Jana Cook has suffered from burnout twice in her professional career.

Both episodes began with a gradual onset of signs and symptoms 鈥� including trouble sleeping, extreme fatigue and difficulty completing basic tasks 鈥� which culminated in having to take up to six months鈥� leave from her corporate job to recover.

鈥淚n both instances there was a tipping point 鈥� a moment in time where I just kind of felt like I 鈥榖roke,鈥欌�� said Cook, who currently lives in Claresholm, Alta.

鈥淚 went from doing all of the things, to doing none of the things.鈥�

Cook did eventually recover, learning important lessons about slowing down and stress management in the process. She now draws on her own experiences to help others, marketing herself as a 鈥渂urnout prevention and recovery coach鈥� for people worn down by the corporate grind.

鈥淏urnout coaches鈥� and 鈥渂urnout recovery specialists鈥� are increasingly popping up across Canada, the U.S., the U.K., Australia and Europe. Rarely are they licensed therapists or psychologists 鈥� instead they are usually people who, like Cook, have obtained certification from the International Coaching Federation and have spent a great deal of time researching workplace burnout and its causes.

Other burnout coaches have taken courses in stress reduction techniques, mindfulness, even hypnosis.

While their backgrounds may vary, all burnout coaches cater to the growing number of workers who say they are stressed out, overwhelmed and struggling to cope.

A November 2023 survey of 765 Canadian professionals by human resources consulting firm Robert Half found 42 per cent of respondents felt burned out on the job, with 36 per cent of respondents saying they were more burned out than they were a year ago.

Cal Jungwirth, workplace expert and director at Robert Half, said there are a number of factors contributing to rising burnout rates, including stresses associated with returning to the office in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic as well as economic pressures forcing workplaces everywhere to do more with less.

鈥淥rganizations are being very fiscally careful, but it鈥檚 coming at a bit of a cost, and that cost is to their people,鈥� Jungwirth said.

鈥淚f 42 per cent of folks are feeling some sort of burnout, that鈥檚 an immediate red flag.鈥�

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鈥淏urnout鈥� is not a formal medical condition, but the World Health Organization recognizes it as an 鈥渙ccupational phenomenon鈥� resulting from chronic workplace stress. According to the WHO, burnout is characterized by feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion, negativity or cynicism related to one鈥檚 job, and reduced professional efficacy.

Nelson, B.C.-based Christy Nichol launched her burnout coaching business after the unrelenting volume of work at her private athletic therapy practice pushed her to the brink. In her case, burnout manifested as extreme exhaustion coupled with panic attacks.

鈥淚 remember walking into the doctor鈥檚 office saying, 鈥楾here鈥檚 something wrong with my heart,鈥欌�� she said.

鈥淧eople start getting stress-related diseases and illnesses. But a lot of people don鈥檛 want to talk about it because they think that everyone perceives them as having everything together.鈥�

Nichol employs a variety of strategies to help her burned out clients calm their nervous systems, which involves everything from deep breathing exercises to trigger point releases.

Sleep is another big area of focus when it comes to recovery, said Jenn Bruer, a Toronto-based burnout prevention and recovery facilitator.

鈥淚 always say start with sleep, because it鈥檚 probably the biggest bang for your buck. No amount of self-care is going to help you if you鈥檙e awake all night, every night,鈥� she said.

Beyond the physical symptoms, burnout coaches often guide their clients to make lifestyle changes, such as limiting emails in the evening and learning how to say no. They can also assist burnout sufferers with planning a return to work after a stress leave, or help them plot a career change.

While working with a burnout coach may be helpful for some, said Houyuan Luo, a registered psychologist with MindPeace Psychology in Toronto, it鈥檚 important to recognize that it is a new and unregulated industry.

鈥淭he biggest problem with unregulated professionals is that they cannot be held accountable by anybody if something goes wrong,鈥� Luo said.

鈥淧eople should know they also have the option of working with regulated professionals like psychologists, psychotherapists, and social workers 鈥� people who are properly trained and where there is a regulatory body for them.鈥�

But the rise of the burnout coach shows a growing societal awareness of the consequences of burnout 鈥� both at the personal level and the corporate level, where managers should be concerned about the costs to the organization when burned-out employees quit or need to take extended leaves to get better, Cook said.

鈥淚t can take someone years to get to this state of being burned out and exhausted. It doesn鈥檛 happen overnight and therefore recovery doesn鈥檛 happen overnight either,鈥� she said.

鈥淚 mean, you鈥檙e looking at six to 12 months, easy.鈥�

But Cook said her experience, and the experience of many others, proves that it is possible to bounce back.

鈥淚f you鈥檙e feeling like you might be burnt out, it doesn鈥檛 have to be forever,鈥� she said.

鈥淏ut you have to be able to be brave enough to make some changes to get out, get through it, work through it. Because the things that you were doing that got you to today are not going to get you through to make you feel different for tomorrow.鈥�

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Amanda Stephenson, The Canadian Press