#burnout

#burnout

Caregiving strain is the cognitive, emotional, and logistical burden of coordinating care for children, parents, or other dependents, and it was found to be the most powerful predictor of workforce exit.

I recognize now, if I had had boundaries back then, I never would have gotten there... I don't want other women, other professionals to go through that depth of pain.

That said, with people living longer, and as a result working longer, the timeframe for what can be considered "mid-career" is extending: "The number of employed Americans 65 and older ballooned more than 33% between 2015 and 2024, according to a CNBC analysis of data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. By comparison, the labor force for all workers 16 or older has increased less than 9% during the same time period" (Harring, 2025).

At the height of my success as a realtor in Washington, there was a moment when I was being offered incredibly high-valued listings. People were calling me and offering me opportunities that I had worked so hard to get, and in that moment where one might expect me to feel victorious or excited, I felt nothing. I received a call and was offered an amazing listing, in one of the best locations in Washington and my first thought was, no.

Cicero, the Roman Stoic, once wrote to his friend Varro, pending a visit to his home: "If you have a garden in your library, we shall have all we want." This same desire for good books and natural beauty is at the heart of Byung-Chul Han's In Praise of the Earth, in which he reflects on gardening as a form of philosophical meditation.

What fuels one person's energy may drain another. For instance, some people thrive on early morning workouts and feel ready to take on the day. For others, the same routine leaves them tired before the day even starts. Can you relate? These differences aren't signs that something is wrong with you-they're messages from how your nervous system is built to operate.

While some workers are being mandated to return to the office, a growing majority of workers now say they want to "microshift" their workday. Unlike hybrid or remote schedules, in which you work remotely some or all of the time, microshifting is about making small adjustments to your start times, breaks and hours rather than adhering to a rigid nine-to-five schedule.

Leaving Mexico City, the place I grew up, wasn't impulsive. It was calculated - shaped by ambition and the stubborn belief that opportunity still lives somewhere else. I headed to New York City in 2020, hoping to prove myself on what I thought was the world's biggest stage. I enrolled in law school, eager to work hard and prove myself.

If you've been feeling weary or discouraged lately, you're not alone. Many people are moving through their days exhausted, overwhelmed, and out of alignment, carrying a growing sense of despair for a world that feels increasingly divided and uncertain. We're living in a time where we're more connected than ever, yet many feel deeply alone. Mental health challenges are rising. Burnout is common. Climate anxiety is real. The systems meant to support us often feel fragile or failing.

Burnout rarely pours itself a cup of tea and airs its exhaustion. Sometimes it leaves no visible trace-no missed deadlines, tardy call times, or sloppy emails. Instead, it hides behind accolades and packed calendars. It lives in the shadowed corners of those who lead fundraisers, run meetings, and inspire audiences-only to collapse in private. It shows up in the sobs muffled by the shower, the forehead pressed to a steering wheel, the restless swirl of bedcovers at 3 a.m.

Loneliness and burnout-deeply interwined in the workplace-are hitting American workers (and companies) hard. In 2025, global healthcare firm Cigna found that over half of all employees surveyed felt lonely. Around 57% admitted to feeling unmotivated and stagnant, while two-thirds of full-time workers say they experience burnout on the job, according to a 2025 Gallup study. The financial toll is jaw-dropping. Harvard Business Review reports that loneliness costs U.S. companies up to $154 billion annually through lost productivity, increased burnout, and employees resigning.

So, you've finally done it. No more putting it off, pushing through the grind, waiting for a more opportune time once things settle down. Alas, you've mustered up the gall to cash in on your paid vacation time. Now you have several days strung together to travel, rest, or do whatever the heck your heart desires. I love that for you.

Many of the people I work with as a burnout coach tell themselves a golden-cage story. On paper, their jobs and lives might look good. And yet, they are exhausted, dissatisfied, and quietly desperate for more time, energy, and freedom. They long for a different rhythm of life - but feel financially trapped. The story they tell themselves goes like this: It would be reckless, even irresponsible, to leave this job.

The conversation around workplace productivity has shifted. For years, the focus sat squarely on output: longer hours, faster responses, and relentless availability. But a growing body of evidence suggests that sustainable performance depends less on time spent working and more on how effectively professionals recover between periods of high demand. This shift is playing out visibly across the capital's business districts, where mobile massage in London is becoming increasingly popular as a scheduled necessity rather than an occasional indulgence.

Healthcare spending in the United States continues its upward climb, approaching $5 trillion annually in 2023. Employer-sponsored family plans now average $27,000 per year, placing mounting pressure on households and businesses. Yet despite this spending, the country's health outcomes remain far from world-leading. The latest OECD data show U.S. per-person spending is roughly twice the OECD average, with Switzerland and Germany trailing behind as the next highest spenders.