Burnout isn't laziness. It's an injury from running too long without rest.
Emotional state
Depleted, detached, cynical
What was underneath
Two years of overwork with no recovery
What it looked like
- physical exhaustion
- dreading work
- cynicism
- nothing felt worth it
The darkest moment
Crying in my car before work, unable to make myself walk in.
The first thing that helped
Finally admitting out loud, to my partner, that I was not okay — not lazy, not weak, just empty.
What helped over time
- Took real time off, badly needed
- Set boundaries on work hours
- Saw a therapist about why I couldn't stop
- Rebuilt small joys outside of work
What did not help
- Pushing through harder
- A weekend off that I spent dreading Monday
How long it took
Most of a year
Where they are now
I work differently now, and I catch the early warning signs.
Their path won't be exactly yours, and that's okay. You only need your own next small step.