Kadine Cooper, CPCC, also known as Coach K, is a certified coach, facilitator and speaker, specializing in empowering professionals and organizations to reach their full potential. With a focus on personal and professional development, Ms. Cooper leverages her expertise to drive positive change and growth.
For years, we’ve been told to manage burnout with self-care rituals. Take a walk. Do a face mask. Book a massage. As an executive leadership coach, I’m not here to dismiss those practices. But I am here to say this: if a bubble bath could fix what you’re feeling, it would have worked by now.
Burnout isn’t just a bad week or a full inbox. It’s a full-body signal that something is out of alignment, in our work, our boundaries, our expectations or our systems.
And it’s not going away.
Burnout by the Numbers
According to education technology provider Moodle, in the early part of 2025, 66 per cent of American employees reported experiencing burnout.
Among Canadian workers, 42 per cent reported burnout in 2024, up from 33 per cent in 2023, according to recruiting firm Robert Half.
A study by U.K. independent consultancy Barnett Waddingham earlier this year revealed two-thirds of 18- to 24-year-olds and 61 per cent of 25- to 34-year-olds have taken an extended sick leave in the past five years, more than double the rate of older workers, highlighting growing wellbeing concerns in the workplace.
Seven in 10 young professionals are already running on empty. The same study shows 72 per cent of workers aged 25 to 35 say they have experienced burnout.
Burnout has become so common; we almost don’t question it anymore. But what we label as a personal problem is often a workplace one.
Why the old fixes aren’t working
The traditional advice for burnout tends to put the burden on the individual:
- Meditate
- Sleep more
- Take a vacation
These things help, but they don’t solve the root cause. You can’t out-journal a culture that rewards overwork. You can’t nap your way out of a toxic boss. You can’t time-block your calendar when your value is tied to how much you sacrifice.
I work with high-achieving women across industries who look polished on the outside but are falling apart behind the scenes. They’re doing all the “right” things, leading teams, setting goals, meeting KPIs. But they’re exhausted. And ashamed of being exhausted. Because somewhere along the line, we learned being tired means we are weak.
What burnout is really trying to tell you
Burnout is a boundary issue. It’s a values issue. It’s a leadership issue. Sometimes, it’s the result of trying to be all things to all people. Other times, it’s the dissonance between what you’re doing and what you believe in. And more often than not, it’s a systemic issue wrapped in personal expectations.
One of my clients, a senior marketing lead, came to me after a panic attack at her desk. Her performance was top-tier but she lost herself trying to match the pace of her male counterparts, all while managing a household, aging parents and her own internal pressure to “prove her worth.” We didn’t fix her burnout with a checklist. We worked to redefine success on her terms.
Real recovery requires real change
So what can be done? For individuals, it starts with asking better questions:
- Who am I performing for?
- What version of success am I chasing and does it even feel like mine?
- Where have I said yes when I should have said no?
And for leaders and organizations, it’s time to stop treating burnout as an HR initiative and start seeing it as a cultural imperative.
Normalize rest. Reward clarity. Redefine what “showing up” looks like. Because the future of leadership isn’t about who can carry the most. It’s about who can lead from the clearest, most aligned place.
Burnout isn’t a trend, it’s a wake-up call. It’s a signal to stop performing and start aligning. And no, a bubble bath won’t cut it. But a courageous look inward? That just might.