Australia's growing connection deficit is driving burnout

Australia's growing connection deficit is driving burnout

As we approach the end-of-year rush, burnout is often seen as an individual problem, but as an RMIT expert suggests, it is also deeply shaped by the environments in which we work and live.

Dr Saima Ahmad, Senior Lecturer in Business Administration:

"Workplace burnout is rarely the result of workload alone. It often emerges when high demands are combined with insufficient recovery, limited control, competing priorities, and a lack of meaningful support. Encouraging people to simply be more resilient overlooks the organisational conditions that contribute to exhaustion in the first place.

"Social connection is one of the most important psychological resources people draw upon during periods of high stress. When people feel isolated or disconnected, sustaining motivation and wellbeing becomes much more difficult.

"Recent Mental Health Australia research found that two-thirds of Australians believe we are becoming more disconnected. Only 21% report feeling very connected to their friends, family, neighbours or community, and 64% say that feeling connected and having a sense of belonging positively impacts their mental health. 

"These broader trends remind us that burnout does not occur in isolation; it exists within a wider context of declining wellbeing and growing psychological strain.

"For leaders, the question at this time of year should not only be whether people are meeting deadlines, but whether they are finishing the year with enough psychological capacity to recover and start the next one well. 

"As organisations prepare for the year ahead, improving a sense of belonging may be just as important for preventing burnout as managing workload."

Dr Saima Ahmad, Senior Lecturer in Business Administration and Health and Safety Representative, School of Management, RMIT University. Dr Ahmad's research explores employee wellbeing, leadership, workplace relationships, and the organisational conditions that support healthy and sustainable work. 

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General media enquiries: RMIT External Affairs and Media, 0439 704 077 or news@rmit.edu.au

28 October 2026

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28 October 2026

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