Many employers are trying to deal with symptoms of The Great Exhaustion and collective burnout, like by switching to four-day weeks, offering mental health support and introducing mental health days. But these measures are often tokenistic rather than things that lead to real change for their employees.

Amber O’Brien, founder of Headworks (a mental health at work training and consulting company) and registered mental health nurse, says this is a significant part of why people are struggling with their jobs right now: “There is no point in telling employees to do more yog a or drink less alcohol to reduce stress if ultimately they work in a culture that is bad for their mental and physical health.”

So what meaningful steps can employers actually take to deal with The Great Exhaustion? O’Brien stresses that it mostly comes down to education. “Training managers in understanding stress and mental health is vital in ensuring that they know their role in minimising the risk of burnout in their team,” she says. “Companies must ensure that they truly embed a culture of work/life balance, and managers must lead by example.”

Part of the reason people are feeling so drained right now is because they are being given the option to work less with greater flexibility and annual leave allowances, but ultimately they’re being looked down on if they do work less as a result – it’s a choice paradox that can create more stress than it solves if the working environment is toxic.

The Great Exhaustion: why we’re all experiencing an absolute, overwhelming feeling of emotional exhaustion