From Burnout to Belonging

"Burnout recently hit a 10-year high in the United States, with a report from Glassdoor revealing a 32% year over year increase in employee discussions of burnout from Q1 2024 to Q1 2025. This growth also represents a 50% increase over the period immediately before the start of the pandemic. While many factors contribute to workplace burnout, one of the most commonly cited is a lack of recognition."

"According to Johnson, "Everyone shows up to work wondering one thing: Does what I do here actually matter? When that answer feels like 'no,' the human brain starts pulling the fire alarm. Feeling valued isn't a nice-to-have-it's oxygen." When employees lack that sense of belonging, engagement drops, and job stress can escalate, eventually contributing to burnout. In fact, research reports show that burned-out employees are three times as likely to search for another job, while mental and emotional exhaustion harms creativity, problem-solving."

Burnout recently hit a 10-year high in the United States, with employee discussions of burnout rising 32% year over year from Q1 2024 to Q1 2025 and 50% higher than pre-pandemic levels. Lack of recognition is a commonly cited contributor to workplace burnout, causing employees to feel undervalued, disengaged, stressed, and less well. Feeling valued and a strong sense of belonging protect employees from burnout, support creativity and problem-solving, and reduce turnover risk. Recognition aligned with core values boosts motivation, retention, and performance. Embedding appreciation into daily routines fosters sustained engagement and a positive workplace culture. Burnout also elevates risks of anger, anxiety, depression, sleep disturbances, and substance misuse.

Read at Psychology Today