"Wanting to make sure everything gets done to a high standard is great, but it can also take a toll over time, leading to unnecessary stress. If you frequently go above and beyond at work, it could result in a competence hangover—the type of burnout you can get when you feel inherently responsible for keeping things afloat."
"In a tougher job market where promotions are stalling and AI is quietly threatening whole categories of white-collar work, many high performers feel they have no choice but to over-deliver just to stay safe. If this sounds like you, it's worth stepping back and reducing your mental load."
High performers face a paradoxical challenge: their competence and willingness to volunteer create dependency among colleagues, leading to a phenomenon called 'competence hangover'—a form of burnout where individuals feel inherently responsible for keeping operations running smoothly. Research from Kickresume reveals that 48% of Americans experience imposter syndrome and overwork as a result, with one-third feeling guilty taking time off and nearly one in five pressured to work while sick. In competitive job markets where promotions stall and AI threatens white-collar positions, high performers feel compelled to over-deliver for job security. This cycle of exceeding expectations becomes increasingly difficult to break, as the better someone performs, the harder it becomes to stop.
Read at Fortune
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