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In this week’s newsletter

The Burnout Doctor is now published!

Why burnout is harder for some of us (clue: it’s down to intersectionality)

Catch up:

This week in “life is a lot” news…

I have recently been featured in the Sunday Times and OK Magazine to help promote my book, The Burnout Doctor.

Then- I finally launched my book last week at BookHaus in Bristol. We had a 100% turn out which quite literally blew my mind.

At the event, we had some incredible conversations. One really struck a chord, which was centred around intersectionality and burnout.

The development of burnout is so much more than simply being exposed to stress at work. It’s about how all the different layers of who you are—being a mum, your race/ethnic background, dealing with financial pressure, health struggles, discrimination, family expectations, neurodivergence—collide with work stress. And if you’re carrying extra layers of stress simply because of who you are, your burnout risk isn’t the same as everyone else’s.

And yet, most workplace wellness advice just ignores this 🙃

Let’s dive into this a bit deeper.

Becoming a Phoenix, part 10

Burnout doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It’s easy to think, If I just worked fewer hours, I’d be fine, or I just need better boundaries. But if it were that simple, so many of us wouldn’t be on the edge of burnout despite knowing exactly what we "should" be doing.

The reality? Your ability to manage stress isn’t just about your job. It’s about all the stressors in your life and how they intersect.

Why burnout is harder for some of us

Most workplace burnout advice assumes a level playing field. It’s based on the idea that we all have the same 24 hours, the same support systems, the same access to mental breathing room.

But here’s what often gets ignored:

• Parenting load: If you're the default parent, your workday doesn’t end when your shift does. It just shifts to unpaid labour.

• Racism and bias: If you’re navigating microaggressions or constantly having to prove your worth at work, that’s a whole extra layer of stress.

• Financial and family pressures: If you don’t have a safety net (or you are the safety net for others), saying "just take a break" is laughable.

• Health struggles: Whether it’s chronic illness, mental health challenges, or just exhaustion from doing it all, it all adds up.

And when these layers stack up? The usual stress solutions that we’re told to engage with—like taking a long bath or delegating a little more—aren’t going to cut it.

So, what does help?

Instead of trying to “fix” burnout with surface-level advice, we need to:

✔ Recognise our full stress load – Stop blaming yourself for struggling when you’re carrying way more than the average person. Your exhaustion is valid.
✔ Call out systemic issues – Burnout isn’t just a personal failing; it’s often caused by workplaces that refuse to acknowledge intersectional stress. And, importantly, the issues need to be called out by those that have the privilege and relative psychological safety to do so.
✔ Build a realistic recovery plan – One that factors in your actual life, not some fantasy version where you have endless free time.

If you’re nodding along, thinking, Wow, why has no one said this before?, or wondering, This is me- but where do I even start to make changes?, then you need to read The Burnout Doctor.

It’s not about just surviving work stress. It’s about reclaiming your energy, your boundaries, and your sense of self—without guilt.

Get your copy here.

And if you’ve already read it? Leave a review on Amazon (you don’t need to have bought it through Amazon to review it), send it to a friend, or reply and let me know your biggest takeaway. I love hearing from you!

Have a wonderful week,

Claire

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