Rising workplace stress levels make way for a new job description: ‘burnout coach’

Jana Cook has suffered from burnout twice in her professional career. Both episodes began with a gradual onset of signs and symptoms – including trouble sleeping, extreme fatigue and difficulty completing basic tasks – which culminated in having to take up to six months’ leave from her corporate job to recover.

“In both instances there was a tipping point – a moment in time where I just kind of felt like I ‘broke,’ ” said Ms. Cook, who currently lives in Claresholm, Alta. “I went from doing all of the things, to doing none of the things.”

Ms. Cook did eventually recover, learning important lessons about slowing down and stress management in the process. She now draws on her own experiences to help others, marketing herself as a “burnout prevention and recovery coach” for people worn down by the corporate grind.

“Burnout coaches” and “burnout recovery specialists” are increasingly popping up across Canada, the United States, Britain, Australia and Europe. Rarely are they licensed therapists or psychologists – instead they are usually people who, like Ms. Cook, have obtained certification from the International Coaching Federation and have spent a great deal of time researching workplace burnout and its causes.

Other burnout coaches have taken courses in stress-reduction techniques, mindfulness, even hypnosis.

While their backgrounds may vary, all burnout coaches cater to the growing number of workers who say they are stressed out, overwhelmed and struggling to cope.

A November, 2023, survey of 765 Canadian professionals by human-resources consulting firm Robert Half found 42 per cent of respondents felt burned out on the job, with 36 per cent of respondents saying they were more burned out than they were a year ago.

“Burnout” is not a formal medical condition, but the World Health Organization recognizes it as an “occupational phenomenon” resulting from chronic workplace stress. According to the WHO, burnout is characterized by feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion, negativity or cynicism related to one’s job and reduced professional efficacy.

Beyond the physical symptoms, burnout coaches often guide their clients to make lifestyle changes, such as limiting emails in the evening and learning how to say no. They can also assist burnout sufferers with planning a return to work after a stress leave, or help them plot a career change.

While working with a burnout coach may be helpful for some, said Houyuan Luo, a registered psychologist with Mind-Peace Psychology in Toronto, it’s important to recognize that it is a new and unregulated industry. “The biggest problem with unregulated professionals is that they cannot be held accountable by anybody if something goes wrong,” Dr. Luo said.

“People should know they also have the option of working with regulated professionals like psychologists, psychotherapists, and social workers – people who are properly trained and where there is a regulatory body for them.”

But the rise of the burnout coach shows a growing societal awareness of the consequences of burnout – both at the personal level and the corporate level, where managers should be concerned about the costs to the organization when burned-out employees quit or need to take extended leaves to get better, Ms. Cook said.

“It can take someone years to get to this state of being burned out and exhausted. It doesn’t happen overnight and therefore recovery doesn’t happen overnight either,” she said.

“I mean, you’re looking at six to 12 months, easy.”