Overcoming burnout: a psychologist’s guide

Last week, New Zealand's prime minister Jacinda Ardern announced her resignation, saying that she no longer had enough in the tank" to do the role justice. Madeleine Finlay speaks to cognitive scientist Prof Laurie Santos about the symptoms of burnout, what causes it and the best ways to recover

Since being elected prime minister in 2017, Jacinda Ardern has led New Zealand through the Covid-19 pandemic, a terrorist attack on two mosques in Christchurch and the White Island volcanic eruption. She also became a new parent while holding office, giving birth to her daughter Neve in 2018. So, despite her shock announcement last week, many won't have been surprised by her reasons to stand down from the job - that she no longer has enough in the tank". Ardern might not have used the term herself, but her resignation has prompted a renewed focus on burnout.

In this episode, Madeleine Finlay speaks to the cognitive scientist Prof Laurie Santos about burnout symptoms, why work can leave you feeling exhausted, and the best ways to recover.