Burnout Culture or Bravery Culture? Rethinking Our Obsession with Always Being On
- lizapatoux
- Jun 19
- 4 min read
At this year’s CIPD Festival of Work, one session in particular stayed with me. It wasn’t filled with bold frameworks or the latest in productivity hacks. It was a quieter, more sobering conversation — one that pointed to a culture many of us know all too well.
The session was called: “How do we manage work-life balance while tackling the burnout problem?” And the question felt very real and something many of the attendees were familiar with.
Always On. Always Available. Always Performing.
Professor Heejung Chung, an expert in work and employment at King’s College London, shared a striking insight:
“In a UK survey, 50% of workers said they were checking and responding to emails outside office hours.”
It’s not that anyone formally tells us to do this. In fact, many employers claim to support boundaries. But somewhere between the company line and the team culture, a different message takes hold — one that quietly reveres responsiveness over rest, urgency over reflection, and exhaustion as a badge of honour.
A Familiar Script
I recognised the script.
That subtle, self-imposed pressure to always go the extra mile — to be helpful, available, impressive. In my early days in the media industry, I genuinely loved the work and fed off its fast pace.
But over time, I barely noticed how a “quick favour” here and a “just one more thing” there began to bleed into my evenings. The container of the working day became more porous, more malleable. And because I had the energy and enthusiasm, I didn’t question it.
Maybe I secretly glorified the graft, equating availability, eagerness and hunger to learn with value. And saying yes — especially for those of us prone to people-pleasing — felt like proof that we were committed, useful, indispensable.
But commitment is not the same as sustainability. And dedication shouldn’t come at the expense of wellbeing.
The Bravery in Boundaries
Professor Chung was clear:
“This isn’t a ‘nice-to-have’ — it’s essential. We have hard scientific evidence that everyone needs rest.”
She went on to say that “taking holiday is for the company’s benefit” — not just the individual’s. Because companies need peak performance, and peak performance isn’t possible without regular resets.
Yet the tension remains: those who don’t set boundaries can often appear more committed. That’s what’s quietly rewarded in performance reviews. It’s a structural, not just personal, problem.
So how do we rewrite the script?
Barrister Ryan Anderson pointed out that UK law doesn’t currently guarantee a “right to switch off.” So while there might be some protections in place for people with protected characteristics, most of the change we’re seeking won't come from legislation — it needs to come from culture.
From leaders. From teams. From people like us.
From Hustle to Human-Centred
This session echoed the themes I explored in my previous blog on human-centred leadership. There, we heard from Andy Ayim MBE who shared findings from Gallup’s global research:
When people are asked what they most want from their managers, they don’t say “better planning” or “more strategy.”
They say:
Hope
Trust
Compassion
Stability
These aren't soft skills. They're foundational. And they have everything to do with how we manage workload, expectations, and energy.
Andy also reminded us that managers are physical influencers — people’s behaviour often mirrors the tone set by those who lead them. And if we’re leading in a way that says “I’m always available,” we unintentionally reinforce a culture that discourages rest.
That’s not brave. That’s burnout dressed up as bravery.
The Hidden Cost of People Pleasing
There’s another piece here too — one that isn’t often talked about in corporate settings: people pleasing.
What happens when someone feels too uncomfortable to say no to a task that doesn’t serve the bigger picture? Or agrees to stay late because they fear being seen as less dedicated?
We need to stop assigning worth based on how full someone’s calendar is. We need to start asking:
What’s the strategic value of this?
Does this align with our actual priorities?
Is this outcome worth the energy it will cost?
And for the people pleasers — who often say yes to protect harmony — we need to create safer, more trusting cultures where a clear and confident “no” isn’t seen as selfish, but wise.
From Insight to Integration
In my work now, I support individuals — often high-performing professionals — who’ve spent years pushing past their limits. They come to me depleted but driven, ready to find another way.
Together, we explore how to make self-care more than an item on a to-do list. We integrate simple tools and moments of replenishment into everyday life. Not as an indulgence — but as a strategic act of self-respect.
Because this is the real bottom line:
Wellbeing is one of the clearest indicators of sustainable success.
It deserves a place in our KPIs, as Professor Chung said. But it also deserves space in our calendars, our culture, and our conversations.
Final Thoughts: The Courage to Disconnect
This isn’t just about switching off your notifications. It’s about switching on a different way of thinking:
Where rest is not the reward but the requirement.
Where saying no is not defiance but discernment.
Where your presence at home isn’t at odds with your value at work.
Because burnout doesn’t prove your worth. And bravery isn’t in your busyness — it’s in your boundaries.
Want to bring this into your team or organisation?
My corporate wellbeing programmes support high-performing teams to reconnect with their energy, boundaries, and purpose. Whether you're looking to prevent burnout or build emotional resilience into your culture, I help bridge the gap between awareness and action — with tools that are practical, inclusive, and designed to stick.
🔹 Explore my corporate wellbeing offering
🔹 Book a 1:1 session or team workshop
🔹Or start with a short, powerful intro session like Planning for Happiness
📩 Let’s connect here or find out more at eliziandays.com
