Stress Sustainability: The Secret to Beating Burnout and Staying High-Performing

Let’s be honest: in most workplaces, stress is seen as a given. It's the price of ambition, the side effect of striving, the background noise to "getting things done."

But what if we've misunderstood stress? Not just in how much of it we should tolerate, but in how we relate to it. Because it turns out that it's not the presence of stress that leads to burnout – it's the lack of recovery. And in today’s always-on corporate world, that recovery is often missing entirely.

This is where the idea of stress sustainability comes in.

What Is Stress Sustainability?

Stress sustainability isn't about eliminating stress entirely (because, let's face it, that's not realistic). It's about developing systems and habits that make stress more manageable, more rhythmic, and less destructive. Think of it like fitness: strain followed by rest builds strength. Constant strain without rest? Injury, exhaustion, and burnout.

So how do we shift from chronic depletion to sustainable performance?

Recognising the Burnout Cycle

Burnout doesn’t just appear overnight. It creeps in quietly, often in high-achievers who take on more than they can realistically recover from. Early signs often include decreased motivation, emotional flatness or irritability, brain fog and forgetfulness, physical tension or fatigue that doesn’t go away with a weekend off.

The problem isn’t ambition or pressure in itself. It’s the absence of deliberate, high-quality recovery.

In fact, some of the most high-performing individuals and teams don’t avoid stress – they just know how to cycle through it. Like elite athletes, they balance high effort with deep restoration.

The Corporate Cost of Unsustainable Stress

From an organisational perspective, burnout leads to:

• Increased sick leave and absenteeism

• Higher turnover

• Reduced innovation and engagement

• Team toxicity or interpersonal issues

On the flip side, workplaces that support stress sustainability tend to see:

• Higher retention rates and reduces absenteeism

• Improved focus and performance

• More resilient and creative problem-solving

• A culture of care, not just KPIs

  
  

So how do you actually build stress sustainability into a workplace?

Shifting Culture, Not Just Policy

Throwing another yoga class on the calendar or giving employees a wellness allowance isn't enough. Stress sustainability requires a cultural shift.

That shift includes:

• Normalising breaks during the day, not just annual leave

• Encouraging restorative micro-moments – think 5-minute pauses, not just week-long retreats

• Reframing "downtime" as part of the performance equation, not a reward after it

• Teaching people how to recognise their own red flags early

Leaders have to model this too. When managers openly block out recharge time, talk about their own boundaries, or share their recovery tools, it gives others permission to do the same.

Here’s an example: I recently facilitated a session at an offsite board meeting. No fluff, no incense – just a structured sound-based reset. What surprised everyone was how calm they felt afterwards. What surprised them even more was realising they hadn’t actually felt calm in weeks – they just thought they had. That moment of contrast was eye-opening.

The Nervous System Piece (And Why It Matters)

Sustainable stress management isn't just mental – it's physiological. Your nervous system needs to shift regularly out of high alert mode (sympathetic activation) and into rest-and-digest mode (parasympathetic). Otherwise, your body stays flooded with cortisol and adrenaline, and the wear and tear adds up.

Simple, science-backed practices can help regulate the nervous system:

• Humming or slow breathing (activates the vagus nerve)

• Sound-based practices like tuning forks, gongs, or even calming music (especially binaural beats)

• Movement or walking outside – especially with a rhythmic pace

• Intentional pauses with no screen stimulation

And no, these aren’t just nice-to-haves. They’re essential hygiene for the nervous system in a world that constantly overstimulates it.

Sound Healing in the Workplace: More Than a Trend

Sound-based practices are gaining traction in corporate wellbeing programs because they cut through the noise (literally and metaphorically). They don’t require belief, flexibility, or experience. They just work. Why?

• They offer fast nervous system regulation

• They help people drop into deep rest quickly – even in the middle of the workday

• They are accessible to all bodies and fitness levels

More workplaces are bringing in sound baths, tuning fork sessions, or guided listening experiences as part of their wellbeing strategy. Not as a gimmick, but as a way to support real, lasting recovery.

Me - facilitating a Sound Bath for PWC in Sydney as part of their wellness festival

Stress Isn’t the Enemy. Chronic Stress Is.

Let’s be real – the goal isn’t to avoid all stress. That’s not happening. The actual goal is to learn how to ride the wave without wiping out. Stress can sharpen our thinking, motivate action, and build resilience – but only when we know how to come back down afterward.

This is the new edge of high performance – not pushing through, but tuning in.

____________

Want to build more stress sustainability into your team or workplace?

Explore how sound-based recovery can support your people and performance.

From corporate sound baths to practical workshops, Sound Journey offers experiences that calm the nervous system and boost resilience.

Check out our Corporate Events page to learn more – or get in touch to create something that fits your team.