When did getting through the working day start taking everything you have?

You answer the messages. You meet the deadlines. You keep showing up.

Yet ordinary tasks have started to feel unusually demanding. Another email brings irritation. A small decision feels exhausting. By the time work finishes, there seems to be very little of you left for your relationships, your interests or yourself.

You tell yourself you need an early night, a quieter weekend, perhaps a holiday. But what happens when “I’m just tired” becomes the explanation you give every day?

It may be time to look more closely at what your working life is asking of you.

What does burnout actually mean?

The World Health Organization describes burnout as an occupational phenomenon resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. It is characterized by three dimensions:

1. feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion;
2. increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one's job; and
3. reduced professional efficacy.

In everyday experience, this might mean feeling drained before the working day begins, becoming detached from work that once mattered, or needing much more effort to complete familiar tasks.

The distinction from a difficult week lies in the continuing pattern and the changing relationship with work. Exhaustion alone cannot establish burnout. Although the term is used more broadly in everyday conversation, the WHO definition specifically concerns the occupational context.

Can you be struggling while still getting things done?

You might recognise yourself in a person who remains dependable while privately feeling increasingly depleted. Meeting a deadline tells other people that the work is finished; it tells them little about what completing it cost you.

Consider these questions:

• Has work become something I consistently dread or feel detached from?
• Am I finding it increasingly difficult to concentrate or complete familiar tasks?
• Are sleep, relationships or ordinary activities being affected?
• Have I been responding to exhaustion by demanding even more of myself?

These are prompts for reflection, rather than a diagnostic checklist. Persistent tiredness, withdrawal, disrupted sleep and reduced motivation deserve attention, whatever label eventually best describes the experience.

What can you do when you already feel overwhelmed?

If you find yourself feeling this way and needing to take a break, then try the following exercises when feeling overwhelmed, and see if they help ease your feelings.

1. Make the pressure specific

Set aside five minutes and complete these three sentences:

“The part of work that drains me most is…”

Name a situation: competing deadlines, repeated interruptions, emotionally demanding conversations, unclear expectations or routinely working beyond your hours.

“What makes this difficult to sustain is…”

Perhaps there is insufficient time, limited support, little control or an expectation that you should always be available.

“One change I need help with is…”

For example: clarifying priorities, sharing a task, arranging supervision or reviewing a deadline.

This exercise gives you something concrete to discuss. Workplace stress guidance identifies demands, control, support, relationships, role and organisational change as areas worth examining.

2. Turn one boundary into a clear request

“Having better boundaries” can sound sensible while remaining frustratingly vague. Choose one recurring situation and prepare a sentence you could realistically use.

For competing priorities:

“I can complete this by Thursday. If the new task needs to come first, which existing deadline should we move?”

For an unmanageable workload:

“I’m finding the current workload difficult to sustain. Could we review what is essential and what can be reassigned or postponed?”

If a conversation is possible, agree a specific adjustment and a date to review whether it is helping. Workload discussions are more useful when they lead to action.

Your options will depend on your circumstances. If speaking directly to a manager feels unsafe, consider support from occupational health, a trusted colleague, an employee representative or an Employee Assistance Programme, where available.

3. Protect a small period of recovery

Choose a brief, realistic period when you can step away from work demands: a lunch break away from your inbox, a quiet transition after work, or time with someone whose company feels supportive.

Beforehand, ask:

“What would feel supportive with the energy I have today?”

Afterwards, notice:

“Do I feel a little more settled, more connected, or still depleted?”

Treat the answer as information. If an activity feels demanding, adjust it. You do not need to turn recovery into another performance target.

Short breaks, regular meals and gentle movement, where appropriate for your health, can support stress management. They are starting points within a broader response to what is causing the difficulty.

What if the demands themselves are unsustainable?

When exhaustion is linked to understaffing, bullying or an unrealistic workload, recovery may also require changes to working conditions. Depending on your circumstances, these could include:

• Clearer responsibilities: agree on your priorities, what falls within your role and which tasks can wait.
• A more manageable workload: discuss realistic deadlines, redistribution of tasks or additional staffing.
• Adjusted working arrangements: explore changes to your hours, schedule or expectations around availability.
• Regular support: request supervision, practical guidance or scheduled conversations about workload.
• Action on harmful behaviour: seek support from an appropriate manager, employee representative or occupational health service.
• Supported time away: discuss whether a period of leave or a gradual return to work would be appropriate.

When is professional support appropriate?

Seek support when exhaustion persists, symptoms worsen, or work stress is affecting your sleep, relationships or ability to manage daily life. A psychologist or psychotherapist can help you examine the pressures you face, explore difficult thoughts and feelings, and plan changes that fit your circumstances.

If tiredness has lasted for several weeks without a clear explanation, or affects everyday functioning, arrange a medical assessment. Fatigue can have physical causes, and low mood or sleep difficulties may also need attention.

You do not have to identify the correct diagnosis before asking for help.

If this experience feels familiar, a useful first step may be to tell someone:

“I’m finding it harder to keep going, and I need some support.”

You can begin there, even while you are still answering the emails.

Sources

• WHO: Burnout as an occupational phenomenon
• WHO: Mental health at work
• NHS: Work-related stress
• HSE: Preventing work-related stress—Talking Toolkit