High-Performance Burnout: Why Sydney Professionals Are Struggling to “Switch Off” in 2026

If you’re a Sydney professional who looks “fine” on the outside but feels permanently on edge on the inside, you’re not imagining it. More people are describing a very specific pattern: high output, high standards, high responsibility… and a nervous system that can’t downshift.

In 2026, burnout isn’t only showing up in people who dislike their jobs. It’s increasingly affecting people who are capable, conscientious, and achievement-driven – often the very people others rely on most.

Recent Australian data points to how widespread this has become. Beyond Blue reported that a community poll found half of respondents had experienced burnout in the last year. Another national workplace survey reported 21% experiencing “severe burnout” (persistent or complete burnout) in 2024, increasing compared to earlier results.

This article unpacks what “high-performance burnout” looks like, why switching off has become so hard (especially in fast-paced cities like Sydney), and what evidence-based strategies can help you recover – without giving up ambition or meaning.

What is “high-performance burnout”?

Burnout is usually described as a work-related syndrome involving:

• Exhaustion (physical, emotional, cognitive)
• Cynicism or detachment (feeling numb, irritable, or disconnected)
• Reduced sense of effectiveness (even when performance remains high)

High-performance burnout is a common pattern within this. The person continues to deliver – sometimes exceptionally – while internally running on depleted reserves. You might still be meeting deadlines, leading teams, or caring for clients… but you’re doing it with:

• shrinking recovery time
• constant mental load
• rising anxiety or irritability
• a growing sense that you’re “never really off”

It’s often maintained by traits and environments that are praised at work: perfectionism, high conscientiousness, strong responsibility, and a tendency to put others first.

Signs you’re burnt out (even if you’re still functioning)

Burnout doesn’t always look like collapsing. In high performers, it often looks like coping harder.

Cognitive signs

• You can’t mentally “close tabs” at night
• Decision fatigue; small tasks feel strangely hard
• More mistakes than usual, or triple-checking everything
• Reduced creativity and strategic thinking

Emotional signs

• You feel flat, numb, or less empathic than usual
• Irritability spikes (especially at home)
• Anxiety ramps up when you stop working (weekends feel uneasy)
• Dread on Sunday afternoons

Physical signs

• Waking unrefreshed despite sleep
• Headaches, gut symptoms, muscle tension
• Frequent colds or lingering fatigue
• “Tired but wired” at night

Behavioural signs

• Procrastination alongside overworking (a classic burnout loop)
• Scrolling, snacking, drinking, or gaming to “switch off”
• Withdrawing socially because it feels like one more demand
• Working during recovery time “just to catch up”

If you recognise yourself here, it’s worth taking it seriously. Burnout can overlap with anxiety and depression, and it can also increase risk of substance use, relationship strain, and longer-term health problems.

Why switching off is harder in 2026

1) Work has become more boundaryless

Hybrid work, flexible hours, and global teams have many benefits – but they can blur endings. When your laptop is always nearby, your brain learns that you’re never fully done.

That’s part of why Australia introduced a “right to disconnect”, which allows employees to refuse unreasonable out-of-hours contact. Even with legal protections, culture often lags behind. Many professionals still feel an unspoken expectation to be responsive, available, and “on.”

2) High workload + meeting overload + unrealistic deadlines

These are consistently reported drivers of distress. Allianz research highlighted work pressure, meeting overload and unrealistic deadlines as key factors in employee mental distress, and noted increases in psychological workers’ compensation claims over time.

In Sydney industries like finance, law, consulting, tech, healthcare, construction, and senior leadership roles, workload intensity can be treated as “normal.” Over time, the body treats it as chronic threat.

3) The nervous system adapts to urgency

If you spend years in high-stakes environments, your physiology can become conditioned to adrenaline. When you finally stop, you may feel:

• restless
• guilty
• strangely empty
• anxious

That’s not a character flaw – it’s a predictable biological response. Your system has learned that stillness equals vulnerability or “falling behind.”

4) Cost-of-living pressure adds a second layer

When financial pressure is high, rest can feel “unearned,” or productivity can become a safety behaviour: If I work harder, I’ll feel more secure. Unfortunately, the brain then struggles to stop working, because stopping triggers threat.

5) Burnout is increasingly seen as a workplace health and safety issue

In NSW, workplaces have duties to manage psychosocial hazards – things like high job demands, low control, poor support, role conflict, bullying, and exposure to traumatic events. This matters because it frames burnout not only as an individual resilience issue, but also as a systems issue: job design, workloads, expectations, and leadership all shape risk.

The high-performance burnout cycle: Why it keeps going

High-performance burnout tends to develop gradually, often driven by the very traits that support professional success. It usually starts with high standards and a strong sense of responsibility. As pressures grow, you may work longer or harder to maintain performance – and to ease the anxiety of falling behind. Over time, recovery shrinks, sleep suffers, and focus requires more effort.

Rather than stepping back, many high achievers respond by pushing even harder, which temporarily protects performance but deepens exhaustion. Work can begin to feel like the one place where you remain competent and in control, even as it drains you. Eventually, switching off may trigger guilt or restlessness, making it tempting to return to work for relief – and reinforcing the cycle.

Importantly, these patterns are not signs of weakness. They reflect strengths such as diligence and commitment. Burnout emerges when strategies that once supported success are stretched beyond sustainable limits. Recognising the cycle is the first step toward changing it.

Evidence-based ways to recover (without giving up your ambition)

Recovery is not just “take a holiday.” Holidays help, but if the patterns and pressures don’t change, burnout returns quickly. Think in three layers:

Layer 1: Regulate the nervous system (daily, not occasionally)

When your body is stuck in fight/flight, you can’t think your way out of burnout. Try:

• Downshift rituals (5–10 minutes) at the end of work: short walk, shower, music, stretching, or a “commute substitute” if you work from home.
• Physiological sigh breathing (a double inhale through the nose + long exhale) for 1–2 minutes when you feel wired.
• Light + movement early in the day (even a short walk). It supports circadian rhythm and stress regulation.
• Micro-recovery during work: 60–120 seconds of standing, breathing, or looking outside between meetings.

The goal is not to be calm all the time. It’s to teach your body that it’s safe to exit urgency.

Layer 2: Reduce rumination and “always-on” thinking

High performers often have a mind that won’t stop problem-solving. The trick is to redirect it, not fight it. Helpful strategies:

• Cognitive offloading: Keep one trusted place to capture tasks (not multiple apps). End the day by writing: your top 3 priorities tomorrow, what can wait, and what’s done (yes, include wins).
• Worry postponement: Set a 10–15 minute “worry window” earlier in the evening. When worries show up later, note them and postpone.
• Thought ‘defusion’: Name the process: “My mind is doing the ‘if I stop, I’ll fall behind’ story.” This creates distance without engaging or arguing with your thoughts.

Layer 3: Rebuild boundaries in a way that works in real life

Boundaries are not only personal; they’re negotiated within systems. The “right to disconnect” can support you here, especially if your workplace culture is unclear about after-hours contact. Practical boundary moves:

• Define “response tiers”: what is truly urgent vs what can wait until morning.
• Set default communication norms: delayed send, clear subject lines, meeting-free blocks.
• Protect 2–3 anchor points each week: exercise class, family dinner, therapy, hobby – non-negotiable where possible.
• State your availability clearly instead of hinting: let others know when you’re reachable, when you’re not, and that you’ll respond the next business day unless something is genuinely urgent.

If you’re in leadership, boundaries are contagious. What you model becomes culture.

What therapy can help with (when burnout is high-performance flavoured)

Therapy for high-performance burnout usually focuses on both symptom recovery and pattern change. Depending on your needs, evidence-based approaches may include:

• CBT: addressing unhelpful beliefs (e.g., “rest is laziness,” “I must be available”), sleep support, behavioural experiments.
• ACT: building psychological flexibility, values-based boundaries, reducing struggle with internal experiences, defusing from thoughts.
• Schema therapy: when burnout is driven by long-standing patterns like unrelenting standards, self-sacrifice, or approval-seeking.
• Compassion-focused strategies: reducing harsh self-criticism that keeps the system in threat mode.

You don’t need to wait until things fall apart. Early support often shortens recovery and helps prevent the same cycle repeating.

A calmer, more sustainable version of “high performance” is possible

High performance doesn’t have to mean high strain. Many Sydney professionals do their best work when they have:

• clear priorities
• realistic workloads
• strong recovery rhythms
• boundaries that protect relationships and health

Burnout recovery is often about shifting from infinite output to sustainable impact – and learning that switching off isn’t a reward for finishing everything; it’s part of what makes good work possible.

Want support?

At MyLife Psychologists (Sydney-based or telehealth available Australia-wide), our team supports adults navigating burnout, anxiety, perfectionism, stress, and work-related pressure using evidence-based approaches. You can book a free 15-minute call with our Care Coordinator to find the right-fit clinician.

References & Resources