Burnout is no laughing matter - but sometimes, a little humour helps us see what’s really going on in our day-to-day work.
Therapists often have some of the busiest calendars (and longest to-do lists) around.
Between back-to-back sessions, overflowing admin, and team meetings about... more team meetings, it’s no surprise that burnout is on the rise across allied health.
In fact, a survey of Australia’s NDIS workforce found that almost 50% of allied health professionals and disability support workers felt burned out at least half the time. And let’s be real - the other half of the workforce probably weren’t feeling super fresh either.
At Theratrak, we advocate for reducing burnout in allied health and supporting clinicians through:
✅ Healthier workplace systems
✅ Supportive leadership
✅ Real-world digital tools that reduce admin pressure
✅ Resilience strategies and, when needed, professional mental health support
But before we fix what’s not working, we sometimes need to take a step back and recognise it.
If you’re up for a laugh - and an honest look at your daily operations - try our Burnout Bingo: Clinic Edition below.
How many of these burnout inducing activities have you ticked off this week? 🎯
Burnout Bingo: Clinic Edition 🐨
Full List of Burnout Bingo Activities 🔥
Back-to-back sessions and meetings with zero breathing space
Eating lunch and typing notes at the same time
Doing case notes or reports on the couch at home after hours
Surprise client no-show = frantic admin catch-up
Forgot what day it is (and honestly, not even sure what month)
Coffee = essential food group
Printed a home program... never gave it to the family
That "quick phone call"... turned into 45 minutes
Your "quick email" turned into a novel
Lost a worksheet between the printer and the therapy room
Thought you submitted billing... but didn’t
You’ve said “sorry for the delay!” at least three times this week
Haven’t been outside today (clinic-based OT)
Unread emails in your inbox are +2 weeks old
Case notes only half-written
Found the chocolate stash - and its only 10am
Did you get to call out - “BURNOUT BINGO!”? 😅
If you laughed, cringed, or sighed - you’re not alone.
But seriously: Why is burnout so common in allied health?
These bingo squares aren’t just funny - they’re real symptoms of system strain in allied health clinics.
Here’s why so many therapists are feeling burnout: 🧠
1. Admin Overload
If you're writing detailed notes at 11pm or losing sticky notes between sessions, it’s not bad time management - it’s more likely a system problem where therapists are juggling more admin than one person can realistically manage. Therapists are often asked to do too much without the right tools.
Digital tools like Theratrak make it easy to write notes quickly, build home programs on the go, and streamline all that admin chaos into a manageable flow.
2. Communication Chaos
Does it sometimes take three meetings to plan one meeting? Printed handouts lost in someone’s car? Inefficient communication slows everything down.
With Theratrak, teams can collaborate and communicate better, with everything documented and transparent across the workforce - no more guessing what’s been sent, done, or followed up.
3. Emotional Exhaustion
Forgetting what day it is? Dreaming about handovers? These are funny on the surface - but they’re signs you’re running on empty.
Theratrak can’t help you take a nap, but it can help reduce decision fatigue and lighten the cognitive load by automating the stuff that clogs your mental bandwidth.
4. No Time to Recharge
Back-to-back sessions? No lunch break? "Celebrating" a cancellation by catching up on paperwork instead of taking a moment for deep breathing? This is burnout culture in disguise - and it doesn’t have to be the norm.
If this is you, speak to your manager about your workload, what’s reasonable and possible. You want to have systems in place that if you need to miss a day of work due to illness or another factor, your participants will still have a clear structure and program towards their therapy goals.
When you’re using digital tools like Theratrak to streamline your workflow, it’s easier to build in proper breaks, manage your caseload more sustainably, and actually take time off knowing your participants still have structure and support in place.
How Theratrak Stops the Slide Toward Burnout 📲
Theratrak can’t cancel your team meetings (sorry!) - but we can help you work smarter, not harder, by making your admin faster, clearer, and lighter.
Theratrak allows allied health clinics to:
✅ Create custom home programs in minutes - no more paper handouts to lose
✅ Send digital instructions straight to participants and families - no need for emails back and forth
✅ Capture notes quickly during or straight after sessions - no need for more admin later
✅ Track participant progress without endless follow-up calls - therapists see progress updates within their app
✅ Reclaim buffer time between sessions to breathe (or actually eat lunch) - the tool is designed to save therapist’s time
Theratrak gives therapists the tools to work smarter - and protect their passion for therapy before burnout steals the joy.
Got BINGO? Time to Fix the System 🐨
If you ticked off even a few of those Bingo squares... it’s time to make therapy life a little easier.
Start a FREE 30-day trial of Theratrak today - no credit card needed!
Let’s ditch the admin overwhelm and bring back the balance. Because you deserve more than just caffeine-fueled survival. You deserve a system that actually works for you.
