Burnout Doesn’t Always Look Like Exhaustion

Most people think burnout shows up as someone who’s completely drained. They may picture someone who can’t get out of bed or who’s missing deadlines, snapping at coworkers, or visibly unraveling.

That definitely happens. But burnout can also look a lot more polished.

📉It can look like the senior leader who keeps showing up to every meeting but hasn’t felt truly engaged in months.

📉The high performer who’s still checking every box but no longer takes pride in the work.

📉The business owner who built a successful company but now feels numb when thinking about the future.

This version of burnout is harder to see, but it’s no less serious. In many ways, it’s more dangerous because it lingers quietly while undermining performance and culture.

Signs You Might Be in the Burnout Zone

You don’t have to hit rock bottom to see that something’s off. Here are a few ways burnout shows up in professionals who are still “doing the job” on paper:

• A sense of emotional flatness or indifference

• A short temper, often directed at small issues

• Apathy or a growing disconnect from the team or mission

• Decreased creativity, enthusiasm, or initiative

• An ongoing internal monologue that says, “Just get through the week”

You may still care. You may still be pushing hard. But something has shifted. The spark and joy are gone, and the grind has taken its place.

High achievers often ignore these signs. They tell themselves to work harder, to focus more, to power through. That mindset may have served you at earlier stages in your career. When you were trying to prove something or build momentum, it probably worked.

Eventually, though, that same instinct can lead you straight into the wall.

What You Can Do About It

Here are a few practical starting points for recognizing and reversing this quieter form of burnout:

• Check in with yourself daily. Not just what you’re doing, but how you’re feeling.

• Pay attention to resentment. If you feel it building, it’s often a sign something needs to change. Maybe you need some new goals and targets to shoot for. Or maybe you just need a vacation.

• Consider where you’re focusing your time, focus, and energy. Create space that isn’t driven by obligation.

• Recommit to the parts of your work that give you meaning. Or admit if those no longer exist.

• Don’t try to fix this in isolation. Talk to someone objective who can help you regain perspective.

The Bottom Line

Burnout isn’t a weakness or character flaw. It’s a signal that it’s time for change. Be honest about what your work is demanding from you and make sure you’re investing enough back into yourself to stay sharp, grounded, and engaged.

Helping you Thrive,

Judy

Founder, Selby Strategies

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