Holiday alone will not fix burnout 

A long-awaited summer holiday is not enough to resolve employee burnout, with an addiction specialist warning that prolonged workplace stress can create conditions where unhealthy coping mechanisms become increasingly difficult to control.

Chris Lomas, Head of Therapy at addiction treatment and behavioural health provider Delamere, says burnout is often viewed simply as exhaustion. However, for some people, sustained workplace pressure can leave them unable to switch off, increasing the temptation to rely on alcohol, drugs or compulsive behaviours to regulate stress.

The warning comes as the summer holiday season kicks off and many employees take annual leave. While time away from work can provide temporary and much needed break and relief from work, Lomas argues it does little to address the underlying causes of burnout if the workplace pressures remain unchanged.

He said: “A summer holiday can give people breathing space. But it is not a long-term answer to burnout. If someone is using alcohol, drugs or compulsive behaviours to come down from pressure, a couple of weeks away is unlikely to change that on its own.”

The comments reflect a growing focus on prevention within workplace health, as employers increasingly recognise that burnout is not simply an individual wellbeing issue but a workforce risk that can affect absence, productivity, retention and psychological safety.

According to Lomas, people experiencing sustained stress can become stuck in a heightened state of alertness, making fast forms of relief feel increasingly attractive.

He said: “When someone is stuck in hyperarousal, the brain starts prioritising fast choices over careful ones. That is why alcohol, drugs or compulsive behaviours can become so attractive. They offer a rapid change in feeling. The danger comes when that off switch becomes the main way a person knows how to regulate.”

Rather than treating burnout as something employees recover from during annual leave, Lomas believes organisations should help build healthier daily habits that enable people to manage pressure before unhealthy patterns develop.

He added that resilience is created through regular practices such as movement, quality sleep, time outdoors, healthy boundaries around work, supportive conversations and access to appropriate professional help where needed.

Delamere has highlighted seven signs that burnout may be developing into dependency. These include needing alcohol or another behaviour to switch off, being unable to relax without it, increasing reliance over time, hiding the behaviour, repeatedly breaking self-imposed limits, feeling anxious without it, and functioning well publicly while struggling privately.

Lomas said the warning is particularly relevant for high-performing professionals, who may continue meeting work expectations while privately becoming increasingly dependent on unhealthy coping mechanisms.

He said: “High-functioning is often a misleading phrase. Functioning does not mean well. Someone can still be working, parenting, answering emails and meeting responsibilities while privately feeling increasingly dependent on something to get through the day, recover from the day or escape the day.”

He stressed that burnout does not inevitably lead to addiction, but employers should be alert to the role workplace pressure can play in creating risk.

“The aim is not to shame people for trying to cope. It is to help them notice when the way they cope is starting to cost them,” he said.

“If the only way you can come down from the day is through a substance or behaviour that is becoming harder to control, that is worth taking seriously.

“Burnout does not cause addiction in everyone. But for some people, sustained pressure can create the conditions where alcohol, drugs or compulsive behaviours become the fastest way to switch off.”

As employers continue to place greater emphasis on human sustainability, the comments reinforce the importance of designing work that supports recovery throughout the year, rather than relying on annual leave to offset chronic workplace stress.