favour of high-impact objectives. This ensures you are driving value and avoiding a state of perpetual and draining busyness.

Prioritise physical health and fitness

Brief, daily exercise isn't just for health; it’s a cognitive enhancer that builds mental resilience required to navigate complex employment or business management challenges. It is not surprising then that exercise is considered a ‘stress buster’.

Utilise corporate resources

Do not hesitate to engage with your Occupational Health department or HR early when things start feeling hard and you experience any of the features of stress discussed above. Most modern employers recognise that your mental wellbeing is a business asset.

Build a strategic support network

Cultivate a circle of a strategic support network—a circle of mentors and peers outside your immediate reporting line who can offer objective perspective and psychological safety. This will prevent the usual feeling of isolation and loneliness that can be a huge part of feeling low and stressed at work.

Practice radical acceptance

Internally, recognise that even high performers cannot change or control external variables they cannot influence, such as market shifts or an endless volume of correspondence. The practice of acceptance and principle of ‘Keep calm and Carry on’ is a helpful principle to bear in mind.

Conclusion

UK work-related stress has reached a critical level, affecting nearly one million workers and costing the economy over £28 billion annually.

For small and medium-sized businesses, the impact is particularly acute, as long-term absences and disengaged staff can stall entire operations and threaten commercial resilience. For the individuals, it may mean loss of wages, poor quality of life and hindrance to career progression.

To combat this, the attitude must change reactive to proactive preventative stress management as a strategy. This involves self-awareness, know ones own capacity and have the ability to say "no" whilst enforcing strict digital boundaries.

This would allow for mental recovery, building resilience and develop transferable skills whilst performing at your best. The importance of maintaining physical health and mental wellbeing cannot be over emphasised.

A word of caution at the end, stress can sometimes mask deeper mental disorders like clinical anxiety or depression. If your self-management strategies that we have discussed here, are not proving effective, consider consulting a professional such as your GP or a psychiatrist, who will help rule out any treatable causes of you feeling overwhelmed.

Corporate resources like Occupational Health are worth thinking about too as they may refer you to the appropriate professional, if needed.

Oaktree Connect is a mental health clinic with client base throughout England and Wales online with in person clinics in Birmingham and St Albans. We provide assessment, treatment and ongoing care as well as expert occupational health reports for any sector.

Contact us: For Assessments and Mental Health Occupational Reports

References:

• Health and Safety Executive (HSE): Work-related stress, anxiety or depression statistics in Great Britain, 2024/25.

• Deloitte: Mental health and employers: The case for investment - 2024 Update.

• Mental Health UK: The Burnout Report 2025.

• Haystack: Software Developer Burnout Survey.

• https://proactivepersonnel.net/top-10-most-stressful-jobs-in-the-uk