There’s a new workplace buzzword in town, but what does it mean and could it prevent burnout?

Scrolling through TikTok recently, I noticed a phrase that made my ears prick up, ‘quiet quitting’. When I did some further digging, I found myself down a rabbit hole of various takes, interpretations and ‘solutions’ (for both employers and employees).

So what is it? While that may well depend on your interpretation, after reading countless articles and LinkedIn posts, I see it as a rejection of the hustle mentality. Recognising your worth outside of work and pulling back on the energy you dedicate to it.

This means not working hideous hours for minimal pay, not stressing over inconsequential (in the grand scheme of things) decisions and not giving everything you have to go above and beyond for work. Instead, it’s about turning up, doing your job to the best of your ability… and that’s it. Some call this ‘working wage appropriate’, which shouldn’t be that radical, should it?

I think the reason my ears pricked up at the term was because I feel like I’ve done this. Twice, actually. Once about five years ago when I decided to step down from a management position and reduce my working hours. This was initially so I could dedicate more time to a side business, but it was also to lower stress levels as I was dealing with some intense work-related anxiety at the time.

I remember saying to myself ‘I can’t give 100% to this job, because I have other important areas of my life’. I needed to pull back, both mentally and physically, and stepping down from a management position allowed me to do that.

More recently I’ve, perhaps not so quietly, quit the aforementioned side business and hope to return to full-time employment. There are many reasons for this but a big one is, again, to regain some energy and a better work-life balance.

Both of these were different moves (that some may consider ‘stepping back’ in my career), but both had the same, positive outcome. Me prioritising my health and joy over work. And this is coming from someone who is passionate about her work and actually enjoys her job. So… yes, I’m pleased more people are coming around.

Speaking to life and career coach Gaby Grzywacz, it seems I’m not alone in my feelings towards this.

“If we understand quiet quitting as ‘just’ doing your job (which, I think, is all we should ever be asked to do by our employers!), then I feel very positive about it!” Gaby says.

We’ve finally reached the point where younger employees come into companies and say ‘we don’t want to sacrifice everything for you, we’re here to do the job’

“We’ve finally reached the point where younger employees come into companies and say ‘we don’t want to sacrifice everything for you, we’re here to do the job’. This is a very positive move towards improving employee wellbeing, reducing rates of burnout and, in my view, potentially increasing productivity.

“I strongly believe that an overworked employee is less likely to do their best work, while someone who leaves their work at work, and physically steps away from the work on time to relax, can rock it out of the park.”

Let’s be honest, the phrase ‘quiet quitting’ is misleading, because for most of us it isn’t about checking out and doing the ‘bare minimum’

In the past five years, over 7 million teacher days have been lost due to mental health issues, particularly heightened during the pandemic. Unsuitable workloads, pressure, increased class sizes, and low pay could all be to blame

In the last year, studies by the Observer have revealed that teacher sick days are up by 7% across council-controlled schools in England and Wales, with this number up nearly a fifth compared to the same period three years ago. Areas particularly affected include Kent and Hampshire, with Kent seeing 91,679 teaching days lost in the 21-22 school year.

Existing pressures, such as increased class sizes, coupled with a below-inflation pay rise proposal, have taken a toll on teachers’ mental health and wellbeing. The impact of the Covid pandemic has also heightened the issue, with Liberal Democrat education spokesperson Munira Wilson commenting: “The Covid inquiry must also look into the impact the government’s mishandling of the pandemic had on the mental health of teachers and other frontline workers.”

During the pandemic, many teachers have had to take on extra work, leading to burnout. If this pressure continues, the existing teacher shortage could be set to worsen. As it is, 40% of teachers leave their jobs within the first 10 years of qualifying, according to Julie McCulloch, Policy Director at the Association of School and College Leaders.

Despite the upcoming Covid inquiry, which is set to launch an ‘Education Staff Wellbeing Charter’ off the back of it, there is a risk that the crisis could get worse before it gets better.

So, what can we do about it? Here, Dr Julie Smith discusses how to manage burnout.

How to deal with burnout

We can all experience burnout if we overdo it, whether in our personal lives or at work.

Before practising techniques to combat burnout, it’s important to recognise the signs and symptoms in the first place:

• exhaustion
• distancing yourself from others
• negative attitude toward work
• lack of motivation
• physical symptoms, such as aches and pains

Stress and burnout are related, though not the same. Burnout is chronic stress. If you’re stressed at work, you might feel like your workload is too demanding and you have a lot of pressure, but this feeling typically stops once the workload calms down. Being burnt out often means you feel as if you are completely drained of your energy and have nothing more to give. The goal is to recognise your stress before it escalates into burnout.

Once you’ve identified you’re stressed or burnt out, try to understand the root cause of it and discuss how you’re feeling with your manager, HR, or your colleagues. If it becomes too much, you may consider finding a different job.

It’s also a good idea to set boundaries at work, and stick to them. For example, ensure you log off at a certain time and try to avoid doing work tasks at home. It can be easy to quickly start

Learning is how we add dimension to our lives, acquiring skills and knowledge, in whatever way we chose to do it. When we learn something new, we may come away feeling accomplished, but the true test of our knowledge is how we then implement it

The key to effective learning is not necessarily about how quickly you digest the information, whether that's through reading, experience, study, or being taught, but how well you retain it, recall it, and utilise it. We’ve all heard of the phrase “every day’s a school day” and this couldn’t be more true in today’s society where digital technologies are changing in the blink of an eye and new opportunities are coming up like never before.

More and more, we’re seeing an increase in the importance of ‘upskilling’. This is when we learn additional skills to allow us to better progress, usually in the workplace. Upskilling is also important for our own personal development, as being able to continually learn and develop your skills is a surefire way to help you achieve your goals.

So, how can we really learn?

Effective learning is pretty much like ‘learning to learn’. In order to capture and process the information in a way we’ll remember in the future, we need to come up with ways of digesting what we’re taught in the first place. Often discussed in the context of schools, “effective learning” is defined as children actively participating in their own learning. Rather than copying what a teacher tells them, research suggests that pupils are more likely to learn better by talking, writing, and reflecting on their newly acquired knowledge.

These same principles can be applied to young people and adults looking to learn more effectively. There are many ways you can become a more effective learner – here are just a few:

1. Ask questions

We can’t be expected to learn if we’re unsure of the context in which we are being taught. Ask questions to understand what you are learning, and more importantly, why you are learning it. Consider applying it to your everyday life so you have something to relate it to and it will quickly become easy to remember.

2. Vary your learning style

Learning in different ways can be a really valuable way to consolidate information. For example, if you like audible learning (such as listening to a podcast), try creating a visual aid to sit alongside it. You could even try teaching it back to a friend or family member! Being able to repeat the information in a variety of ways will help in retaining it long-term.

3. Don’t multitask

Multitasking involves trying to do several things at one time. This can be disruptive, halt productivity and reduce concentration, making it harder to focus and meaning you are less likely to understand the information. Instead, try to focus all your attention on one task at a time. If this seems overwhelming, try the ‘distributed practice’ technique. This involves studying for short periods of time, for example, 50 minutes, and the