Less Expected Causes of Burnout… and How to Realign.
Burnout & Values Misalignment
Burnout isn’t just about long hours or heavy workloads, it’s also about the psychological and emotional meaning of the work. If the environment, culture, or tasks conflict with your personal values, it can create chronic stress that can lead to exhaustion, cynicism, and reduced sense of accomplishment.
When your daily work clashes with what truly matters to you, stress builds up. It’s like swimming against the current, exhausting and unsustainable.
Acceptance & Commitment Therapy teaches us that values are compass points. These values can help guide you toward the life you want to live.
What are values?
Values are the core beliefs and principles that guide how we live and what matters most to us. They’re not fixed goals, but directions that give meaning to our choices. For example, valuing growth, connection, or honesty. Living in line with our values brings purpose and energy, while losing touch with them can contribute to stress and burnout.
Examples of values:
Acceptance – being open to thoughts, feelings, and experiences
Adventure – seeking new experiences and challenges
Caring – showing kindness and concern for others
Compassion – treating yourself and others with warmth and understanding
Connection – building close, meaningful relationships
Contribution – making a positive difference in the world
Courage – standing up for what matters, even in the face of fear
Creativity – expressing imagination and originality
Fairness – acting with justice and equality
Fitness/Health – looking after your body and wellbeing
Flexibility – adapting and being open to change
Fun/Playfulness – bringing lightness and humour to life
Growth – developing knowledge, skills, and self-understanding
Honesty – being truthful and genuine
Independence – standing on your own feet, making your own choices
Common ways conflicting values can create burnout:
Acceptance – A workplace culture that discourages openness about challenges, mistakes, or emotions.
Adventure – Roles that are highly repetitive, with little scope for variety or new experiences.
Caring – Heavy workloads and time pressures that limit opportunities to support colleagues.
Compassion – An environment where self-care is undervalued and empathy is seen as unproductive.
Connection – Siloed teams, limited collaboration, or competitive dynamics that discourage relationship-building.
Contribution – Work that feels disconnected from meaningful outcomes or goes unacknowledged.
Courage – Fear of criticism or negative consequences for raising concerns or offering new ideas.
Creativity – Overly rigid procedures and micromanagement that stifle innovation.
Fairness – Perceived inequities in workload, recognition, or advancement opportunities.
Fitness / Health – Extended hours, limited breaks, or lack of organisational support for wellbeing.
Flexibility – Strict rules around schedules, location, or methods that do not allow adaptation.
Fun / Playfulness – A culture that prioritises seriousness to the point of discouraging lightness or humour.
Growth – Limited access to professional development, mentoring, or skill-building opportunities.
Honesty – Pressure to withhold information, present misleading narratives, or remain silent about issues.
Independence – Excessive oversight or lack of trust in employees’ judgment and decision-making.
Ways to Re-Align with Your Values at Work
Acceptance – Practice acknowledging your own limits and emotions; model openness by normalising conversations about challenges.
Adventure – Seek out new projects, stretch assignments, or problem-solving opportunities that add variety.
Caring – Build in small moments to check in with colleagues; recognise and celebrate their efforts.
Compassion – Prioritise self-care strategies (breaks, boundaries) and show understanding toward others’ difficulties.
Connection – Schedule time for genuine conversations, team collaboration, or mentoring relationships.
Contribution – Link daily tasks to the broader mission or community impact; remind yourself how your work matters.
Courage – Take small, deliberate steps to voice ideas or concerns respectfully, even in challenging contexts.
Creativity – Suggest new approaches, propose improvements, or carve out time for brainstorming.
Fairness – Advocate for equitable processes; model fairness in how you delegate, share credit, and make decisions.
Fitness / Health – Protect time for breaks, movement, and healthy routines; encourage wellbeing practices in your team.
Flexibility – Where possible, negotiate work styles or schedules that fit your needs; practice adaptability in turn.
Fun / Playfulness – Introduce lightness through humour, team activities, or informal moments of joy.
Growth – Pursue training, mentoring, or stretch goals that align with your career development.
Honesty – Communicate transparently; set boundaries kindly but firmly when expectations are unrealistic.
Independence – Look for opportunities to take ownership of tasks and demonstrate reliability to build trust.
When your surroundings and responsibilities reflect what truly matters to you, it supports mental clarity, emotional balance, and overall well-being. By identifying core values and integrating them into daily life, clients can create environments that foster growth, resilience, and a deeper sense of fulfilment.
Check ins:
What are some of your values?
Where might there be a misalignment in your work or personal life?
What small changes could you make to bring you closer to what matters?
Resources:
Read More on Your Values: https://www.actmindfully.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Values_Checklist_-_Russ_Harris.pdf
Understanding The 6 Stages of Burnout (Maslach): https://cliniclesalpes.com/blog/what-are-the-6-stages-of-burnout/