“Modern-day stress and burnout look different,” says Aditi Nerurkar, MD, MPH, in the introduction to Stress and Burnout Support, a new program on Calm. An expert in stress, burnout, mental health, and resilience, Dr. Nerurkar explains that the classic signs of burnout used to be a lack of motivation and productivity. Today, however, 60% of people with burnout have “an inability to disconnect from work as their main feature.”
This change stems from the “constant onslaught” of stressors in the past few years, she says. Without the opportunity to rest and recover from stress, our brains don’t function properly. We shift into survival mode, diminishing our ability to plan, organize, prioritize, and execute tasks. And the longer we’re in that state, Dr. Nerurkar explains, the harder it is to get out and the more we’re at risk of burnout.
Worsening workplace stress and burnout are retention risks
Unfortunately, workplace stress and burnout are on the rise. According to SHRM’s Employee Mental Health in 2024 Research series, 44% of US employees are burned out; 45% feel “emotionally drained” from their work, and 51% feel “used up” at the end of the workday.
What’s more, the negative impacts of stress and burnout extend to organizations. The American Psychological Association’s 2023 Work in America Survey found that 57% of employees are experiencing negative impacts due to stress and burnout that affect their work, including a desire to keep to themselves (25%) and to quit their jobs (23%). Indeed, SHRM reports that burned-out employees are nearly three times more likely to be actively searching for a new job.
Employers focused on talent retention need to help their employees reduce stress and burnout and improve their mental well-being. Yet only 29% of employees think their workplace culture promotes self-care for mental health.
Dr. Nerurkar’s Stress and Burnout Support series on Calm
To help employees rewire their brains and shift out of a state of chronic stress or burnout, Calm has launched Stress and Burnout Support, a new series developed in collaboration with Dr. Nerurkar. In each of the five episodes, Dr. Nerurkar guides listeners with the same practical techniques that worked for her when she was a medical resident struggling with debilitating stress. She explains the science behind each tool and then teaches listeners how to apply them in just a few minutes anytime during the workday.
The five sessions in Stress and Burnout Support
Episode 1: Where Do I Start?
As the first step toward less stress and burnout, Dr. Nerurkar guides listeners through a simple goal-setting exercise. She asks listeners to think of what matters most to them and write down a concrete, practical, attainable, and measurable goal, such as “I want to wake up feeling well-rested so I’m not drained and tired all the time.”
Episode 2: What Is the Mind-Body Connection?
Dr. Nerurkar helps listeners understand how tapping into the mind-body connection can help reset their stress levels, help them feel less burnout, and eventually reduce the sensation of overwhelm. She teaches a quick exercise called Stop-Breathe-Be that can be used throughout the day to reduce anxious or stressful thoughts and get back to the present moment.
Episode 3: Do I Need to Protect My Sleep?
“Revenge bedtime procrastination” is what happens when your brain doesn’t get a break during the day, Dr. Nerurkar explains. Rather than go to bed when we know we should, we spend time scrolling on our digital devices. She emphasizes that to improve our sleep, have less stressful days, and prevent “popcorn brain,” we need to carve out time for daytime breaks and set clear nighttime boundaries regarding our devices.
Episode 4: Can Meditation Actually Help Me?
Dr. Nerurkar talks about the power of meditation to affect our brain, cells, and even DNA. She offers practical advice for beginning a meditation practice, including starting low and going slow and, for those with a history of anxiety, depression, mood disorders, or trauma, movement meditation.
Episode 5: Do I Need to Be More Resilient?
Tolerating discomfort or unreasonable demands is not resilience, Dr. Nerurkar explains; it’s toxic resilience and a symptom of hustle culture. True resilience—the ability to adapt, recover, and grow in the face of life’s challenges—isn’t enough to prevent burnout in face of our systems. She emphasizes the importance of monotasking vs. multitasking and offers a time-blocking technique to reduce stress and improve focus and productivity.
Thriving in the new normal
Stress and burnout can feel like the new normal—that struggling with our mental health is how life is supposed to be, Dr. Nerurkar says. But employees can shift out of survival mode and closer to thriving mode by applying simple, practical tools that are easy to integrate into their daily routines. You can learn more about Dr. Nerurkar’s techniques for overcoming stress and resilience from her book, The Five Resets: Rewire Your Brain and Body for Less Stress and More Resilience.
And for more information on proactively supporting employee mental health and well-being, check out our pricing or connect with a Calm specialist today.
