Virtual reality in the workplace: the solution to burnout?

June 9, 2025

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Take care of your employees’ wellbeing with VR immersions

Employees’ mental health is becoming a central issue in businesses, and for good reason since professional exhaustion is spreading massively in France: nearly 12.6% of the working population is at “risk of burnout”, that is, around 3.2 million people according to a study by the consultancy firm Technologia. Faced with this reality, employers, managers and human resources departments must redouble their ingenuity to preserve workers’ quality of life. And what if virtual reality in the workplace could contribute to this cause? Thanks to carefully designed immersions, VR offers the possibility of breaking away for a few moments from daily stress, without geographical constraints.

What is burnout in the workplace?

Burnout, or occupational exhaustion syndrome, is defined by the French National Authority for Health (HAS) as

“physical, emotional and mental exhaustion resulting from prolonged investment in emotionally demanding work situations”. It is characterised by intense fatigue, emotional detachment, even cynicism, and a decline in professional efficiency.

To date, burnout hasn’t been recognised as a disease, so its impact on society is difficult to assess. A study by Santé publique France conducted in 2019 and published in March 2024 reveals that:

twice as many employees experience work-related psychological suffering compared with 2007 data;
women are two to three times more affected than men.

Unlike depression, burnout focuses on the professional sphere and refers to a process of deterioration linked to the relationship with work. According to the French National Health Insurance (Assurance maladie), indicators of occupational exhaustion include symptoms that are:

emotional (anxiety, sadness, irritability, lack of emotions, etc.);
cognitive (difficulty concentrating, memory and attention disorders, etc.);
behavioural or interpersonal (withdrawal, reduced empathy, resentment towards colleagues, etc.);
physical (muscular tension, sleep and musculoskeletal disorders, headaches, dizziness, stomach aches, etc.).

These manifestations of exhaustion can lead to prolonged sick leave, increase absenteeism and have a lasting impact on the company’s overall performance. For employees, these consequences take up a considerable amount of their day-to-day lives. If burnout becomes long-lasting, it leaves the professional sphere and intrudes into every aspect of life.

What are the factors leading to occupational exhaustion?

The French National Institute for Research and Safety (INRS) emphasises the multifactorial nature of burnout:

work overload;
time pressure;
lack of recognition and support;
loss of control over tasks;
insecurity of the work situation.

The HAS adds to this list the notion of “individual risks” such as certain life events and personal or family history.

While extreme fatigue spares no category of workers, professions involving a high decision-making or emotional load are particularly exposed to the risk of burnout.

In the United States, the article by Shanafelt et al. published in 2012 in JAMA Internal Medicine surveyed 7,288 physicians and showed that 45.8% of them exhibited signs of burnout, a rate far higher than that of the general American population (28.8%).

In France, a study conducted on 3,600 healthcare workers shows “burnout scores” to be high in 21.1% of them after five years of experience and 26.8% after ten years.

Virtual reality in the workplace: a tool for improving employees’ mental health

1. Instant relief for greater productivity

Burnout does not appear overnight, it builds up. By introducing virtual reality in the workplace as a mental‐health hygiene measure for workers, you offer a regular and tangible action to look after their wellbeing. While virtual reality doesn’t act upon all the factors of exhaustion, it has a decisive effect on anxiety and pressure.

As soon as employees put on the VR headset, they are immersed in a realistic and interactive environment in which they disconnect instantly. This setting helps the user to detach themselves from a hectic daily routine and focus on an atmosphere specially designed for them to escape and calm down. It’s not just a matter of a few minutes without checking notifications or the next file to process, virtual reality goes much further.

To achieve this result, the Healthy Mind team designs relaxing walks in collaboration with anaesthetists and hypnotherapists to ensure that every detail provides a profound sense of relaxation:

immersive setting with realistic graphic designs;
soundscapes inspired by music therapy;
breathing exercises to achieve cardiac coherence;
hypnotic scripts designed to teach better stress management.

2. Flexible sessions to suit the pace of the office

Busy days leave little time for breaks and moments to unwind. By scheduling periods dedicated to relaxation, you introduce a dynamic based on comfort and calm.

To take part in an immersion, employees of the Saint‐Gobain group in La Défense, Paris, a company that has been using the Healthy Mind device since September 2020, register online for slots in the morning and can attend without an appointment in the afternoon.

To observe the therapeutic benefits of virtual reality, 37 participants were interviewed and their testimonies demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach with:

a decrease in fatigue and anxiety;
an increase in concentration, relaxation and motivation.

This example isn’t the only possible arrangement. The Healthy Mind device relies on a flexible approach, since immersions can be personalised from 5 to 80 minutes using the Healthy Mind Control tablet application. The connection between the device and the headset doesn’t require an internet network, making its use secure and practical.

Natacha Anney from the occupational health service of the Saint‐Gobain group discusses her experience with the device:

“For lowering stress levels, it’s very effective. And we know that stress is one of the risk factors for numerous diseases, including cardiovascular diseases. I have the impression that when employees leave my office, they are much more focused, more able to resume their work under better conditions.”

3. A long-term investment in favour of quality of life at work

Fulfilment is no longer optional in the employment contract. Nowadays, employees aspire to find happiness in their workplace and they don’t hesitate to disengage if their aspirations are not heard.

According to a study carried by BVA Opinion for the ISC Paris business school, 41% of participants state that their job must give them a sense of wellbeing. Another study carried out by OpinionWay indicates that 82% of employees consider mental health at work to be a concerning issue, even very concerning for 24% of them.

Therapeutic virtual reality fits into this approach by sending a clear message: your wellbeing is not secondary. Certainly, the purchase of a VR headset represents an initial cost for the company. However, once acquired, the equipment benefits from regular maintenance and updates. Its use then takes place freely, autonomously, as many times as necessary to bring lasting relief for teams.

If you hesitate to commit in the long term, you have the option to rent the equipment. In this way, you can evaluate the benefit of the device, gather feedback within the company, before deciding to accommodate it for a longer period in your premises.

Managing professional stress is an integral part of a strategy to improve the quality of life at work. Implementing concrete measures to address levels of anxiety prevents psychosocial risks and creates a calmer professional environment. With this in mind, the Healthy Mind device offers relaxing and modular immersions with quick installation. Do you have questions or would you like to discover the equipment directly? Please don’t hesitate to contact us.

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