Burnout That Isn't Coming From Your Job
For years we've talked about burnout as a workplace problem.
Too many meetings.
Too many emails.
Too much work.
And while those things absolutely contribute, many women I work with aren't burned out because of their jobs. They're burned out because of everything else.
They're carrying:
Emotional labor
Household management
Caregiving responsibilities
Mental load
Relationship maintenance
The emotional needs of everyone around them
And they're doing it while trying to appear fine. Where my high functioning anxiety ladies at?!
This kind of burnout is harder to identify because there isn't a single thing to blame. It's cumulative. It's death by a thousand invisible responsibilities. For women in perimenopause, this can become even more challenging. Hormonal changes often reduce the margin that previously allowed you to absorb endless demands. Suddenly, what you could once tolerate feels overwhelming. Not because you're weaker. Because your system no longer has the same capacity.
This is often the point where women start questioning themselves. They wonder why they're less patient, less motivated, less willing to keep doing what they've always done.
But often the question isn't:
"What's wrong with me?"
It's:
"How much have I been carrying for how long?"
If this resonates, you may also relate to High-Functioning Anxiety: You're Successful... So Why Do You Feel Like This? and Why You Feel Like You're Losing Yourself in Perimenopause.
Sometimes burnout isn't asking you to push harder.
Sometimes it's asking you to stop carrying what was never yours to hold alone.
