Battling burnout: When caring takes its toll

Burnout is silently destroying the well-being of healthcare workers – the very people we rely on for care. Mental health occupational therapist Maphefo Masegare explains that burnout is more than tiredness; it's a deep loss of motivation, purpose, and energy, often only recognised once it’s already taken hold

The healers among us, the very people we entrust with our health and well-being, are facing a growing threat: burnout. Picture devoting your life to caring for others, only to find your own energy fading and your sense of purpose slipping away. Recognising the signs and supporting healthcare workers are crucial to addressing this growing crisis.

Occupational therapist Maphefo Masegare, who works in the mental health psychiatry field of occupational therapy, underlines burnout as a burning issue affecting many people in the healthcare sector.

“The first aspect of burnout is that it has to do mostly with your work. Feeling a lack of motivation towards work, feeling a sense of having an oppositional or more like an antagonistic view towards your work, you don’t feel as motivated about your work as you used to before, and perhaps you can also be resenting your work, including that feeling of exhaustion.”

Signs of burnout

“Someone dealing with burnout doesn’t have the energy as well. Someone who used to be very goal-driven just becomes another day at the office. As long as I do 50% and that’s it, you know? So those are signs that we look for as health professionals that you are either burnt out or on the verge of burnout.”

Masegare shares her personal experience of burnout.

“When I was still starting as a therapist, I definitely did experience burnout, and I had no idea what is this I just didn’t feel motivated to do my work, and I think I only learned about burnout after I had burnout. So, I think the most important thing for a healthcare professional is to understand burnout.

“We are very good at preaching it to our patients, but it’s very important at this moment to not just practice what we preach, but to preach what we practice. So we need to understand what burnout is and what it looks like in ourselves, especially in this profession of caring for others.”