Nobody wakes up one morning out of the blue and proclaims, “I’m burnt out.” Rather, burnout has a way of sneaking up on us slowly, then pulling the rug out from under us with unexpected force. From “excessively tired” to “flat,” “uninspired” or just “nothing left to give,” we call it many different things outside its official label. Often, it’s only in retrospect we realise we were dealing with that “burnout” thing everyone talks about, all along.
Collecting responses from 2280 early in career employees (aged 18-34 years), our 2025 Mentally Healthy Workplace survey showed that young professionals are at particularly high risk of burnout. While 53% of EiC professionals reported already experiencing burnout, our subsequent focus groups found that every participant reported the insidious stressors that tend to precede burnout — even if they didn’t explicitly describe them in those terms.
Interestingly, many of the tendencies that leave young professionals susceptible to workplace burnout are those inherited from school and university. While these behaviours may help students achieve high grades and even secure selection in competitive graduate programs, they don’t necessarily translate well to the workforce.
In our recent Thriving from the Start webinar, Sustainable Performance: Navigating Perfectionism, Ambiguity and Feedback, we delved deeper into some of these burnout risk factors. We were joined by Penny Myerscough, Chief Mental Health Officer at Commonwealth Bank Australia and Zainab Nayyar, Inclusion and Wellbeing Specialist at Mallesons to discuss how young professionals (and their leaders) can better identify and mitigate these tendencies early.
Drawing upon Penny’s expert psychologist lens and Zainab’s lived experience as a lawyer-turned-DEI specialist, this session unearthed eye-opening insights into the factors that drive sustainable workplace performance. To help you take action in your own career, read on for some of the key takeaways from the webinar.
Self-enforce limits
If, like many of our focus group attendees, you’re a high achiever or perfectionist, it’s far too easy to fall prey to what Zainab calls “over-polishing.” This is when you go back to a piece of work over and over again, in an effort to make it ‘perfect.’ While this demonstrates diligence, it can lead to neglecting other priorities and missing deadlines — and, thanks to the law of diminishing returns, it doesn’t always yield a meaningful impact on the quality of the final product.
Penny adds while over-polishing is often rewarded in educational settings, it can be a sign of inefficiency or procrastination in the workforce. “At university, we can have high word limits and a flowery way we use language,” she explains.
“In the workplace, time and energy are limited resources... and putting structure around the amount of time you spend on something is a really important transition.”
To implement this structure, Zainab recommends ‘time-boxing.’ This is when you determine a fixed, maximum amount of a specific task is going to take you. Then, set a timer and focus only on that one task during that window. Then, once you’re done, it’s time to move on to do the next thing on your to-do list.
If you feel resistant to handing over work that feels imperfect, Zainab suggests a simple mindset shift. “I reframed quality by asking myself ‘Is this fit for purpose?’ rather than ‘Is this flawless?’ she says. “I define what ‘done’ is before I start… and remind myself that polish is infinite, but time is not.”
Normalise feedback
A recurring theme throughout the webinar was a black-and-white view of feedback. Zainab reflected on her own early experiences a lawyer: an environment known for its limited margin for error. “Feedback felt infrequent, high stakes and often delivered after the fact,” she says. “It felt like a judgment, not a tool.” She notes that while she once avoided feedback at all costs, she now sees it as crucial part of the journey towards good work: not a final outcome.
To help take some of the bite out of feedback, Penny recommends seeking it out early and proactively. This might look like bringing it as an agenda item to a one-on-one meeting with your manager. “Be specific about what you are seeking and how the other person can support you,” Penny advises.
Zainab also shares a useful experiment: The 70% rule.
“When something feels about 70% ready, share it with someone you trust and ask one focused question, such as, ‘Am I on the right track?” or “Is this the level of detail you are after?’
She adds: “You are not asking for a full critique; you are asking for directional input.”
Fill your cup
As cliched as it may sound, you can’t pour from an empty cup. If you continue to over-give to your role without ever giving back to yourself, eventually the cracks are going to show. When we’re depleted and drained, we’re far less resilient to the challenges work throws at us — and small things can quickly snowball into big things.
This is why putting our own physical and mental wellbeing at the top of the priority list is one of the most productive things we can do.
For Zainab, this looks like ensuring she spends time in nature. “When you need a break, get outside and get fresh air,” she says. Often, looking at a beautiful garden or a body of water reminds of us of the bigger picture, and the fact that — as much as it may seem like it in that moment — that spreadsheet or presentation isn’t the end of the world. For Penny, that self-care non-negotiable is “locking in a decent amount of sleep”: a domino habit that makes almost everything else feel that little bit easier.
In the webinar, Penny and Zainab, alongside Early in Career commitee member and facilitator Jack Whitaker, also shared valuable insights on navigating ambiguity in the modern workforce, normalising mistakes, overcoming imposter syndrome and more. You can watch the free webinar in full here.
For a quick snapshot of what steps you can take now as an early career professional, see our 10 top suggestions.
1. Clarify expectations instead of guessing
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- Ask questions like: “What does success look like?”, “What level of detail do you need?”, “What’s the priority and deadline?”
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- Reflect back what you’ve heard to confirm alignment and reduce ambiguity.
2. Use the “70% share” rule
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- When work feels around 70% done, share it for feedback rather than waiting for 100%.
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- Ask targeted questions such as: “Am I on the right track?” or “Is this the right level of detail?”
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- Treat feedback as part of the normal process.
3. Time‑box tasks
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- Decide in advance how long a task deserves, adding a 10% buffer as things always take longer than we think they will.
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- When the time is up, send it and seek feedback instead of endlessly polishing.
4. Aim for “fit‑for‑purpose”, not “flawless”
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- Focus on: “Is this good enough for its purpose?” rather than “Is this perfect?”
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Prioritise usefulness and impact, in alignment with your personal values and those of your organisation.
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5. Normalise not knowing and asking for feedback
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- Use phrases like: “This is new to me—can we talk through the approach?” and “Here’s my first draft—what would you change?”
- To show proactiveness, come to your manager with multiple potential solutions you’ve already considered.
6. Seek regular, balanced feedback
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- Ask questions like: “What’s one thing that’s working well?” and “What’s one thing I could do differently?”
- Reguarly check in with your manager on how you’re progressing towards your goals and KPIs, rather than waiting for your next performance review.
- If feedback feels off, sense‑check it with a trusted colleague.
7. Challenge all‑or‑nothing perfectionism
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- Notice thoughts like “If it’s not 100%, it’s a failure” and ask yourself whether there’s a middle ground
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- View mistakes as useful data for learning and experimentation.
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- Practise compassionate self‑talk, such as “It’s okay not to have all the answers right now.”
8. Use peers as a support network
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- Share drafts and approaches with peers and ask how they’d tackle tasks.
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- Talk openly about confusion, mistakes, and worries.
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- Use these conversations to normalise imposter feelings and reduce isolation.
9. Prioritise the fundamentals of wellbeing
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- Get consistent sleep and implement a sleep hygiene routine.
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- Sneak in movement and time outdoors, even on busy days.
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- Take breaks, throughout the day away from the screen, for your brain and eyes.
10. Be intentional about how your career is developing
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- Reflect periodically on what feels energising vs. consistently draining.
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- Seek out work and projects that connect to a sense of purpose or meaning.
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- Invest early in healthy boundaries, realistic workloads, and strong relationships and networks.
