Beyond Burnout: Fix Work, Not Ourselves in 2026

It’s that time of the year again… when many of us reach for familiar tools of self-improvement: new planners, fitness memberships, wellness apps, even scented candles to bring about calm and control. The message is clear: I’ll do better in 2026.

And yet, burnout in Singapore refuses to budge. A 2024 online assessment tool by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) found that roughly 1 in 3 Singaporean workers experienced work-related stress or burnout. Gallup’s State of the Workplace 2025 report paints a similar picture, ranking Singapore as the second lowest in employee engagement in Southeast Asia, with 43% of employees feeling burnt out.

If so many of us are exhausted despite trying harder, something isn’t adding up.

What burnout really is, and why it’s not just stress

Burnout is often used loosely to describe feeling tired or overwhelmed. But clinically, it’s something more specific and serious.

“Burnout is a typically work-related syndrome that develops when chronic workplace stress is not effectively managed,” explains Dr Tracie, psychologist at Innerlight Psychological Services. The World Health Organization (WHO) classifies burnout as an occupational phenomenon, marked by three core dimensions:

Exhaustion: Feeling physically, mentally, or emotionally drained and unable to sustain effort at work
Cynicism or mental distance: Becoming detached, negative, or indifferent towards work
Inefficacy: A sense of declining effectiveness or accomplishment, even if you’re putting in a lot of effort

In simple terms, burnout isn’t just “I’m tired,” but also “I can’t keep going.”

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This is very different from regular stress, which tends to spike around deadlines or busy periods, and usually eases with rest. It’s also more reversible — a good night’s sleep, a weekend off, or even a short break is often enough to restore energy and motivation.

Burnout, on the other hand, is chronic and cumulative. Even after resting, people often remain exhausted, detached, and discouraged.

Why burnout persists even when we’re “doing everything right”

According to Dr Tracie, many workers are operating under sustained uncertainty in the workplace and in daily life — rising living costs, job instability, heavier workloads, fear of redundancy with AI, limited support from leadership, and the lack of psychological safety in the workplace. For some, this means settling for roles that pay less — but demand more, which makes it easy for people to feel exhausted or cynical about their situation.

“Workplaces where employees fear voicing concerns, risks, or ideas can lead to chronic anxiety, emotional fatigue, and self-censorship,” she says. “This constant tension can significantly increase the risk of burnout.”

Other reasons include perfectionistic cultures, micromanagement or hypervigilance around tasks, lack of inclusion, and fear of asking for help or setting boundaries. Over time, these environments can erode a person’s energy, motivation, and self-worth — no matter how resilient or capable they may be.

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In response, some organisations in Singapore have begun strengthening workplace cultures and support systems — adopting national guidelines on mental well-being, training leaders to role-model positive behaviours, and creating safer spaces where employees feel supported to seek help and recover.

The Tripartite advisory on mental health and well-being at workplaces has also set out practical measures for employers to adopt and support employee wellness and prevent work stress, which includes monitoring well-being and responding to organisational causes of stress. Employers are encouraged to review HR policies and practices — for example, flexible work and environments, to help support employee well-being.

Alongside the advisory, Singapore’s Handbook on Supporting Employees’ Mental Health provides actionable steps for employers to support their people, such as nurturing positive workplace cultures, establishing workplace support systems through leadership training, and facilitating continued contributions through job redesign.

Burnout goes beyond labels

Burnout is often presented as something to be categorised — caregiver burnout, work from home burnout, COVID burnout, and so on. Dr Tracie cautions against over-fixating on labels.

“Research shows it’s more important to treat the root causes of burnout than to identify the type,” she explains. Between 1974 and 2019, at least 13 different definitions of burnout emerged in academic literature. “It implies that categorising burnout into settings or archetypes may be less prudent than treating and managing common root causes,” Dr Tracie adds.

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What remains consistent, however, is that exhaustion sits at the core of burnout, regardless of context. The takeaway, therefore, is that burnout is less about what kind you have, and more about why it’s happening at all, and what you can do to recover.

What actually helps when you’re burnt out

Recovering from burnout isn’t about quick fixes. It starts with recognition and compassion.

Early warning signs can include disrupted sleep or appetite, chronic worry, physical tension, and losing interest in activities that once felt meaningful. When these appear, Dr Tracie encourages slowing down without self-judgement.

One meaningful intervention is career matching and guidance with Polaris. Burnout often emerges when there is a persistent mismatch between a person’s strengths, values, or working style and what their role demands. Having structured career conversations or tailoring a personalised career development plan can help restore a sense of control and alignment.

Counselling also plays a critical role, not just in crisis moments, but as ongoing support. It provides a psychologically safe space to process workplace stress, perfectionism, imposter syndrome, and complex social dynamics at work, which can help individuals make clearer decisions about boundaries, priorities, and next steps over time.

Boundary setting is another key — and often overlooked — component of burnout recovery. This may mean redefining working hours, learning how to say no without guilt, or renegotiating expectations with managers to protect one’s time, energy, and emotional capacity. When boundaries are respected at an organisational level, employees are far less likely to slide into chronic exhaustion.

Finally, reconnecting with life outside work is important and restorative. Exercise, hobbies, passion projects, and relationships can help rebuild a person’s emotional reserves and remind them that their identity and worth extend beyond productivity.

“These interventions help reduce exhaustion, improve a sense of accomplishment, and restore emotional and physical energy,” Dr Tracie says.

Make a better resolution for yourself in 2026

Remember, being burnt out doesn’t mean you’re weak, lazy, or ungrateful. It means something in your work, or how work fits into your life, needs attention.

As you welcome another new year, perhaps the most compassionate resolution you can make for yourself isn’t to push harder. Instead of vowing to be more productive or fitter, what if the goal was to choose better work environments, create healthier boundaries, and find clearer alignment between who you are and what you do?

If you’re feeling overwhelmed or in distress, immediate support is available in Singapore. These First Stops for Mental Health are available to help identify your mental health needs, provide brief support, and guide you to the most appropriate mental health resource: