If you’re reading this, there’s a good chance you’re doing fine on the outside – and quietly unraveling on the inside.
Burnout at work doesn’t usually arrive with flashing warning signs. It shows up slowly. It settles in while you’re being responsible, capable, and dependable. It shows up when your calendar is full, your career looks solid, and yet everything feels heavier than it should.
This post is for the women who are exhausted, not because they’re failing – but because they’ve been holding everything together for a very long time.
What Burnout at Work Actually Looks Like (It’s Not Just Being Tired)
Burnout at work isn’t just feeling worn out after a busy week. It’s a deeper kind of depletion – one that rest alone doesn’t seem to fix.
Burnout can look like:
- Waking up tired no matter how much sleep you get
- Feeling emotionally flat or disconnected from work you once cared about
- Being short-tempered, overwhelmed, or numb
- Dreading emails, meetings, or Mondays (Sunday Scaries sound familiar?)
- Feeling trapped by responsibilities you can’t simply walk away from
This isn’t a motivation problem. And it’s not a personal failure.
Burnout is your system telling you something needs to change.
How Burnout at Work Sneaks Up on High-Achieving Women
Burnout at work often hits the women who are good at what they do.
When you’re capable, you become trusted.
When you’re reliable, you get more work and responsibility.
When you’re driven, you push through – even when your body and mind are asking for a pause.
Add in life changes like becoming a parent, stepping into leadership, caregiving, or navigating a new season of identity, and the pressure compounds. You’re no longer just managing a job. You’re managing a life.
And because you can handle a lot, no one notices when it’s becoming too much.
My Wake-Up Call With Burnout at Work
There have been a couple of points in my career when I realized I was doing everything “right” and still felt completely depleted.
I had spent over two decades in media and advertising, working in high-pressure environments where pace and performance were the norm. I knew how to push. I knew how to deliver. I knew how to keep going, until I didn’t.
At some point between having an awesome career, having a baby, and an identity crisis, my body and mind stopped cooperating.
I was exhausted in ways that sleep couldn’t fix, and the martini I used to drown it out occasionally absolutely did not help. I felt disconnected from work I had once loved. And I remember thinking: If this is what success feels like, something is off. Is this what I worked so hard for all these years?
That realization didn’t come with a neat solution. But eventually, it came with an internal honesty that changed everything.
The Signs of Burnout at Work We Tend to Ignore
Burnout rarely announces itself loudly. More often, it whispers.
Some signs are easy to rationalize:
- “It’s just a busy season.”
- “Everyone feels like this.”
- “I should be grateful – other people have it worse.”
- “My parents worked way harder than I’ve had to.”
But when those feelings don’t pass, it’s worth paying attention.
Common signs of burnout at work include:
- Chronic fatigue
- Loss of motivation or creativity
- Anxiety or irritability
- Difficulty concentrating
- Feeling resentful or stuck
Just remember, these aren’t character flaws. They’re information.
Why Pushing Through Burnout at Work Doesn’t Actually Work
Most of us were taught that the answer to discomfort is endurance.
Push harder.
Be tougher.
Power through.
But burnout doesn’t respond to force.
The more you ignore it, the louder it gets – often showing up as health issues, anxiety, or a complete loss of joy. Burnout isn’t something you conquer by working more efficiently. It’s something you address by listening more honestly.
Rest isn’t a reward for finishing everything.
It’s a requirement for continuing at all.
What to Do When You’re Burned Out at Work (Small, Realistic Steps)
You don’t need to quit your job or overhaul your life overnight to begin healing burnout at work. Making a big life decision when you feel like you’re on the back foot is not a great idea.
Start small. Start honestly.
Some gentle places to begin:
- Adjust expectations – yours and others’
- Identify what drains you versus what sustains you
- Create small pockets of rest during the workweek
- Ask for support before you’re at a breaking point
This might also be the season to prioritize foundational self-care:
- Sleep support: a calming nighttime routine, magnesium glycinate, or blue-light–blocking glasses (I highly recommend the calm app or Spotify for sleep music, meditations, and stories)
- Movement: low-impact workouts like walking, Pilates (my fave), or yoga
- Nourishment: simple, nutrient-forward meals that don’t require decision fatigue
Redefining Success After Burnout at Work
Burnout has a way of forcing a question many of us avoid:
What am I actually working toward?
Success after burnout often looks different:
- More boundaries, fewer gold stars
- Sustainability over constant growth
- Alignment over approval
This doesn’t mean you stop caring about your career.
It means you start caring about yourself within it.
Journal Prompts & Go-Do’s for Navigating Burnout at Work
Journal Prompts
- What parts of my work feel heaviest right now?
- What am I afraid would happen if I slowed down?
- Where am I staying out of obligation rather than alignment?
- What would “enough” look like in this season of my life?
Go-Do’s
- Block one non-negotiable hour this week just for you
- Choose one boundary you can test, not perfect
- Name one support system you haven’t fully leaned on yet
If You’re Experiencing Burnout at Work, You’re Not Alone
Burnout at work doesn’t mean you’ve failed.
It means you’ve been strong for a long time.
And this moment – uncomfortable as it is – can be the beginning of a more balanced, honest, and sustainable way forward.
You don’t have to have all the answers yet.
You just have to start listening.
Drop me a note and let me know what you think about burnout at work – have you experienced it? Conquered it?
