Given the unique pressures of rural and remote work, such as isolation, limited backup, high acuity, and dual roles such as health worker and community member, it’s no wonder we sometimes find ourselves tired. However, not all exhaustion is the same, and misidentifying it can lead us to respond in the wrong way, which, in turn, can lead to unwarranted self-blame.
When we are tired, this is an acute, situational fatigue. It can be caused by things such as a run of big shifts or callouts, a hard case, or disrupted sleep. Often people will recover after a day off, rest, nutritious food and sleep. You will also still feel connected to your work and your sense of self.
Burnout is a different beast. It comes from chronic, cumulative depletion of your energy and can be identified across three dimensions, as identified in Maslach’s framework¹:
- Emotional exhaustion. You feel you have nothing left to give.
- Depersonalisation. You feel you are going through the motions and are experiencing emotional distance from patients.
- Reduced sense of accomplishment. You ask yourself questions such as “What’s the point?”
The key distinction between the two is that rest alone does not fix burnout. For example, if you’ve had a week off and come back feeling the same, that’s a really strong signal that it’s not just tiredness.
A simple way to see which one you may be experiencing is to do a self-check-in and ask yourself a few reflective questions, such as “After a full night’s sleep, do I wake up dreading work, or am I just tired?” “Do I still care about my patients, even when I’m exhausted?” “Has my sense of humour or warmth at work changed over the months?” and “Am I using cynicism as a coping tool more than usual?”
If you’re unsure, lean towards treating it as burnout. Remind yourself that neither of these states is a personal failure, and there are different approaches to each, so it’s about matching the response to the state.
If you’re tired, prioritise sleep hygiene. Ensure you have ‘recovery windows’ between demanding periods; deliberate and protected periods of low-demand time to allow your nervous system to genuinely reset. Ensure you prioritise social connections, such as catching up with friends or attending your sports team’s training nights. Self-compassion is also an important part of recovery, including acknowledging your feelings and giving yourself permission to do less while you’re recovering. You can also incorporate mindfulness practices as part of your restoration, such as short 5-10 minute body scans or breathing exercises to help you down-regulate after a shift. You can find a few examples of these on our website.
If you feel you may be experiencing burnout, the important message here is that whilst rest is necessary, it’s not sufficient. Try to address the following areas:
- Make meaning of your work. Reconnect with your values and why you chose this work.
- Reduce moral injury. Where possible, acknowledge the systemic issues that are contributing to how you are feeling.
- Structured support. Engage in clinical supervision, peer support programs, and connect with your EAP, the Bush Support Line (1800 805 391) or a private psychologist.
Mindfulness looks different for burnout than for tiredness, in that you want to hold painful feelings in balance with awareness, neither suppressing them nor over-identifying with them. It’s less about relaxation and more about noticing when you’ve emotionally disconnected. Notice what you’re feeling and acknowledge it with something like, “I’m noticing I’m on autopilot again.” Clarify your values and reconnect with what matters to you. Practising self-compassion is also a high priority at this time. Kristin Neff’s self-compassion framework has three core components: mindfulness, common humanity, and self-kindness.
For example, in rural or remote practice, when a clinical decision is made under pressure and with limited resources, an outcome may not be what you hoped. You may ruminate about it later, saying things such as, “I should have done more. I’m not cut out for this role.” A self-compassion practice might sound something like this:
Mindfulness. “I’m noticing that I’m really distressed right now. Today was a really hard day, and I’m being hard on myself.” You are acknowledging the pain without catastrophising or blaming yourself.
Common humanity. “Other clinicians face impossible decisions with inadequate resources as well. This is a part of working in rural and remote areas. I’m not alone in this.”
Self-kindness. “What would I say to a colleague who told me this had happened to them? I’d tell them they did their best in a difficult situation and system. I can offer the same advice to myself.”
I highly recommend you visit Kristin Neff’s website, which also has some wonderful guided practices and exercises.
We understand that there can be real barriers for rural and remote healthcare workers to access support, such as a lack of local psychologists (or not wishing to use them, as you know and work with them), but there are other options, such as telehealth and specific supports for health workers. Feel free to call the Bush Support Line on 1800 805 391, and we can work out appropriate options together.
Remember, you are more than likely carrying heavy workloads in often under-resourced systems and doing an amazing job of that! The act of noticing and naming your experience is a skill and an important part of your self-care. Undertake the same careful assessment of yourself as you would a patient or client presenting with exhaustion. Ask yourself the questions above, and start taking the appropriate actions, prioritising your wellbeing.
Next week, Mindful Monday will continue to address burnout, specifically the root causes of team burnout and ways to address these issues.
Be kind,
Dr Nicole Jeffery-Dawes (she/her)
Senior Psychologist, Mental Health and Wellbeing
- Maslach, C., Schaufeli, W.B & Leiter, M. (2001) Job Burnout. Annual Review of Psychology, 52, 397-422. Accessed 5 June 2026 at https://www.researchgate.net/publication/228079161_Job_Burnout
