Recognising stress and burnout early

Stress can affect thinking, emotions, behaviour and the body. Burnout may develop when sustained high pressure continues without adequate recovery, support or control.

Signs worth noticing

Staff may become irritable, tearful, emotionally numb, forgetful, more defensive, unusually quiet, cynical or unable to switch off after work. They may dread particular shifts, avoid difficult tasks, make more errors or feel nothing they do is enough.

Physical signs include headaches, poor sleep, muscle tension, stomach problems, persistent fatigue or feeling constantly on edge. These signs do not confirm a diagnosis, but they should not be ignored.

Burnout warning patterns

• Exhaustion: feeling drained before the shift starts.
• Detachment: becoming numb, cynical or impatient with patients.
• Reduced confidence: feeling ineffective or afraid of making mistakes.
• Loss of recovery: work stress follows staff home and does not settle.

Look for change from usual

Signs best recognised by colleagues are changes from the person’s normal behaviour. A talkative colleague may become quiet; a calm colleague may become irritable; a reliable colleague may stay late every day and conceal the strain. Noticing change creates an opportunity for supportive conversation before the person reaches crisis point.

Respond kindly and specifically

A useful check-in is concrete and respectful: "I noticed that call seemed difficult and you have been covering phones all morning. Would a short pause help?" This is more helpful than a vague comment about being stressed.

Early support is safer than waiting until someone is overwhelmed or off sick.

Looking after colleagues