Burnout Isn’t a Badge of Honor: Spotting Trouble Before Full Collapse

Everyone loves the hustle story. Three coffees before sunrise, inbox cleared by lunch, heroic sigh at midnight. I tried that routine last month. Made it four days. The fifth morning I stared at my laptop and forgot how to open a file. No joke.

Burnout sneaks in quiet. It starts with tired eyes that no nap fixes. Jokes at work feel sharp instead of funny. You reread simple emails three times, still miss the point. Some folks get headaches. Others snap at a slow cashier, then feel weirdly hollow on the drive home.

Quick signs to watch:
• You wake up more tired than you went to bed.
• The hobby that used to light you up now feels like homework.
• Sunday night dread creeps in by Saturday breakfast.
• Brain fog so thick you forget why you walked into the room.

If two or more hit, tap the brakes. A tiny reset helps more than heroic endurance. Step outside for ten minutes, let the phone buzz alone on the desk. Say yes to help even if pride growls. Cancel a meeting that can live as an email. Eat an actual meal, seated, plate on table, screen facedown. Sounds small. It works anyway.

Rest is not weakness. Try bragging about eight hours of sleep, see who follows. The project, the team, the deadlines—they survive a slower pace better than they survive you crashing. Keep the engine cool so the road stays open.