Wearing a 'fake face' to work | Bella Hadid steps back from modelling - HR and burnout lessons to take away

Burnout is a term known to most business leaders by now. Although it’s not considered a medical condition, burnout has been classified as a syndrome associated with a health-related cause – in this case, with work. That’s why it’s been labelled an ‘occupational phenomenon’ by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Burnout can arise for a number of reasons. But usually, it involves employees sacrificing their work-life balance for the sake of their employer, or a change in workload or expectations at work. In some cases, for various psychological reasons, employees may be putting more pressure on themselves than is necessary, they might be a perfectionist, or unhappy in their job or industry altogether.

Recently, supermodel Bella Hadid announced she is taking a step back from modelling to work on her own perfume brand. The model said that she's tired of “putting on a fake face” and wasn't prepared to put energy and effort into something she wasn't getting a lot out of.

This case sheds light on a scenario that leads to burnout, when what a person, or employee, is doing daily doesn’t align with their personal goals.