What should I do if a colleague seems burnt out?
Notice the pattern before you name the problem, changes in energy, withdrawal, irritability, or someone who's stopped switching off… then say what you've noticed, gently and without diagnosing.
You don't need the right words, a mental health qualification, or a plan to fix it. Most people who are burnt out aren't looking for advice, they're looking for someone to notice. Start with something specific and non-judgemental: "You've seemed really stretched lately, how are you actually doing?" Then listen more than you talk.
What tends to help:
Naming what you've observed, not what you've diagnosed
Asking open questions rather than offering solutions
Following up again a few days later one conversation rarely does it
Pointing them towards support rather than trying to be their support
If you want to do something practical rather than just talk, Ark lets you send a colleague direct access to a wellbeing practitioner, no referral, no HR form, no awkward conversation about "why."
You don't have to fix it. You can just send Ark > app.arkspace.co