One of the more confusing parts of modern exhaustion is that it often shows up in people who are very capable. They communicate well. They regulate themselves. They navigate complexity. They can handle difficult conversations without escalating them. They read the room. They think before reacting. On paper, they are the opposite of overwhelmed. And yet, they're tired. For a long time, I couldn't reconcile that. If emotional intelligence is supposed to make life easier, why do

For a while, I resisted the word burnout. It felt dramatic. Clinical. Final. Burnout sounded like collapse — like something that required a resignation letter drafted at midnight or a full life overhaul. What I was experiencing didn't look like that. I was functioning. Delivering. Leading meetings. Making thoughtful decisions. Keeping commitments. Nothing was on fire. On paper, everything looked stable — in some ways, even impressive. And yet, underneath all of that, there wa

For a long time, when I felt exhausted, I assumed the answer was simple: I needed more rest. That's the official guidance, right? Sleep more. Log off. Touch grass. Take a vacation. Protect your peace. And to be fair, rest does help. I've taken real breaks. The kind where you close the laptop and actually mean it. And for a few days, I feel like a functioning adult again. Clearer. More patient. Less likely to resent email notifications. But then, I return to normal life. And w