The True Cause of Workplace Burnout and Anxiety

For many of us, the dominant emotions we carry into our workplaces each day are those of burnout and anxiety.

These feelings aren’t fleeting moments of stress or fatigue; they are the background noise to our professional lives, seeping into our thoughts and shaping our actions. We dread making mistakes, fear disappointing our colleagues or bosses, and brace ourselves for inevitable criticism or failure.

Our anxieties might seem like a web of specific concerns: the missed deadline, the difficult meeting, or the ambiguous tone of a colleague’s email. But when viewed more broadly, it becomes clear that these fears often stem from a deeper, overarching emotional pattern: the persistent belief that something bad is bound to happen because, at our core, we believe we don’t measure up.

Why Do We Feel Like This?

The root cause is not an unusually hostile workplace, nor a sudden surge in professional expectations—it is, surprisingly, an issue of self-perception: self-doubt, and closely tied to this, unrelenting self-criticism. These emotions transform normal workplace challenges into evidence of personal inadequacy.

The internal logic unfolds like this: if we see ourselves as fundamentally unworthy or incapable, it follows that failure isn’t just a possibility; it’s inevitable. We begin to anticipate being reprimanded, sidelined, or even let go—not because these outcomes are imminent, but because they feel like the only reasonable conclusion for someone as flawed as we secretly believe ourselves to be.

In this state, even the smallest challenges or ambiguities take on outsized significance. A delayed response from a manager becomes a sign of impending disapproval. A minor critique feels like a verdict on our entire character. For those caught in this cycle, a rare moment of professional success or acknowledgement doesn’t feel comforting—it feels suspicious, like a mistake waiting to be corrected.

The Role of Shame in Burnout

At the heart of burnout lies an unrelenting internal critic—a voice fueled by shame. We may not even recognise this voice as separate from ourselves. To the self-critical mind, it seems obvious that we are struggling because we are fundamentally flawed. The idea that our exhaustion or dread might stem from unreasonable expectations or systemic pressures doesn’t occur to us. We’re just sure we’re falling short.

This mindset not only amplifies stress but distorts our perspective, making it harder to see a way out. If we don’t address the root belief—that we are undeserving or incapable—we are left vulnerable to an endless cycle of panic, exhaustion, and self-recrimination.

A New Perspective

To begin to untangle burnout and anxiety, we must first acknowledge how our internal narrative is shaping our experiences. What if the issue isn’t that we’re inherently inadequate, but that we’ve internalised a harsh and unrealistic view of ourselves?

When a wave of workplace anxiety strikes, we might try a thought experiment: How would someone who believes in their own competence approach this situation? Instead of assuming the worst, they might see the delayed email as a neutral event or recognise that occasional criticism is a normal part of professional growth.

Shifting our perspective in this way isn’t about blind optimism or denial; it’s about exploring how much of our dread comes not from external realities but from internalised shame and self-criticism.

The Role of Support

Breaking free from burnout often requires help from others. A supportive friend, colleague, or therapist can provide an outside perspective to counterbalance our inner critic. They can remind us that our fears and self-judgments, while deeply felt, may not be entirely accurate reflections of reality.

The Bigger Picture

Addressing workplace burnout and anxiety ultimately ties into a larger, lifelong task: learning to extend empathy and kindness to ourselves. Much of our self-doubt and fear can be traced back to times when we weren’t sufficiently supported or valued in the past. If we want to change how we respond to challenges, we need to start by rewriting the story we tell ourselves about our worth.

Imagine a workplace—indeed, a world—where shame was replaced with understanding, where mistakes were seen as opportunities, and where self-compassion was the norm. The collective sigh of relief would echo far beyond the office walls.