What Leaders Can Do to Prevent Burnout: 9 Proven Tips

Burnout doesn’t occur overnight, but it can happen gradually with mounting expectations and relentless pressure. According to data from SHRM’s Employee Mental Health in 2024 Research Series, 44% of 1,405 U.S. employees surveyed feel burned out at work. 

To remain effective, leaders have to avoid reaching that breaking point. That means identifying early warning signs, establishing boundaries, and prioritizing work-life balance. 

Learn more about preventing burnout in yourself so you can better lead your team. This article will cover the symptoms to watch out for and nine strategies for protecting your mental health in the workplace.

What’s Burnout? The Hidden Cost for High-Performing Leaders

Job burnout is a state of intense physical, emotional, and mental fatigue caused by prolonged or unmanaged stress. Being burned out typically stems from a few factors:

• Excessive workload: Constantly juggling more responsibilities than time allows creates ongoing pressure and can lead to chronic stress and emotional exhaustion.
• Lack of control: Even in leadership, feeling sidelined from key decisions (like setting goals or shaping processes) can cause frustration and disengagement.
• Poor workplace culture: Environments with ineffective communication and limited support for work-life balance can quickly drain leaders’ motivation.

Feeling exhausted or overworked is just the beginning. Aside from decreased work performance, burnout can contribute to anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues if left unchecked.

6 Common Burnout Symptoms Leaders Shouldn’t Ignore

For high-performing leaders, job burnout often hides in plain sight. Here are six burnout symptoms that may fly under the radar but indicate burnout is on its way.

1. Persistent Exhaustion

For many, burnout begins with a deep sense of fatigue that doesn’t improve with rest. This persistent exhaustion can result in a noticeable drop in productivity. Even routine tasks may start to feel like a challenge. 

2. Heightened Frustration

When workplace stress accumulates, it can manifest as irritability or impatience with colleagues and clients. Minor frustrations that were once easily dismissed can suddenly trigger strong reactions. This emotional sensitivity can create tension within the team, making it difficult to maintain a positive work environment.

3. Loss of Drive

One of the telltale signs of burnout is a lack of motivation or passion for work. Tasks and projects that used to excite you may start to feel tedious, and you could find yourself disengaging from responsibilities and losing sight of your goals.

4. Physical Complaints

Burnout isn’t only a mental or emotional experience — it also affects your physical health. Physical symptoms of burnout include recurring headaches, muscle tension, and even sleep disturbances like insomnia. These symptoms are the body’s way of signaling it’s under too much stress.

5. Withdrawal From Others

When you suffer from burnout, withdrawal can be a way to cope with the emotional strain of workplace demands. You may start skipping meetings, social interactions, or team activities. This behavior might seem insignificant, but it weakens trust and connection with your team over time.

6. Decreased Concentration

Burnout can also make it harder to concentrate, and even simple decision-making can feel overwhelming. For instance, you may zone out during meetings or find it hard to complete simple tasks. This mental fog increases the likelihood of mistakes, missed deadlines, and miscommunication.

How To Recover From Burnout: 9 Effective Strategies

These nine strategies will help you reduce the risk of burnout and support your recovery when stressors take their toll.

1. Identify and Address Early Signs of Stress

Avoiding burnout starts with recognizing early warning signs, such as irritability, decreased productivity, and withdrawal. To stay balanced and in control, you may need to lighten your workload or implement healthier habits like scheduling breaks and practicing mindfulness.

2. Establish Boundaries and Stick to Them

Clear boundaries between work and personal time help you avoid exhaustion. Set specific work hours, including minimizing after-hours calls, emails, and messages. By modeling these boundaries, you set a precedent for the rest of the organization and allow yourself to fully recharge outside of business hours.

3. Create a Healthy Work-Life Balance

A healthy work-life balance helps reduce stress and opens up for much-needed relaxation. As a leader, promote workplace policies that balance professional demands with personal lives. Use flexible scheduling, remote work options, and time off for family or personal matters to support your overall well-being. 

4. Make Self-Care a Priority, Not an Afterthought

Whenever possible, adopt policies that elevate self-care, such as comprehensive wellness programs and flexible work schedules. This holistic approach encourages behaviors that nurture all aspects of well-being, such as exercise, meditation, and personal hobbies. These acts of self-care help replenish mental and physical resources. 

5. Keep Your Body and Mind Active

According to the Mayo Clinic, exercise increases the production of endorphins and helps you manage the negative impacts of stress. So, look for opportunities to challenge your body and mind whenever you can. 

Keeping your mind active is equally important. Learning a new skill, exploring a creative outlet, and taking on a mentally engaging project can also significantly boost your mood — especially when paired with regular physical exercise.

6. Schedule Regular Breaks During the Workday

Taking frequent, short breaks throughout the day is one of the simplest yet most effective ways to prevent mental fatigue. Even a few minutes away from your screen to walk or stretch can make a real difference. These intentional pauses allow your mind and body to reset, helping you regain focus and return to your work more energized.

7. Delegate Responsibilities and Hire an Executive Assistant

Doing too much at once is a common burnout trigger. One way to prevent this is implementing a delegative leadership style. This hands-off approach gives team members the autonomy to make decisions so you can focus on making high-level decisions instead of day-to-day operations. 

Another way to avoid burnout is to delegate time-consuming responsibilities to a dedicated executive assistant. An Athena Assistant gives you the support you need to sidestep burnout completely. From managing inboxes to streamlining schedules, Athena Assistants handle the tasks that weigh you down so you can focus on future growth.

8. Build a Trusted Inner Circle

Leadership can be lonely, and that isolation is fertile ground for burnout. Without emotional and strategic support, it can be hard to maintain the resiliency needed in high-pressure roles. That’s why it’s so important to cultivate a support system of mentors, peers, and advisors who understand the pressures of leadership. Having people you can turn to for perspective and encouragement lightens your emotional load and keeps you grounded.

9. Regularly Reconnect with Your “Why”

Take time to reflect on your mission, values, and long-term vision. Reconnecting with the motivation behind your work can reignite meaning and clarity, a powerful antidote to burnout. When your leadership is anchored in purpose, motivation becomes more sustainable.

Get Started With an Athena Assistant

Burnout isn’t just a personal risk — it’s a liability to your leadership. A trusted copilot who tackles the everyday chaos and keeps burnout at bay could be the answer. An Athena Assistant manages the endless flow of emails, meeting requests, and admin overload that can silently drain your energy. 

Athena Assistants undergo extensive training and have a one-on-one coach and network of peers supporting them. By streamlining workflows and anticipating needs, Athena Assistants create more space in your schedule for rest, reflection, and self-care. 

Want more breathing room in your schedule and time for recharging your batteries? Get started with an Athena Assistant today.

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