Quiet Burnout: The Hidden Weight of Holding It All Together

When we think of burnout, we often think of having too much work to do in too little time - our calendar is just way too full.

And sure, too much work and too little time can absolutely lead to burnout. But, the truth is that you can burn out even when your calendar is manageable.

Burnout isn’t just about the number of hours you’re working; it’s about how those hours feel.

Are you navigating ambiguity without support? Is the work you’re doing not getting any recognition? Do you feel safe to say “I’m not okay?”

Burnout, at least in my experience, often comes from spending so much energy holding everything together that you really don’t have much left for yourself.

The Kind of Burnout No One Talks About

We’ve all heard of quiet quitting by now, right? Well, before that comes quiet burnout.

Quiet burnout is when you’re still showing up to meetings, hitting deadlines, and smiling when asked how you are. You’re get a Slack asking you to take on another project and while you sigh at your desk, you reply “Of course!”

So on the outside? Everything seems fine. On the inside, however? You’re numb. Drained.

Your mental load is on overdrive.

“Okay—leadership presentation at 4:00, but that’ll probably run long… then I’ve got to get the kids to soccer by 5:30, figure out dinner, reply to my boss’s Slack, and finish that report before midnight. Cool. Totally fine. Everything’s fine.”

That kind of constant subconscious processing?! It’s exhausting!

Quiet burnout is easy to miss. But, it’s also incredibly common, especially for those who lead with empathy, feel responsible for others, and a general sense of well-being.

So? It’s not always about workload. It’s about the emotional energy, mental juggling, and the invisible weight of feeling like you’re alone.

The Human Cost of Hiding

The hardest part? Most people don’t see it - not even ourselves.

Because quiet burnout doesn’t have to be dramatic.

It’s:

• Being the “go-to” person

• Replying quickly, keeping things moving, and smiling on camera

• You’ve got it all! Your team is held together, your household is held together, and you’ve even got yourself held together

Eventually, you’re going to hit a wall where you can’t hide it anymore - that burnout you feel isn’t quiet, it’s loud.

You start to feel disconnected from work, friends, family, and yourself. You stop caring about things that you used to love - who needs hobbies anyway?! You even start to believe maybe you’re the problem.

Trust me. You’re not. You’re simply tired of hiding.

What We Need & What We Can Do

While more hours in a day may sound like the perfect solution, what we really need is to feel seen, supported, and safe.

And we need those things to be baked into how we work, not just something we reach for when we’ve realized the burnout has already hit.

If you're leading a team, supporting a colleague, or helping shape culture, here’s what you can do:

• Notice the invisible work. Acknowledge the coordination, care, and emotional labor—not just the outcomes.

• Create space for honesty. Let people say “I’m overwhelmed” without fear.

• Check in before things break. Ask, “How are you really doing?”—and listen.

• Don’t reward overextension. Just because someone always says yes doesn’t mean they should have to.

• Model boundaries. When leaders say no, take breaks, and show vulnerability, others feel permission to do the same.

These things can truly make a difference between people surviving at work and actually being well at work.

The Hard Question

Even in the healthiest workplaces, there may come a moment where you have to ask

“Is this still right for me?

Am I in an environment where I feel safe, valued, and aligned? Or have I been slowly disappearing?”

Burnout isn’t a reflection of your resilience; it’s often a reflection of your environment, and sometimes it’s a signal to ourselves that something needs to change.

Because we deserve more than survival. We deserve work that supports us, not just what we produce. We deserve space to show up fully.

The more we create space for truth, the more space we make for healing.