With 2025 limping over the finish line, many of us feel less like we’re “winding down” and more like we’re being held together by caffeine, calendar alerts, and sheer willpower. 

We tend to blame work for that bone-deep exhaustion — long hours, tight deadlines, demanding bosses — but emerging research suggests burnout isn’t just born in the office. 

In fact, a recent Norwegian study found fewer than 30 per cent of people experiencing burnout symptoms pointed the finger at their job alone. 

Instead, it’s the quiet pile-on of life itself: family pressures, ageing parents, finances, health worries, relationships, and the emotional weight of juggling it all. 

So the year has now ended and the tank is running, do we need to rethink what burnout really is? 

Bill speaks with Dr Marny Lishman, Doctor of Psychology and mindset coach, to help unpack the modern, messier reality of burnout.