It’s that time of year where everyone is tired, busier than ever and in desperate need of a break thanks to burnout.

As the year comes to a close, social commitments and pre-Christmas gatherings usually have people booked, plus there’s the added stress of planning for the holidays and winding down at work.

The Black Dog Institute says burnout can leave people feeling isolated, trapped, cynical or disengaged.

Some of us experience a lack of life satisfaction. We might procrastinate, be irritable, feel exhausted or drained and have disrupted sleep.

RMIT human resource management and people-analytics lecturer Asanka Gunasekara and senior lecturer in business administration Melissa Wheeler warn that burnout can have a negative impact on many aspects of one’s life.

“It has negative psychological, relational and physical consequences and can be devastating for many if not managed appropriately,” they said.

“Even though the end-of-year burnout could be a result of chronic workplace stress that has not been managed, or something in our personal lives, it’s difficult to separate ourselves from the different domains that we belong to – work, family, community, private self.”

Which is why, as we hurtle through the last weeks of a busy year, now is a good time for people to take charge of their wellbeing and make small steps to ensure burnout is a thing of the past. Here are some simple tips to help cope with the seasonal rush.

With work and Christmas just ahead, many people experience burnout.

Stop playing the victim, use self-care

Everyone is tired. Often, in chats about stress and tiredness, that leads to unhelpful “one-upping” in discussions.

Gunasekara and Wheeler said bragging about how burnt out we are “perpetuates the need to always seem busy or to always be doing more”.

“It puts pressures on others to compete with these norms and match these hyperbolic narratives,” they said.

“Instead, challenge this bragging or self-victimisation by encouraging our friends and colleagues to seek self-care opportunities and to role model healthy work life balance in our own lives.”

In addition, Gunasekara and Wheeler suggest a “total leadership approach”. Their research, in conjunction with Anne Bardoel from Swinburne University, found that concentrating on improving one aspect, like self-care, can have a beneficial spillover into other areas of life, like work.

Start fresh in 2024

Many people have time off over Christmas or New Year. Our experts suggest taking advantage of it.

They warn that nearly everything in the modern world is done with a sense of urgency – and it’s important to question that.

The feeling of needing to respond to a text message ASAP or completing an urgent task at work can make people feel overwhelmed.

Those who are lucky enough to get a break over the holiday period could consider a digital detox, even if that sounds utterly terrifying. But unplugging from technology for a defined period of time can be good for your wellbeing – and that of those around you.

Put your phone down and have a digital detox to combat burnout.