By Amarjeet Singh @ AJ
Every morning, the alarm rings. We get ready, face the traffic, arrive at work and do what needs to be done. We answer messages, attend meetings, solve problems and manage expectations. Some days, we even carry work home without opening a laptop. It stays in our heads throughout dinner and follows us into bed.
Tomorrow, we do it again.
People see our attendance. They see the completed assignments and the smile we put on when someone asks how we are. What they may not see is the effort it takes just to keep going.
We talk about targets, performance and productivity. Yet how often do we speak honestly about the person trying to deliver all three?
Sometimes, behind “I’m fine” is someone who has been running on empty for months.
Doing our best should not mean slowly losing ourselves.
When ordinary tiredness becomes something more
A demanding day can leave anyone exhausted. After suitable rest, we may feel ready to begin again. Burnout involves a more persistent pattern linked to work.
The World Health Organization describes burnout as an occupational phenomenon arising from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. Its three dimensions are exhaustion, growing distance or cynicism towards the job, and reduced professional effectiveness. WHO does not classify it as a medical condition in itself.[1]
That distinction matters. Not every difficult week is burnout, and exhaustion alone does not establish it. But repeatedly feeling drained, emotionally disconnected from work and less capable deserves attention.
A person may still arrive punctually and finish important tasks. Keeping up appearances does not necessarily mean they are coping comfortably.
We should make room for an honest conversation before someone reaches the point of being unable to continue.
How does it begin?
Often, it begins with demands that keep expanding while time, staffing and support stay the same.
One colleague resigns, and their duties are distributed among those remaining. A temporary arrangement becomes permanent. Deadlines move forward. Another meeting takes away the time needed to complete the work discussed at the previous meeting.
The reliable employee becomes the automatic answer to every problem.
“Give it to her. She always delivers.”
“Ask him. He will stay back.”
Being trusted can feel rewarding. But trust needs to come with realistic capacity, authority and support. Otherwise, reliability becomes an invitation to overload someone.
WHO identifies excessive workloads, understaffing, long or inflexible hours, limited control and poor support among risks to mental health at work.[2]
When everything is urgent, people need leadership that decides what can wait.
The pressure of having responsibility without control
Imagine being accountable for results while needing approval for every small decision. You identify a problem, propose a solution and wait. The delay continues, but the deadline remains yours.
Or instructions change repeatedly. Yesterday’s approved approach becomes today’s mistake. Eventually, you spend more energy anticipating reactions than doing useful work.
This is where management behaviour matters. Clear expectations, respectful feedback and reasonable decision-making authority help people work with confidence. Constant interference and uncertainty make that harder.
An employee should be able to ask for clarification without being treated as incompetent. A manager should be able to correct a mistake without humiliating the person who made it.
Accountability works best when people have the tools and authority to meet it.
When the workplace becomes emotionally exhausting
Work can be demanding even in a supportive organisation. Add bullying, harassment, favouritism or public humiliation, and the burden becomes heavier.
People begin monitoring every word. They keep quiet about problems because previous concerns were dismissed. They may feel pressure to agree with decisions they believe will fail.
There is also the exhaustion of feeling that effort makes little difference: the dependable employee carries more, while poor behaviour repeatedly goes unaddressed.
WHO includes bullying, authoritarian supervision, unclear roles and organisational cultures that enable negative behaviour among workplace mental health risks.[2]
Leaders need to examine what employees experience daily. A wellness poster cannot compensate for a manager who makes people afraid to speak.
Why do we stay silent?
Because we have commitments. Rent, housing loans, school expenses, ageing parents and daily living costs do not disappear when work becomes overwhelming.
Some employees fear being labelled weak or ungrateful. Others worry that admitting difficulty will affect promotion or job security. Managers may stay silent because they believe leadership means never showing strain.
Our own habits can also make things harder. We may accept every request, avoid asking for help or feel guilty when resting. Perfectionism can turn a reasonable task into an exhausting personal examination.
These habits deserve attention, but they do not excuse unreasonable working conditions. Teaching an employee to breathe calmly will not create the missing staff member or remove an impossible deadline.
Both the person and the workplace need support and change.
Notice the changes before dismissing them
Look at patterns rather than one bad afternoon. Are you increasingly dreading work? Do you feel unusually detached from people you once enjoyed helping? Are routine decisions taking far more effort?
Perhaps you are becoming irritable, making unfamiliar mistakes or struggling to switch off. Sleep may become unsettled. Headaches, muscle tension or stomach discomfort may appear alongside stress.
These experiences are not specific to burnout. They can have other psychological or physical causes, so avoid diagnosing yourself from a social media checklist.
If symptoms persist, worsen or interfere with everyday functioning, speak with a qualified healthcare professional. Depression, anxiety, sleep problems and physical illnesses may need assessment. Distress that extends well beyond work deserves particular attention.
You do not have to wait until you are completely unable to function before seeking help.
Start by making the workload visible
“I am stressed” is an honest statement, but a concrete explanation can make the next conversation more useful.
Write down your main responsibilities, deadlines, actual working hours and tasks added recently. Include interruptions and approval delays. Identify what is essential, what can be postponed and what needs another person’s involvement.
Then request a discussion about priorities:
“I currently have these five deliverables. With the time available, I can complete these three properly. Which two should move, or what support can we arrange?”
This turns a hidden struggle into a practical decision. Where possible, confirm agreed priorities afterwards in writing.
A useful outcome is a changed deadline, reduced workload, additional help or clearer responsibility. A sympathetic conversation is a beginning; follow-through makes the difference.
Build boundaries that fit your circumstances
Boundaries are easier to recommend than to practise, especially where shifts, customer demands or financial insecurity limit your choices.
Begin with something realistic. Take your meal break when coverage allows. Clarify what counts as an after-hours emergency. Agree on response expectations rather than assuming every message needs an immediate answer.
If your role requires availability, discuss a rota, backup arrangements and protected time off. Responsibility should be organised so that one person does not carry it continuously.
At the end of the day, note unfinished tasks and tomorrow’s priorities. This simple routine may help you leave with a clearer sense of where to restart.
Progress may be gradual. A small boundary that is respected can be more useful than a dramatic declaration you cannot sustain.
Make recovery part of ordinary life
Recovery needs space in the week. Try to protect a regular sleep routine, eat reasonably balanced meals and include movement suited to your health and ability.
A walk, time outdoors, gentle exercise or an enjoyable activity can create a pause from work demands. Prayer, reflection, music and conversation may also provide comfort and connection.
Choose activities that restore you. Your evening does not need another performance target.
Be careful about relying on alcohol to switch off or excessive caffeine to push through exhaustion. If sleep or other symptoms remain difficult, seek professional advice rather than continually trying to overpower them.
Leave can provide breathing space. But if someone returns to the same unsustainable workload, the underlying problem remains. Recovery should include a discussion about what will change at work.
Do not carry the conversation alone
Speak to someone trustworthy: a supportive colleague, friend, family member, counsellor or healthcare professional. An employee assistance programme may be useful where available; check its confidentiality arrangements.
If the problem involves bullying or harassment, consider appropriate reporting channels and keep factual records of incidents. Where your direct manager is the concern, another manager, HR representative or employee representative may be a possible route.
At home, explain what you are experiencing without making your family responsible for fixing it.
“Work has been overwhelming, and I have been more withdrawn. I am taking steps to address it.”
That conversation can prevent silence from becoming misunderstanding. Stress may explain irritability, but we still need to take responsibility for how we treat others.
What employers must do
Employers have a direct role in changing the conditions that create persistent strain. WHO recommends organisational approaches that assess and address workplace mental health risks.[3]
Start with practical questions. Is staffing adequate? Are deadlines achievable? Do employees understand their roles? Can they raise concerns safely? Are managers distributing work fairly?
Train managers to listen, recognise distress and respond appropriately. Review unnecessary meetings, repeated last-minute requests and expectations of constant availability. Address bullying consistently, including when the person involved delivers strong commercial results.
Recognition also needs substance. Thanking someone matters, but so do fair workloads, usable leave and reliable support.
Check whether changes help. If the same team repeatedly reports overload, examine the work itself. Sustainable performance requires a system people can continue working within.
When staying requires a different arrangement
Sometimes, adjustments help. A transfer, revised responsibilities, temporary changes or leave recommended by a clinician may create a workable path forward.
Sometimes, repeated attempts produce no meaningful change. Then it may be necessary to consider another role or workplace.
For many people, leaving immediately is financially unrealistic. Planning can include updating a résumé, reviewing expenses, exploring opportunities and seeking advice while protecting health as far as possible.
There is no universal recovery timetable or single correct employment decision. The aim is to find a sustainable way forward with support suited to the circumstances.
A practical beginning this week
You do not need to solve everything tonight. Begin by naming the biggest source of pressure. Is it the volume of work, someone’s behaviour, unclear expectations or the feeling that you can never disconnect?
Choose one action you can take: arrange a workload discussion, book a health appointment, ask for support or protect a period of rest. Set a time to review what happened.
If you are a manager, have the same conversation with your team. Ask what is making work unnecessarily difficult, listen without becoming defensive and commit to a specific improvement. People are more likely to speak again when the first conversation leads to action.
Our lives need room beyond work
Work can give us purpose, friendships, dignity and the means to care for our families. Many of us want to contribute and take pride in doing a good job.
That commitment deserves protection.
We need workplaces where asking for help leads to a useful response. We also need to notice when our own routines leave no room for rest, relationships or health.
The person who keeps delivering may still need someone to ask, sincerely, “How are you managing?”
Tomorrow, many of us will get up and go to work again. Let us begin taking better care of the person who has to make that journey.
Give your best to your work. Make room to care for yourself, too.
Amarjeet Singh Sran (amarjeetsinghsran5@gmail.com) is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
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