Burnout Isn’t Just Exhaustion – It’s Clinical Depression and Anxiety | with THE CORPORATE BURNOUTS PODCAST

Why Burnout Is More Than Exhaustion

Lauren Davis:
Hi, I’m Lauren Davis, and this is Beneath the Busy, a podcast where we look at what really causes burnout and how we can learn to live, lead, and work in a sustainable way.

Towards the end of last year, I was a guest on the Corporate Burnouts podcast, where we discussed what burnout really is, how it links with depression and anxiety, and what mindset shifts we need to make in order to stop burnout in its tracks.

I’m resharing this episode here today because I think it’s important to hear these things earlier on in the year so that potentially you can make one small behaviour shift, or change your thinking pattern in one small way, that can help you live and work more sustainably throughout the year so that you don’t end up crawling to the deadline.

So enjoy, and I hope that there’s something you can take out of it that can help you live, lead, and work more sustainably for the rest of the year.

Host:
Welcome to the podcast, Lauren Davis.

Lauren Davis:
Wow, thank you. Thanks so much.

I’m really excited. As you can hear from my accent, I’m not from America. I’m from South Africa, and it’s really exciting to be here and have the opportunity to talk about a topic that, as you can hear, is very close to my heart.

Just a bit about my background: I’m a clinical psychologist by training and have worked in the corporate space for over 20 years. I combine my understanding of human behaviour, how our unconscious works, and what drives our behaviour with a deep understanding of organisations, the world of work, and the stresses and strains that come with it.

So that’s what I’m here to talk about today.

Host:
It sounds like you’re just the expert we’ve been needing to hear from because we know all about burnout and exhaustion from experience. But hearing it from the clinical side of things and really understanding not only how to identify what’s happening while it’s happening, but what to do about it and how to combat it, is incredibly valuable. So I’m excited to have you on.

Lauren Davis:
Thank you.

Host:
Yes, me too.

We’ve done our best to talk about burnout and let people know they’re not alone, and that there’s nothing inherently wrong with them. Often it’s the structure around us that’s causing the problem. We’ve shared ways to avoid burnout and work through it, but we’re not mental health experts.

We really want your help today to dig into how burnout affects mental health. We talk about how it impacts your life, your physical wellbeing, and all the symptoms people experience, but we need a clinical psychologist to explain what’s actually happening inside people so they can understand it and hopefully recover from it.

Lauren Davis:
I really appreciate that because I think a lot of the conversation, literature, and even the support available tends to focus on the lifestyle impact and the physical side of exhaustion.

What isn’t being spoken about enough is that burnout often presents clinically as depression and anxiety.

There’s actually no official clinical diagnosis of burnout. It doesn’t exist in our diagnostic manuals, and you can’t claim from medical aid or insurance for burnout specifically. But if we look at the symptoms, what we often see is depression and/or anxiety.

More recently, we’re also recognising links to post-traumatic stress disorder. For some people, the chronic exposure to what I call the “little traumas” can create significant post-traumatic symptoms.

So burnout has a very clinical picture, but we don’t necessarily talk about it that way. There’s still stigma and shame attached to depression and anxiety. In many ways, it’s easier—and sometimes even seen as a badge of honour—to say, “I’m burnt out” than to say, “I’m depressed” or “I’m anxious.”

The Mental Health Reality of Burnout

Host:
Absolutely. We joke about our corporate trauma all the time, but extensive burnout over a long period really can create trauma. Your body stores that experience and remembers it, which is pretty wild to think about.

Host:
And talking about symptoms that resemble PTSD sounds dramatic at first, but it’s also incredibly relatable.

When something triggers you and takes you back into that place, that’s exactly what it feels like. You immediately think, “I’ve been here before and I don’t want to go back.”

It’s a very visceral response.

I think calling a spade a spade is exactly what we need to do. Depression, anxiety, PTSD—these are serious mental health issues, and if burnout is contributing to them, we need to understand that so people can get the support they need.

Lauren Davis:
Exactly.

Unfortunately, we’ve normalised phrases like “I’m so burnt out” or “I’m exhausted.” It’s become part of everyday language.

But for someone who has truly experienced burnout, hearing those phrases used casually can feel dismissive.

The symptoms are severe. The experience is chronic. Recovery can take two, three, four, or even five years in some cases.

This isn’t about needing a restful weekend.

When you’re experiencing burnout, you’re often dealing with depression, anxiety, panic attacks, chronic exhaustion, emotional overwhelm, and trauma-related symptoms.

It’s not something you simply “get over.”

And I think if we place burnout within a mental health framework and view it through a clinical lens, people will start taking it more seriously.

Recognising the Early Warning Signs

Host:
What are some signs that someone is moving beyond a stressful week and into something more serious—depression, anxiety, or burnout?

Lauren Davis:
That’s a great question.

Firstly, burnout exists on a continuum, just like depression and anxiety. It ranges from mild to severe.

The goal is to identify it early.

We all know the physical symptom of exhaustion, but I prefer the word depletion.

If you’re simply exhausted, you can usually rest, sleep, take some leave, and feel refreshed.

With burnout, that doesn’t happen.

You can sleep for hours and still wake up exhausted.

That’s often one of the first signs.

Another major indicator is difficulty concentrating. People often think they’re distracted because they have too much on their plate, but with burnout, even if you’re only focusing on one thing, you still struggle to concentrate.

There’s also forgetfulness because your brain simply isn’t functioning at full capacity.

One of the most distressing signs is reduced productivity.

The people who burn out are usually high performers. They’re used to carrying huge workloads and accomplishing a lot.

Then suddenly they can’t.

And instead of recognising burnout, they think:

“Something is wrong with me.”

“I’m not trying hard enough.”

“I need to push harder.”

So they work longer hours and push even more, which only deepens the cycle.