Burnout at Work - Am I to Blame?
Exhaustion is rising. Boundaries are fading. And too many people call it normal.
In my latest monthly column for the Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger I ask what burnout really tells us about our choices, our habits, and the responsibility we have for our own balance. Because true performance doesn’t come from endless pressure, but from recovery, clarity, and care.
Burnout is not a trend. I have seen people who suddenly could not go on anymore. Out of their jobs, out of their routines, out for months. Some never fully came back. I have felt the first warning signs myself: inner restlessness, constant fatigue, emotional instability. It is a slow process that often goes unnoticed until it is too late. Yet burnout is still treated as if it strikes out of nowhere. In reality, it is usually the result of many small decisions we make, or fail to make, every day.
The numbers make the scale visible. According to the World Health Organization, about 15 percent of employees worldwide show clear symptoms of burnout. In Germany, almost 30 percent of workers feel permanently exhausted. It is a silent crisis that cuts across industries and hierarchies. But the question remains: are we only victims of this development, or do we have more control than we think?
Of course, employers also share responsibility. High pressure, lack of clarity, and poor leadership all contribute to exhaustion. But if we are honest, the greatest leverage still lies with us. Complaining changes nothing. What matters is whether we are willing to take responsibility for our own balance. Even someone who works twelve hours a day, which should be the exception, not the norm, still has twelve hours left to shape consciously. The question is: do we shape them, or do we let ourselves drift?
As a physician, I know that knowledge workers need recovery just as much as professional athletes. Cristiano Ronaldo is still performing at the top level at 40, not because he trains more than anyone else, but because he invests just as much energy in recovery. We should do the same. Real performance is only possible when we take rest seriously and make it intentional.
The good news is that the most important things that protect us from burnout cost nothing. Sleep is the most effective way to reduce stress. Seven to nine hours per night are not a luxury but the foundation for mental and physical performance. Healthy eating does not have to be more expensive than fast food. On the contrary, those who rely on fresh, simple ingredients give their body what it needs and often save money in the process. Exercise does not require a gym membership. A walk, a short run, or a few minutes of yoga in the morning are enough. What matters is consistency.
There is also one challenge that many underestimate: our screens. Screen time is not only a problem for children. Adults, too, often spend hours in the evening on YouTube or social media and end up neither rested nor enriched. True recovery requires digital discipline. Reading, listening to music, spending time with family and friends, these are the things that truly recharge us.
It sounds simple, but it is not. It takes discipline and clear choices. Yet that is exactly where the opportunity lies. We are not powerless. We can take control. Employers can create the right environment, but sleep, food, movement, and digital habits are our own responsibility. No one can take that on for us. The responsibility is ours. No excuses.
Burnout is real, but it is not inevitable. Those who take themselves seriously and actively create recovery can stay strong and healthy, even in a world that keeps getting faster. Real performance does not come from constant stress but from clarity, balance, and self-care.
From Nothing comes Nothing