Jack Campbell. 23 July, 2026.
Research reveals perfectionism as the top risk factor, and why a week off makes recovery harder1
Most people who burn out at work never get back to their former best — and the standard advice to “take a week off and see how you feel” is making the problem worse, according to new research from The Institute of EI, an emotional intelligence training provider founded by chief executive Mel Neil.
The findings, published in a new field guide titled The Truth About Burnout: And Why Most People Don’t Recover From It, draw on the Sydney Burnout Studies led by Professor Gordon Parker AO of the University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, alongside the Institute’s own clinical practice with leaders, carers and high performers across Australia.
Neil will present the findings at HRFest Australia’s four-stage program at The Timber Yard in Melbourne on 18 November, in a session titled “Burnout to balance: identification, recovery, prevention.”
