This article is featured in The Daily Telegraph and is republished with permission.
Welcome to 2026 – the year we stop, take a breath and try to get through the year without suffering what’s haunting more than 70 per cent of us: the great Aussie burnout.
What starts as exhaustion soon leads to stress, general depletion, brain fog and living a 24/7 life.
Then comes depression, anxiety and the overwhelming feeling every day is a marathon for which you haven’t trained.
It’s a feeling Beauticate founder Sigourney Cantelo, seven-time world surfing champion Layne Beachley and mental and emotional fitness expert Tess Brouwer know all too well.
It’s been two years since Sydney mum and wellness advocate Cantelo checked herself into a rehab facility for exhaustion, anxiety and an overwhelming sense of not knowing how to cope.
Like so many other Australians, she was burnt out, running on empty and unable to refuel enough to make it through another day. But unlike so many, she did something about it.
“I think, coming out of South Pacific Private Hospital, I had learned so much about myself and my limiting self beliefs that I had been holding on to,” says the former beauty magazine journalist.
“And I think so much success and so much of what we do is … trapped by our own beliefs around ourselves that came from childhood, and so many of us don’t strive, don’t do that extra thing because we’re scared.
“There’s so much fear. And I had so much fear. And I got to a certain point in my career, but there were things stopping me and I couldn’t go beyond that – and I think I was a bit bored as well with the beauty stuff and having done that for so long.
“I was like, ‘How do I find purpose? How do I find meaning in what I’m doing?’.
“And coming out, it was so clear. I just needed to just talk about this stuff. I now know that’s what I needed to do, and so the (Beautiful Inside) podcast was like such a natural progression, and now I feel so grateful and excited that I get to talk and learn and satisfy my own curiosity and connection.”
Since her three-week self admission, Cantelo – who has also since been diagnosed with ADHD – admits surviving burnout is a work in progress.
“I’m still doing therapy here and there; I’m not seeing a therapist at the moment, but I sub in different types of therapies,” she says.
“So, for a little while I was working with a traditional talk therapist counsellor and a somatic therapist … and because I had a
lot of trauma, they said my pain and all my chronic illnesses could be due to trauma held in the body.
“That’s what I’m learning a lot more about: the mind-body connection.
“What’s stored in our body and what we haven’t unleashed, it’s like opening that Pandora’s box.”
Cantelo says everyone has their own struggles, and since her rehab experience, many of her followers have sought treatment and told her about their journeys to wellness.
“I’ve had people say, ‘I wouldn’t have done it if I hadn’t seen you and your story and now I’ve got help and now I’m feeling better’,” she says.
“It’s a real privilege to have that connection with people that you don’t even know.
“Everyone suffers. And having all the trimmings and all the money or career or whatever – sometimes the saddest people are the highest in their career, and I interview them all the time for the podcast.
“It’s amazing how much pain and suffering is there, and how much trauma. These super-successful people that I interview, they are driven, they’ve got the fire in their belly from something that happened in their past. They’re having to prove something or they want to be loved and respected and admired.”
Big names who have fronted her Beautiful Inside podcast include comedian Celeste Barber, who also has ADHD, model and skincare company founder Miranda Kerr, fashion designer Pip Edwards and lipstick queen Poppy King.
“I think my biggest thing is that I’m struggling to not work constantly,” Cantelo says of the daily juggle.
“I realised that I’ve been in a state of fight or flight my whole life.
“It’s doing different things, like breath work, obviously, and I’ve got this vagas nerve stimulator that’s like an electric pulse thing I use sometimes, and red light therapy.
“But also the free things, like sunlight, like the beach, walking, running, meditation.
“When I’m doing that mindset stuff, it makes all the difference for me personally, because I’m just in a more positive frame.”
Avoiding alcohol when she can also makes a big difference to Cantelo’s mindset and subsequent motivation.
She says she learnt to stop once each day and ask herself ‘OK, what do I need? What am I feeling? What’s that pain? What is that saying to me?’.
“So it’s just forcing yourself to stop, which is so hard,” Cantelo says.
“I was always just blinkered, running through life – like so many of us – just focusing on what I had to get done that day, thinking about the kids, thinking about what to cook for dinner. ‘I need to clean that thing, I need to take those supplements’ – it’s just that internal chatter.”
‘The body whispers before it screams’
World champion surfer Layne Beachley knows the brutal force of burnout more than most.
“Ironically, we all teach what we need to learn, so burnout has not been isolated to a single moment or time in my life,” the Awake Academy co-founder says.
“Chronic fatigue syndrome is synonymous with high-performing athletes, and the way I pushed my body, both in and out the water, led me down this garden path twice.
“The body whispers before it screams.
“The strength of my mindset drowned out the screams and decided they were just another challenge to push through and overcome; the more broken I became, the harder I worked.
“Injuries, anxiety, isolation, depression, self-doubt and self-sabotage are clear signs of burnout, and I wish I’d recognised this earlier.
“Now in my early 50s, I’m in constant pain management.”
Beachley says chronic fatigue syndrome took her to some “pretty deep, dark, lonely places”.
“Suicidality scared me into asking for help, but first I had to accept I was unwell,” she admits.
“Then I forgave myself for my bad choices, reached out for help to a member of my dream team and took assertive action to get myself back on track.
“Very few people have earned the right to share in our pain so we have to be discerning about who we connect with.
“Now I have learned the importance of micro breaks and consistency I’m able to avoid the depths of burnout while maintaining high performance.”
Beachley says a one-size-fits-all approach to overcoming burnout doesn’t exist. It requires a toolkit of resources, life hacks and tips customised to the individual.
“My favourites are a daily meditation practice, intentional breathing, hydration, vitamin C, quality sleep, a safe sounding board and sunshine breaks,” she says.
And like so many, staying grounded is a work in progress.
“The hamster wheel of life is familiar and easy to ride when I’m convincing myself how much I love doing what I do,” she says.
“The thing is, I do love my work, but I don’t love feeling overwhelmed, worn out and unable to reserve any energy for fun things with loved ones.
“It’s hard to say no to things I love, but it’s even harder saying no to the people I love. “Choose your hard.”
The stats are definitely pointing to more people suffering, with more than 70 per cent of Australians identifying as being burnt out – a figure Beachley calls ‘startling, scary and unsustainable’.
“Saying no is really challenging,” she says. “When we keep saying yes to everything and everyone, we are essentially saying no to ourselves.
“Everyone is more worthy of our time and energy than us – this results in burnout, and so the cycle continues.”
So, how can we best equip ourselves to cope and not only survive each day, but be the best versions of ourselves? Beachley says understanding yourself and what drives your behaviour is a great place to start.
“We see ourselves through the eyes of the people we love the most, so if they are let down, we feel let down,” she says.
“Most expectations are stealth in nature, so it’s healthy to challenge these assumptions by having the conversations with people who your decisions impact the most.
“For example, before my husband (INXS musician Kirk Pengilly) and I go on holidays, we discuss what our expectations are so we both feel seen and heard and have our needs met, which prevents any resentment, guilt or unnecessary arguments.
“And self care is the most important thing we can do to remain selfless. It makes us happier, healthier, more purposeful, more present and more successful. I’m surprised it’s not a subject at school.
“Busy is not a badge of honour. If we want to shift expectations to empathy, intensity to intention and pressure into passion, slowing down is imperative to achieve happiness. Prioritising ourselves is as simple as choosing to do so. Give yourself permission to slow down and prioritise your recovery.
“If you want to show up for others, we must show up for ourselves first.”
What burnout actually asks you to do is the scary thing
Leading mental and emotional fitness expertTess Brouwer survived a life-altering spinal and brain injury in a skiing accident in 2018, and had to rebuild her life from the ground up. That experience fuelled the co-founder of Beachley’s Awake Academy in her mission to help others reset, rebuild and rise stronger.
Together, she and Beachley have spent the past five years guiding more than 5000 leaders at organisations like Coles and KPMG to build sustainable success without burning out.
Last year Awake Academy celebrated its fifth birthday with the launch of The Awake Collective, a 12-month virtual membership which includes live monthly masterclasses. They also launched the podcast A Wake Up Call to talk about what it truly means to thrive in work, life and leadership.
“Burnout showed up in my life dressed as success,” Brouwer says.
“I thought my input would always equal output because that is what we are taught.
“Work hard, do more, push through. But burnout flips that story on its head.
“The more depleted you become, the more mistakes you make, the more reactive you become, the more your relationships take the hit.
“I see it in myself: snapping at my loved ones, feeling disconnected from myself, moving through life with irritation instead of joy.
“I was treating my recovery from injury the same way I treated big work projects: lists, plans, stacking my week with appointments, signing up for every self-help course.
“I was trying to manage my recovery with productivity, and I completely cracked under that pressure. Burnout convinces you that doing more will fix the problem. It never does.”
She says what burnout actually asks you to do is the scariest thing: To stop and actually listen to the messages your body has been trying to send you for months, or even years.
“My wake-up moment was simple but profound,” Brouwer says. “I opened my eyes one morning and felt nothing.
“No spark. No curiosity for the day. No sense of myself. That was the day I understood I was not stressed; I was burnt out. My therapist told me to go home, eat the effing chocolate and watch The Kardashians.
“She wanted me to simply stop.
“And she was right. I didn’t know how, and I see this with the thousands of people we coach. We don’t know how to get off the hamster wheel.”
Brouwer got through it very slowly, and with a lot of honesty.
“I had to let go of the belief that I could push my way out of exhaustion,” she says.
“I realised I had spent my life being a do-it-all machine. When I hear myself thinking like that now, I know I am stepping into danger.
“When I suddenly find myself searching for random holidays or facials because I desperately need to switch off, that is my big red flag.
“I could not outsource rest. I had to learn how to live it.
“Our brains are efficiency machines. They always search for the easiest path, even if that path is harmful. That is why we reach for the phone instead of heading outdoors for a few minutes of sunlight.
“Five minutes of scrolling feels easier than stepping outside for five deep breaths. They both give us a hit. One drains our dopamine. The other restores it. The difference is enormous.”
She says awareness is the thing that keeps her well, not perfection.
“I have a backpack loaded with tools that I have learnt and that work for me,” Brouwer says. “I’m a mum of four, a business owner and I coach people on this topic – I have to walk the talk, but no one is perfect.
“Knowing what to use when is my superpower.
“Burnout is rising everywhere, and interestingly, the world is now seeing more harm from presenteeism than absenteeism.
“People are turning up, but they are not well. They are distracted, overwhelmed, irritable and disconnected. Life is heavy. People are juggling too much and recovering too little. It is not that people are incapable. It is that they are carrying far more than humans were ever designed to hold alone.
“We are chasing the perfect life, but at what cost? If there is one thing burnout has taught me, it is the value of choosing 80 per cent and done over perfect and depleted.
“Perfectionism is a trap. It keeps us performing for expectations that were never ours in the first place. I often ask myself, ‘Whose approval am I trying to earn by doing more, scheduling more, or showing up everywhere?’. It is rarely my kids. They do not want a perfect mother. They want a present one.
“This is why I refuse to do chores on a Sunday. I let the house breathe. I let myself breathe. I trade spotless benches for messy hands and full hearts. Some of my favourite memories are days spent in the garden, dirt under our nails, then takeaway on the lawn.
“That is the real magic. Not the chores. Not the to-do list. The messy, lived-in moments that actually matter.”
‘Wellness is not selfish’
Zena Burgess, CEO of the Australian Psychological Society, says many Australians are experiencing burnout and are turning to psychologists for support, as they face work-related stress alongside rising cost-of-living pressures.
Burnout is a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress. Dr Burgess says it occurs when you feel overwhelmed, emotionally drained, and unable to meet constant demands.
She says, where possible, complete your tasks for the week before the weekend, so you can mentally let them go and not think about them. Disconnect from work-related technology, don’t check work emails or texts, and set strong boundaries. Engage in mindful activities. Yoga, meditation or nature walks can enhance relaxation.
“Rest improves focus, creativity, and decision making,” Burgess says. “Overworking can lead to mental fog, while stepping away can help rejuvenate mental clarity.
“Preventing burnout requires you to focus on stress management and self-care and understanding that there is a difference between stress and burnout.
“Seek support from friends, family and peers and if you’re struggling or feel overwhelmed, it’s important to check in with a trusted health professional like your psychologist.”
Wellbeing Australia director Maria La Pietra says while Australia is a nation known for its laid-back lifestyle, it’s not surprising that more and more Australians are feeling anything but relaxed.
“The Australian lifestyle is no longer just about backyard barbecues and beach holidays,” she says. “Rising costs of living, longer work hours and digital overload have fuelled a culture of ‘always on’. Productivity is often celebrated more than rest.”
La Pietra says sleep issues, irritability, and difficulty concentrating are now common complaints and wellness is not just about eating well and exercising, it’s about looking after the whole person: body, mind and spirit.
“Wellness is not selfish; it is foundational for sustainable living,” she says.
“And escaping burnout is not about adding more to our to-do list.
“It’s about shifting our mindset, valuing rest, play and connection as much as productivity. “Wellness must be woven into the everyday, not reserved for holidays or when illness strikes.
“Burnout is not inevitable.
“By reclaiming our time, setting boundaries, nourishing ourselves, moving our bodies and leaning into connection, we can restore balance in a fast-paced world.”